Category: Uncategorized

There was a torrential downpour all night long that second night. In the morning the river behind us was raging. We left Grumpy Bear Campground early that morning and drove into Cherokee where there was a good reminder Covid was going on.

We drove into Smokey Mountains NP and stopped at the visitor center. This time the elk were much nearer the road.

We drove on to Smokemont Campground and got a site. Since it was too early to check in, we drove the Cove Road loop through the Cherokee Reservation. All the creeks were raging.

Returning to Smokemont from Cove Road, we set up in out site and ate lunch. It drizzled rain the entire day.

Early that morning I hiked half of the Smokemont Loop Trail. I started out on the horse trail.

I hiked along the creek, which was raging like every other creek or river.

I crossed on a terrifying log bridge. It was high, and narrow, and rain-slick, and covered with slippery moss, with only a rickety limb railing.

I took my time. Stopping to take pictures.

After getting off on the other side, I looked back.

Continuing on the trail, I quickly came upon another log footbridge, only it wasn’t nearly as disturbing.

The trail continued up a mountain for a mile or so.

It was sloppy muddy and slick.

It was so rough going I gave up on it and turned back.

I made it back down to the river.

Which meant I had to cross that log bridge again. I did, without mishap. Then it was back toward the campground on the horse trail. On the way, some horses passed me.

I figure I did 5-5.5 miles by the time I got back to the site and crashed. After lunch we drove into Cherokee and walked around, then drove into the Smokies nearly all the way to Newfound Gap.

We were out late enough to get some good dusky shots.

Then it was back to the campground for the night.

Next Location – Smoky Mountains National Park, Smokemont Campground 2, North Carolina

Reaching the south terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which ended inside the Smoky Mountains National Park, we turned onto 441 and drove to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. We ate lunch in the parking lot, then went in for some information.

We then walked through the pioneer village.

There is a sizable elk herd there, which we viewed from a distance.

We drove out of the park into Cherokee. Outside of town we found a private campground, River Valley, and set up in a beautiful site alongside a roaring mountain river.

The next morning we drove west out of Cherokee to Fontana Lake.

We drove across the dam.

We drove on into the park.

We drove along the river a long ways. On the way back we stopped by a boat ramp for lunch.

After lunch, we drove deeper into the park.

We got high enough we had a good view down on Fontana Lake.

We drove out of the park, then headed east from Fontana to Bryson City. We got a site for 2 nights at Grumpy Bear Campground outside of Bryson City since it was supposed to rain for 2 days.

The river we were camped on was scenic.

There were people fishing.

And kayaking.

We rested a while, then drove through Bryson City.

Then back into the Park.

Where like everywhere else the waters were raging from all the recent downpours.

We drove on The Road To Nowhere. The fog really made it look like nowhere.
One thing we did see was a bear. It was a baby, climbing over a guardrail to disappear in the trees. Never saw the mother.

We gained elevation the further we drove.

At the end of the road we saw a group of people hiking on into the park, but we’d had enough. We turned around and drove back to our campground and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Next Location: Smoky Mountains National Park, Smokemont Campground, North Carolina

Early morning we left Mt. Pisgah Campground and continued south on the Parkway. This was the highest most rugged part of the Parkway – a great drive. We continued to go through a lot of tunnels. We pulled over for many overlooks.

One of which was the highest point on the Parkway at 6050 feet.

From this point we started coming down fast.

We passed this unusual mountain.

And this flat-top.

Down, down, down.

Stopping to look back.

We stopped at the visitor center at MM451.

From there we could see the Smoky Mountains.

Our time on the Blue Ridge Parkway was over.

Next Location – In and Out of Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Early the next morning we drove out of the campground to the visitor center to take an easy 1-mile hike to Linville Falls.

We saw several small falls.

After, we continued south on the Parkway.

Stopping at several overlooks.

At one stop this dead tree caught my eye.

These are the kind of views you come upon while driving. Very hard to keep your eyes on the road.

We pulled over to see this waterfall in the distance.

I zoomed in for a closer shot.

On this stretch of the road we went through several tunnels.

We pulled into the Museum of North Carolina Minerals, but it was closed. We drove around Crabtree Falls, but the campground was closed. We pulled into Glassmine Falls overlook (it was open! Yea!) for lunch, then took a short walk to view the distant falls. It started out easy.

The trail grew rockier.

We got beyond the rocky stretch.

The trail broke out into an open stretch.

Which provided scenic views.

Then it was back into the trees.

To a very disappointing dry falls.

Anyway, it was still a nice hike. We drove on to the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center.

Which provided some nice overlooks.

We continued south on the Parkway on a very scenic stretch, perhaps the best yet. We turned off the Parkway into Asheville for gas and groceries, then hopped right back on. North and south of Asheville the traffic was heavy, but as we continued south away from the city it got lighter. There were a lot of tunnels on this stretch, several long ones. We pulled over for several more overlooks, then turned into Mt. Pisgah Campground at MM408. We got a site, and after dinner walked around the campground.

Next American Location: Driving off the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Well rested from our hike, we drove on to Moses H. Cone Park. It was very crowded, we were lucky to find a parking space. We toured the home.

Then walked around to see other buildings.

Then hiked some of the carriage trails.

In this one the carriage trail went under the Parkway.

