People stop all the time. Fall is a perfect time to do that. The mountains are framed on either end by flat orchard regions, with Cherokee and Spartanburg counties in the east, famous for their peach orchards, and Oconee in the west on the Georgia border, known for its many apple orchards. It was the site of a Revolutionary War battle in 1781. The first small town you come to is Chesney.
Nobody has to read the local newspaper, because everybody knows what's in it before it is written.
A short detour at the western end of the byway takes you to Walhalla, founded in 1850 by a German colonist society. A lot of stores along the main street have developed over the last few years. You re-enter the interstate at Fair Play, reportedly named because of a duel.