2007-28 Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Hello All,
This week started with Dave doing a stress test at the hospital. He made it through okay--although it was difficult. We won’t know what the nuclear photos show until next week. So rather than sit home waiting for the results we ventured to North Carolina for a couple days. Staying busy makes waiting a lot easier and Dave is doing fine as long as he paces himself.
It was a beautiful clear sky 4-hour drive through the Appalachian Mountains. We decided that Marion, NC would be our base of operation, so we stopped and got a motel room. Friends of ours had recommended the area after their visit earlier in the year.
Since it was early in the afternoon we drove into the mountains to Linville Falls and the Linville Gorge area. We hiked into the falls and viewed it from three different observation points. It was lovely with a series of waterfalls as the river worked its way down the rocky gorge. And as usual we took a couple of photos--just over 200!!
We were up bright and early the next morning with a plan of hiking into another waterfall only to look outside and find it raining. A check of the weather on TV indicated that the rain was forecasted to end in the afternoon. So we decided to drive to Little Switzerland, a small village on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway starts in Front Royal, VA, and ends near Cherokee, NC. This meandering 470-mile road provides a close-up look at some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the country. Unique and fascinating historical sites mark the miles with many stories to tell.
When we arrived at Little Switzerland it was so foggy you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Since no commercial vehicles are allowed on the parkway and speed is limited to 45 MPH we decided to continue on it until the weather broke. Later in the morning the fog started lifting and the sun started to break through. We stopped at the trailhead to Crabtree Falls but decided the 2-mile hike into it was more than we wanted to tackle. So we went down the mountainside to Tom’s Creek Falls and hiked into it. It was a short easy walk and provided plenty of photo opportunities. We then continued driving the parkway towards Virginia stopping here and there for photo ops.
On one stop we hiked up to a place called Flat Rock. The upper part of the trail was on top of a giant boulder about 100 feet long. The layers of mountains in the distance and farms in the valley were awesome. Back into the forest we came across downed trees that were covered with fungi. The fungi were a salmon color and the size of dinner plates. It was unusual and quite beautiful in our eyes--hence the photo of the week.
This week started with Dave doing a stress test at the hospital. He made it through okay--although it was difficult. We won’t know what the nuclear photos show until next week. So rather than sit home waiting for the results we ventured to North Carolina for a couple days. Staying busy makes waiting a lot easier and Dave is doing fine as long as he paces himself.
It was a beautiful clear sky 4-hour drive through the Appalachian Mountains. We decided that Marion, NC would be our base of operation, so we stopped and got a motel room. Friends of ours had recommended the area after their visit earlier in the year.
Since it was early in the afternoon we drove into the mountains to Linville Falls and the Linville Gorge area. We hiked into the falls and viewed it from three different observation points. It was lovely with a series of waterfalls as the river worked its way down the rocky gorge. And as usual we took a couple of photos--just over 200!!
We were up bright and early the next morning with a plan of hiking into another waterfall only to look outside and find it raining. A check of the weather on TV indicated that the rain was forecasted to end in the afternoon. So we decided to drive to Little Switzerland, a small village on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway starts in Front Royal, VA, and ends near Cherokee, NC. This meandering 470-mile road provides a close-up look at some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the country. Unique and fascinating historical sites mark the miles with many stories to tell.
When we arrived at Little Switzerland it was so foggy you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Since no commercial vehicles are allowed on the parkway and speed is limited to 45 MPH we decided to continue on it until the weather broke. Later in the morning the fog started lifting and the sun started to break through. We stopped at the trailhead to Crabtree Falls but decided the 2-mile hike into it was more than we wanted to tackle. So we went down the mountainside to Tom’s Creek Falls and hiked into it. It was a short easy walk and provided plenty of photo opportunities. We then continued driving the parkway towards Virginia stopping here and there for photo ops.
On one stop we hiked up to a place called Flat Rock. The upper part of the trail was on top of a giant boulder about 100 feet long. The layers of mountains in the distance and farms in the valley were awesome. Back into the forest we came across downed trees that were covered with fungi. The fungi were a salmon color and the size of dinner plates. It was unusual and quite beautiful in our eyes--hence the photo of the week.
We followed the parkway all
the way to the mountain town of Blowing Rock, NC. What a gorgeous little town
with beautiful buildings, hanging flower baskets on ornate lamp posts, quaint
restaurants, and artsy little shops.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns