family | My Travels

My lovely cousin, Amy, drove down from North Carolina to spend the weekend with me in Upstate, South Carolina. We kicked things off with a wonderful and spectacular lunch at Mocha Mountain in downtown Walhalla, South Carolina. It is just a few blocks up the street from the historical St. Johns Lutheran Church (worth checking out!)

While we waited for our lunch to be served, Amy shopped the boutique within. It hosted a lovely assortment of handmade goods. These ranged from goat milk soaps to yeti items and more. Amy purchased a little souvenir treat for herself while there and I snapped some photos. I found Yeti–a mural of him anyway! Why is that we assume Yeti is a dude and the Loch Ness Monster a cool chick? Wonders never cease but I digress!

I ordered the Mountain Club. I had avocado added. I chose rye bread with homemade potato salad on the side. It was absolutely delicious. If my stomach would have allowed, I would have eaten two of them, it was that good! Amy also chose the club. She enjoyed it on white bread with mayo added. She scarfed it down with a side of chips. She ordered a caramel latte and I had the London Fog, both amazing beverages. You can choose a real, ceramic mug or a to-go mug. This is a great feature because I prefer a real mug. Mocha Mountain is the only place in this region that serves a London Fog. It is one of my absolute most favorite hot beverages. It really added the dazzle in our dining adventures!

After lunch, we felt full. We headed to Station Cove Waterfalls, which is about a 10-minute drive up Highway 11. The adventures continue!

Beautiful Outdoor art, Welcoming us to Walhalla, SC

The days are growing longer and springing forward with the time change today extends the sunshine, albeit cutting an hour of sleep off. What’s a person to do but to catch the rays on the riverbanks and perhaps rock out to the humms of the rapids.

While seeking a different venue (my digital map wasn’t working properly) I came upon the river and it’s idealic location, simply because Lay Bridge Road is closed/blocked off, allowing a pseudo parking area to be created and locals/adventureres to enjoy the serenic setting. Catechese Dam on lay bridge road is also a minor historical site as well.

I stopped by the local store and chose a few items for a picnic, sticking my purchase in a re-usable small shopping bag as I don’t currently own an actual picnic basket and the durable bag makes it easy to carry my food items to and from the site (plus, the handles don’t dig into my fingers, especially important when carrying items on an adventure!)

While I am a fairly skilled person I realized that hunting and gathering for my food isn’t really conducive for feeding myself, packing a picnic is a very affordable way to eat well without breaking the bank or spending a small fortune on take-out (my entire picnic would have easily fed 2-3 people for less than $8 total.) I usually pack a bit extra–in case I stay out a bit longer than expected, meet a new friend, etc-one may never know what excitement adventures lead too and who doens’t like good snacks and food to eat and share?

The weather has been dreary, grey rainy skies lately and with a clear, sunshine filled cool day, it was a lovely adventure to enjoy the river and lay on the banks and soak in the sun, eat my picnic and enjoy the sounds of nature serenade me with their melody. A special treat? A group of 4 kayakers paddled by with their colorful paddles and head gear on!