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Acadia National Park – Alluring Beauty on the Maine Coast

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June 2015 – Maine’s Mt. Desert Island (pronounced “dessert” despite the spelling!) is home to several small harbor-front towns as well as lovely Acadia National Park. We made a beeline for the trendy and chic seaside town of Bar Harbor as soon as we got there.

Two old cannons face the water in the middle of town, aimed almost directly at a pretty schooner in the harbor. Mark decided to have a look down the barrel of one!

Cannons and schooner Bar Harbor Maine

Boom!

It was early in the morning, well before the crowds of tourists began to fill the streets, and we enjoyed the quiet and peaceful feeling of the place. This is an upscale town loaded with high end galleries and boutique shops, and it was nice to walk the main street and window shop completely by ourselves for a while.

Boutique shops Bar Harbor Maine

Shops on the main drag in Bar Harbor

Another wonderful small waterfront town is Northeast Harbor (whose sister town, Southwest Harbor, lies across the bay). All of these towns made for fun excursions during our stay, and we spent many a happy hour walking along the docks and watching the boats in the harbor.

Boats in Northeast Harbor Maine

Scenic Northeast Harbor

A lot of Maine harbors are geered primarily towards the lobster boat fleet, but Northeast Harbor is also home to many beautiful sailboats — and some unusual looking ones too!

Antique ketch Northeast Harbor Maine

Northeast Harbor has sleek fancy yachts and cute antiques too

Mt. Desert Island is shaped something like a lobster claw with a pair of wide pincers hanging down. Acadia National Park takes up most of the eastern lobe and much of the western lobe too. In the eastern portion — the main part of the park — there is a Loop Road that passes the major sights.

The eastern 2/3 of this road is one way, and in our excitement to see it all on our first day in Acadia, we blew right by the visitors center, missed some key signs and wound up at the far end of the loop road facing the wrong way, trying to figure out how to see the park. Oops!

Scenic drive Acadia National Park Maine

The drives around Mt. Desert Island are wonderful

We got ourselves sorted out the next day and, map in hand, drove the loop clockwise as you are supposed to! Stopping at some of the viewpoints, we were quickly swept up in the beauty of the craggy shorline.

Crashing surf Acadia National Park Maine

Crashing surf on Maine’s rugged coast.

There were wonderful, huge granite boulders, and some of them even held tidepools. I love these northeast tidepools. There are whole ecosystems of algae, seaweed, periwinkels and limpets living in them, and many are lined with an ultra soft and rich red velvet that is some kind of algae.

Tidepools in rocks Acadia National Park Maine

We found lots of pretty tidepools

Rocky coast Acadia National Park Maine

We LOVED the mix of pine trees and jagged granite boulders on the coast.

I wandered way off so I wouldn’t keep getting in Mark’s photos, and around the bend I saw a lobsterman busy hauling his traps. I took a bunch of photos of him and then noticed that he waved to me. I took my camera down from my face to wave back. When I raised it again, I saw through the telephoto lens that he hadn’t been waving — he’d been holding up a wriggling lobster for me!

Unfortunately, he dropped the lobster into his bucket before I realized what he was doing, and I missed the shot.

Darn! The one that got away…

The one that got away!

I didn’t realize he was showing off a lobster for me to photograph until too late!

One of the most popular attractions at Acadia National Park is Thunder Hole, an opening in the rocks where the waves crash in and out, sending up a huge spray of water. To see the biggest spray, you have to catch it as the tide is coming in. The tide was going out when we swung by, but it was still neat to hear the gurgles, gulps and belches booming between the rocks far below as the waves washed in and out.

Thunder Hole - cool sounds on an outgoing tide and huge splashes on an incoming tide

Thunder Hole – Booming sounds on an outgoing tide plus huge splashes on an incoming tide.

This shoreline is very alluring, and we had such fun scrambling over the rocks.

Rock crevice Acadia National Park Maine

I swear, these kinds of big boulders bring out the kid in me.

These are SO MUCH FUN to run around on!

What a coastline! If you don’t want to run and jump on the rocks, Thunder Hole has a solid railing…

Dramatic sky Acadia National Park Maine

A touch of drama in the sky.

Acadia National Park is a very popular place, and the park was very busy even though we had arrived ahead of the summer crowds (New England public schools were still in session because they’d had so many snow days during the endless winter blizzards). The roads are narrow and winding, and some crazy people like to bomb down them like they’re a racetrack.

One group of travelers, however, was enjoying every minute of slow driving on these roads — a Ford Model A club! They were so cute that none of the other drivers objected to their pace. Some 170+ Model A’s attended this rally, and everywhere we went we ran into little groups of them.

Seeing them out on the roads was lilke stepping back in time.

Antique Model A drives up Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

A Ford Model A rally took us back in time.

This group was having a ball, and the weather was perfect for them, so they drove around with the tops down and their beautiful leather suitcases strapped on the back bumpers.

Happy driver of a Ford Model A

Those guys were having too much fun!

Enjoying a fabulous road trip!

Enjoying a fabulous road trip!

Ford Model A cars lined up

These guys were all over the park. What fun!

