October, 2018 Day 2... No Skimping on the Wiz

Day 2 Saturday, October 13, 2018             

    The room at the Hendersonville Red Roof Inn was clean, comfortable and quiet.  The staff was even great.  They even started breakfast nice and early.  Unfortunately, their idea of breakfast is just waffles and coffee.      

     Just a few miles north of the motel is the turnoff for Hwy 25 which would eventually intersect with the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

     I drove a stretch of the parkway last year about this time.  It was mired in deep fog.  Some things never seem to change.       

    One of the things I learned after joining Twitter was to follow people like me, people who love traveling the back roads.  I get new ideas and enjoy sharing my own experiences.                              

     This summer, someone posted about their visit to the Craggy Gardens, right on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There’s a mile and a half loop trail to an overlook with a really nice view.  Since I was driving right by, it was an easy decision to stop in.

     I found the turnoff and knew the trailhead was at the back of the parking lot for the picnic area.  As I drove up the twisting mountain road, the fog just seemed to thicken.  Fortunately, the accompanying rain never picked up.  It was the kind of rain that makes to take a single swipe with the windshield wipers every couple of minutes. 

     I found the trailhead and started up.

  At the half mile point, the loop begins.  This is supposed to be a scenic view. 

     It didn’t get any better.  In fact, on  the drive out, the fog only seemed to get worse.

      Just a few miles east sits Mt. Mitchell State Park, home of the highest point in North Carolina.  I visited this park, and the high point last year.  The rain was heavy when I drove into the park and started up to the parking lot by the peak.  It wasn’t just rain, but the worst kind of rain.  It was heavy by volume, but driven sideways by the gusting wind.  I was soaked just dashing to the marker.  So, I decided it needed a revisit.

      The fog was lingering as I drove up to the peak.  Fortunately, the rain had stopped, though the chilly wind had definitely picked up.  It was a cold, but easy walk up the path to the high point.

      The view, such as it was.

      The crazy thing, as I worked my way back down to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the fog had all but lifted, leaving nice views from the overlooks.

      Considering the conditions on Mt. Mitchell, I decided not to explore the park’s other hiking trails.  This turned out to be a good decision.  With the extra time on my hands, I drove further east. 

      Crabtree Falls is a three mile round trip hike on a well maintained trail.  With all the recent rain, it was a bit muddy and there were even a few places where running water had turned the trail into a stream.  But, it was pretty easy to pick my way around the worst of it on my way down to the falls. 

      Considering  I was ahead of schedule for the day, I chose to continue further east for a revisit to Linville Falls.  The upper falls are accessed by a half mile trail from the Park Service visitor center.  Considering the conditions last year, I didn’t do this part.  The hike up to the overlook was a bit muddier than I would have liked,

but still it's an easy climb.  And the payoff was worth it.

     From the visitor center, you can also take a trail down to the lower falls.  Or, you can access them from the town of Linville Falls.  That’s what I did last year.  While I didn’t have the rain to contend with this time, I did have the crowds.  It’s only .4 miles to the overlook, which makes it a popular trail.

     The other reason for accessing the falls was Famous Louise's Rock House Restaurant.  The dining area of the restaurant straddles three counties and the demarcations are clearly posted inside.  The main dining area is in Avery County, the restrooms are in Burke County and you pay your tab in McDowell County.  

   It's basic comfort food.  The special of the day was Philly Cheesesteak.  I wasn’t expecting something completely authentic.  But, to their credit, they didn’t skimp on the Wiz. 

      After lunch, it was off to Burnsville, my home for the night.  Hwy 221 took me through the town of Crossnore where I stopped for gas.  Perhaps it’s just me, but I still enjoy finding the old school gas pumps with the physical drums of numbers that roll off as the gas is dispensed. 

    Eventually, I found Hwy 19E and took it south towards Burnsville.  When I passed through Plumtree, I saw the Blind Squirrel Brewery and decided to stop in.  They had six of their own beers on tap and I chose an Irish Stout.  The place was big, but fairly quiet. 

     I wound up sipping my stout and chatting with the owners.  They used to ship their ale to forty restaurants and bars.   The brewery also used to serve food and the place was thriving.  They own a large campground and used to offer a shuttle service back and forth.  They even used to offer zip line and inner tube tours on the river. The operative phrase is "used to."  Now it’s just an independent brewery and bar.    That was by choice.  The brewery was supposed to be their retirement venture.  The owners just got tired of dealing with the large amount of staff and the logistics of running the whole operation.  So, they cut back.  And they’re much happier.                              

     I hung around for an hour or so sharing storied with other travelers.  I still had another half hour of driving to do and needed to hit the road.  I much prefer trying to find motels in the daylight.     

    Burnsville was easy enough to find.  Right on Main Street sits the Carolina Country Inn.  It’s a small, independent motel with seventeen rooms.  Nice place and I gave it a good write up on Tripadvisor.  In keeping with their “country” theme, the headboards are white picket fences.  

       Burnsville sits in the heart of Yancey County, the last dry county in North Carolina.  In 2010, the citizens of Burnsville voted to allow alcohol within the city limits.  It’s the only place within the county to get a drink. 

       The town is named for Captain Otway Burns.  He learned his trade sailing along the North Carolina coast.  Eventually, he bought his own ship and sailed it further up and down the coast. 

      When the War of 1812 broke out, Burn took his ship, Snap Dragon to New Bern, NC looking for crew.  With the intent to turn his merchant vessel into a privateer, he soon caught the attention of local law enforcement who considered privateers no different than pirates. 

       During the course of the war he did manage to capture a few British merchant ships and outrun the faster warships.  After the war, he returned to North Carolina and ran a successful ship building business.  In 1818, his shipyard built the Prometheus, the first steamboat in the state. 

      Burns would eventually go into politics, serving North Carolina in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.  His last job was the keeper for the Brant Island Shoals Light.  He held that job for the last fifteen years of his life.

Coming Up,
A town trying to make up for one horrific act