North Carolina Mountains - Beautiful Vistas & Great Retreats!

[giradman]

Great scenery, great food, great hotel. Clumsy hiker (me)

Yes, we've both become more cautious (and less daring) hikers, now entering our 70s - Susan is less able to do some of the climbs and 'moderate' hikes of yesteryear, and I'm less willing to risk some of the treks, but we can adjust -

Her 'clumsy hiker' comment reminded me of a 'local beer' that I had on draft in Highlands - the Lazy Hiker Brewing Company is located just up HW 64 in Franklin - I had the Amber Ale - their Golden Ale would have been a good selection for her; SO, 'clumsy hiker' vs. 'lazy hiker' - Dave
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[giradman]

I looked at it from the top, didn’t dare to climb down all the stairs to see it from below. Nervous hiker.

Yes, the path to Silver Run Falls is short (1/4 mile), but at the end was muddy in parts and became the most root-laden trail that I've ever been on (and that's saying something!) - did not feel Susan could make the last part w/o tripping - my pics on the previous post were from an alternate path to a rock, also tricky. Dave

 

[giradman]

Blowing Rock - Chetola Resort - September 2017

Well, Susan I are back in Blowing Rock in the cool mountains (12º F difference from home, i.e. mid-80s to mid-70s) - again, just a 90-min drive w/ the last leg on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Out last visit back in July of 2016 - will be a 4-night stay w/ some iffy weather, so not sure how many new posts will follow - have already done a lot of posting on this area (last year's trip starts on #63 or so, for those interested). As usual, we rented a condo in the Resort - this time in the Cypress Building (circled on the map - in the Popular Building last year) - and a couple of pics from our balcony near the ponds. Dave
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[scifan57]

I hope the weather cooperates, I'd like to see more photos of the area.

 

[giradman]

Sunday Weather Fine - Morning Around the Chetola Resort & Afternoon on Grandfather Mountain

Well, we had a leisurely morning - I used the fitness center and then we both walked around Lake Chetola - there is a nice paved pathway that provides great views of the main lodge/restaurant and a number of the condos up in the hills - a variety of water foul are present on the lake, mainly swans and ducks (pics below - a pair that I'm not sure of their name?) - other pics that I took this morning, plus a YouTube video - for those visiting the NC mountains, a recommendation for a stay! In the afternoon, you were off to Grandfather Mountains and the mile-high swinging bridge (some new pics there coming up in the next post). Dave
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[giradman]

Grandfather Mountain - Part 1

We spent our first afternoon at Grandfather Mountain (GFM) - previous posts (* below) have shown plenty of pics of GFM but w/ little discussion - below are just a few quotes from the link given. The drive from Blowing Rock is best done on the Blue Ridge Parkway (see map) - just 30+ minutes (of course, w/o doing the numerous overlooks) - and includes the beautiful Linn Cove Viaduct (last leg completed on the parkway at the base of the mountain).

GFM was named for the profile of the crest which resembles a reclining 'old man' w/ a beard and hat (see my annotated web pic). The entrance is on HW 221 near Linville - our 'senior citizen' fee was $36 - includes a CD that can be played while driving to the top and explains the many possible stops along the way - a site map is also shown below - two important stops include the Nature Museum and Natural Habitats (the museum building has a 'fast food' restaurant that is quite good) and of course the top where the Top Shop and Swinging Bridge are located. There are numerous trails which we used to take in our younger years; some are quite strenuous w/ ladders. More pics in the next post - Dave

* this thread contains a number of previous posts on GFM ( #5, #11, #25, #49, #63, #70, #72 (Sugar Top Resort) - for those interested, especially if planning a visit, then take a look.

Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet (1,812 m), it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the south side of the mountain. It is located at the meeting point of Avery, Caldwell (highest point), and Watauga (highest point) counties. Until 2008, Grandfather Mountain was privately owned and operated as a nature preserve and tourist attraction. It was and still is best known for its mile-high swinging bridge, the highest in America, built in 1952 by Hugh Morton. He died on June 1, 2006 at the age of 85. After Morton's death, he donated his photographs, including many of Grandfather Mountain, Mildred the Bear, and many other aspects of life on the Mountain to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[2]

On September 29, 2008, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley announced that the state had agreed to purchase 2,600 acres (11 km2) of the undeveloped portions of Grandfather Mountain from the Morton family for $12 million. The area has been added to the North Carolina State Park system, becoming the 34th North Carolina state park. The Morton family established the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation to continue to operate the travel destination as an educational nature park. Grandfather Mountain State Park was officially established in 2009. On September 18, 2011, the park had a grand opening celebration for its first office area, which is 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Profile Trail-head on NC 105.

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[scifan57]

Grandfather Mountain - Part 1

We spent our first afternoon at Grandfather Mountain (GFM) - previous posts (* below) have shown plenty of pics of GFM but w/ little discussion - below are just a few quotes from the link given. The drive from Blowing Rock is best done on the Blue Ridge Parkway (see map) - just 30+ minutes (of course, w/o doing the numerous overlooks) - and includes the beautiful Linn Cove Viaduct (last leg completed on the parkway at the base of the mountain).

GFM was named for the profile of the crest which resembles a reclining 'old man' w/ a beard and hat (see my annotated web pic). The entrance is on HW 221 near Linville - our 'senior citizen' fee was $36 - includes a CD that can be played while driving to the top and explains the many possible stops along the way - a site map is also shown below - two important stops include the Nature Museum and Natural Habitats (the museum building has a 'fast food' restaurant that is quite good) and of course the top where the Top Shop and Swinging Bridge are located. There are numerous trails which we used to take in our younger years; some are quite strenuous w/ ladders. More pics in the next post - Dave

* this thread contains a number of previous posts on GFM ( #5, #11, #25, #49, #63, #70, #72 (Sugar Top Resort) - for those interested, especially if planning a visit, then take a look.




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The mountain really does look like the head of a reclining man. Development near the mountain would ruin the view and I'm glad the area will be preserved as is.

 

[giradman]

The mountain really does look like the head of a reclining man. Development near the mountain would ruin the view and I'm glad the area will be preserved as is.

Grandfather Mountain is visible from many perspectives miles around the area and the 'reclining head' is clearly seen - today, we visited some wineries near Linville and driving south on HW105, I saw one of the best profiles ever - should have stopped and taken a pic! Dave

 

[giradman]

Grandfather Mountain - Part 2

Well, mainly a lot of my own pics on top of GFM (except for the first aerial view) shown below - including Susan ready to cross the mile high Swinging Bridge (was rebuilt in 1999 w/ aluminum/galvanized steel - and now 'sings' more than swings - 228 ft in length) and lots of images from the top, some where I got 'safely' onto the rocks (notice others a lot further out and more precariously located!). And again some images of the 'eyesore' in many eyes, i.e. the Sugar Top Resort - in fact, its construction led to the passage of the North Carolina Ridge Law, first paragraph quoted below (also discussed back on page 8 of this thread). Finally, from the Nature Habitats, some black bears and bald eagles. Dave

The North Carolina Mountain Ridge Protection Act, commonly called the “Ridge Law,” was enacted by the NC General Assembly in 1983 in response to public outcry to a high rise resort on Sugar Top Mountain in Avery County. The law protects ridges at or above 3,000 feet elevation or which are 500 feet or more above an adjacent valley floor, limiting building heights to 40 feet. The Ridge Law has a provision which specifically exempts “windmills” from the restrictions which prohibit other tall structures on mountain ridges in North Carolina.

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[scifan57]

I certainly see how that huge building on Sugar Top has destroyed the view of the ridge line. If unrestrained, developers will end up destroying the very thing that led them to build there in the first place.

