| One hot, sweltering day last summer in the flat lands | | | | bed and breakfasts tucked away in there own |
| of North Carolina, me and my biker buddy thought it | | | | mountain nooks. |
| was about time to plan for a weekend road trip. Not | | | | Valle Crucis is a very rural community, its hub being the |
| wanting to spend too much time getting there, but | | | | Mast General Store were we stopped for a look see. |
| definitely wanting a change of scenery and to escape | | | | The Mast family has a large presence here with two |
| the stifling summer heat, we decided to check out the | | | | stores and the Mast Inn, one of the best of the many |
| Grandfather Mountain area in the North Carolina Blue | | | | Bed and Breakfast Inns in the area. This is where you |
| Ridge Mountains, just about an hour and half drive | | | | come when you really want to get away from it all. A |
| from home in Mooresville N.C. | | | | mountain retreat with 2 quality horse farms for those |
| That Friday we took off work two hours early, | | | | who like to ride the live things. |
| packed our saddlebags and hopped on our hogs | | | | On the way back to Banner Elk via 105, we were |
| heading up 77 to I 40, destination Banner Elk, North | | | | having so much fun on these tight little roads that we |
| Carolina. We turned off the Interstate in the foothills at | | | | decided to head on up to Seven Devils, a vacation |
| Morganton, and after some cruising through the small | | | | resort area with the Hawksnest Ski Resort and Golf |
| Mayberry like town, soon found ourselves leaning into | | | | Coarse at the top of the mountain. |
| the curves, past Table Rock and numerous mountain | | | | After a full day of riding, back in Banner Elk we |
| vistas, the summer heat already melting away. | | | | headed to happy hour at the Bayou Smokehouse and |
| Occasionally getting trapped behind a local, never in a | | | | Grill and stayed all night, scarfing down brewskis, |
| hurry to get anywhere, we soon encountered a | | | | Texas style Bar-B-Que, and some great Louisiana |
| passing lane and sped on our way. | | | | Cajun Cuisine. |
| We got on 105 in Linville and we knew we were | | | | Sunday was the day to conquer the big daddy of |
| almost there. Cruising the next 7 miles in the shadow | | | | them all, Grandfather Mountain. Having been on the |
| of Grandfather Mountain, we arrived at the stone | | | | road all day Saturday, today we were going to do |
| buildings of Tynecastle, turned left heading down the | | | | some serious hiking. |
| valley past Sugar Mountain and into the town of | | | | With the tallest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, |
| Banner Elk. We had made reservations at the Banner | | | | Grandfather Mountain sits on the eastern continental |
| Elk Inn Bed & Breakfast, so we turned right at the | | | | divide and is host to the annual gathering of Scottish |
| only stoplight and were soon checking in. | | | | clans, and the Highland Games. We passed McRae |
| Being the cocktail hour, we stretched our legs with a | | | | Meadows and paid the $14 per person to enter the |
| nice cool walk into town and visited some local bistros, | | | | privately owned mountain. We parked briefly at the |
| then crossed the street and headed to Stonewalls | | | | nature museum and took a quick tour of the wildlife |
| were we enjoyed an excellent steak dinner. | | | | habitat, which features animals native to the region on |
| Saturday was to be a day to cruise the area. After a | | | | display in their natural habitat. |
| hearty breakfast at the Inn, we saddled up and | | | | As we headed up to the mile high swinging bridge, we |
| headed back to Linville Falls, were we caught up with | | | | could see the clouds racing through the gaps between |
| the Blue Ridge Parkway. Heading north towards | | | | the peaks. It was a cool, foggy overcast type of day |
| Blowing Rock, the Blue Ridge Parkway is chocked full | | | | as it so often is in the mountains of North Carolina, and |
| of winding roads and beautiful mountain views, one of | | | | visibility was patchy at best. But we were here for a |
| the best ways to tour the mountains of North Carolina. | | | | hike, and hiking is what we did. |
| Shortly after hitting the Parkway we came upon the | | | | We started the trek towards Calloway Peak, and |
| Linn Cove Viaduct. An engineering marvel, the viaduct | | | | being in the middle of the summer, we had plenty of |
| is an elevated bridge that wraps around Grandfather | | | | company. The well marked trail led us through some |
| Mountain for some eight miles, and has some of the | | | | easy to difficult terrain with ropes and wooden ladders |
| best mountain views on the Parkway. Designed to | | | | to aid us in climbing the rock faces, and several open |
| blend in, the bridge is a fine example of Mother Nature | | | | vistas where we could recognize Mt. Mitchell on the |
| and the man made coexisting. We stopped to take a | | | | horizon, and the Sugar Top condos at Sugar Mountain |
| hike on the trail that goes underneath the Linn Cove | | | | as we viewed the cloud cover below us. |
| Viaduct to get a better view of some truly impressive | | | | We never made it to the very top of Calloway Peak, |
| architecture. | | | | the higher you go the harder it gets, but we did wind |
| Julian Price Park was the next stop on the Parkway, | | | | up getting a good workout, and the hike down was |
| with a primitive campground and a beautiful lake that | | | | just about as hard as going up. We got back to the |
| offers some excellent trout fishing. The park covers | | | | swinging bridge parking lot, caught our breath, then |
| over 4000 acres and has 25 miles of hiking trails. An | | | | mounted our bikes for the trip back home. It was good |
| amphitheater, picnic grounds, and canoe rentals make | | | | to have the vibration of the road under us again, and |
| Julian Price an excellent place to spend the day. We | | | | by the time we left the foothills of Morganton, the cool |
| spent a couple of hours, then moved on towards | | | | mountain breezes were already becoming a fond |
| Blowing Rock. | | | | memory. |
| We exited the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Moses | | | | Whether by motorcycle, car, or truck, a road trip to the |
| Cone Memorial Park, checked out the Crafts Center, | | | | Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is a great way |
| and moved on to Blowing Rock for lunch. On the way | | | | to beat the heat. The area surrounding Banner Elk and |
| back, we took the road to Boone, home of | | | | Grandfather Mountain is peppered with vacation |
| Appalachian State University, and turned up 105 back | | | | homes of people from all over the south east, a large |
| to Banner Elk. | | | | proportion escaping the hot, humid summers of Florida. |
| Back at the Inn, there was plenty of daylight left so we | | | | Outdoor activities abound all year round with skiing and |
| took a little break, hopped back on our bikes and | | | | snowboarding in the winter, and hiking, fishing, kayaking, |
| headed up the mountain to Valle Crucis. A really fun | | | | white water rafting, tennis and golf, camping, or just |
| narrow winding mountain road with one really mean | | | | plain cruising the roads in the spring, summer and fall. |
| switchback at the top, the ride down the mountain had | | | | Whatever your pleasure, Banner Elk and Grandfather |
| some great mountain views as we passed farm | | | | Mountain in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a great |
| houses, retreats, horse farms, and some quant little | | | | destination for the great American road trip. |