Waves of Mountains

Several years ago, Lee and I rented a Class C motorhome (like the one above) to see if we would like the experience, and to see if Munchkin the cockatiel would adjust to it.  We spent a few days in Asheville, North Carolina.  We visited the Biltmore mansion and the dowtown area of Asheville, and I must admit I was a little disappointed.  Biltmore is worth seeing, certainly, but once will do it, or maybe twice if you go for the holidays.

We learned that we did enjoy it; that Munchkin could adapt (although he preferred to be in a spot where he could not see the traffic whizzing by, either on my knee below the dashboard, or on my shoulder facing the back of the seat); and that busy fabrics can drive a person crazy in no time at all.

This time we focused on the mountains, and I LOVED it!  What a beautiful place.  We spent a day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a second day in the Great Smoky Mountains.  It wasn't nearly enough time for either, but it was enjoyable.  I learned there are a lot of mountains in this part of the country, I repeat, a lot of mountains.  More than one might imagine.

Our RV was perched on the side of a mountain, with a view of the mountains across the valley.  I loved that the view changed constantly, depending on time of day and what the clouds were doing.  Look at that view!

The Blue Ridge Parkway was built to connect several parks in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It is 469 miles long, and we have never driven it in its entirety.  The road winds, and some of the tunnels are low, so you don't want to negotiate it in a big rig.  We traveled it in our Jeep.

Here are a few of the wonderful vistas we encountered:

I especially loved watching the clouds.  They came and went so quickly, entire mountains would disappear and reappear in wisps.
 

The Parkway itself is beautiful, even when the view of the mountains is blocked:

We were very fortunate to arrive in the midst of prime wildflower season, at and above the 5,000 foot level.  Many were wild versions of flowers that we know well in our gardens, such as Joe Pye weed, black-eyed Susans, daisies, asters, and Monarda (bee balm).

The Monarda and Jerusalem artichoke often grew together, with stunning results.

 

 The Turk's cap is a lily, smaller than the domestic varieties but lovely:

We had lunch this day at Mount Mitchell State Park.

The clouds came in as we ate, and swallowed the mountain!



Mount Mitchell is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River.

The mountain top offered more magnificent vistas.  Do you see what I mean about waves of mountains?

The next day, as stated, we drove to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a place called Clingmans Dome in the center of the park.  It can be approached from Tennessee or North Carolina, and is pretty much on the state boundary line.

Did you know the Great Smoky Mountains NP is the most visited in the United States?  The Grand Canyon is the second most visited, and gets half as many visitors.  I suppose it is because the Smokies are closer to more major urban areas.  That would be my guess.

The views from the top are, of course, stupendous.  The mountains seem to go on forever, wherever a person looks.  It was smoggy when we arrived.  I would love to see the view on a clear day!

You will notice, in the photo above, the number of dead trees.  Most of these are Frazer fir trees.  The causes are complex, but include acid rain, ozone, and a small insect imported from Europe in about 1900, the balsam woolly adelgid.  Global warming will also most likely adversely affect these trees, as this is their southernmost range.  Time will tell.

Below is the road that traverses the park from North Carolina to Tennessee, and past Clingmans Dome. Beautiful!

Our next planned stops are Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis, all in Tennessee.