STORY BY LOUIS BUTTINO

CHEROKEE FOOTHILLS BYWAY

THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND SURROUNDING WILDERNESS OFFER SUPERB FALL COLOR FOR ROAD TRIPPERS.

LENGTH

About 130 miles

NOT TO BE MISSED

Victoria Valley Vineyards; waterfalls of the upcountry

FUN FACT

Table Rock is one of 16 South Carolina state parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park’s Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. southcarolinaparks.com

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Kings Mountain State Park, with a re-created homestead, and Kings Mountain National Military Park, an American Revolution battle-ground, northeast of Gaffney via Route 29; Oconee State Park, north of Walhalla via Route 107

OUR THREE-CAR CARAVAN hopped on South Carolina Highway 11, known as the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway, north of Spartanburg and headed west. The “Upstate Voyagers” range in age from 56 to 77, with five septuagenarians. We are a no-quit, no-complaints, adventure-loving group of travelers.

Lush orchards lined both sides of the road until we passed Gowensville. We admired the pastoral roadside greenery; rows upon rows of peach trees clung to their leafy cover.

From here, the colors started to change to the yellow, orange and early reds of autumn as we slowly gained altitude. To the north of Highway 11, we could glimpse Hogback Mountain with a patch of sheer vertical granite exposed. All along the byway, we were shadowed by the southernmost peaks of the imposing Blue Ridge Mountains.

Next, we made our much-anticipated stop at the MacGregor Orchard for a delicious supply of fresh apples to snack on during our trip. Back on the road, we passed some of South Carolina’s nicest state parks.

Jones Gap, Caesars Head and Table Rock all have different diversions to offer, including trout fishing, hiking trails, a scenic overlook, a swimming hole and waterfalls. Caesars Head is connected to Jones Gap, totaling 13,000 pristine wooded acres in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area.

Our caravan crossed over the upper stretch of mountain stream-fed Lake Keowee with its clear water. We headed across the North Carolina state line.

Frequently we have taken fall color trips during the second weekend in October to coincide with local arts and crafts fairs. On this trip, however, we scheduled our travels toward the end of the month to catch the foliage closer to its peak.

This was yet another successful trip for the Upstate Voyagers. I am already thinking about next fall’s trip to the Carolina mountains.

PAT & CHUCK BLACKLEY

The sun rises on a misty morning at Table Rock State Park.