Tag Archives: North Carolina

Waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina)

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May, 2015 – The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long, and it creates a link between Great Smoky Mountains National Park down south in North Carolina with Shenandoah National Park up north in Virginia. It’s a very skinny road, and private land abuts it on both sides, so most of the attractions are just off of it to one side or the other.

There is so enormously much to see and do along this long stretch of road that we decided we’d shape our Blue Ridge Parkway adventures by having a theme: waterfalls.

We’d had a lot of fun exploring some of the waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so we started hunting for more waterfalls as we traveled northeast along the parkway. The first one we went to was Soco Falls. It’s fairly close to Cherokee, North Carolina, where we’d been staying for a while.

SOCO FALLS

Soco Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Soco Falls near the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

The hike down to Soco Falls is steep but quite short. There is a viewing platform partway down, but the real beauty of the falls lies well below that at the very bottom of the falls.

We had to scramble a little bit on the slick muddy trail to get down to the bottom. Luckily, there was a strong rope strung between some trees to give hikers a handhold in the steepest parts. Once we got down to the bottom, the view looking back up at the falls was spectacular.

Soco Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Soco Falls

Soco Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Hiking below the viewing platform takes you to the best views!

Soco Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Looking up at the falls from the bottom

A group of local kids was down at the bottom of the waterfall too, fishing. “Look, we’ve caught 8 fish!” one of them told Mark excitedly, holding up a small canvas bag in his grubby hand. Mark asked what they planned to do with them. “Eat them, of course!” the kid said, giving Mark a funny look.

The kid vanished lower down the falls, and then came back up again a little while later. “What are you doing?” he asked Mark as he stared at his camera and tripod. When Mark said he was taking pictures, the kid asked what for. “To look at, of course!” Mark said. This time he gave the kid a funny look!

Soco Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

What a beautiful place…

Whether you come to these falls to fish or to take photos to look at later, they’re wonderful. The hike to the bottom is well worth the little bit of extra scrambling to get all the way down, even if it’s muddy.

DUGGERS CREEK FALLS

The next waterfalls we wanted to see were Linville Falls and Duggers Creek Falls which are both reached from the same trailhead parking area. At the Linville Falls Visitors Center, we saw a breathtaking photo of Duggers Creek Falls and decided to do that hike first.

The skies were getting dark, however, and we joked with the ranger that we really ought to buy two of the rain ponchos they had for sale, just in case. But we didn’t. In fact, Mark even left his rain jacket in the truck.

Linville Falls VIsitor Center Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Mark feeds a raccoon on a painting at the Linville Falls Visitors Center.

The hike to Duggers Creek Falls isn’t very long, and we had just gotten to the bridge down near the waterfall when the skies opened up. We hid out under a rock outcropping for a little bit, but the rain went from simply pouring to coming down in torrents. In no time, we were drenched, especially Mark without his jacket. We decided to make a run for it back to the visitors center.

Linville Falls hike to Duggers Creek Falls

Duggers Creek Falls is beside that bridge

As soon as we walked in the door of the visitors center, Mark grabbed two rain ponchos off the shelf and slapped them down next to the cash register. Water was dripping from his soaking wet hair right down his nose as he handed the clerk his credit card. How funny!

Of course, after about half an hour or so the sun came out. So, down the trail we went once again. This time we were not only both wearing our rain jackets but we had our nifty new rain ponchos tucked into our packs too. Surely, that guaranteed the sun would stay out!

Duggers Creek Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

A view of Duggers Creek Falls from the bridge

We took the shortcut hike from the far end of the parking lot this time, and when we got down to the bridge, the view of the waterfall was lovely. But the falls are set far back from the bridge, and they weren’t nearly as dramatic as the photos we’d seen.

Then we realized that the best spot to see these falls was from under the bridge! Mark waded out into the water with his tripod.

Duggers Creek Falls Linville Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

The better view of the falls was from under the bridge — and out in the water!

He got some beautiful photos.

Duggers Creek Falls

Duggers Creek Falls

Suddenly, he jumped. “Ow!” He said. “I’m getting bitten!” He slapped something off his leg. It was a little lobster looking creature — a crayfish, or a crawdad thing with claws. It had crawled up his leg and nipped him! Yuck!! But the beautiful photos were worth it.

Duggers Creek Waterfall Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Duggers Creek Falls

We were both playing with using long shutter speeds to make the water smooth, and soon we noticed that the foam and bubbles at the bottom of the waterfall were drifting downstream and making wonderful patterns on the surface of the water in our photos.