Another Acadia National Park favorite is to take a drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in the park. We zoomed up the mountain, watching the views grow ever larger around us. And who was waiting for us at the top? A bunch of those Model A’s!!

Ford Model A parked on Cadillac Mountain Maine

View from the Top

The views were truly beautiful — you can see the many islands of Frenchman Bay in the distance — but we got the biggest kick out of watching these cute Model A’s drive down these wonderful roads. They had come to Acadia National Park from all over the country, most making the trip on their own four wheels. One club member even hailed from Australia, although he’d left his Model A at home.

Ford Model A car drives down Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

What a classic image descending Cadillac mountain!

Two Ford Model A cars descend Cadillac Mountain Acadia National Park Maine

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If you take your RV to Mt. Desert Island, unless it is fairly short in length and short in stature, you’ll be happiest leaving it behind as you tour the park. The scenic viewpoint parking is not RV friendly and there are bridges on the Loop Road as low as 11′ 8″. We enjoyed a fabulous stay at Narrows Too RV Resort, about 7 miles north of the north entrance to the park.

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Narrows Too RV Resort – A Great Acadia National Park Home Base

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June 2015 – After our mad dash up from Virginia through Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, we traveled across western Maine on Route 2 and arrived at the Atlantic Coast. Somewhat dazed by the trip, our minds were still filled with residual visions of lush green Blue Ridge Parkway forests and waterfalls.

What a fabulous shock and change it was to run down to the shoreline on Mt. Desert Island and see craggy granite boulders, expansive blue water, and lobster boats puttering about in the bay! The air was crisp and salty, and the sun was warm on our faces. We pranced along the shore happily taking an endless stream of photos.

Lobster boat on the Maine coast

We’re on the ocean again!

We had no idea what to expect from Acadia National Park. Years ago I had driven to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which stands like a sentinel in the middle of the park. I remembered it as a terrific place to take in the views of all the surrounding coves and islands around Mt. Desert Island. But my memory was fuzzy, and I hadn’t seen the rest of the park. And Mark had never been to Maine at all.

As we began to research the options and activities available at Acadia National Park, our pile of tourist literature grew and we realized there was so much to see and do that we could come back summer after summer and never get it all done. No wonder Bostonians and New Yorkers flock to this national park every summer!

Lupine wildflowers overlooking the ocean

Wild lupine add a blanket of color to the craggy Atlantic coast

The problem was finding a place to stay. Most of America’s National Parks are surrounded by National Forest, and we usually find a place to boondock that is within shooting distance of the park we’re visitng. But Acadia National Park is surrounded by wealthy communities of summer homes and quieter villages of fisherman — all private land that is ardently protected from tourists.

So we were absolutely overjoyed when — totally out of the blue — we received an email from Thousand Trails, the RV campground network, asking if we would like to give up our boondocking ways for a little while and stay at one of their affiliate RV parks for four days.

Are you kidding? What totally perfect timing! YES!!

Bar Harbor Maine boutique shops

Boutique shops in the seaside town of Bar Harbor

They found a spot for us at Narrows Too RV Resort, a waterfront RV park right on Mt. Desert Narrows, a body of water that separates the mainland from Mt. Desert Island where Acadia National Park is located. The landmark for making the turn into Narrows Too RV Resort is a classic Maine lobster shack restaurant!

Lobster Shack Opposite Narrows Too RV Resort Mt Desert Island Maine

Narrows Too is right across the street — very handy!

This park is laid out on a very gradually sloping hill so that as you walk from the office through the campsites to the water, the views of the bay get bigger and bigger. It was slightly pre-season, so the park wasn’t full to capacity, and the waterviews between the RVs were lovely.

Narrows Too RV Resort Maine Encore Thousand Trails

Narrows Too RV Resort – on the waterfront!

Quite a few of the sites are directly on the water. Fifth wheels had backed into these sites and motorhomes had nosed into them to make the most of the wonderful views.

RV site Narrows Too RV Resort Mt Desert Island Maine Encore

Some of the RV sites are right on the water

I’m not sure what our guardian angel had done to put all this together for us, but Thousand Trails rolled out the red carpet for us and put us in the finest site in the park. We backed in and set up our camping chairs facing the view, and whooped and hollered for quite some time. What a fabulous campsite!!

RV Campsite at Narrows Too RV Resort Bar Harbor Maine

Wow! What a place to set up camp for a few days!!

The Mt. Desert Narrows waterway is tidal, and it was fascinating to watch the tide roll in and out everyday at our site because the water covers a very large distance and moves really fast. At low tide there was a wonderful moonscape of rocks the stretched all the way across the bay, and at high tide the water came right up to our site.

Waterfront RV campsite Narrows Too RV Resort Acadia National Park Maine

We loved the shade and enjoyed watching the tide come in and out behind our rig.

Mark snuck down before dawn one morning to catch the sunrise. The first spray of light across the rocks was a soft pink.

Sunrise at Narrows Too RV Resort Maine

The day begins down on the beach

A little later the sun crested the horizon and turned the land orange for a split second. A lobster boat was moving about in the distance.

Sunrise view Mt Desert Narrows from campsite at Narrows Too RV Resort Maine

Dawn in Maine… magical!

