Hey folks,
So here's the second installment about the trip Bryan and I took down the Blue Ridge Parkway in September. The weather was much more cooperative this day, so I managed to get better shots of the stretch between the Museum of NC minerals and Asheville.
For starters we made a stop at the museum, which sounded pretty great, but turned out rather disappointing because the museum was a bit rundown. It looked like it had been updated about 10 years ago, but had bits that were broken or badly maintained and some outdated science thrown in for good measure. Though Bryan was the one who spotted that bit, not me. Bryan and I were both feeling under the weather, having caught a nice cold. We decided we'd start on the parkway and see how we felt, which like the weather got a bit better. Neither of us had the energy for the planned stop at Mt Mitchell, however, which was a bit of a letdown after how much I'd read about the unique environment there.
Mt Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River at 6,684 ft high. Because of the elevation there the climate is more like Canada than North Carolina. If you visit there are many dead tree skeletons, Fraser Firs, which have been killed by a combination of acid rain, air pollution, and possibly invasive insects as well. We stopped often to catch views of Mt Mitchell as we climbed our way up to Craggy Gardens, our next stop.
So here's the second installment about the trip Bryan and I took down the Blue Ridge Parkway in September. The weather was much more cooperative this day, so I managed to get better shots of the stretch between the Museum of NC minerals and Asheville.
For starters we made a stop at the museum, which sounded pretty great, but turned out rather disappointing because the museum was a bit rundown. It looked like it had been updated about 10 years ago, but had bits that were broken or badly maintained and some outdated science thrown in for good measure. Though Bryan was the one who spotted that bit, not me. Bryan and I were both feeling under the weather, having caught a nice cold. We decided we'd start on the parkway and see how we felt, which like the weather got a bit better. Neither of us had the energy for the planned stop at Mt Mitchell, however, which was a bit of a letdown after how much I'd read about the unique environment there.
Mt Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River at 6,684 ft high. Because of the elevation there the climate is more like Canada than North Carolina. If you visit there are many dead tree skeletons, Fraser Firs, which have been killed by a combination of acid rain, air pollution, and possibly invasive insects as well. We stopped often to catch views of Mt Mitchell as we climbed our way up to Craggy Gardens, our next stop.
All these shots are from various overlooks along the way, with my husband, Bryan in the one on the bottom there. The views at each stop were spectacular. The beetle is from one of the stops just as we were getting into Craggy Gardens; there were picnic tables nearby and he was happily taking in a bit of sun. I believe it's an Oil Beetle - Meloe Impressus, probably a male because he has a kink in his antennae. Here's a closer cropped version -
As we approached Craggy Gardens I knew there would be a lot more rhododendron bushes present, but I really didn't realize there were incredible open meadows and very little tree cover. The name for these open areas are balds. They are generally believed to occur naturally, though some experts theorize they were created by Native Americans as areas to aid hunting practices. Most balds present in the Blue Ridge Mountains have been vanishing over the last century, taken over by woodlands again. In any case, Craggy Gardens still hosts many impressive balds, which took my breath away. In some ways they reminded me of the Irish countryside, especially that of the Burren and Connemara where there is also little tree cover and the rocks jut up from the sides of the low mountainsides. Additionally, the elevation was still quite high at Craggy Gardens, and there were Juncos present singing and flitting between the rhododendron bushes. It was a happy little surprise for Bryan and I since they're one of his favorite birds, which is only present in Raleigh during the winter. Below are a couple views of Craggy Gardens plus the sunset along I-40 on the way home.
After Craggy Gardens we descended in elevation growing closer to Asheville. Our next stop was the Folk Art Center at milepost 382. I was blown away by it, as it's really more of a museum in some ways with a huge craft store alongside. Most of the work was truly art, made in both the traditional styles of the mountain culture and in more modern forms as well. They boast 3 galleries over 2 stories, with beautiful architecture throughout. The artists in these galleries are members of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, and some of the same artist's work was available at Moses H. Cone. The mushrooms pictured below were on the lawn outside the building. We completed out trip with a visit to the headquarters of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 384, it was no standout, but had a couple of fun activities and displays for kids. Then we head back east to Raleigh, having seen the first few fall leaves of the year, and carrying a bit of art back home with us.
I've been quite busy with commissions, new art pieces, and preparing for the holidays this past month and regret that I didn't finish this post sooner. However, I've got more posts on the way, and I'm looking forward to a new project for the new year. I plan to be exploring a Pinterest pin every day of the next year and blogging about my experiences. I'll be covering all kinds of pins from food, art techniques, cleaning tips, beauty tutorials, and more. I promise there'll be something for everyone, and I'll be taking you readers along with me each step of the way! It's going to be a big year!
Til next time - Love,
Lydia