Waterfall foam streaks water at Duggers Falls

We got a kick out of playing with the foam patterns.

The foam streaked past us in all kinds of interesting lines and shapes. At one point it even flowed in a circle, and I just happened to catch that moment with my camera.

Duggers Creek Waterfall Swirling Water

I got a shot where the foam went in a circle. Cool!

We ended up enjoying Duggers Creek Falls so much — and for so long — that we never made it to Linville Falls. Oh well. Next time!

CRABTREE FALLS

The last waterfall we visited on the North Carolina end of the Blue Ridge Parkway was Crabtree Falls.

Crabtree Waterfall Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Crabtree Falls – North Carolina

The hike down was pretty easy (although the return trip was a bit of a workout), and the waterfall was a fabulous and dramatically steep cascade over lots of big rocks.

Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Crabtree Falls is a neat cascade that goes over lots of different rocks on its way down

A closeup of a tree in front of the falls made for a beautiful, mystical shot right out of a Tolkien fantasy.

Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

A world apart

While I had been busy getting my mystical closeup of the tree against the waterfall, I discovered that Mark had been busy taking photos of a cute blonde girl sitting on a rock with the waterfall as a backdrop. Hey! Granted, she’d asked him to take her pic, and sure, she was thrilled to get the photo for her facebook friends. But…

Soon she disappeared up the trail, and we posed ourselves on the same rock to get a nice selfie. How lucky we were to be enjoying another gorgeous waterfall!

Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

We were loving these waterfalls on the Blue Ridge Parkway!

There are dozens and dozens of waterfalls along the Blue Ridge Parkway, especially at the southern end. These three — Soco Falls, Duggers Creek Falls and Crabtree Falls — are all stunning waterfalls that are easy to reach.

If you take an RV roadtrip along the Blue Ridge Parkway — whether driving the RV directly on it or driving on the roads nearby — any one of these waterfalls makes for a really fun excursion.

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Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina) – Wildflowers Everywhere!

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May, 2015 – The south end of the Blue Ridge Parkway is in Cherokee, North Carolina, right next to the Newfound Gap Road that traverses Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and we enjoyed some wonderful views at the beginning of this scenic drive.

Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina (see the motorcycle on the road?!)

Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Pretty views from the Parkway

Motorcycles were everywhere, but this is a road that would be great for cycling too because, even though there’s no shoulder, there’s very little traffic.

Cyclist on Blue Ridge Parkway

There are so few vehicles on this road, it makes for good cycling.

Two tunnels at the south end make it best for tall RVs to find an alternate route, but they are neat to drive through in something smaller!

Tunnel on Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

The first few tunnels are a little low for an RV

Tunnel View on Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Spring was in full bloom and we saw lots of wildflowers. White trillium and huge bright orange azaleas were blossoming on either side of the road, as well as some pretty pink flowers. Down at our feet, while tromping around at an overlook, we spotted a big yellow butterfly. He flew off when a matching butterfly landed nearby.

Trillium

Trillium

Azalea flower Bllue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Wild azaleas

Pink wildflower

Pretty in Pink

Butterfly or moth

We watched several of these guys flying around…and this one landed by our feet.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was built between 1935 and 1983 to give people a way to travel along the crest of the Blue Ridge mountains and enjoy their ethereal beauty without interruption between Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south, in North Carolina, and Shenandoah National Park to the north, in Virginia. It is a narrow ribbon of protected land that threads its way across these two states, from the southwest to the northeast.

Motorcycles on the Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

A Path Between the Trees

Ironically, because much of the road is lined with tall trees, it is often impossible to see across the valleys! At many overlooks the trees have grown so tall since the time the overlooks were constructed that you can’t see the view at all. Looking past the sign that says “Overlook” all you see is trees! But every once in a while the vistas open up, and the views are lovely.

Blue Ridge Parkway mountain views

Although many overlooks have no view, occasionally a stunning one opens up.

Oddly, driving through all these twists and turns under an endless archway of trees can get a little tedious after a while, since the views rarely change (in the fall, however, I imagine the colors are extraordinary). So, we hopped on and off the Blue Ridge Parkway as we snaked our way north, enjoying the activities, small towns and hum of life that goes on alongside it.

Even though the Blue Ridge Parkway is part of the National Park System, just like Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there is no fee to enter or drive on it. It intersects other roads frequently, and in many places the locals use it as a shortcut from here to there.

At one point in our travels on and off the parkway we found ourselves on I-40 just west of Asheville, North Carolina. We were zooming along on the freeway when we suddenly saw a massive field of wildflowers at the side of the road. Mark slammed on the brakes (yay for our new trailer disc brakes!) and pulled off the highway.

