Lorraine, Kayla and I started the day with a hike up to the Big Bradley Falls. The trail starts as a moderate, well-marked, hike through woods that leads to the Little Bradley Falls.
To reach the Big Bradley Falls the trail crosses a stream..
..and then up a steep mountain side. There are strict warnings along the way about the dangers of venturing off the trail. Seven people have died getting too close to the precipice of the ravine, but since there are no official overlooks (such a shame), if you want a glimpse of the falls you have to go off-trail. We choose the safest off-shoot we could find. Here are a few pics we took. The falls are on the other side of the ravine:
Afterwards, we visited the picturesque town of Saluda, NC.
This town was built as a railroad stop in the late 1800's and became a popular summer tourist attraction. It developed the reputation of a cool mountain resort town that offered health benefits to those who came. This area also boasts the steepest railroad grade in the nation.
There is a small museum in the town which gives the history of the rail line and the number of train accidents that occurred due to brake failure. The line was shut down in 2003.
We ate lunch at Thompson's the oldest grocery store in the state. And walked the town visiting many of its quaint shops .
Here are a few other pictures I took while there:
Total steps: 9,173 / 3.6 miles