 

[giradman]

I certainly see how that huge building on Sugar Top has destroyed the view of the ridge line. If unrestrained, developers will end up destroying the very thing that led them to build there in the first place.

Hi SciFan.. - thanks again (and to the others) for taking an interest in these posts - from GFM, the Sugar Top resort is a distance away (as can be seen in the non-zoomed photos) and not that noticeable unless stared at for a while, I guess; BUT, the 'Ridge Law' prevents further erection of such structures in North Carolina.

Just wondering what other 'mountainous' states may have the same issues, e.g. have not check the laws in Virginia or West Virginia where such ridge crest buildings would have a similar 'negative' impact? Dave

 

[giradman]

Apropos to my previous post, I was thinking of the mountainous regions of Virginia and West Virginia that we've visited over many decades. In Virginia, I cannot recall much in the way of 'huge' buildings on ridge crests; of course, the Skyline Drive & Blue Ridge Parkways traversed the VA mountains and would be protected from such projects.

On one of our first trips to West Virginia, we stayed at the Village of Snowshoe, a famous ski resort there w/ year-around activities (we visited in the summer and are not skiers) (more detail below from the link) - a wonderful experience - now the village is at the summit of the mountain, but the buildings are 'low' (6 stories or so) and blend into the surroundings better - also being the second highest point in WVA, not much is seen from the ground until getting toward the top (some web pics below) - I checked my WVA travelogue and cannot find mention of the Snowshoe Resort, so our trip must have pre-dated the start of that travelogue. NOW, if there are others from VA or WVA reading these threads, please post your own comments on this issue of mountain ridge resort construction. Dave

Snowshoe Mountain is a ski resort in the eastern United States, located in Snowshoe, West Virginia. The resort has skiable terrain across 244 acres (99 ha) and covers a total area of 11,000 acres (44.5 km2) in the Allegheny Mountains, which are a part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range. It is positioned in the bowl shaped convergence of two mountains, Cheat and Back Allegheny, at the head of the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. Snowshoe is home to the second highest point in the state and the peak elevation for Cheat Mountain, at Thorny Flat, which reaches 4,848 feet (1,478 m) above sea level.

The Village at Snowshoe is located at the summit of the mountain, rather than at its base. While Snowshoe is still best known for its winter activities, today the resort has extensive mountain biking trails, a popular golf course designed by Gary Player, wedding and convention areas, a number of summer outdoor activities, and also hosts a Grand National Cross Country Racing event each year. The resort comprises the Snowshoe and Silver Creek ski areas. About 480,000 skiers visit the resort each year, primarily from the larger cities of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and from across West Virginia.

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[giradman]

Wineries, Price Lake, & Moses Cone House - Part 1

Our second full day, relaxing morning w/ Susan at the indoor pool's hot tub & me at the fitness center - light lunch in the condo, then an afternoon of activities. The wineries will be covered in this first part - the High Country Area is a general description of the communities around this part of the parkway, such as Blowing Rock, Linville, Banner Elk, and nearby Beech Mountain - there are few scattered wineries (see map - the two visited today are circled; the Banner Elk Winery was on a previous trip). The Grandfather Vineyard & Winery was the nearest on HW105 (stop last year) - a nice creek is next to the tasting room w/ outside chairs for wine sipping - Susan did the 'sweet wines' and was not that impressed; I did the 'dry wines', both white & red - bought 3 bottles (Vermentino, Viognier, & Cabernet Franc) - vermentino seems to do well in North Carolina, an Italian island grape mainly (Sardinia).

