Blue Ridge Parkway & Gateway Mountain

It is really fun getting to know our new state!  We’ve just returned from a little trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Fancy Gap, VA to Linville Falls, NC.  And after that, we spent two days at a place on Gateway Mountain in Old Fort, NC, which is close to Black Mountain, which is close to Asheville.  Let me share a few pix.  I won’t bore you with the 200 others that we took!

First is some scenic beauty along the Blue Ridge.  (The countryside is pretty nice, too!)

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There was a beautiful postcard scene at every little stop we took!

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We got off the parkway and took the hike down to Linville Falls.  It was SO worth it!  Look at these beautiful falls!  Wow!

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After that, we headed off to our two day retreat on Gateway Mountain.  I’m glad it was still daylight when we got there because it was an adventure just getting up the mountain in our car!  There aren’t enough superlatives and exclamation points to describe the place we found.  It is the sort of place that lets you feel small amidst an awesome expanse of nature’s beauty!  I woke up early the next morning to enjoy the dawn…

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We shared a common adventure, and spent precious moments of quiet solitude…

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Gail kept an eagle eye out for the local birds…

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It rained later in the afternoon, but cleared long enough for us to marvel at a sunset of eery mystery above the clouds…

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And it was over all too quickly!  The fog was thick this morning as we came down from the mountain.  We encountered a flock of wild turkeys!  I love running into crazy, unexpected things like that!  I was smiling and thinking, “See you later, you wild, crazy turkeys!”

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Yeah, that’s right.  You go run and hide!  Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

I’m grateful for our excellent little trip!