Near the small town of Walhall, Okony County, there are amazing natural attractions. After reading about them on the Internet, we decided to see these places with our own eyes. Following our route, you will walk along the winding paths of Okoni Park, see two waterfalls, climb a tunnel, walk among the buildings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and spend time in a beautiful botanical garden. Don't forget to take your sports clothes and shoes with you on your trip!
The nearest town where you can rent a car is Anderson, where this short journey will begin. Today you will have a serene rest on the lake shore.
Great sandwiches! The menu is vegetarian friendly. A perfect choice for a quick lunch.
We leave the car in the parking lot and go to the lake. The views here are wonderful, in my opinion, the place is perfect for meditation. And if you want to spend time actively, we have tennis courts, sports and playgrounds at your service.
We decided to have dinner at the local sushi bar. Even though it was quite crowded, we were quickly served. Delicious, inexpensive, hospitable. Please note that the restaurant is closed on Sunday.
Today will certainly be the most interesting day in our journey, because we have to climb into the old tunnel, see several waterfalls with our own eyes and visit the settlement of the eighteenth century, preserved almost in its original form!
We had breakfast in the usual Starbucks. I don't think this coffee shop needs an introduction. It's got salads and take-away baked goods, lunch is planned outdoors.
On our way to Walhalla's natural treasures, we'll stop by the local history museum. There are not too many exhibits here, everything can be seen in less than an hour, but it's quite interesting. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Construction of the tunnel began in the mid-nineteenth century. It was planned to simplify railway traffic. However, the project proved to be too expensive and was suspended. Today the tunnel serves as a place for excursions and photo shoots, and the mossy walls make it look like a cave from a fantasy film.
A short walk along the trails of the reserve will lead you to Issaqueena waterfall. According to the legend, the waterfall is named after a fearless girl who saved her beloved during the war between tribes.
Incredibly beautiful place, just breathtaking! Please be careful if you want to get close to the waterfall, the stones are very slippery.
Visiting the historic Oconee Station made us feel like real time travelers, as if we were in the century before last. The stone buildings look very harmonious against the backdrop of green lawns and forest. If you want to join the excursion, it is worth coming a little early, guided tours are available from 1pm to 5pm.
It's evening, time to get back to civilization. For dinner, we chose a restaurant that serves tacos and other typical Mexican delights.
Before we drop off the car and go home, we'll spend time in the botanical garden.
There are not many places around that open early in the morning, but Pot Belly Dely is just that. There's a pretty good selection of sandwiches and delicious coffee - just what you need for breakfast.
In fact, in this botanical garden you can spend much more time than two hours, there is so much to do! We walked along well-groomed paths and looked at exotic plants, visited an ancient house-museum, took pictures of butterflies and got acquainted with the collection of the geological museum, also located in the park.
Despite the rich breakfast, after a walk in the botanical garden we were hungry and decided to stop by the nearest pizzeria. We ordered a pizza "Deluxe" - delicious, lots of stuffing, really enjoyed it.