A few months ago I was standing in a supermarket checkout line and a National Geographic headline caught my attention; 50 of the World’s last GREAT places — Destinations of a Lifetime. As I was turning 50 in a few months, I purchased the issue and thought; maybe I would go on an adventure to one of the 50 last GREAT places for my 50th birthday?
When I opened the magazine, stunning water, majestic mountains and spectacular plant and wild life graced the glossy pages. Surprisingly, of all the locales flung far and wide, I was most attracted to a picture of a tiny flower that’s indigenous to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Oconee bell is a small, white work of art; that if you didn’t know what you were looking for, could easily be overlooked as a generic clover or violet cousin.
According to the National Geographic article, 90% of the world’s Oconee bells are found in the Jocassee Gorges area in North and South Carolina. Not only do the gorges boast “some 60 species of rare plants” the area also has “one of the highest concentrations of waterfalls in the eastern United States”.  Rare flowers and waterfalls? This was my type of adventure. Add in a spring break timed blooming season, this was an experience for the WHOLE family!
Now I have to admit, I was afraid that traipsing through the woods in South Carolina would seem like a bit of a forced march for my teen-aged kids but after three minutes of flower search, along clearly marked paths, we found the remarkable bloom. Nestled in jumbles of brown and green tufts were hundreds of Oconee bells.
The kids splashed along small streams and hung from tree branches to photograph uniquely positioned clusters of the small plant.
It’s hard to say who was the muddiest but these are a few of the “extremely fun to capture” photos.
Our floral excursion a success; I decided to step it up a bit and mention the waterfalls.
The Jocassee gorges are home to several waterfall hikes ranging from easy to boat accessible. Being boat deprived, we decide to bi-ped a moderate path to the Station Cove Falls, which is a 60 foot stepped waterfall. At the foot of the falls we were fortunate to meet a professional photographer (real camera — big lens) who took an amazing family photo. The kids climbed large boulders and tried to escape the rushing water while I hopped over rocks testing my limited sense of balance.
The next day we decided to venture north to White Water Falls (lower). White Water Falls run from North Carolina to South Carolina and are reported to be the highest falls in the eastern United States. The strenuous hike was about 2 miles; the kids and I were definitely up for the challenge. The hitch? We met the following sign about 20 minutes into our hike:
We had already gone about two miles, could we go another nine miles to see the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi? Probably, but it would surely kill our day. As we contemplated the trip, I noticed the divot to the left of the nine — it looks a bit suspect right? Could it be a dot as in .9 miles? We decided to walk a bit further, if we found the falls great, if not, we’d have to come back and try again when we were ready for an overnight hike. JUST as we were going to turn around, hunched over trying to catch my breath, I looked up and saw a bench. I figured let’s sit. Admittedly, I’m no Pocahontas because the bench turned out to be a lookout point with a view of; you guessed it, the White Water Falls. We took a family selfie that so perfectly captures the joy in our adventure it brings tears to my eyes just remembering it. Can you imagine how beautiful the White Water Falls would be framed by fall foliage?
After White Water Falls, we decided to try Issaqueena Falls. Why? Because, it was described as an “easy five-minute walk”. As we parked we saw toddlers and families with kids strapped to their backs, this was going to be PERFECT! I could probably even do it in high-heels. The short walk over the bridge and through the woods yielded another spectacular waterfall view. But alas it appeared waterfalls might be yet ANOTHER metaphor for life — you get out what you put in. While I stood at the lookout point, I noticed my kids disappearing down into the underside of the deck. As it turns out, there’s a small steep path that runs — who knows where? All I know is my kids were descending at a rate where I could no longer see them.
As I stepped down onto a steep mix of rocks and roots I was forced to decide between the three-foot jump and the dangle and drop. Grabbing Daisy, our four-pound poodle, I decided to jump; landing next to a toddler and a gal with an infant attached to her chest. Where-were-my-kids?
Next, a fallen tree? Seriously? Going over it would need much longer legs and crawling under required a much flatter chest. Daisy went under — I went over in a way that can only be described as UN-elegant. I’m stuck, mid-straddle, no kids in sight. The toddler took Daisy’s leash and the infant bearing lady gave me a hand, YEESH. While I adjusted myself I looked up to see my kids on the last decent to the first stage of the waterfall. All pulled together I climbed down the last 20 feet to find a level sandy spot where my youngest son was setting up a GoPro camera. He had pulled himself behind the falling water and was photographing the falls from the back. My daughter had climbed so high she looked like a purple flower on the green mountainside and my oldest son was exploring a mysterious cave. I stood watching it all unfold like it was a clip from a Nat Geo adventure.
What a reward right? I guess we could have kept climbing down the mountain until we hit Florida but the potty was back at the top of the waterfall; so up we went.
This was the last waterfall on our journey; the kids and I hiked 20 miles over two days and enjoyed every minute! While looking for flowers and chasing waterfalls we discussed life, love and politics. So many times, we laughed deep belly laughs and I was sure these would be the memories they cherished most as adults.  Like most journeys, you often set out with an intention in mind only to find out that it wasn’t really the point after all. This was one such adventure. In an age where my teens generally see me as a loving, unpaid, Uber driver, we were able to disconnect and reconnect in a way I never would have imagined. And it all happened because I decided to look up instead of down into my shopping cart.
Promise me you’ll look up! You never know, you might meet something — or someone — 50 and fabulous!
And, for what it’s worth, the Native American name Jocassee means “Place of the Lost One”. I discovered this long after I plucked the magazine off the supermarket shelf and planned this adventure.
Have a great week,
For more information about the great Jocassee Gorges checkout: Waterfalls, Rivers and Lakes