Clif was really hoping to get some pictures of old buildings. We took off towards Asheville down the Parkway. I drove so Clif could capture his pictures.
Okay, so it's not exactly an old building, but the affect of the picture is cool. It makes me dizzy just looking at it!
When we made it to our exit, which we remember an old mill by the river, we were surprised to see that it is now gone! :( We drove around hoping to find others, but had no luck. Well, the trip wasn't a waste. Just got ice, gassed up the truck, and headed back to camp for a leisurely evening of playing Skippo.
Wednesday proved to be a gorgeous day. Brisk temperature, and crisp skies. A perfect day for hiking. We opted to hike new areas. One being Mt. Pisgah's summit.
An interesting story behind the name.
It's nice when other hikers share their "finds". We would have never had seen this nest had they not pointed it out.
Oh, and speaking of which. I have read articles lately on the diminishing of bee populations. Well, I am here to tell you that all the bees, bumblebees, wasps, you name it must have all moved to the Blue Ridge area because all I consistently heard was Buzz. I even made a comment to Clif on one of the hikes, "Bzzzz, says the Bee!" Which is a children's early reader book.
So our hike was relatively easy until we came upon this.
In the picture it doesn't look like much, but it was a 5-6 foot wall of rock, not having any rocks placed for easy stairs. I had to use the tree trunk to the right to help me along with my hiking sticks. This was our clue that the trail was going to be more challenging, and challenging it was. Not so much for the normal rocks and roots on the path, but the steep incline for the next 1/2 mile or so. Sweat just poured off our faces and down our backs, and it was 60 degrees and shady!!!
But, the view was amazing. The concrete to the left is the parking area we came from. The other spotted areas are the Pisgah Inn, Picnic area, and Campground.
The tower straight ahead is Frying Pan Tower. Another trail which leads out from the campground. We didn't hike this.
We had a few minutes to ourselves before numerous hikers joined us. Hence why we were able to get a picture together that wasn't a selfie! On the way down, we stopped at a sight we had seen on the ascent. It just seemed like the perfect little picnic spot, but we didn't bring any food.
By the time we got back to the truck it was lunchtime. I told Clif, "why don't I drop you off camp to fix lunch while I go throw in a quick load of laundry." We were just 2 days shy of clean clothes. That worked our perfectly. One of the many sites along the way...Looking Glass.
Before long, we were on our way to our next adventure: Graveyard Fields. What an interesting name.
They gave this area the name due to 2 natural disasters that occurred here. One being a fire that was so intense, it killed all the nutrients deep into the soil.
For centuries, nothing grew until shrubs took root from animal droppings. Now trees are finally filling in. Bears are prominent here. So much so the back country camping has been closed since March. We decided we only had time to view the 2 waterfalls. First, the zoom lens.
And now what we really saw. Turns out it is a favorite swimming hole among locals.
Off to the Upper Falls. The trail was a bit confusing, so we took pictures so when we returned, we would know which path to take. It was always the one Clif was standing on. Notice all the blueberry bushes? Not one ripe blueberry. :(
By now we were hearing thunder. Ran into some hikers coming from the falls direction and inquired as to how much further. They didn't make it. They too heard the thunder and decided to turn back.
We figured we couldn't be too far away and decided to take the risk and push on. About 20 minutes later, we were there.
We would have liked to see more water, but it was still pretty. Quick look in the opposite direction from which we were standing.
I guess it's good there wasn't too much water, or we would have been washed along with it.
Clif and his action shots. Oh brother.
When hiking it's always fun to see what wildlife you can spy. I spy a bird in the tree with a worm.
I spy a bunny.
No wait, there's another,
and another!
A final little cascade before heading up the trail to the parking area.
I ventured over to one last look before leaving the area. And guess what I noticed?
Ripe blueberries!
What a tasty treat to end our hike. :)
North or South was the question. Didn't matter to me, so South on the BRP we went.
Devil's Courthouse looked interesting. I could see Keowee Toxaway off in the distance. An area we went to with the kids in 2000.
But, it is a big rock outcropping, and it was thundering and windy. Really don't want to be there when lightning strikes. Perhaps we can visit another time.
After about an hour, I asked Clif if he was surprising me and taking me to Clingman's Dome. After all, we were only 12-15 miles from Cherokee and it was dinner time. I really didn't want to be driving back to camp in the dark! He thought for some reason I wanted to go to Cherokee so that was where he was headed. Big communication gap. A quick turn around, and we were on our way.
Uh, dinner? It is after 5:00 you know, and by the time we get back to camp it will be late. Great news. The food and equipment is in the truck! Why not fix dinner on the Parkway? We chose this overlook.
And here is the standing rock. (It's next to the road!) Oh yeah, and next to the only picnic table where Clif is fixing us dinner.
I must say, Clif is a good cook. Dinner was delicious.
Not crowded on the return, so why not stop and take a picture?
Notice the sun is setting? I wonder if we can get pictures of one more sunset. We were on a mission... find a spot with a good view, yet close enough to camp to minimize the time driving in the dark.
Just as we are passing by Devil's Courthouse, I noticed people standing way up there. Hey! That's the perfect stop to get a picture! Clif again had to turn around, we parked and the sun was just setting. I took a quick picture from the parking area in case when reached the top the sun was already set. After all, it is a 20 minute walk. But what if we ran? Ha ha ha. Flatlanders running up an incline 800-900 feet. Well, it was worth a try.
We didn't run, but we did briskly walk. Fast walked. And...we made it in 12 minutes. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack my heart was beating so fast. Clif said it's the first time he's felt a heart beat in the back of his head.
If you look carefully, you can see the vehicles in the parking lot. We went quite a ways in 12 minutes. Yes, I am proud of that.
Now that we caught the sunset, some last pictures before heading down. Toxaway Mountain was off in the distance. I was correct. Not bad.
A peregrine falcon.
Hey, wait a minute. Where did all the people go? Clif says, "um, gone. It is getting dark you know."
Time to skedaddle quickly down the path. It was really dark. Then Clif reminds me I'm still wearing my sunglasses. Whoops! We were in such a hurry I didn't notice!
Thursday, I woke up exhausted. Do you think it had to do with that quick hike? All I knew is when I readied myself for another day of hiking, my body was screaming, "NNOOOO!" I asked Clif if we could please go to museums instead. He's so sweet. He agreed.
We went to the Parkway Folk Center. No pictures, but the crafts from the State are fascinating to look at. Next stop was the NC Nature Center. I would highly recommend this, especially for those who have kids.
And lastly the Groveland Gallery. We were mainly interested in the Car Museum, but did tour the entire facility. A great place to go if you are into galleries.
There were lots of antique vehicles.
But my favorite was this hanging on the wall. I especially liked the first quote.
Friday it was time to say goodbye. We were greeted with a gorgeous sunrise.
I loved how the clouds hovered in the valleys.
I had noticed the temperature when we left camp at 6:30 to be 60 degrees. In retrospect, I wish I would have taken a picture. When were on I-4 near DeLand, FL we knew we were home.
The mountains were the perfect choice this year for vacation. Good thing I blog. It means I sit in air conditioning while I do this! :)
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