Then the light softened again and the rocks began to glow. What a cool place to enjoy a cup of morning coffee with a view!

Rocky moonscape Mt Desert Narrows by Narrows Too RV Resort

A rocky moonscape that disappears when the tide comes in.

We were backed into our site, and the view from inside our rig was wonderful too. It was hard to tear ourselves away from this beautiful and ultra private and scenic little corner of the world.

RV window view Narrows Too RV Resort Maine Thousand Trails

What a view!

Walking the campground loop, we found other folks were enjoying their waterfront sights just as much as we were.

Motorhome in waterfront campsite Narrows Too RV Resort Maine near Acadia National Park

Glorious sunny days brought everyone out.

And we learned that Thousand Trails has a very cool camping program where for $545 per year, you can stay in any of their parks in your chosen region for up to 30 nights for free and for just $3 a night after that. At times (like now), they offer two zones for the price of one.

This makes a lot of sense for people that plan to use their RV predominantly in one region of the country during a given year, for instance, seasonal and full-time RVers who will be spending the winter in southern California or Florida, and for working folks who want to enjoy their RV on weekends and shorter vacations close to home.

A side benefit for Thousand Trails members is that they get a 20% discount on camping fees at RV parks in the Encore RV Resort network (of which Narrows Too is a part) as well.

Motorhome RV site on the water Narrows Too RV Resort Trenton Maine

Waterfront dining right outside your doorstep!

The heavens blessed us with some fantastically clear and sunny days. We didn’t take a dip in the pool — summertime heat hadn’t quite hit yet — but it looked like a great spot to kick back.

Swimming pool with motorhomes at Narrows Too RV Resort Mt Desert Maine

By the 4th of July this pool will be jumping!

This RV park has cottages for rent too: one group that is brightly colored and has kitchens and another group of rustic log cabins for cozy nights in the woods.

Colorful cottages Narrows Too RV Resort Encore Properties Maine

For non-RVers, these pretty cabins have kitchens.

Rustic cottages at Narrows Too RV Resort Bar Harbor Maine

For a more rustic experience, how about a log cabin?

With such an ideal home base to tour from, we were torn between just lounging around the RV park all day everyday and actually going to see the sights at Acadia National Park. But the beauty of Maine finally won out and lured us away to some great adventures.

Happy campers at Narrows Too RV Resort Thousand Trails

Two very happy Thousand Trails campers!

How wonderful it was, though, to come home each evening after a day of energetic sightseeing to relax in a really lovely setting.

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If you take your RV to Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park in Maine, Narrows Too RV Resort is an excellent place to stay. The island is not especially RV friendly, and there are some roads in the National Park with bridges too low for many taller RVs!

Acadia National Park and all the things to do nearby are very spread out, so finding an RV Park or campground that is close to the hot spots is tricky. Narrows Too is ideally located — just 7+ miles from the north entrance to Acadia National Park, 12 miles from the popular seaside town of Bar Harbor and 8+ miles from the city of Ellsworth.

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A Farmland RV Fly-By at 55 mph – Highlights of the Northeast!

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June 2015 — After saying goodbye to the long tree shrouded road that winds from the Smokies along the Blue RIdge Parkway and into Shenandoah National Park, we pointed our RV to the northeast and began a wild ride.

Our goal was to get from Virginia to Maine without getting too tangled up in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Albany or Boston, and we chose a route along secondary highways that threaded its way between them all.

Silo and red barn farm Pennsylvania Dairy Country

We saw lots of beautiful barns in the countryside

We zig-zagged through small towns in the countryside in Pennsylvania. This is big time dairy farming country, and barns, farmhouses and silos of every shape and configuration dotted the landscape. Red ones, green ones, white ones. Classic!

Green barn in rural Pennsylvania

Not too many farmers paint their barn green!

Red barn in Pennsylvania countryside

Ahh… the country life!

Our dance down the highway was punctuated by occasional scenic surprises that got me leaping out of my seat to try to catch them with my camera. Out of the blue, we came across a fabulous arched bridge. This turned out to be the Tunkhannock Viaduct in Nicholson, Pennsylvania.

Tunkhannock Viaduct in Nicholson, Pennsylvania

Tunkhannock Viaduct in Nicholson, Pennsylvania

We crossed into New York and eventually ended up on Scenic Routes 10 and 23 that follow the farm filled valleys in the Catskill Mountains.

White farm with silo in New York Catkills Mountains in New York

The views along the scenic drives through the Catskills were lovely.

We were flying along, pushed by heavy truck traffic but hanging out the windows anyways to take in the views and enjoy the scenery. Suddenly we passed a covered bridge — and we just HAD to do a U-turn to go back and see it up close.

Hamden Covered Bridge Catskill Mountains New York

Hamden Covered Bridge in New York

What a beautiful place to stretch our legs and breath deeply for a moment. This was the Hamden covered bridge, and we learned later that old wooden bridges were covered not so much to protect the people crossing the bridge, as I had thought, but to protect the bridge itself from the elements.

Hamden Covered Bridge Catskill Mountains New York

We walked through the bridge to beautiful views beyond.

This little piece of antiquity was built in 1859. We walked through and watched the view open up on the other side to a beautiful farmhouse set amid rich green fields.

