Day trip to Cooler Climes - Part 2 of 2

 Since the restaurant was closed in Little Switzerland (where we'd planned without checking to eat lunch) we researched a restaurant about 10 miles away in Spruce-Pine, which was open and served us lovely sandwiches. 

I was distracted just a bit when we parked and I saw this - a real cutie!

It was great having made-to-order sandwiches. And the air conditioned dining room was also welcome. But I now want to take a bit of a detour from our main goals, and show you something I discovered (which I think is neat). (I'm easily diverted!)

When looking down the various long hallways to the Ladies Room, 

I discovered this...

And upon looking up, I saw the bottom of the dumb waiter! You don't run into one of these (which apparently is in working order) every day going to the Ladies!

We drove around downtown Spruce Pine, but didn't see any stores that caught our attention. This is rare with my two friends...they love to browse in gift shops. But anything of that nature was carefully hidden behind sad old looking maybe empty storefronts. I knew there was a gallery somewhere, because once I'd brought some mugs to display there. But I couldn't find it.

So then we decided to come home all the way on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That's a long drive! But even though it's just 2 lanes, there are only a few overlooks to stop at. The worst problem was caused by bicyclers, who of course had right of way, and there never ever were any passing places. The whole road is twists and turns. But our fearless driver, Teresa, was able to see far enough around the bikers to pass them safely each time.

The temperature outside our car was 69 F at one point!

We did see an accident...where we suddenly came around a curve and saw a huge wrecker on the other side of the road, with a crane cable going over the side of the mountain to pull up a car...which we couldn't even see. There hadn't been any warning coming our direction (south), but a policeman had stopped the traffic going up the Parkway...until we passed by. I saw a few brake skids on the road going off the side towards the drop-off. It wasn't mentioned on the evening news 3 hours later so hopefully everyone was alright. This was the first Parkway accident I have encountered through the years.

At one overlook we saw bare slopes where trees had been  harvested , and where probably some Christmas trees had been planted on the bare slope. Other areas just looked scalped of all vegetation, and I thought immediately of the erosion that would happen with the next hard rain.

The Black Mountains are known as the oldest mountains in America, showing as a "J" on the map of the Appalachians. Of course all the mountains in the western US are much younger, geologically speaking.

 

We drove on, and from the Craggy Garden's overlook (not at the bald at the top) we saw the Burnett Reservoir and the dam, which provides Asheville's water. A few miles later we passed the Folk Art Center. And soon we were home...talking about all our interests the whole day long. Teresa's granddaughter Madison was well behaved the whole time. 

Burnett Reservoir in the distance, with a bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway showing through the greenery.

Today's quote:

Blaise Pascal mathematician, visionary, said, “Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.” 

Day trip to Cooler Climes, Part 1 of 2

 Just go higher on mountains, and anyone knows it's cooler up there. So we did. The three adults and one grandchild tootled along to Little Switzerland. We had all the time in the world.

View from overlook at the Skyline Inn, Little Switzerland, NC

The Skyland Inn on US 226.

There used to be a small building on this site, see my blog HERE with before and after pics of the original Skyland Inn (and below just added to this post June 23, 2024).

An aerial view of the Inn and overlook where we were standing with an older photo to compare.

A post from 2014 about my first visit to the Little Switzerland Bookstore. HERE.

Two groups in front of the bookstore

But the restaurant is "always closed Tues and Wed." we learned. Why hadn't any one of us checked?

We wandered around the used book store...and I did succumb to some lovely cards that are just precious!

Romeo & Juliet

Cinderella

Laser cut cards that pop out caught my attention.

As we made different lunch decisions, I noticed a vining/tree that grew next to the bookstore entrance. Nothing gets past me!

Its roots are under the building.

And the top of it is all over the porch roof!

More photos of our lunch, and of the Blue Ridge Parkway trip home soon!

Today's quote:

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. 
We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."

Sharing with Skywatch Friday

Greening of the mountains

 I've reveled in seeing the slow (sometimes overnight!) movement of trees' turning green up the slopes from the valleys this spring.

So a few days ago (not on a weekend) I drove up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to see what there was on higher slopes.

Haw Creek Valley overlook from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Most greenery was evident on south facing slopes, or where the roadway had allowed more sun to hit the trees.

I continued to the next, my favorite, overlook.

A panorama shows the little curb of the extension of the overlook, which is designed for disabled access. I saw a jet plane off in the distanced higher than those clouds. And then suddenly the distant sound hit me, somehow carried over many miles, and it was gone again before the plane was out of sight.  A few minutes later I looked straight up and another plane was going overhead quite tiny to see, and I had it's sound just for a brief moment.

Somewhere in that distance is Black Mountain, but it's behind a ridge I think.  I consider this my backyard. I'll take my little chair up here and enjoy the changes through the seasons a few times this year. Once I brought a book. Nope, don't want to look at anything except this immensity of trees, and earth and rocks thrown up into mountains. It's about as far to drive from my home as it is to a doctor's office in Asheville. Guess which one I like to do most!

There are wonderful breezes that come and go on an afternoon. I thought I should have brought sunblock, though the sun was mostly behind me at around 3 pm.

This is my temporary header photo. Since I change the header all the time, I want to keep it here in a post.

I was glad to see a bit of dogwood in bloom. It was hard to get a photo of it, because you can't exactly pull over along the parkway. There are specific pull-out places where people park to go hiking, so those were the only choices besides the overlooks.

Slowing down and taking this through the windshield left a lot to be desired.

Today's quote:

Our brokenness is also the source of our common humanity, the basis for our shared search for comfort, meaning, and healing. Our shared vulnerability and imperfection nurtures and sustains our capacity for compassion.

BRYAN STEVENSON

Last link on Blue Ridge Parkway bridge

 

Motorists zoom under it all day on I-26 between Asheville and Hendersonville NC. But this bridge is finally getting the piece lowered into place to complete it. The span will carry the Blue Ridge Parkway eventually. Of course there are still approaches to build and all the earth moving and  paving...I would say another year before cars cross it.

This is one of the favorite stretches to take along Asheville's BR Parkway...to avoid traffic, go 45 mph on a two lane road through the woods, up and down a bit, and around some curves, just like roads used to go...before interstates took most travel.

Of course you get there quicker on the interstates, but sometimes your nerves have been twanged a bit!

Today's quote:

Justice is what love looks like in public.

CORNEL WEST

Some views from around the mountains

  

My favorite little creek as it tumbles over rocks...Flat Creek.

Looking east from a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook.

I loved this old tree...it has certainly seen lots of storms on this exposed site.

Today's quote:

All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (1777-1852)