Saturday, April 12, 2014
[Sorry the pictures didn’t make it. Google Blogger, what can I say.]
We got to Asheville yesterday afternoon. We are staying at Bear Creek Campground. It is on a hill so there is really no creek and probably no bears. We did some weather checking and rearranged some plans to accomodate the expected rain on Monday and maybe a chance to see the last part of the Master’s golf tournament.
We drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway Headquarters Visitor’s Center. We got maps and brochures and lots of really helpful info from a helpful ranger. There was an interesting film about the Parkway. It talked about building it starting back in the Depression and its completion in the 1980’s. It hooks up to the Shenandoah Parkway at the north end and ends at Great Smokies National Park on the south.
On Saturday we packed a picnic lunch and headed north. There was a detour around a piece of the Parkway that was being repaired. The detour took up through a steep, very twisty two lane road around the repair area. I would not have driven the coach on that road.
Every turn opens up amazing vistas. The dogwoods and many other flowering trees were blooming. While we were only in the 3-4,000 ft elevation range it still feels like you are in the mounntain, because you are.
The navigator did a wonderful job. We stoped for a short hike to a small falls. More like rapids.
At the end of this day’s northerly driver we arrived at an old estate which was given to the National Park Service. The fellow that owned it (Mr. Moses) made his money making denim fabric. His hobby was building roads so there are more than 25 mles of carriage roads on his estate. Today they are used for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Nice view from the porch.
And we stopped for our picnic, of course.
It was a very nice day. A bit of a long drive but surprisingly comfortable in the Jeep.
Tomorrow we are heading for the Biltmore Estate. Some house time and garden time. Spring is in full bloom.
More tomorrow.
Roger and Susan
Home2 with Roger and Susan 