Farm in New York's Catskill Mountains

A lovely farm just beyond the covered bridge.

RV in Hamden New York Catskills Mountains

Hard to believe that New York City is just 142 miles away!!

Carrying on, we hopped back in the rig and continued east and north though the Catskills. These scenic roads are worthy of a leisurely drive, but we hustled down the highway intent on our goal of reaching Maine. Someday we’ll go back and spend some time really enjoying the beauty of this countryside at a slow pace. One surprise was that there were lots of scenic rest areas to stop for a quickie overnight.

Former townsite of Cannonville New York

Finding places for quickie overnights was easy. Lack of Verizon service so close to Manhattan was a big surprise!

Equally surprising was that we had no Verizon service for many miles and very iffy service for many more. It is hard to believe that this truly rural area is less than 150 miles from downtown New York City. I caught a handful of the fantastic farms with my camera out the window, but there were dozens of others that were far more beautiful that slipped by before I could capture them!

Upscale Farm in the Catskill Mountains

Farming in Grand Style in New York!

Red farmhouse and silo New York Catskill Mountains

The pretty rural scenery made up for the craziness of driving these roads.

Our breakneck pace slowed for just a moment when we crossed over the border from New York into southwestern Massachusetts. A quick bike ride one morning through the village of Williamstown brought us to beautiful a white church that seemed to come right out of a New England picture book.

Church in Williamstown Massachusetts

Williamstown, Massachusetts

We paused again for a breather in Bennington, Vermont, where we met Nicholas, a motorcycle traveler who was on Day 1 of a six week trek across country from Maine to California. We watched in amazement as he strung up a hammock in the trees for the night. The next morning it was only 39 degrees out, but after a hot cup of coffee in our rig while sitting next to our toasty warm heater, he was fired up for Day 2 of his journey which would take him all the way to Philadelphia in a straight shot.

Motorcycle traveler

We met Nicholas on his first night out on a 6 week
cross country adventure

Before moving on ourselves, we were delighted to find out that Bennington, Vermont, boasts three covered bridges, and one of them was sitting in a beautiful bed of wildflowers.

Taking photos at the Henry Covered Bridge in Bennington Vermont

Mark is in his element shooting the Henry Covered Bridge in Bennington, Vermont

Henry Covered Bridge Bennington Vermont

Beautiful shot!

As we were enjoying taking pics of this bridge we heard the rumbling of a huge vehicle coming down the road on the other side of the river. Suddenly, this big old truck poked its nose through the covered bridge!

18 wheeler truck comes through Henry Covered Bridge in Bennington Vermont

Where did this guy come from?

We had been quite startled by the amount of truck traffic on the small country roads in the northeast, but seeing this enormous truck squeeze through a covered bridge totally floored us. Ironically, a few minutes later an 18 wheeler pulled up to the bridge and stopped right in front of it with its flashers on. He sat there for a long time. Finally, he did a tight turn onto another road — he never would have fit!

We laughed that the truckers seemed to find these roads challenging too and that once in a while they even ended up in a tight fix just like we did!!

Moments later a UPS truck showed up, and he didn’t bat an eye as he barreled right through the covered bridge at full speed. Obviously, for him, going through this covered bridge was a regular part of his route!

UPS truck goes through Henry Covered Bridge in Bennington Vermont

Geez, there goes another big truck. Trucks are used to tight squeezes around here!!

After a quick selfie and a chat with a pair of Spanish travelers from Mallorca who were photographing the bridge too, we packed up the rig and left Bennington. We soared up and over Vermont’s Green Mounains and then turned east to climb over the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In no time we had made it to Maine.

Covered bridge in Bennington Vermont

It was a crazy fly-by drive through the northeast,
but we were already finding lots of charm.

So far our travels in the northeast had been just a fly by, but once we hit the beautiful Atlantic coast of northern Maine we would slow way down. As their license plate says, Maine is “Vacationland,” and so it proved to be for us too.

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Shenandoah National Park, Virginia – Climbs & Falls!

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June, 2015 – The Blue Ridge Parkway connects Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina with Shenandoah National Park in Virginia where the Parkway morphs into Skyline Drive. The difference between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive is very subtle, as both of these long drives is a winding, hilly road under a canopy of green trees.

RV driving Skyline Drive Shenandoah National Park Virginia

Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park

As we drove on Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive, we began seeing more rock faces on the sides of the road, and there were more open areas where the views opened up.

Unlike the Blue Ridge Parkway where many scenic overlooks actually have no view at all because overgrown trees stand in the way, Shenandoah National Park’s scenic viewpoints all feature a real view. We saw some lovely vistas of mountains fading off into the distance. This difference may be due, in part, to the fact that the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is managed by the National Park Service, is free for all travelers to use, whereas Shenandoah NP, which Skyline Drive traverses, charges the usual National Park fees.

Mountains in Shenandoah National Park Virginia

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find that
going to the mountains is going home.” — John Muir, 1914

When all the great national parks in the western states were being built in the early 1900’s, there was a desire in the eastern states to create a similar park that set aside beautiful lands and made them available to people for recreation. The tricky part was that most land was already privately owned. Shenandoah was created in 1935 through government acquisition of private land by eminent domain. Before it was even officially open, the crowds arriving from Washington, DC, and other nearby cities to enjoy the great outdoors were staggering.

