Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 40

GREAT SCENIC BYWAY S
Stumphouse Tunnel-a railroad tunnel
from the early 1800s that was never completed.
It was later " the site of the first
successful attempt to age blue cheese in
the South by Clemson University. " While
here, take a short walk to the 100-foot cascade
named Issaqueena Falls for photos
and legends.
Our next turn is the official beginning
of the byway-right onto SC 107-to
Oconee State Park. Stay at a CCC-era cabin;
swim, paddle and fish in the streamfed
lakes; play minigolf; access the challenging
Blue Ridge Escarpment's Foothills
Trail. In spring, keep an eye open for the
wild Oconee Bell, one the rarest wildflowers
in the country.
Continue north for seven miles for a
curious roadside " attraction " -Moody
Spring. Mineral springs, once (and still)
thought to have curative properties, were
historically popular places to locate homes
and towns.
Follow the gently curving road, watch
for black bears and stop at Walhalla State
Fish Hatchery. See how this location sustains
trout populations of brook, rainbow
and brown in public waters. Ask about
good spots in the area for some exceptional
flyfishing including the nearby East
Fork of the Chattooga-a designated Wild
and Scenic River.
As you near the state line, take a right
on state road SC 37/413 (Wiginton Road)
for one of the best mountain views in
the state. At the overlook you can see for
about 30 miles on a clear day with Lake Jocassee
nestled in the mountains 2,000 feet
below. Return to SC-107; make a right;
and have a picnic at Sloan Bridge. Then,
have one final hike on the river and waterfall
trails before returning home.
Length: 13 miles. nsbfoundation.com/
sb/falling-waters-scenic-byway/
Ä TENNESSEE
Norris Freeway National Scenic
Byway. Designated as a National Scenic
Byway in 2021, this route was built
in 1934 as a supply route for a massive
change coming to the hills-the Tennessee
Valley Authority.
40 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
The 1982 World's Fair Park and Sunsphere are attractions in Knoxville, Tennessee, an insider-tip
side trip from the the state's Norris Freeway Scenic Byway.
If you need to ask a local for directions
to US 441 at the northern terminus town
of this byway, you might want a bit of
background history. The name has been
changed not once, not twice, but three
times! Currently, it's Rocky Top-formerly
Lake City-and Coal Creek before that.
Once there, head south to the jewel of this
journey-Norris Dam State Park.
This location was the first hydro-electric,
flood-control dam in the TVA system
that would forever change the lives
of those living in this area of Appalachia.
And, US 441 goes right over the top. Park
at the small visitor center and look at the
34,000-acre lake from one side of the dam
and the cold, clear Clinch River far below
from the other.
Plan to stay the night at one of the 19
CCC-built cabins, in modern cabins or
camp since there is much to explore. On
site is an overshot grist mill from 1798,
a reconstructed threshing barn, and the
Lenoir Museum-a " mini-Smithsonian "
collection of artifacts and stories. For nature
adventures, the park offers boat rentals
from the marina, multiple trails for
hiking and wildlife watching, horseback
riding, swimming and world-class trout
fishing below the dam.
Just down the road is a Smithsonian Affiliate
called The Museum of Appalachia.
This pioneer mountain farm village has 35
log cabins and community structures in
addition to over 250,000 artifacts including
tools, art, musical instruments, home
goods and First Nation items. Check the
event schedule for " big deal " celebrations
like the " anvil shoot. "
If time allows, go seven miles south
to Clinton on SR 61 for a downtown full
of antique stores and the Green McAdoo
Cultural Center for civil rights history. As
a former longtime resident in these areas,
this writer would suggest a final drive to
the byway's closest metropolitan city of
Knoxville-the state's third largest. Visit
the 1982 World's Fair Park, the Knoxville
Museum of Art, the city's first home from
1786-James White Fort-a candy factory,
the 1928 Tennessee Theatre; and have
dinner on the river.
Length: 21 miles. nsbfoundation.com/
nb/norris-freeway/
Great Smoky Mountains Byway.
Drive the foothills alongside over
1,000,000 acres of forest lands for the
scenery,
history,
culture,
recreational
and archeological attributes of this region.
Visitors could spend weeks immersed
in the stops along this byway.
Step back in time at the Great Smoky
ADOBE STOCK | MARCUS JONES

http://www.nsbfoundation.com/nb/norris-freeway/ http://www.nsbfoundation.com/sb/falling-waters-scenic-byway/ http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM

Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023