Wildflowers I-40 Asheville North Carolina

Driving on I-40, west of Asheville, we see a meadow full of colorful wildflowers

The wildflowers were just stunning. We’ve seen so many photos of fields of wildflowers over the years, and we’ve always dreamed of taking wildflower shots where the land was blanketed in color. But where are those photos taken? We just don’t see fields of wildflowers in our travels like some people manage to get in their photos.

wildflowers

All shades of pink and red!

Well, I guess one huge field of wildflowers can be found on the eastbound side of I-40 just west of Asheville, North Carolina!

Wildflowers I-40 Asheville North Carolina_

There were even a few blue flowers in the mix!

Wildflowers on the freeway Asheville North Carolina

We were thigh deep in flowers and loving it!

I don’t know what kinds of flowers these were, but they were blooming in all shades of pink, red, white and peach.

Wildflowers on the Interstate North Carolina

As the cars flew by us on the highway, all in a rush to get somewhere else, we stayed in this spot for over an hour enjoying this glorious display of Nature’s handiwork.

Wildflower Blue Ridge Parkway North Carolina

Spring wildflower

Many people drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to enjoy the vivid display of rhododendrons that happens every spring. But we discovered that spring is a great time for flowers in other places in North Carolina too, even out in the wilds of I-40!

RV in wildflowers I-40 Asheville North Carolina_

If you want your rig surrounded by wildflowers, the Blue Ridge Parkway is nice — but try I-40 too!

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Smoky Mountain Adventures – Elk, Indians and Waterfalls

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May, 2015 – The Smoky Mountains in North Carolina are filled with beautiful streams and rivers, and late one afternoon, we caught the Oconaluftee River glinting orange in the afternoon sun.

River at dusk Smoky Mountains North Carolina

Golden light on the river.

The rhododendrons had begun blooming, and their little purple faces peeked out from the edge of the glowing river water.

Rhododendrons and river reflections Smoky Mountains

Rhododendrons at dusk.

We didn’t have to stray far from the town of Cherokee to become swept up in the vivid green forests of the Smoky Mountains. The Oconaluftee River Trail goes for about 1.5 miles from the Cherokee Welcome Center in town out to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Oconaluftee Visitors Center. When we tipped our heads back anywhere along this path we saw trees reaching right up to the sky.

Green treetops

The Smoky Mountains woods are very green!!

The Oconaluftee River Trail is ideal for walking, running or biking, and we took a run or rode our bikes on it most mornings during our stay. The ground is soft, and the path is wide, and no one is out there early in the morning.

Biking Oconaluftee River Trail Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Oconaluftee River Trail is a lovely woodsy path for walking, jogging or biking.

There are signs on the trail that say elk are in the area, but who believes signs like that?

Elk in Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

Hey, it’s an elk!

Well, believe it! One morning Mark stopped dead in his tracks ahead of me when he saw a bull elk and his harem of females standing hoof deep in the river getting a morning drink. He could practically reach out and touch them!

Elk in Oconaluftee River Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A female elk walks downriver

Where was the camera? Neither one of us had taken a camera on our run. But when we went back on our bikes one morning a few days later, we saw the elk again, and this time I had my trusty pocket camera with me.

Elk and mountain bike on hiking trail

Another elk stands in the trees by the trail (left)

A female elk came right to the edge of the River Trail and hung out for a while, not seeming to be the least bit concerned about me as I laid my bike down and walked over towards her. She nibbled the greenery around her and kept a close eye on me, turning her head this way and that to get a better look.

Elk on Oconaluftee River hiking trail Smoky Mountains

This collared female elk keeps an eye on me.

The elk in the Smoky Mountains were reintroduced in 2001-02, and this one had a collar on her so the rangers could keep track of her movements. The herd has done well, growing from 52 elk back then to 150 elk now.

The elk herd isn’t the only attraction in this part of the park. The Mingus Mill, dating to 1886, is an old grist mill that makes for some fun photo ops. A flume of water flows down to a water-powered turbine to power all the tools in the mill.

Mingus Mill Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Mingus Mill is a nice spot for artsy photography.

More interesting to us was finding ways to get a creative photo of this aging building. When we heard that Nikon had put on a Smoky Mountains photography workshop and spent some time at this mill, we just had to give this place a try too!

09b 721 Mingus Mill Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

Art and nature aside, back in town we had fun watching the local Cherokee Indians perform some dances and music on the streets in town. They did an Eagle Dance and a Warrior Dance that delighted everyone watching.

