Here we are kicking off trip four. As summer approaches, we head to the mountains for cooler weather and less humidity. Travelling in North Carolina we have repeatedly heard you have to check out the Pisgah Mountain area. Here we are with a long list of recommendations of hikes and sites to experience in only four days. The selected campground was on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Great location for our stay. As expected, the mountain weather tends to be wet.
Here are some fun views. These are easy to find along the Parkway.
Great view along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Impressive long view.
The clouds add interest to this Blue Ridge Parkway scene.
Blue Ridge Parkway views are great when the sun shines creating interesting shadows.
Being June there were lots of flowers. The displays were spectacular. Here are some shots I picked to share. We toured the area in the car and on foot. Lots of photo opportunities. If you have not been here, it is worth the trip.
The Rhododendron’s come into full bloom in June.
June flowers are impressive, nice close up photo.
Interesting!
In June the Mountain Laurel is still in bloom.
In the Pisgah Mountains plenty to see…
Easy access to this impressive waterfalls.
I thought this looked like an alligator. Jan thought it was a stretch. What do you think?
A surprise find was the Cradle of Forestry in America, a historic forestry school. The school came about from an arrangement between George Vanderbilt, the Biltmore Estate and Carl Schenck. Schenck was engaged to manage the reforesting of the estate that had been logged. Today the school is credited as the start of professional forestry management in America. Recommend this as a worthwhile and educational stop.
Impressed with the Cradle of Forestry. It is credited as the birthplace for forestry management.
The school was created by George and Edith Vanderbilt to support the development of the 87,000 acres of the Biltmore Estate.
The buildings are original or re-creation of the originals. The site was created by a very supportive alumni support group. This building served as a store for a period of time.
There were so many interesting buildings. Loved the look and feel of this residence.
The interiors were well stage for the period.
Many of the buildings had a German look and feel.
This was the office.
The detail on his house was fun.
The food was prepared and served by the wives of the support staff. This could be a look at an early cafeteria?
You can think of this as an early laundromat. This is the spot where students did their laundry.
The trails here are easy.
Trails here have plenty of interest. I am easily taken when there is rail fence and have a camera in hand.
Rail played a big role here back in the day…
Well preserved steam logging crane.
Rail Logging cars was an easy photo opt. Messed up the shot of the locomotive.
The saw mill was a mechanical wonder. Lots of lumber was made here.
For our last day we decided to change things up. The day was spent checking out Asheville. It started by taking advantage of the history-based walking tour. The tour was educational, found a great vegan restaurant and ended up with refreshments at a fun micro-brewery. It was good to get out the hiking boots for the day!
Asheville has several microbreweries. Here is the choice for this stop. Good stop!
The Basilica of St Lawrence was the final stop on our Asheville walking tour. Impressive! You need to see the inside.
Loved the Pisgah Mountains. The plan is to come back soon.
God Bless,
Larry and Jan