THE SOUTHEAST'S FAMOUS CHIMNEY

Monday, October 10 - One more hike before the rain comes and cancels outdoor activities. We hiked up the steps to Chimney Rock this morning. This is a little too touristy for our liking, but it is something we wanted to see.

When we arrived it was drizzling, so we hit the small town.

Can you believe that in the spring/summer, there are huge rapids that flow through this area? Looked scary to us!

Chimney Rock, the 535-million-year-old monolith for which the Park is named, is considered one of the most iconic sites in North Carolina. From its top, you’ll soak in the 75-mile panoramic views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure.

Where we are headed…waaaay up there.

We climbed the 1000's of steps up to the this towering 315-foot monolith located on the very edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains high above beautiful Hickory Nut Gorge.This is a fairly strenuous adventure.

Original steps

New reinforced steps.

At a soaring elevation of 2,280 feet with its 75-mile views, this mountaintop experience will take your breath away. Once you reach the top at 2280 feet you can see for miles and miles. It's an unobstructed view of Hickory Nut Gorge.

We then ventured down Hickory Nut Falls Trail. The reward for hiking this trail is standing below the 404 foot waterfalls at trails end. You also enjoy the sweeping view as you wind your way back the two miles to the Falls. The trail is rough. Hiking boots are HIGHLY recommended but…

Marsha and I were amazed to see how some people dress for the hike. One lady had on flip flops, another Crocks, and a third younger girl was dressed like she was heading out to the club for an evening of dancing. Come on people, this is the woods not the mall. (Side note: we watched all three of these ladies lose their balance and just about land on the rough rock.)

We picked the wrong time of the year to see the Falls. There wasn't much water falling, but it was a great hike!

More like a trickle than a Falls.

On the way back to the motorhome, we stopped at a little place for our favorite lunch.

We noticed something very strange in the car painting shop across the street. Is it really…Big Boy?

It was an enjoyable morning of hiking so the predicted rains can come now. That pretty much ends our time in the Black Mountains. It's on to Augusta, GA.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

TALLEST PEAK EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Sunday, October 9 – We took the road up to Mount Mitchell today. The description of the road up there is curvy, but Paul got more than he asked for. He gets sick on “spinner” type amusement rides, and this road ranked right up there with the best of them. It's one thing if you are a passenger on a curvy and hilly road but I was driving! I never got this car sick in the past. Thought I was on a fishing boat in rough seas. Marsha had to drive the remaining way up the mountain. There were a couple times I thought I was going to see my breakfast for a second time today. :=)

There was some beautiful pull-offs as we traveled up the mountain. The colors were spectacular. We were told the trees start turning a week or ten days sooner at the higher altitudes.

The mountain is over there somewhere.

As we drove up the mountain, it became clear that it wouldn't be clear at the top.

When we arrived at the top of the mountain, we were in the clouds, the wind was blowing, the temperature had dropped to 33 degrees, the air was thin, and we had a very steep walk up to the observation tower.

Marsha asked a nice lady to take her picture to prove she was actually at the top.

She saw nothing!

Add all this to Paul's very sick stomach, dizziness, and the fact he had shorts on instead of warmer longer pants, and you may have of guessed he choose to sit in the car. He did purchase some crackers at the snack bar which made him feel a little better. Just in time for the curvy decent. By the time we returned to the MH, he was on the verge of throwing up. Not a great excursion for Paul today!

Some Mount Mitchell Facts:

1. Elevation 6684 feet

2. Tallest peak east of the Mississippi River (Mount Washington in NH is 6288' – 396' lower)

3. Established as a State Park in 1915

4. North Carolina's first State Park

5. Number of visitors (2010)...345,450

6. Record high temperature: 81* in 1999

7. Record cold temperature:  - 34* in 1985

8. Average winter snowfall: 104 inches

9. Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a science professor at UNC used barometric pressure reading to determine the peak to be the highest in the east. This was in 1835. He was just 12 feet off from modern calculations. He is buried at the summit.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

MOUNTAIN GLORY FESTIVAL…MARION, NC

Saturday, October 8 – We wanted to take it easy today – a break from sightseeing – so we decided to head to Marion, SC, for their Mountain Glory Festival. It's held in downtown Marion where they close of the main street.

It had over 100 artists and crafters. food vendors, a quilt show, and a car show. There were three stages set up where Bluegrass, Gospel, and Country music performs entertained the crowds.

This gospel group was amazing! They sang barber-shop style. Marsha's dad would have loved them.

We remember buying a hobby horse for our girls when they were little. The horse is a thing of the past. Look what these kids have now. That is a cow in the background. What a hoot.

These ladies made the most original and beautiful baskets. Marsha doesn't have to worry about competition. They were weaving their baskets. The ladies said they tried pine needle baskets once and that was it…too hard and time consuming. Marsha just smiled.

We enjoyed looking at all the arts and crafts and even contributed to the local economy by purchasing a door wreath for the motor home and a walking cane. Paul is going to keep the cane in the car for use on the rare occasion when his replaced hip gives him a little trouble walking. Getting old is so wonderful!

We bought a Red Dirt Shirt…wherever we go, we will always have a part of NC with us. These 100% cotton shirts are hand washed and dyed in real North Carolina dirt! The dyeing agent is actually the iron oxide that is found in the dirt. They are really neat looking.

Of course it wouldn't be a festival or fair if you didn't sample the elephant ears. These were the biggest and best we have ever had. There was no oil for us to wipe off our hands. It was great!

We really enjoyed these small town festivals. This was one of the best we have attended.

We were home early and basked in the beautiful sunny day at the campground. Time for Marsha to work on her pine needle basket, and Paul did some MH maintenance and enjoyed his book. It was an absolute gorgeous day. The fall colors are getting pretty amazing.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all our Canadian friends.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!