Index

2009-10-25

Vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Hiking in the mountains is a good way to get exercise and enjoy nature. I recently went on a weekend vacation to Little Switzerland, North Carolina, and from there I traveled south toward Mount Mitchell National Park, and then north toward the city of Blowing Rock.

Little Switzerland is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway which is very colorful in the autumn when the leaves change colors. The mountainous terrain provides majestic landscapes and great opportunities for photography, hiking and other outdoor activities. The picture above was taken at dusk from the backyard of the Little Switzerland Inn where I stayed. The blue color of the mountains turned to orange in the morning of the next day. It was fortunate that the drizzle of the previous day cleared up and the sky was perfectly blue for the next two days.

When I got to Mount Mitchell, which is only 25 miles away from Little Switzerland, the trees and the ground were covered with snow from a storm that had blown through the day before. The difference in altitude is responsible for a large temperature difference between the valleys and the tops of the mountains. Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in the east coast, and the view from the top is wonderful in all directions.

The next day, I drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Blowing Rock is a community whose population booms in the summertime as Floridians overwhelmed by hot weather flock to seek relief in the cool mountain air. Blowing Rock has many lodges, restaurants, cultural functions, and outdoor activities. It is a favorite vacation destination that makes it possible to be close to nature and also many city amenities.

See Pictures of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

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