Bloggo Tryonico: a day trip to Tryon, Pearson's Falls and Campbell's Covered Bridge

Dottore Gianni is not certain if he is just putting it off, but he has yet to write about last Sunday's symphony concert. He began a post on it, but it became the brief story of Dr Jack and his doppelgänger. 

Avoidance or no, today's blog will not be about the symphony either. (Dottore Gianni, Doctor Jack and just plain Jack are hoping inspiration will strike Friday and/or Saturday) as the second concert of the season will take place the next day. The blogs on concerts will begin to get behind-er and behind-er!

The good doctor found his morning into early afternoon trip yesterday to the mountains of North Carolina to see a waterfall, a small, artsy town, with a stop at an historic site in northern South Carolina, so pleasurable that today's post will briefly (??? is ANY post by Dottore Gianni ever brief???) honor that trip.

I'll describe the trip in the order I traveled, northwest along route 414 to route 14 and from there to route 176. 

Meaningless, right? Right. So I'll elaborate. I drove northeast along 414 as I understood I could get a look at the last covered bridge in South Carolina, a bridge called Campbell's. In fact it is very easily reached, and is just off 414, well sign-posted so that I found it easily. I was the only person there, and that remained the case until I left it. Nevertheless the state of South Carolina has honored it with picnic tables and benches near and quite distant, that offer many a different view of the the rust-red bridge built in 1909.

The pretty and well cared for entrance to the bridge

I'm not certain that it's worth all of those views, but as Dottore Gianni has reminded me, if it's the only one left in the state, better to keep and display it rather than ignore or worse tear it down.

I'll let the historical marker explain a bit about the bridge:

It's pretty, isn't it? (the bridge, not the marker - markers all look alike!) and lies in a lovely setting, don't you think?

and how about a view from another angle?

for the engineers among my Facebook friends (and I know of at least one), the interior:

And I think that's all that need be seen of and written about Campbell's Covered Bridge, agreed? But while it is at best a not unpleasant diversion, I'm very glad to have seen it!

Not far at all from Tryon is the town closest to the North Carolina border in that part of the state, Landrum. I have it on the best authority (my sister-in-law, Kara Hrkach) that it's a charming little town, and I thought about stopping, but I really wanted to get to Tryon and the falls.

A bit more on the proximity of Landrum and Tryon - as you leave Landrum heading north you see a sign "North Carolina Welcomes You" (or something like that). Only a minute or two later you enter Tryon NC - the towns are almost connected - except of course by maybe a mile and a border.

I'm writing this, as I already noted, in chronological order, so you'll have to wait a bit to hear about Tryon. About four miles of mostly very twisty-turny road after I left Tryon, eagle-eyed Dottore Gianni spotted a sign that lets us know that Saluda is about 4 miles away. Knowing from experience (tell you how in a minute) that the falls is only about three miles from Saluda I began looking for the entrance to the falls, Pearson's by name. It was easy enough to spot the entrance, as the place is clearly marked from both directions. A left turn and a mile later and I arrived at the office of the Falls, which is a small NC state park. I was welcomed by a friendly ranger, paid my $5 and drove in. And realized that, similar to my experience at Campbell's Covered Bridge, mine was the only car in the parking area. 

"Babble to her, Mr Brook..." along the trail to
Pearson's Falls

So! I had the place to myself! The trail is a fairly easy 3/4 of a mile walk in a mostly upward but not overly steep incline. I immediately thought back two years and a few month to when I'd first visited, on my first ever trip to NC - Saluda specifically - from my new home in SC. I was glad to be back. As I walked upward on the trail a stream ran downhill (naturally) to my right, at times peaceful, at other, steeper sections of the walk somewhat turbulent, in a very gentle way. I crossed over the old stone bridge as I neared the falls, and the babbling brook was now to my left. At the bridge I could just make out the falls themselves, and it was only a short climb until I reached the small, roped off area with a bench or two and a lovely view. 

Pearson's Falls, and the dogleg right the water takes as it heads down the hill

The Pearson's Falls are not mighty. Only 90 feet high they stream over a rather wide precipice. I imagine that after a 

Pathetic "selfie" at the Falls

very heavy rain they might appear more dramatic, but there is a quiet dignity and a delicate beauty to them. I suppose that in two weeks they'll be even prettier, as the fall foliage will be near its peak, but I will be in Germany in less than two weeks and was very happy with the few autumn leaves that were just beginning to fall, with the slight change in color of the trees. I stayed a while, looking at the falls and the surrounding woods from different angles, made a few futile attempts to take a "selfie" (Dottore Gianni refused my request to take a photo of me - I wonder why?), and then began the even easier stroll back down. 

The Falls from a different angle

As I watched the stream on my left now running down the hill I thought of a song, as I often do - but this song was specific to the place, a song by Brahms, "Waldesnacht, du Wunderkühle," translated to English as "Wondrous Cool, Thou Woodland Quiet." 

on the way back down the trail

We sang it in high school chorus. I remember little from my school years, but I still remember the song, even the bass part: 

"Wondrous cool, thou woodland quiet; 
Thee a thousand times I greet.
Far away from rush and riot, 
Ah, thy soothing charms are sweet
Dreaming on thy mossy carpet, 
here is rest and peace.
'Tis as if beneath thy shadows, 
all my cares and troubles cease.