Traffic in Shenandoah National Park Virginia

A Shenandoah scenic overlook circa 1935

The crowds can be overwhelming today too, and at a few of the hiking trailheads we found it was nearly impossible to find a parking space. Just like the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is a road that is loved by motorcyclists as well as motorists, and we saw many groups of them out having a ball on these twisty mountain roads.

Motorcycles on Skyline Drive Shenandoah National Park Virginia

Skyline Drive is a favorite with motorcycles

There is still plenty of peace and quiet and wildlife in Shenandoah, however. We saw lots of deer, including one that sprinted across the road in front of us. Even more exciting, on one of our hikes Mark spotted a black bear just 100 feet from the trail. We both tried like crazy to get a good photo, but he kept his rump to us and a thousand skinny tree branches obscured our view of him. Oh well. It was still really cool to watch him going about his business in the woods.

Deer crossing Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park

We saw lots of wildlife in Shenandoah

We decided to do one waterfall hike in Shenandoah to wrap up our waterfall theme on this leg of our travels. We had just about had our fill of waterfalls — who would have thought that was possible back in the Smokies? — but we had room for one more.

Dark Hollow Falls is a beautiful waterfall that has an upper section and a lower section. We hiked down from the top (although lots of people came via a different, easier route), and the view looking up at the upper falls was wonderful.

Dark Hollow Falls Shenandoah National Park Virginia

The upper falls at Dark Hollow

We were there on a Sunday, and the crowds were thick. People waited and took turns getting photos of themselves standing on the rocks at the base of the waterfall, and the trails were loaded with people of all ages.

The hike down from there to the lower falls was easy and the lower falls were very pretty too.

Dark Hollow Falls Shenandoah National Park Virginia

Dark Hollow Falls lower waterfalls

Dark Hollow Falls Virginia Shenandoah National Park

The lower falls at Dark Hollow

Dark Hollow Falls Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway

Lower waterfall at Dark Hollow Falls

We also hiked to Mary’s Rock. This time we went midweek, and we were the only ones on the trail. There was a lot of activity in the woods around us, however. Squirrels made noises in the underbrush and songbirds filled the air with beautiful warbling.

Hike to Mary's Rock Shenandoah National Park Virginia

The hike to Mary’s Rock goes through some wonderful woods

Ferns in Shenandoah National Park Virginia

A trio of ferns against a tree

Leaves

Beautiful leaf patterns

We came across a strange rock chimney standing in the middle of the woods. There was no plaque or marker on it. Just the chimney standing there. Adding another odd note to this weird orphaned chimney, we found a brand new Keene sandal sitting right in the middle of the trail. Hmmm… something old and something new!

Mary's Rock Summit Hike Chimney

We came across an unexpected chimney and a new lone Keene sandal

After taking a left turn near the end of the hike, the trail suddenly opened up, and we were staring at Mary’s Rock and the vast rolling green hills beyond and far below.

Mary's Rock Summit Shenandoah National Park Virginia

The summit of Mary’s Rock

There were lots of big boulders all around, and we had fun scrambling to different peaks and pinnacles.

Standing atop Mary's Rock Summit Shenandoah National Park VIrginia

There are great views from the tippy top!!

Mary’s Rock is at the north end of Shenandoah National Park, and this hike was our last foray into the ribbon of national park lands that stretches nearly 500 miles from Cherokee, North Carolina to Front Royal, Virginia.

Summit of Mary's Rock Hike Shenandoah National Park Virginia

Happy hikers

We had finished our nearly four week trek north along this unique strip of lush mountains, and as we put away our hiking shoes and camelbacks for the last time, we knew we’d barely scratched the surface of this rich area. We’ll be back for sure! But for now, it was time to switch mental gears to get ready for our upcoming summer RV adventures that awaited us far to the north.

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Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia) – Waterfalls & Rhododendrons

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May, 2015 – As we took our RV north through Virginia, hopping on and off the Blue Ridge Parkway, we followed the blooming of the rhododendrons as they blossomed first in the south and then in the north. In fact, we followed the rhododendron bloom all the way from the Smokies to northern Maine over the course of five weeks! We also decided to contine the travel theme we had begun in the southern part of the parkway in North Carolina: Waterfalls.

Rhododendron selife Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Lavender rhododendrons and stairs defined our Blue Ridge Parkway waterfall hikes in Virginia

Seeing waterfall pics is very inspiring, but actually getting to them on a hiking trail usually involves a lot of vertical hiking, either climbing up to the top of a waterfall or scrambling down to the bottom of one. We got some great stair-stepping workouts on our quest for beautiful waterfalls in the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway!

APPLE ORCHARD FALLS

The first waterfall we went to was Apple Orchard Falls. This hiking trail crosses the Appalachian Trail, and we were astonished as we approached the intersection with the Appalachian Trail to meet a fellow who was spending his summer hiking from Georgia to Maine!

This hiker, Brian, was traveling light for a 4 month walk in the woods, but he said he was doing great. Unlike most of his fellow hikers, he hadn’t had to replace his hiking shoes yet, and he’d knocked out 770 miles of the trek with another 1,400 or so to go before he reached Mt. Katahdin in Maine.

