Memorial Day Road Trip – Walhalla, South Carolina
I hope you all had a safe Memorial Day weekend. Saturday and Sunday weren’t the best when it came to the weather around here, but thankfully Monday was a beautiful day. David and I decided we’d take a little road trip for the day. It was a cooler morning, but we hopped on the motorcycle and headed toward Walhalla, South Carolina.
Why Walhalla?
David had a co-worker who mentioned Stumphouse Tunnel to him a year or so ago. He’s been talking about taking a trip up there, but we just hadn’t had time or the weather wasn’t cooperating. And we have David’s daughter every other weekend, so we can’t take a motorcycle ride on those weekends. But we finally had a day to make the trip, and the weather was nice enough! I started out with a long-sleeved shirt and a jacket… but by the time we got there and on the way home, I didn’t need the jacket.
We got a little bit later start than originally planned. The trip was going to be around 3 hours, and on the motorcycle, I often need to stop a few times just because my back can start to hurt. But we got on the road around 8:30 a.m. or so. We stopped for gas and to grab some breakfast and hit the road.
It was strange to me because the GPS took us out to Thomson. Remember, we live in South Carolina… and were going to another place in South Carolina. In my brain, it didn’t make sense why it would take us through Georgia to get there. I’m sure looking at a map it would’ve made sense… but we just simply followed the GPS. It took us to Thomson, then through Washington, Elberton, Hartwell… Overall, it was a pretty ride. We only stopped once in Elberton for a bathroom and snack break.
Elberton
I noticed in Elberton that it was the granite capital of the world. That reminded me of something I’d read about the Georgia Guidestones. When we stopped for our bathroom break, I looked it up. We were only a few miles from where the Guidestones were. I knew they’d been vandalized last year… but forgot they wound up tearing them down. Otherwise, we definitely would’ve gone to see them!
Stumphouse Tunnel
We made it to Walhalla just after 11:30 a.m. The downtown area was really pretty. Then we continued up some winding roads to Stumphouse Tunnel. Thankfully, David read that you should bring a flashlight! Unfortunately, we both wore boots that weren’t great for the terrain, but we managed. The tunnel was dark, damp, and cold! You could hear water constantly dripping and had to watch where you stepped too. I think the length of the tunnel you could walk is only about a quarter of a mile. We walked all the way down til we got to a gate where you could look a little further into the tunnel.
Interesting fact– the tunnel maintains a constant temperature of 50 degrees year round! A couple we met while there mentioned that Clemson used to store cheese in there. I just looked it it, and it’s true! According to Visit Oconee SC, Clemson University cured bleu cheese in the tunnel for decades!
Outside of the tunnel there were a few trails and embankments to explore. David climbed up a little above the tunnel, but I was a little nervous about climbing in the boots I wore. Just a little ways down, there was a waterfall, Issaqueena Falls. So we walked down that way to check it out. It was absolutely gorgeous. Of course, I love the water… so I had to at least put my hands in it. It was definitely COLD! We followed the trail around and saw a way to get down to the bottom of falls. It was a rocky, treacherous trail… but we took our time and made it down. Let me say… it was worth it! The view was breathtaking. I could have stood there all day listening to the sound of the water falling.
Thankfully, I managed to get down and back up the trail without falling. I will say my legs are a bit sore today! I wasn’t planning to go hiking.
Walhalla – A Good Trip
Overall, it was a great trip. I do wish there were a few more things to do in the area though. We spent more time riding than we did exploring, which is fine because a big part of riding a motorcycle is the ride! And maybe if we had done a little more searching in the area we could have found other things to do… But we also didn’t want to be gone too long since we needed to get home to the pups, and also get ready for the work week!
Photos from Walhalla, South Carolina
