6:30am we depart our motel in Knoxville TN heading for the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway just outside Balsam NC, We run I-40 up and through pieces of the Smoky Mountains, Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah Forest, The views were breathtaking, and I got to drive through my first tunnel! I found it hilarious they had a sign posted outside the tunnel asking you to "remove sunglasses" So glad I was not behind the wheel so I could enjoy the scenery!
We make a pit stop at the North Carolina Welcome Center along I-40 and snap a quick shot at the overlook
9:30am - After 2 hours and 120 miles we reach the on ramp for the blue ridge parkway, we drive up about 4,000 ft elevation in a little under 15 miles, and Literally drove into the clouds!
The trees were covered in frost/ice once we hit about 4,500ft elevation
Daniel and I at the Overlook at Mile Marker #439
Finally we make it to our first official stop, the Richland Balsam Overlook at Mile Marker 431. Official Elevation of 6,053ft and a balmy 30 degrees with 40-50mph wind gusts. I realize that may not seem very cold when compared to winter in Wisconsin but it was FREEZING up there! The original plan was to take the 1/4 mile Richland Balsam hike but we decide to pass since we are all freezing! Here are a few shots...
We met this crazy couple at the top of the mountain who park 1 mile below and jog up to the overlook, a 2,000ft elevation climb! They were nice enough to snap this shot of the 3 of us!
We continue to meander along the blue ridge for a few more miles and the views are more amazing at every turn! I wish it had been possible to capture the beauty with my camera! Here is a panoramic shot from another overlook we drove by on the way to our next stop
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14 miles North on the Blue Ridge Parkway is our next stop Grave Yard Fields located at Mile Marker 417, The area got it's name years ago from the tree stumps and surrounding trees that looked like grave stones in a graveyard setting. Then in 1925, an intense fire burned the recently logged area, and the forest has been slow in recovering since. The original plan was to take the full 4 mile hike but with the temperature still at freezing we decided for just a short hike. We took the Trail to "Second Falls" about 1 mile round trip.
Views from our hike...
More Stairs, Awesome!
Soooo Cold...
Tree Canopy for the first half of the trail
The first teaser waterfall about halfway along the trail, at first we thought maybe this was the waterfall but decided it couldn't be since it was so small. We decided to continue on the trail...
Finally we reach "Second Falls" which is about a 60ft cascade
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Back onto the Blue Ridge for our next stop of the day, Also along Mile Marker #417 is the Looking Glass Rock Overlook. Below is a view of Looking Glass Mountain - Named for the way its granite face reflects
the sunshine, it rises from the valley floor to an elevation of almost 4000 ft.
Just across the road at the overlook is the trail to Skinny Dip Falls, The area has many shallow clear pools for swimming and sliding down the falls. It was named Skinny Dip Falls because locals used to come here to skinny dip before it was a known tourist attraction. The trail was about 1/2 mile, and in case you are wondering, we did not go for a dip ourselves! Below is a view of the bottom portion of the falls.
A view of the Rock Stairs the trail was littered with...
Keep in mind hiking 1/2 mile on this is NOT the same as a 1/2 mile hike on your treadmill
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Up Next is Looking Glass Falls, Located along hwy 276 its about 9 miles off the blue ridge parkway. This waterfall is a roadside attraction and is very busy during tourist season! There is a viewing platform from above and you get a pretty decent view. You also have the option of taking the 300 steps to reach the base of the falls, I opted not to take the stairs (I already had enough stairs today!!!) Daniel and Chrissy did hike to the bottom and the second picture below shows the view from the base.
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Time now for our last stop of the day, off to Caesar Head State Park. We leave looking glass falls heading into Cleveland South Carolina. We meet up with Laurie from work at the Mountain House Restaurant for a quick lunch before heading into the park. After our lunch we venture up the road to the State Park. We take in the views from the overlook and take a walk through Devils Kitchen
Pictures at the Overlook
Laurie & I
Daniel, Chrissy & I
Inside the "Devils Kitchen"
The original plan was to take the hike to Raven Cliff Falls at Caesar Head, However it was getting pretty late and we were still 2 hours from the Resort! Plus we wanted to catch the packer game. We leave South Carolina and head towards the resort. We stayed in a cute little townhouse built into the woods with distant views of the mountains just outside Lake Lure North Carolina.
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