Appalachian Trail Through Hiker Brian (Porkchop)

Brian is walking from Georgia to Maine this summer, and we met him 1/3 of the way into his trip.

We bounded down the trail to the bottom of Apple Orchard Falls after that encounter, so excited to have met an Appalachian Trail through-hiker in the middle of his journey. At the bottom we found a pretty waterfall cascading over the rocks.

Apple Orchard Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Apple Orchard Falls

Better yet, there were rhododendrons blooming all around the lower part of the waterfall and even more along the stream that fell loosely over the rocks into the woods. We were in seventh heaven running around taking pics. In no time we were in our own worlds, totally separated. It was long after we were out of sight of each other that we realized we’d left our trusty two-way radios in the truck. I had no idea where Mark went, but I followed the rhododendrons!

Rhododendrons Apple Orchard Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Rhododendrons were blooming all over the place

Rhododendrons are a magnificent flower, and I crouched and crawled and snuck under branches along the river banks to try to find places to get pics of them with flowing water. I couldn’t believe they grew wild in such abundance. Everywhere I looked, they were in all stages of bloom:

04 406 Rhododendron blooming 1

05 406 rhododendron blooming 2

Rhododendron blooming 5

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Rhododendron blooming 6

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When I’d had my fill of rhododendrons and waterfalls, I hiked back to where I’d last seen Mark at the bottom of the falls. I searched around there for a long time wondering where he’d disappeared to along the creek. I yelled his name, bunches of times, but there was no answer. Oh no!

The return hike to the truck was a one and a half miles or so straight uphill. This trail was STEEP, and I was torn. Should I stay at the bottom? Should I go back to the top?

I finally decided to take the chance that he had gone back to the top. It was late, after all, and if he couldn’t find me I figured he’d return to the truck up top. I hiked nervously straight uphill, sweat pouring down my back.

What if he wasn’t at the top? I wondered. Would it make sense to go back down to the bottom to look for him? And what if I couldn’t find him down at the bottom? Should I then hike back up again?

At exactly what point would I try to get help? And how many miles away would help be? And would those helpful people then hike to the bottom to look for him this late in the day or wait til tomorrow? What if he’d gotten injured and couldn’t move? My imagination ran wild.

Apple Orchard Falls Blue Ridge Parkway VIrginia

Apple Orchard Falls

I continued yelling for him periodically, morosely envisioning the headlines, “Dead hiker found at waterfall, two-way radios found in truck.” How foolish of us!

As I hiked the last 100 yards straight uphill I craned my neck looking for the truck. When I finally caught a glimpse of it just beyond the last tree, I saw the door was open and Mark’s smiling face poked out from behind it and we both ran and gave each other a huge hug. What a relief!

Fallingwater Cascade Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Fallingwater Cascades — with overhanging rhododendrons

FALLINGWATER CASCADES

The next hike proved much more straight forward. Fallingwater Cascades is just five miles away from Apple Orchard Falls, and is a much shorter and easier hike.

Fallingwater Falls rhododendrons Virginia

Fallingwater Cascades

The rhododendrons were blooming here too, but I stayed on the trail this time. The waterfalls were lovely.

Fallingwater Falls Virginia

Fallingwater Cascades

CRABTREE FALLS

Our final waterfall hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia was Crabtree Falls. When we saw the name of this waterfall we did a doubletake because we had already hiked a Crabtree Falls in the North Carolina part of the Blue Ridge Parkway a week or so ago.

12 406 Fallingwater Waterfall Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

So we were surprised when the gal at the visitors center who told us about Crabtree Falls in Virginia had never heard of the one in North Carolina. However, the Virginia falls is the tallest waterfall in the east, a claim to fame the North Carolina Crabtree Falls doesn’t have.

Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia lower waterfall

Crabtree Falls — Lower falls

We found out that when you hike the tallest waterfall in the east, you are in for a LOT of stair climbing. Crabtree Falls consists of three waterfalls sections that are each unique, and between each section there are staircases and some steep trails.

Crabtree Falls hiking trail Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Not only is this hike steep, but there are a ton of stairs!

Each staircase brought us to more waterfalls.

Lower Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Crabtree Falls

And then we climbed more stairs!! Some stairs were built into the trail. Others were just plain old staircases!

Hiking trail stairs Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

In some places the stairs look natural, and in some places they are just staircases.

After the stairs we saw another bit of the waterfall. Different shape. Same falls!

Middle Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Crabtree Falls

As we climbed higher, we got more and more tired. And obviously the rangers did too, because up near the top they quit building stairs and just let the tree roots be the stair cases!

Root staircase Crabtree Falls Virginia

Nature’s Staircase!

At the very top of the waterfall, the stream flowed between the rhododendron bushes and then fell right out in front of them. Just beautiful. And this time, since we had started the hike at the bottom and had climbed to the top, we gleefully ended our hike by descending down the stairs instead of trudging up!!

Top Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

Crabtree Falls

If you take your RV along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the parkway itself is fine for driving except for two low bridges at the far south end in North Carolina.