Our next stop was into the Linville area on HW221 to Linville Falls Winery, which is right next to the Red Barn Tree Farm, where one can cut their own Christmas tree - the northwestern mountainous region of North Carolina grows a LOT of trees for the holiday season. The vineyards are near the trees and on steep slopes, as shown by the pics. Our first visit to this winery and not thrilled w/ their products, sorry - we did purchase 2 bottles, a chardonnay for me and a slightly sweet blend for Susan. Then headed back to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the remainder of the afternoon - next post. Dave
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[giradman]

Wineries, Price Lake, & Moses Cone House - Part 2

After our wine tours, we headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway back to Blowing Rock - made a quick stop at the Julian Price Memorial Park (first quote below from link) - as usual, the lake was beautiful (couple of first pics) - camping and boat rentals (kayaks & canoes) are available. Then we headed just up the road to the Moses Cone Memorial Park (see second quote), specifically to visit the Flat Top Manor, the estate mountain home of Moses & Bertha Cone, built around 1900 (see last quote below) - as described, the first floor is now a craft shop w/ excellent quality objects - beautiful views of the mountains and Bass Lake, which we walked around the next day. Dave

Julian Price Memorial Park is a park of 4,200 acres (17 km2) at the foot of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, named in honor of Julian Price. It is at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and directly adjacent to the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Together these parks comprise the largest developed area set aside for public recreation on the Parkway. The park is managed by the National Park Service which received the lands from the Jefferson Pilot Standard Life Insurance Company shortly after Price's death when they received it through his will. The grounds are also known for the fact that the nation's largest National Lumberjack Association rally is held here annually.

The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is a country estate in honor of Moses H. Cone in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It is on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 292 and 295 with access at Milepost 294. Most locals call it Cone Park. The park is run by the National Park Service and is open to the public. It contains 3,500 acres (14 km2), a 16-acre (65,000 m2) trout lake, a 22-acre (89,000 m2) bass lake, and 25 miles (40 km) of carriage trails for hiking and horses. The main feature of the park is a twenty-three room 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) mansion called Flat Top Manor built about 1900. At the Manor there is a Craft Shop and demonstration center, along with an information desk and book store. Hiking and horseback trails. The activities in the park are walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, and horseback riding. More people use the park for hiking and horseback riding than any other activity. There is also fishing available at the two nearby fishing lakes. The park is open year-round and sees 225,000 people each year being the most visited recreational place on the Blue Ridge Parkway and second in visitors after the Folk Art Center that sees 250,000 visitors. Together with the Julian Price Memorial Park it is the largest developed area set aside for public recreation on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Flat Top Manor, as it is known to the locals, is also referred to as Moses Cone Manor, Moses Cone Estate, the Moses H. Cone Mansion, or just Flat Top. On the Blue Ridge Parkway it is located at Milepost294 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. To most people who travel the Parkway it is simply the Parkway Craft Center, which is the major component of the manor house. It is open to the public from spring through fall and gets over 225,000 visitors annually. The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park that contains the mansion is located between Milepost 292 and 295. The house is open to the public and there is no charge for admission. The first floor contains a Craft Center operated by the Southern Highland Handicraft Guild. It also has a National Park Service information desk and a book store. There are tours given by Park Rangers of the second story of the mansion. A visitor can sit in a rocking chair on the large veranda or walk the nearby self-guiding trail to the side of the manor house. The hike around Bass Lake is the most popular. The Craft Center inside the mansion features a gift shop and a craft-person's workshop where various arts and crafts (i.e. pottery, wood craving, textiles, painting, drawing, needlepoint, crocheting) are demonstrated often.

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[scifan57]

Wineries, Price Lake, & Moses Cone House - Part 2

After our wine tours, we headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway back to Blowing Rock - made a quick stop at the Julian Price Memorial Park (first quote below from link) - as usual, the lake was beautiful (couple of first pics) - camping and boat rentals (kayaks & canoes) are available. Then we headed just up the road to the Moses Cone Memorial Park (see second quote), specifically to visit the Flat Top Manor, the estate mountain home of Moses & Bertha Cone, built around 1900 (see last quote below) - as described, the first floor is now a craft shop w/ excellent quality objects - beautiful views of the mountains and Bass Lake, which we walked around the next day. Dave






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Thanks for some more excellent travel stories.