Indian Eagle Dance in Cherokee North Carolina

The Eagle Dance

This was a fun roadside show, and all around town we saw Indians dressed in special warrior and ceremonial outfits, eager to share their history with the tourists.

Cherokee Indians North Carolina

Just don’t scalp me!!

We were really loving the greenery and waterfalls here in the Smokies, and at Deep Creek in the southern part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we discovered there are three waterfalls you can see in just one easy hike. The first is Juney Whank Falls. It has a park bench set up right in front of it. Better than watching TV!

Deep Creek Juney Whank Waterfall Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

Juney Whank Falls at Deep Creek – the woman to the right is on the park bench

The second is Tom Branch Falls, a long skinny waterfall that snakes down out of the woods. There are park benches here too, and we had lunch and watched folks in tubes floating by on the river!

Tom Branch Waterfall Deep Creek Trail Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tom Branch Waterfall at Deep Creek

Wildflowers were blooming here and there, and we saw lots of Mountain Laurel which are really dainty little flowers that grow in lovely clusters on trees. As I was getting ready to take some pics of the mountain laurel, a couple approached us and said, “Do you write a blog?”

Huh?! Well, yes, I do, I thought, but not that many people know about it!

Mountain Laurel flowers Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Delicate Mountain Laurel flowers

As it turned out, this couple, Dale and Linda, were vacationing in the Smokies and, with plans for more far-flung travel adventures when they retire soon, they had been reading this blog and had just seen my post about the unnamed waterfall we found on the Oconaluftee River, so they knew we were in the area. What are the chances?!! We were totally, blushingly flattered to be recognized out on the trail. Good luck, you two, and thanks for coming over to chat!

Indian Creek Waterfall Deep Creek Hiking Trail Great Smoky Mountains National Park N. Carolina

Indian Creek Falls

A little further down the trail we found Indian Creek Falls, and in looking back at the pics now, it is neat to see that each of these waterfalls is quite different than the others.

Spring flowers

As our travels took us up the Blue Ridge Parkway in the coming weeks, we decided to make waterfalls be our travel theme, and we hiked to quite a few. Every waterfall and every hike was unique, and each was special in its own way — as you’ll see!

RV in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This is a great area for an RV roadtrip

This first trip we took to Great Smoky Mountains National park was brief and very one-sided, since we stayed on the North Carolina side and didn’t explore the Tennessee side at all. Dale and Linda told us they saw lots and lots of bears and bear cubs on the Tennessee side, especially on the Cades Cove loop, so that is on our bucket list for the next time we point our RV towards the Smokies!!

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park – A First Glimpse

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May, 2015 – We left the beautiful antebellum estates of Georgia behind us as we took our RV into North Carolina. The land began to undulate beneath us, and the rolling green hills of the Smoky Mountains appeared ahead. What struck us immediately during our first excursion into the park was the constant proximity of rushing water, babbling brooks and waterfalls.

Oconaluftee River Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

The Oconaluftee River captivated us.

We had a blast playing with our cameras on this beautiful mountain stream, trying to catch its movement as it slipped over rocks and around logs on its way down the mountain.

Oconaluftee River Smoky Mountains North Carolina

Water slides over rocks and past logs as it tumbles downstream.

Newfound Gap Road is the main north/south road across the middle of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It winds up and over the mountains, and for much of its length we found ourselves shrouded by an archway of vivid green trees.

Newfound Gap Road Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

Newfound Gap Road, the main road between the north and south sides of the park, winds under a canopy of trees as it goes from North Carolina to Tennessee.

The river was our constant companion, and we stopped frequently to take its photo.

Oconaluftee River Great Smokies Mountain National Park North Carolina

We just couldn’t get enough of all this rushing water!

River Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

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After about 10 or so miles and a few switchbacks on Newfound Gap Road, some openings began to appear in the trees and we were able to stop at various overlooks to get a view of the mountains stretching into the distance.

The Smokies N. Carolina

Classic layers of mountain ridges in the Smokies.

We weren’t immune to taking a few selfies along the way!!

Selfie in the Smoky Mountains Cherokee N. Carolina

Everyone was taking selfies at the overlooks, so why not us too?

There was a lot of traffic on this road, and most of it was motorcycle traffic. This seems to be the place for groups of motorcycles to go for a ride. Clusters of them passed us repeatedly.

Motorcycle Smoky Mountains

Probably the best way to enjoy the roads over the Smokies is by motorcycle — and we saw hundreds!