No matter where you drive in this area, be prepared for steep hills. We were very grateful driving in these hills to have recently outfitted our truck with a diesel engine tuner to improve its towing power and to have outfitted our trailer with electric over hydraulic disc brakes.

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Blue Ridge Parkway Highlights (Virginia) – Mills, Music & Farms!

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May, 2015 – As our RV travels along the Blue Ridge Parkway took us north from North Carolina over the border into Virginia, we stopped at the Mabry Mill. This beautiful old mill was built by one Edwin Mabry who used it to grind corn and saw lumber for his neighbors in the early 1900’s.

RV and Mabry Mill Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

A motorhome passes the Mabry Mill in Virginia

We arrived in in the third week of May, just as the rhododendrons began blooming. There is something about an old wooden building like this with flowers and a paddle wheel outside that just begs to be photographed. Especially when water is splashing off the paddle wheel!

Mabry Mill Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

The rhododendrons were just coming into bloom

We found out that this mill is one of the most photographed buildings on the whole Blue Ridge Parkway! So, we we had to add ours to the mix…

Mabry Mill selfie Blue Ridge Parkway Virginia

A serene setting…

Mabry Mill Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway

Inside the mill, an old fellow showed us how a very long lever arm is used to start and stop the flow of water over the paddle wheel. This effectively turns on and off the power that the wheel generates. It also explained why, when we were outside taking pics, the paddle wheel would periodically turn and dump some water and then stop spinning and sit still for a while. The guy inside was showing people how it turned on and off!

Inside Mabry Mill generating power

A long lever arm controls the water flow to the paddle wheel.

Edwin Mabry used the power from the mill to do all kinds of things that electricity would do today

Visiting places like this always makes me marvel at how easy so many things are today. What a huge effort it was to grow grains, harvest them, separate out the seeds to be ground, take a bag of them to your neighbor’s mill to get it ground, and then go home and bake some bread. I would cherish every slice of that loaf!

Mill saw inside Mabry Mill Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The old mill saw — powered by the paddle wheel!

As we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we found that much like the Smoky Mountains a little further south, the views out across the mountains and valleys form layers that fade into the distance. “Smoky” and “Blue” are very apt names!

Blue Ridge Mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Blue RIdge Mountains

Just a bit south of the Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we visited the Blue Ridge Music Center. This fantastic little museum is maintained by the National Park Service, and it explains the history of bluegrass and mountain music. We discovered that bluegrass is an amalgam of all the musical traditions from the people that were living in these mountains over a century ago.

I had never known this, but the banjo is an instrument that was brought over from Africa! The lyrics, patter and general style of bluegrass music can be traced to traditional Irish folk songs. And the purely vocal harmonizing has its roots in German liturgical music. All of these different kinds of musical traditions blended together here in the Appalachian mountains, and over a period of time, bluegrass music emerged.

Old photo of blacks playing banjo and guitar

The banjo came from Africa!

The best part of the Blue Ridge Music Center is that it’s not just a museum. It’s a place for enjoying music! Every afternoon from noon until 4 pm, musicians perform for free in the breezeway which is a big open room right next to the museum. It has a large barn door that can be left open to make the room airy and breezy or can be closed. It’s very informal. Folding chairs are set up in front of the performers, and people come and go, enjoying the music all afternoon.

Live bluegrass music at Blue Ridge Music Center_

Scott Freeman & Willard Gayheart perform bluegrass music for tourists courtesy of the National Park Service. Different musicians play for free for 4 hours every day!!

We saw Scott Freeman & Willard Gayheart while we were there, and we were floored by their wonderful playing. For those who want more music, the Blue Ridge Music Center hosts a complete outdoor summer concert series that takes place on a stage in front of a big lawn.

Just 40 miles away in the town of Floyd, we found that there is all kinds of blue grass and old time music going on for free, or close to free, in the Floyd Country Store (blog post here) — and what a great time we had there!

Republic of Floyd Virginia

Quietly defiant Floyd Virginia hosts free bluegrass concerts. They sometimes spill out onto Main Street, even though it’s a major state thoroughfare!

We traveled on the Blue Ridge Parkway itself a little, but we did most of our driving on the roads that criss-cross the parkway and run parallel to it. This is an extraordinarily hilly area, and we found ourselves constantly driving either up a steep grade or down one, which made us very happy we had done the disc brake conversion upgrade on our trailer a few months ago in Texas.

It seemed to be a daily occurrence that Mark suddenly blurted out, “I love these new brakes!”

As we approached Hillsville, Virginia, on Memorial Day Weekend, we found ourselves not only in the hills but caught up in some really crazy traffic as the whole town put an enormous yard sale as part of their Memorial Day Flee Market!

Traffic and hills in Hillsville Virginia

Crazy traffic and steep hills on Memorial Day in Hillsville Virginia

But as we ventured north, taking in some of the highlights of the Blue Ridge Parkway, whenever we got away from the cities and towns, the countryside became wonderfully rural, and we passed one beautiful farm after another.

Farm in southwestern Virginia near Blue Ridge Parkway

We saw lots of farms as we drove around.

Virginia farms

Picturesque farms in the countryside

We even passed an old RV parked next to some very tidy rows of vegetables.