Needless to say, it made my day!

Trade Street, Tryon

BUT! I still had Tryon to visit and there perhaps to have a little lunch. So back I drove and arrived on the main street of the town, called not Main but Trade Street. While Tryon (named for the colonial governor of the area) had been populated by a few Anglos since before the Revolution (apparently they traded with the Cherokee in peace and harmony - a relationship that was not to last as more and more immigrants decided to settle the area) it was not given a charter as a city until the 1880s. Later, in the 1920s it was again chartered, this time as a town and as a brief history in "Welcome to Polk County" on line puts it "since then the municipal population was, is, and will continue to be less than 10,000."

Trade Street from the other end - note the old movie house -
unlike many others, this one is still active (see below)

Trade Street is not quite as nice, to my mind, as Saluda's main street, but it's longer and as in Saluda, just next to the rail tracks. It is a difficult climb by rail (or otherwise) to Saluda from Tryon, so steep that the rail grade is known as "the Saluda grade" said to be the steepest east of the Rockies!

Close-up showing the latest Helen Mirren film, a poster by those who run the theatre,
and best of all, the old box office window!

Dottore Gianni notes that that statement might require some checking. But perhaps they're right.

This is horse country, and Tryon holds a horse show as well as an annual steeplechase race that is known nationwide. 

Still, a wooden horse on Trade Street??? Maybe it's Dottore Gianni's classical training, but when he sees a wooden horse brought into town he thinks Trojan Horse, not Tryon Horse! And I instantly thought of the famous line "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." In this case maybe "Beware of Landrum-ites bearing gifts?" A surprise attack on a North Carolina town by a rival town just across the border in South Carolina? North vs South again?

This is a very peaceful looking horse however, and goes by the none too bellicose appellation, Morris. I'll let the historical marker explain:

The Polk County article names some famous people who have lived here. The poet Sidney Lanier spent the last two months of his life here and a library named for him was founded in 1890. While it began with only one shelf of books, it has grown and remains "the last private library in North Carolina," though that statement too has been disputed. And the bookish atmosphere has continued. Passing one of its book stores I noted and chuckled at a sign put up by its proprietor: "Carpe librum," a play on the more familiar Latin phrase" Carpe Diem." Instead of seizing the day, the owner suggests that you seize the BOOK! Tryon boasts at least three book shops on Trade Street alone. By contrast Greenville SC's Main Street, longer and a good bit prettier, boasts not ONE. 

"Tsk, Tsk," says Dottore Gianni.

I was amused to see that the famed turn of the twentieth century actor William Gillette built a home in Tryon. He is well known among theatre historians like myself (and few others, Dottore Gianni points out) for writing and then starring in plays that include Secret Service and more famously, Sherlock Holmes. He built a a very big home known as the Gillette Castle in Connecticut, which can be toured and which Dr Jack DID tour - a rather bizarre place, but comfy-feeling inside and boasting great views high above the river.

The article does NOT mention Nina Simone, one of my favorite jazz and soul singers (also a strong advocate for civil rights). Dottore Gianni finds that a tad irksome, as several others, most not as interesting, are named. All Caucasians, of course. Perhaps it was a memory lapse? Hmmmm...

Nina Simone Plaza - someone remembered, though there is no inscription or description

Well, she was born here, a preacher's daughter, and she's certainly as important as William Gillette! At least the town remembers, and rather nicely, as on the railroad side of Trade Street there is an unmissable statue in a shady area called Nina Simone Plaza.

Lady Nina, up close and personal

Well! I spent little time in the many artsy stores along Trade Street, as my hike had made me hungry. I by-passed a rather 
pricey "Bistro" and chose instead the 10 Trade Street Cafe 

and Bakery. It was a good choice! I ordered the special, a very tasty hamburger with Swiss cheese and caramelized onion. As my side I was about to order the potato salad but I asked the waitress if it was very mayonnaise-y. She said, "It's creamy with it." So I decided to try something else and ordered the rather exotic sounding mango cole slaw instead. I was a bit nervous that this too would be drowned in mayo, as are so many sides in this part of the country. In fact the last cole slaw I had (at another homey restaurant in another small North Carolina town) was almost inedible, so sweet and packed with mayo that I couldn't taste the cabbage! 

My lunch at the Cafe - look beyond the burger - the slaw's heavenly!

The Cafe's mango cole slaw was a different story altogether - NO mayo, a very tasty oil and vinegar dressing instead. In fact it was one of the very best cole slaws I've ever et! I pronounced it "heavenly" to the woman at the counter so when I paid my bill, but she mis-heard me and repeated, questioningly, "Heavy???" I corrected her and repeated my praise, after which she told me that many people come to the restaurant JUST for the unique slaw - they were right to!

The lunch crowd at the Cafe - notice that they're almost all
facing away from me...FINE! Just the way I like it!

After lunch I walked back down Trade Street, hopped back in the car and drove off, thinking about it one of the Stage Manager's lines in Our Town: "Nice place, know what I mean?"  I drove back through Landrum, but I was tired, it was already getting on towards 2 pm, so I promised myself that I'd visit there another time. 

And so I shall! And if Dottore Gianni insists, you may see another blog post on it, but only after I've blogged on and on about my European adventure.