Blue Ridge Parkway - October 2018

 Monday, October 22

 

Moses Cone Manor and Bass Lake

 

Walking the Bass Lake Trail on the manor property.

 

 

View of the Manor house from Bass Lake.

A picnic lunch

Stopping for pictures of the viaduct on the way to Grandfather Mountain.

Grandfather Mountain

My first visit to Grandfather Mountain.

The NPS operates the Museum of North Carolina Minerals, that was conveniently located near our hotel, which we went to before the museum closed.  

 

The Visitor Center

Part of the Overmountain Victory Trail runs behind the visitor center.

 

We stayed at Skyline Village Inn in Spruce Pines.

 

 

For supper, we ate the best tacos at Claudia's.

Up early the next morning to see the sunrise from our hotel balcony. 

Tuesday, October 23

A waterfall we hiked down to see.

An overlook of the Blue Ridge Mountains

 

First visit to Mount Mitchell

From Mount Mitchell

Craggy Gardens Visitor Center

Hiking in Craggy Gardens

We made it to the top.

Fall foliage on the Parkway

Folk Art Center

I bought a blown glass ornament for my N.C. themed tree.

Entry backlogged 7/14/2022

Spring Break Vacation - Charleston, SC March 27-29 Part 3

    Finally, a post for our last day in Charleston!  Thursday, March 29 began with a tour of the Nathaniel Russell House.  I loved this house - The architecture, the gardens, the staircase and the inside shutters!

   The structure of this house is divided in three shapes:  a rectangle front entrance, oval center, and a square back section.

 

Gold detail was added to the windows in place of curtains or drapes.

 

I am in love with these shutters!!

Here is the closed shutter demonstration

  After the house tour, we had lunch at Jestine's Kitchen.  I had fried shrimp and okra with a side of pickled cole slaw.

That ended our time in Charleston.  Before going home we took a detour to Beaufort, SC.  The NPS is in the process of opening a new Reconstruction Era National Monument.  Although the building is not yet opened to the public, they have a stamp available at the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, which is across the street.

Beaufort also has some pretty houses!