Charlie took off work the week of October 6th. After a couple days, he said he wanted to go to the mountains. So, we went that Friday, the 10th. I wasn't sure if our usual route (Fancy Gap, VA, to Boone, NC) was open all the way, after the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, and for some reason I couldn't find that information at that time. (I checked a couple days later and found out that that section was open.) So we decided to just go straight to Boone (about two hours from our house) and Grandfather Mountain.
I knew it would probably be busy, but it was much busier than I was expecting. The line of traffic on the road (hwy. 105) that leads to Grandfather was crazy. I thought maybe there was an accident or road construction, but it turned out to be that the traffic light in that area stays red much longer than it does green. It doesn't help that it's just a two-lane road.
Anyway, we got there eventually. (The line of traffic going up the mountain from the wildlife habitats to the swinging bridge was also slow going.) We hadn't been to Grandfather in several years, so it was nice to go back. We brought coats (and Kelly and I also wore boots) because I knew it was going to be cold, but it was quite a bit colder than I was expecting. I had forgotten my gloves and my hands were like ice. Charlie doesn't mind the cold and Kelly loves it, but even they commented on how cold it was. The wind didn't help. Brrr!
Elk. We also saw an otter (their other otter had died a few days before), a couple mountain lions, a bear or two, and a couple bald eagles.
View from the mile-high swinging bridge. Which actually bounces more than swings.
After leaving Grandfather, we went to Shoppes on the Parkway in Blowing Rock and bought a bunch of fall/winter clothes (including fuzzy, pink coat with ears on the hood) at Carter's for Lydia. They had really great prices. And I also got myself some cherry cordials at Kilwin's.
We had dinner after that at Dan'l Boone Inn Restaurant in Boone (delicious) and then came back home.
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As I said earlier, I found out a couple days later that our usual route along the Parkway was completely open. So, on Wednesday, October 22nd, Kelly and I went back to the mountains. I-40 West to Winston-Salem, highway 52 north to Fancy Gap, VA, and then south on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Boone.
Unfortunately, I started feeling bad somewhere between Mahogany Rock overlook and The Bluffs restaurant. Also unfortunate, there was a plumbing problem at the restaurant, so the bathrooms were out of order. All they had was one porta potty. We sat there in the car for I don't know how long while I tried to talk myself into using the porta potty. I didn't feel like I really needed it, but I didn't want to leave and be too far from a bathroom if I ended up needing one.
After awhile, we left and then Kelly started feeling bad around the time that we stopped at Basin Cove overlook. I drove on as fast as I safely could after leaving that overlook (speed limit is 45; I went 50 at most, when I could) trying to get her to a bathroom. I knew that the Northwest Trading Post (gift store) was closed :-( , but hoped the bathroom was open. It was not, no surprise. I continued on until we got to the Boone exit (highway 421), heading away from Boone, and eventually came to a Dollar General. I bought some medicine, we both took some (I thankfully never got sick, I just had pains in my stomach), and came home.
I hate that we missed some of the overlooks and had to cut our trip a little short. (Including not being able to eat at Dan'l Boone Inn again.) I had wanted to make one more mountain trip this year and bring my mom somewhere she might like (she's very picky and difficult to please - she wouldn't enjoy it if it's cold or if there's too much walking and she doesn't like most food), but that didn't work out.
Anyway, here are some of the pictures from our second trip.
Stone Mountain overlook.
Mahogany Rock overlook. That rock mountain is actually Stone Mountain.
Air Bellows overlook.
Alligator Back overlook.
Kelly at Alligator Back.
Tree at Bluff Mountain overlook.
Bluff Mountain overlook.
Basin Cove overlook.