The occasional RV uses this road to get between the Tennessee and the North Carolina sides of Great Smoky Mountains National Park too, but we kept ours on the North Carolina side for this trip.

Motorhome RV Smoky Mountains

A few RVs tackled the twisties too.

Wildflowers were in bloom everywhere.

Wildflowers in the Smoky Mountains N. Carolina

Springtime flowers in the Smokies

We saw trillium flowers here and there, and many other beautiful wildflowers too.

Trilium flower Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

We spotted little thickets of trillium flowers in a few places.

Wildflower

We found dandelions parading among the lavender wildflowers!

Dandelion and wildflower

Heck, even the occasional brown weed looked good out here in the Smokies!

Weed

We drove out to Clingman’s Dome a few times to see the view from the highest vantage point in the park. There is a wonderful spiral walkway that goes up to a viewing platform, and the view from the top is a full 360.

Clingman's Dome Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Clingman’s Dome is a marvelous ramp that spirals up to a 360 degree overlook.

The layered mountains were mesmerizing at dusk as the sun set.

Smoky Mountains at dusk

Dusk steals over the sky.

Mountain layers in the Smokies

The mountain layers have a mystical air…

Great Smoky Mountains National Park sunset

Sunset in the Smokies!

If you are planning an RV roadtrip to the North Carolina side of the Smokies, there are several RV parks in the Cherokee, North Carolina, area. This gives you access to both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We saw lots of big rigs in the area, but we did find that it can sometimes be a little dicey to drive a large RV on these skinny, twisting mountain roads. The Blue Ridge Parkway, in particular, has several low bridges in the first few miles that prevent taller RVs from driving that beginning stretch.

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A Jewel of a Waterfall – Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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For the last few days we have been enjoying the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. These two adjacent national parks are enormous, and it can be a little overwhelming to figure out how to see it all.

Falls at Smoky Mountains North Carolina

A spectacular waterfall we “discovered” in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

There are waterfalls and hikes and biking loops and all kinds of things to see and do — not to mention a bunch of visitors centers to help you get oriented! Just getting from one side of the park to the other can take a few hours of driving (especially if you stop to take pics all the time!).

great smoky mountains national park oconaluftee river

As usual, we gathered lots of reading material and went over it all with the folks at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center, trying to come up with a sightseeing strategy. How to get started?? Hmmm…

cascading waterfall in Great Smoky Mountain National Park North Carolina

We did a few drives and saw some lovely things, but these two sprawling parks didn’t really capture our hearts until one afternoon when we accidentally bumped into a true jewel by the side of the main road that scales the peaks of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Oconaluftee waterfall Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We were just driving along when out of the corner of our eyes we spotted a fabulous waterfall cascading down the vivid green hillside.

waterfall on oconaluftee river great smoky mountains national park

Mark did a quick U-turn, and we rushed back to find a place to park so we could run out and see this gorgeous waterfall up close.

North Carolina Oconaluftee River Waterfall

Before I jumped out, I scanned the maps, but there was no mention of this glorious waterfall anywhere. And there were no road signs marking this stunning gem either. There was barely room for a three or four cars to park!

Smoky Mountains National Park waterfall

We scampered up the steep, muddy trail alongside the waterfall. The stunning cascade went up and up and up, disappearing into the lush green woods high above the highway. We followed the lure of pretty arcs of water washing over moss covered rocks until we felt like we were in the treetop canopy.

waterfall Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

What a discovery!! We clambered around and took photos for hours, thoroughly enjoying this perfect, unnamed and unsung showpiece in this mammoth park.

closeup waterfall Oconaluftee River

We’ve been reading up on all the waterfalls there are in the Smokies and along the Blue Ridge Parkway — there are dozens — and we’ve checked the photos of them all. But this unknown one keeps calling us back. It is so beautifully balanced, with water tumbling down a magnificent pattern of rocks. There is no doubt that this was one designed by a divine hand.

So far we’ve visited three times!!

sitting by waterfall in smoky mountains north carolina

If you take your RV to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, I’m sure there are loads of beautiful waterfalls to see — we’ll be finding out in the coming days and weeks and reporting back about what we find. But be sure to check out this unmarked beauty.

From Cherokee, North Carolina, the waterfall is located 8.5 miles west of the Oconaluftee Visitors Center on Newfound Gap Road on the left hand (south) side. You won’t see it as you drive west from the visitors center, but if you drive out about 10 miles and then turn around and come back east (towards the visitors center) slowly, you’ll see it flowing oh-so-happily on the right.

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