North Carolina, much like Virginia

 

As far as rain, that is.  I don’t think drought is a word that has been used up the East coast in the last few months.  The last two, for sure.

We woke to bright, sunny, skies the past Monday morning.  Had breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel and headed for downtown Boone, NC.  A small town dominated by Appalachian State University.  Visited the Mast General Store and left a few dollars, behind.  From there we took a few back roads toward Grandfather Mountain, and Linville.

As the fee for Grandfather Mountain was $20.00, each, we quickly passed on that visit.  Seems it was much more reasonable the last time we were in the area.  From there we passed through Linville and on to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We managed a drive over the Linn Cove Viaduct.  An engineering marvel that carries the parkway around the side of Grandfather Mountain. Built from the top, down; rather than from the ground, up.  As each section was completed, the construction cranes and other equipment would move out onto it and construct the next section.

Bottom view.

By the time we made it back to Boone, the rain had started.  Tuesday morning found us hooking up and going South again on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Some color was scattered over the ridges, but clouds and rain masked most of it.

We spent Tuesday night in a Forest Service campground just outside Asheville.  Full hookups, but the most un-level site I think we’ve ever had.  I got in a short hike around the small lake before the rain started, again.  The weather forecast for Wednesday was sunny, but we awoke to clouds and drizzle.  We only planned to travel ten miles or so on Wednesday.  Our destination was Mount Pisgah.  Once part of the Vanderbilt estate, it is now a lodge and restaurant complex with beautiful views of the mountains. Thankfully, the skies had cleared by the time we got there.

There’s also a park service campground located in the area.  No hookups, but nice paved sites.  We planned to spend a couple nights there.  After we got all settled into our site, we decided to check out a couple hiking trails.  The most interesting wasn’t really a trail, but a blocked road up to this.

Maybe a half mile hike up to the top of mountain almost as high as Mount Pisgah.  I figured the view should be pretty good from there.  I was surprised to find that I could climb the tower.

The views weren’t disappointing.

Back at the Casita, we cooked some supper, then went looking for a sunset.  Couldn’t get a view Westward, so settled for a couple shots of the darkness climbing the Eastward mountains.

As we were leaving the pullout, someone mentioned the Blood Moon that should be rising soon.  By the time I managed to get the camera back out of the bag, it was already rising.

Wish I had been prepared with the tripod set up. It’s amazing how fast a full moon can clear the horizon.

More rain in the forecast…..jc