Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Day 5 of Traveling North via the Blue Ridge Parkway 2017

Sunday May 7th, 2017

Cherokee North Carolina is Milepost 469 for the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is the start or end depending on which direction of travel you are taking. 

We departed the Cherokee / Smoky Mountains KOA intent on that mile post as our destination.

On our way out of the KOA, we saw a portion of the neighboring elk herd. We were so impressed to see a cow elk on the passenger’s side … 
we almost missed the rest of the herd on the driver’s side!

We learned the Parkway closed due to Eisner rock slide and trees down in two separate areas. We will have to travel on Route 19 and other routes for a while. 
Route 19 took us through Cherokee and we got to see more “Cherokee Bears on parade.” The Bears Project started in 2005 with the intention of showcasing the variety of talented artists within the area. 
A committee researched several concepts prior to selecting a bear theme, as they intended to produce something that would be culturally significant. 
Bears are a large part of the Cherokee culture and appear in many of the stories and legends that the Cherokee people hold sacred.

Soco Falls is a beautiful, double waterfall on the edge of Cherokee Indian Reservation, located between the towns of Maggie Valley and Cherokee.

Maggie Valley is a great little valley town with ample choices of restaurants!

We wanted to get to where we could get on the parkway quickly, so we abandoned route 19 in Canton and grabbed I-40 E to Ashville. We headed north on 226 / 221 in Marion, North Carolina. We attended a Good Sam Rally in Marion NC at Tom Johnson RV.

Passing by Nebo NC, we saw some awesome houses on the side of a hill. Nebo reminds us of great friends, camping on their hill and enjoying the campfires! Cliff and Dee are awesome friends and camping hosts!

Linville Falls, North Carolina is where we were able to enter the Parkway. Linville Falls is a beautiful series of dramatic falls that drop to a deep gorge. They are only accessible by a trail.

Lost Cove Cliffs offer an excellent view that includes the Catawba Valley. The overlook is a good location to view the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights. On many evenings, out in the dark distance, pale orange lights seem to appear, move around and then fade. This phenomenon can continue through the night. The strange lights appear throughout the valley but they were first associated with Brown Mountain.

Grandfather Mountain Overlook offers spectacular views from the highest peak of the Blue Ridge. Grandfather Mountain rises 5,946 feet above sea level and is made of quartzite, which is known as one of the most durable rocks. The original Cherokee name for the mountain was “Tanawha,” meaning “a fabulous hawk or eagle.” It was named “Grandfather” by pioneers who recognized the face of an old man in one of the cliffs.

Price Lake is a part of the Julian Price Memorial Park, comprising 4,200 acres. It is named in honor of its former owner, the late Julian Price. He was the president of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company of Greensboro, NC. The company and Mr. Price’s son and daughter, cooperated in the acquisition and dedication of this property as a public recreation area for all to enjoy.

Thunder Hill Overlook affords one of the best long-range views of the Piedmont of North Carolina. From this point, it has been said that you can catch the best sunrise available along the Parkway. It is also further away from many light sources and makes an outstanding stop for amateur astronomers. Other than astronomy, this is a very popular spot to watch fireworks. From here you can see many displays, including both of the one’s at Tweetsie Railroad and in Boone. You can also look over the Piedmont and see fireworks in Lenoir & Hickory.

The Yadkin Valley overlook provides an astounding panoramic look into the Yadkin Valley. The word Yadkin is taken from the name of an Indian village that was near the river.

Raven Rocks is a popular overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Just as Thunder Hill Overlook provides one of the best sunrises, it is said that Raven Rock provides one of the best sunsets. This is a perfect stop for the romantic in all of us to gaze at the inspiring spectrum of color as the sun sets behind Tweetsie Railroad. I would love to see it, but would not want to drive on the parkway at dusk or after dark!

Elk Mountain Overlook, like the Yadkin Valley Overlook, provides you a glimpse at the vast Yadkin Valley. We have traveled the Yadkin Valley on other Two Lane Adventures. This provides a different view of the area.

Cool Spring Baptist Church is really nothing more than a traditional cabin. In the “days of old,” small communities often did not have a preacher of their own, having too few people to support a church. Thus, traveling preachers, called “circuit-riding” preachers, would come through town and preach for the day. The field where the church cabin now stands is supposedly where the circuit preachers Bill Church and Willie Lee frequented. The Church family lived nearby. The church served as a shelter from bad weather—the preaching was usually done outside.

Mt. Jefferson was designated in honor of one of the country’s founding fathers in 1952. The mountain rises above the town of Jefferson and provides excellent views of the surrounding area. Mt Jefferson looms high over the town of Jefferson, for which it was named. It used to be called Negro Mountain because during the Civil War many slaves who had escaped hid on the mountain as they were traveling north. People opposed to slavery helped the runaways with food and direction. The summit and slopes of the mountain now make up Mount Jefferson State Park, covering almost 500 acres.

There are hundreds of miles of old fences along the parkway. It is amazing that the craftsmanship has lasted this long!

Alligator Back Overlook, once we saw this name, we had to stop. 
From the overlook you can see the elongated outcrop of rocks that has the resemblance of an alligator. Ahhhhh, a little bit of Florida on the Blue Ridge Parkway!

You know how much I love waterfalls. We captures a natural spring cascading down the rock face. Awesome, just awesome!

The beautiful vista of Air Bellows Gap is designated as the Crest of the 
Blue Ridge. In the gap, you can see a view of a valley full of evergreen Christmas trees. Air Bellows gets its name from the strong winds that travel through the area, especially during winter.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was the first National Parkway. Construction began near this sign on September 11, 1935. Who knew how monumental this date would become in the history of our country.

We traversed over 100 miles on the parkway today and just crossed into Virginia. I did not get a picture of it, but there is a white line on the road.

I love the bridges that are on the parkway, there is something magical about them. I love the stone work, especially!

Blue Ridge Music Center is an outdoor stage and amphitheater features regularly scheduled seasonal performances in the summer and early fall of old-time and bluegrass music. Plans for the Blue Ridge Music Center began almost twenty years ago when the city of Galax, Virginia gave 1,000 acres of land to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the purpose of building a music center devoted to the preservation and interpretation of regional music. Music seems to be a natural part of these mountains, and nowhere is that heritage felt more strongly than at the Blue Ridge Music Center. People here have created and kept alive some of the richest traditions of folk music and dance in our nation. This music, produced by the sounds of banjo, fiddle and guitar are found all over this region.


We exited the Blue Ridge Parkway at Fancy Gap. We will overnight at the KOA is Fancy Gap and continue our journey in the morning.

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