RV on a farm in Virginia

A vintage RV with new crops coming up.

This is a pretty part of the country!

10 771 Farm in southern Virginia

Virginia farm near the Blue Ridge Parkway

More lovely Virginia farms…

16 701 Blue RIdge Parkway area farm in Virginia

If you take your RV to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you’ll find mills, music, farms and much much more!

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New River Trail State Park – Galax, VA – Pizza, Beer and Biking!

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May, 2015 – After seeking out the waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, our RV travels took us over the border into Virginia to the town of Galax (pronounced “Gay-lax”) where we planned to see two famous Parkway attractions: the Mabry Mill and the Blue Ridge Music Center. However, when Mark spotted a microbrew pub in town — Creek Bottom Brews — our truck automatically steered itself right to the front door!

Creek Bottom Brews Galax Virginia

Creek Bottom Brews welcomes us in.

Inside, Mark found himself in craft beer heaven. The walls at one end of the brewpub were lined from floor to ceiling with individual craft beers from every brewery he’d ever heard of, and even a few more. What’s better, the bartenders were pouring pints of unusual craft beers from around the country as fast as the tap handles could go. The place was filled with very happy looking customers.

We ordered a pizza to go along with the Thunder Bay Brewing pale ale they had on tap. I don’t know if we were starving or what, but that was by far the best beer and the best pizza we’d had in a really long time. What a great place!

We never ever do this, but we went back again the next night for the same exact thing, and then we went again for a third time the night after that! We became Creek Bottom Brews regulars in just three days!

Beer selection Creek Bottom Brews Galax Virginia

Is this beer heaven or what?

As we happily sat there enjoying this truly awesome pizza and beer each afternoon, we noticed that lots of the folks around us were dressed in cycling duds. What was going on? Many of them just buzzed in to get their growlers filled or to pick up a six pack of something exotic. Apparently this was how these Virginia folks rehydrated after their rides!

It dawned on us that there must be a trail or something nearby, so I asked the next gal I saw in a cycling jersey where she’d been riding. “On the New River Trail,” she told me. “It’s a really great Rails-to-Trails ride that starts right across the street from here in Galax”

The next morning we hit the trail!

New River Trail State Park Galax Virginia

The New River Trail is wide and flat and easy to ride on.

Oh my, what a terrific Rails-to-Trails system this New River Trail is. We were blown away. It was one of the best Rails-to-Trails rides we’ve done, right up there with the 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes in Idaho. It is wide and flat and winds along the New River for 57 miles. And for such a great trail, we were amazed that on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend there weren’t all that many people on it.

The fun thing about this really scenic trail is that it passes by all kinds of interesting things. We came across a small waterfall and stopped to take pics.

Riding the New River Trail State Park bike path

We enjoyed a small waterfall along the way.

And we stopped at the old Cliffview Station depot building.

Cliffview Station New River Trail Galax Virginia

Cliffview Station is an old depot that makes a fun stop.

There was also a very cool wooden bridge that was fun to ride across.

Bridge on New River Trail State Park Galax Virginia

We loved this curved wooden bridge.

Much of the trail went along under a canopy of trees, but there were lots of open areas too where we saw horses grazing in the fields.

Horses in fields Galax Virginia

There was lots of interesting stuff to see along the way.

What I loved is that this is a trail for everyone. We saw families out biking on cruiser bikes and we saw more serious folks on fancy mountains bikes. Some people were even out there on road bikes. The trail was wide and flat and smooth enough for any kind of bike. And of course there were walkers and joggers too.

Bicycles on New River Trail State Park Galax Virginia

We saw families and old folks alike out on the trail.

The New River Trail is part of the Virginia State Parks system, and we got talking with a ranger and learned that this trail was actually donated to the state by the Norfolk Southern Railroad back in 1986. Political wrangling got in the way of its management for a while, but now it is a true jewel in Virginia’s state park system.

Bikes on the New River Trail in Galax Virginia

Every kind of bike rolls well on this trail.

We were amazed to learn from him that even though they operate on a shoestring budget compared to other states, Virginia State Parks has been rated the top state park system in the country. The care with which this trail is maintained is proof of why.

Wildflowers New River Trail State Park

I can never resist the wildflowers!

The trail has several campgrounds along its length, and we passed one of the campgrounds on our ride. What a fun place to pitch a tent! We saw quite a few cyclists who were touring with panniers on their bikes, and we met one couple who was doing a three day, two night ride out and back on the trail!

Cliffview Campground New River Trail Galax Virginia

Tents set up at Cliffview Campground, one of several campgrounds on the trail system.

We did about 20 miles round trip and then we just had to go back to Creek Bottom Brews. After all, that’s how the cyclists around here rehydrate after their rides, and we needed to rehydrate too!

As we sat there enjoying their out-of-this-world pizza, we joked that Galax, Virginia, needs a motto:

Come for the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stay for the Pizza, Biking and Brews!

Mountain bike on New River Trail Galax Virginia

We sure were glad we stopped in for a beer — what better way to discover a cool bike trail?!!

If you take your RV along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the vicinity of Mabry Mill and the Blue Ridge Music Center, take a little time out for a bike ride and a brew in Galax!

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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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