We ate lunch in the parking lot. We drove on to Julian Price Park, but it was too crowded to park. So we drove on to Price Lake, where we got out and walked around some.

We drove across the Linn Cove Viaduct, but it was too crowded to stop. There were just too many people on the Parkway for it to be enjoyable. So early that afternoon we pulled into Linville Falls Campgropund at MM317 and got a site.

We had a creek behind our site.

Next American Location: South along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Early in the morning we left Cedar Stone Campground and drove back through Stone Mountain State Park and back up onto the Parkway at MM229. Once back on track, we pulled over for overlooks, like always. I like this photo where we are looking back at the Parkway.

Several others.

I saw another house that had been built on another mountaintop in a carved-out niche in the trees.

We stopped at Jeffress Park.

To hike the Cascades Trail, a pleasant 1 mile loop.

To an impressive waterfall.

And back out.

After, we relaxed and enjoyed the view, much as this couple was doing.

Next American Location: South along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

The next morning we drove into Stone Mountain State Park through the back entrance. We stopped to take a short hike to see Widow Creek Falls.

After, we continued on to see Stone Mountain Falls. We parked in the upper lot and took a moderate 2-mile hike.

It took us by the remains of a cabin.

On to the top of the falls.

The falls were amazing, 200 feet down across a stone face.

We didn’t walk down to the bottom, there were too many stairs.

Returning to our motor home, we ate lunch and rested in the parking lot. On the way back out of the park we stopped to see some cascades on the side of the road.

We tried to drive back to Cedar Stone Campground, but the back entrance was closed. We learned from a ranger that the park had become too crowded and Covid regulations forced them to close all entrances and exits except one. So we drove all the way back through the park to the front entrance. Sure enough, the police were directing traffic, allowing one car in whenever one car left the park. There was a line of several dozen cars waiting to get in. We wound our way through the country back to our campground, thank Garmin. It took us down this one narrow gravel road, but it was only a half-mile. We set back up at our site and spent the rest of the day there. We walked around the campground along the creek.

Next Location – South along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

We continued from there across the state line from Virginia into North Carolina. We stopped at Little Glade Mill Pond. We walked around it to give our legs a good stretch.

We hadn’t walked enough, so we followed the creek that fed into it for a short distance.

We got back into the motor home and continued south on the Parkway. This house set off by itself certainly had a good view,

We saw this unusual sight – bare rock surrounded by lush forest. No sign of a forest fire. Perhaps there was a coal deposit underground that had caught fire, making the ground above it too hot to support life? I’ve heard of that, and this was coal country.

Our next stop was the Berringer Cabin.

Then we found out Doughton Park Campground at MM243, where we had intended to camp, was closed. So we backtracked 11 miles and got off the Parkway to drive to Stone Mountain State Park. It was a winding twisty way to get there as it was deep in the mountains. They were full, but the park ranger directed us to a private campground. To get there we had to drive all the way through the park, another nice drive. We got a site at Stone Cedar, a small place just outside the park at the foot of a mountain next to a fast-running stream. Beautiful. After dinner I had a fire and sat out until it was pitch black.

Next American Location 12: Stone Mountain State Park, North Carolina

Woke up early in the morning to rain. Learned it was going to rain all day and night long, ending sometime the next morning. We left the Peaks of Otter Campground and drove down off the Parkway looking for a campground with hookups. Located one in Roanoke. Driving to it, we ended up back on the Parkway. We came to where it was closed for repairs at MM115, where we exited for the Virginia Explore Park, still inside the park. Apparently this is a private campground operated by a vendor within the Parkway’s boundaries. We got a site with electric to wait out the rain.

The rain ended during the night. We left the Explore Park Campground late that morning and took the detour through Roanoke to get around the shut-down section of the Parkway. We got back on the Parkway late that morning at MM136. The rest of the day was a very pleasant. Most of it was spent driving through farmland.

We stopped at Rake’s Mill Pond to eat lunch.

After lunch, we drove to Rocky Knob, but the visitor center was closed (once again) and it was too early to stop to camp. So we continued south.

We stopped at Mabry Mill and walked around there.

The mill run.

There were other buildings there.

Also there was a watch tower. It sat on top of a hill, giving it a good view over the surrounding countryside.

I don’t think it was big enough to serve as a fort.

There was a ranger set up to sell handwoven baskets. I guess times were hard for park employees during Covid and they had to supplement their salaries.

From there we drove on to the Blue Ridge Music Center.

Where we heard some good bluegrass music.

Next American Location 11: On the Blue Ridge Parkway, From Virginia into North Carolina

Returning to the motor home following the hike to Wigwam Falls, we continued south. Needless to say, there was a lot of traffic on the Parkway. Much of it was motorcycles.

Like always, we pulled over at scenic spots.

We stopped at a roadside pond to relax for a while. This was not a race. We took our time savoring the sights.

Then on and on.

We stopped at MM61 at Otter Creek Campground, but it was closed. Surprise, surprise. We drove on across the James River. We stopped at MM86 at the Peaks of Otter Lodge and learned where the campground was. We exited the Parkway and got a site at Peaks of Otter Campground.

We roamed around the campground the rest of the day.

Next American Location 10: A Detour to Stone Mountain State Park