Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

Biltmore Estate, Mt. Mitchell, Grandfather Mtn., plus a side trip to Chimney Rock

April 2022

Grandfather Mountain

After visiting north Georgia, we stopped briefly in eastern Tennessee before spending a week near Asheville, NC. We were a little too far away from the Smoky Mountains for a day trip, and it was still too chilly at the end of March to be enjoyable for us, so we skipped that for now. On the one sunny warm day we had, we took a jaunt into Knoxville to see the Sunsphere left over from the 1982 World’s Fair.

The panes of glass are made with 24-carat gold.

To start the month of April, we travelled east past Asheville to our campground in the little valley town of Marion, using that as our home base for daytrips to sights in all different directions.

I think we had the nicest site in the campground, with a view of woods, green space, and a river.

On one day, we drove the car up a narrow, twisty road to the Blue Ridge Parkway and from there, toward Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi River. We had been there years ago when our girls were little, and decided to return. Boy, was the wind cold up there this time around! The temperature was hovering in the low 30’s up there.

Part of the 360-degree view from the observation platform.

View from the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way to Mt. Mitchell

A section of the parkway west of Mt. Mitchell was temporarily closed, so we missed out on the Craggy Gardens area of the Parkway, and had to head back east instead. We drove to the tiny town of Little Switzerland, but no restaurants were open for the season, yet, so we called it a day. Google Maps (don’t get me started on the failings of that app) routed us down Route 226A-The Diamondback, a very steep, twisty route with big warning signs for truckers at the top.

Our next outing was a drive to Chimney Rock State Park. We took an elevator up to access the top of the rock. It was VERY windy up there, so it was a bit unnerving, even though there is a fence all around the rock so you can’t fall off. The view was great. We then climbed up some stairs to a spot just above the rock for an even better view.

I put my hood up to keep my hat from blowing away in the wind. I thought the gusts were going to knock me over!

After going to the top of the rock, we walked a trail to a waterfall.

The next place on our agenda was a return trip to the Biltmore Estate. We had been there in the early 90’s, and it was a pricey ticket back then, but now it is really expensive: $86/per person! That didn’t deter the crowds, though, even for a Monday. It was way more crowded this time than it was almost 30 years ago. We had a timed entry, and could move between rooms at our own pace, listening to a handheld audio guide at each room. Besides the many large entertaining rooms, including the banquet hall, music room, billiard room, men’s smoking room, etc., we saw several bedrooms, the library with thousands of books, the (empty) indoor swimming pool, gym, and bowling alley, and the kitchens and several large laundry rooms. There were paintings by Renoir hanging in the smaller family dining room, and paintings by Monet and John Singer Sargent in other rooms. We also toured the garden, where tulips were in bloom, and the conservatory, which had orchids and other tropical blooms.

I was bummed that this big forklift was sitting there! You can see the long line of people waiting their turn to tour the mansion.

The main staircase. These windows are to the left of the main entry as you look at the front of the mansion.

Gargoyles on the tower above the front entry

Our last excursion in this area was along the Parkway to Linville Falls and Grandfather Mountain. A short hike led to the first overlook of the upper falls, which have a short drop. We continued the hike to two other overlooks, which had a view of the larger lower falls.

From here, it was a short drive to Grandfather Mountain. The admissions fee included a CD audio tour of each point along the drive up the mountain. The entrance station had a sign saying reservations were required, which we didn’t know about and didn’t have. However, it was a less-crowded weekday, and we were able to get in. The Nature Museum was closed for renovations, however. One point on the drive was in the movie “Forrest Gump”, when Forrest is running across the U.S.

There are several tight, steep turns like this one (Forrest Gump curve) on the drive up the mountain.

At the top of the mountain is this swinging bridge. There are lots of cables tying it down, so it really didn’t swing. Thankfully, it wasn’t a windy day! Craig is standing on that rock outcrop on the right.

The bridge is a mile above sea level, NOT a mile above the ground!

Craig couldn’t believe I crossed the bridge, since I don’t like heights. It wasn’t too bad—I just kept looking straight ahead!

Someday, we hope to drive the whole Parkway when we aren’t traveling in the RV. Autumn would be a beautiful time of year, although more crowded. Putting it on the list for a return visit! Next stop, the Outer Banks!