Last Weekend, Heintooga Round Bottom Road

Last weekend, my Sweet Husband and I, went hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I promised pictures and here they are. 

Please note, most of these were taken with my oldest Fuji Finepix as someone (who me) forgot to either charge the battery in the Cannon or bring along the spare....

Good thing the Fuji was with me.

Fuzzy Caterpillar
We stopped at a picnic table in Maggie Valley to eat our lunch and build up our energy before hitting the trail. This entertaining fellow decided to come check us out. Evidently we were not all that interesting, but my purse was. I had to move it out of his way several times.

Mushrooms
 We spotted a bit of bright color early in. The mountains are lovely this time of year and the temperature was perfect for the day we had planned. I always associate mushrooms with autumn, but they are visible year round. I would not be brave enough to pick wild mushrooms, but I think they are fascinating and I love to take pictures of them (some may hide fairies you know see By Special Request , Blue Fairy , or Hodge Podge, for example).

The Road
We reached our destination, Heintooga Round Bottom Road, early in the afternoon. Heintooga is a 25 mile long, one way, unpaved road just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. It has lovely picnic areas at the top and the bottom comes out near Cherokee North Carolina. We have been up here before and usually we park at the top, walk for an hour or so and walk back. This time, we decided to drive down a ways, find a safe pull off, then walk a bit, return to the car and repeat the process.

Miniature Waterfall
Our plan was a good one. The road is clearly marked at the top as one way so there is not much traffic. The few people who do use it are there for the scenery and they are going slow (usually with lovely smiles on their faces, it is that nice). There are little waterfalls and streams in several places along the way.

Hanging Vine
I saw this and it reminded me of Jack's Beanstalk. I could see climbing that. It almost appears to be braided and tied in knots. That gets the imagination going. I wonder if I could add some Fairies climbing it?

Top of the Vine
This is the same vine, further up. Nature is always interesting. Climbing or touching anything in the woods, is not a good idea unless you know what you are doing. The vine could turn out to be poison ivy (Fairies would probably be immune, right?).

The road
The road turns and twists gently down the mountain side. You don't have to walk very far to find something lovely to photograph.

Bend in the road
What is up ahead? I love the way the light filters through the trees in the afternoon. 

Yellow Fringed Orchid
This was a lucky find. There were only three or four plants and I have not seen them before. I identified it with the help of US Wildflowers . 

Potential
This one was a little further down the same trail. It is not open enough for me to attempt to look it up, but seeing it and knowing that it will be covered in flowers soon, makes me smile. 

Mushroom
 Here is another one. We had a light rain shower. If I had found this during the rain, would I have found a fairy sheltering under neath?

Trail
This is aways down one of the trails that connect with Heintooga Round Bottom Road. I love the play of light and shadow through the trees. So very atmospheric. There was no one else on the trail but us. So peaceful.

Another view
I could walk for hours in places like this. The day was wonderful. The temperature was just right and the light sprinkle hardly reached us through the trees. 

Navigating
Our trusty navigation system was a little baffled. We told it we were going to Cherokee. When we first turned on the Blue Ridge, it kept trying to turn us around. It eventually gave up and routed us through the parkway. When we turned onto Heintooga Round Bottom Road, it was confused again, apparently as it is not a paved road, the system does not show it. As you can see, it finally just told us to "Continue to roadway".

Nearly to Cherokee
This is close to where Heintooga comes back out onto the paved road. Still lovely, now it goes both ways. From here we drove on in to Cherokee North Carolina. There were BEARS, (you will have to wait till next time for those pics though).

My Sweet Husband
One of the trail heads we turned down while we walked. What a wonderful way to spend a day and what a wonderful person to spend it with. I am so very lucky!

Breakfast Pizza
Speaking of lucky, this is what is waiting for me for breakfast. It is a veggie Pizza made from scratch just for me (OK so I have to share it with the Chef, but I like sharing with him).
Hope your weekend was as nice.
Cheers,
Kat

Craggy Gardens.

Come away, oh human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand

Those lines from W.B. Yeats poem, The Stolen Child,

Yeats
kept running through my head as we walked along the trail.

Craggy Gardens is truly a magical place.

Awesome in the oldest and truest sense of the word.

They are part of Smokey Mtn National Park, up on the Blue Ridge.

Time plays tricks, it is easy to see where the old stories about
entering the faery kingdom, then leaving and finding out your afternoon has lasted for years,

come from. It felt like we were only there a few minutes,

not nearly long enough.

The trail leads across a meadow.

View from the edge of the meadow.

The wind was perfectly still when I took this picture.

Dappled sunlight sneaks through the trees and all too soon, it is time to leave.

This seed head is as pretty as some flowers.

Craggy Gardens is not a formal garden,

just a natural, magical place.

Kat

Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We had planned on a lazy weekend, but when we got up yesterday morning, the weather was perfect here at Kat's Corner and even better up on the Blue Ridge.

Since as I pointed out the other day, summer is almost over, we decided to head back up to the mountains.

My Sweet Hubby and I were both raised in the Rocky Mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains are not as tall, they are certainly more green, and they have a very different feel, but they are most certainly, mountains, and sometimes, that is just what we need. 

How would you like to have that view out your window? The ride up is beautiful. I have taken so many photos up on the blue ridge. It is amazing in all seasons and all weather (OK, I will admit, I am not going up when there is snow on the ground, but I am sure it is still amazing).

Here is another one of those amazing views. The Blue Ridge Parkway goes through several states. Someday, we want to drive the length of it with lots of hiking and camping along the way. I want to see what the other end is all about. Do roads call you like that too?

Look at that sky line. We were heading for two places, the Folk Art Center, and Craggy Gardens. 

The Folk Art Center is located at milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a partnership between the National Park Service and the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Each time we visit, there are different artists demonstrating their crafts. There are museum quality items on display as well as for sell.

Notice the display of hand made chairs hung up high?

This is a light and airy place with lots of room.

I bought a book on hand made art dolls.

Another view, you can get some idea of how many different things are available. The quilts alone are worth the trip. There are paintings, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, furniture, bowels, pottery, cards, even hand made brooms that would make Harry Potter proud.

There is a gallery upstairs that is full of wonderful things, no photography allowed though.

They have a sculpted clay dragon up there that looks like he is ready to speak.

These are Bowed Psalteries.

They are hand crafted by Rick Long.

He was playing one out in front when we arrived.

We bought one of the CD's and have already listened to it twice. The music is otherworldly.

Now if we could only get Loreena McKennitt to sing with him...

They come in two sizes and he says they are easy to play.

I can play a radio quite well and usually handle a good CD player, I don't think I am quite up to these.

Would you like a sample?

Mr. Long was kind enough to allow me to video him for you.

If  you are interested, he has a lot more information on his web site. You can purchase his instruments and CD's from the Folk Art Center any time or directly from him on his web site.

Ringing Strings Bowed Psalteries

If you would like more information on the guild or on the Folk Art Center itself, see their web page.

Southern Highland Craft Guild and Folk Art Center

As for the Craggy Gardens, yes, we did make it there and we had a nice hike. I took a bunch of photos. I will post my favorites here soon. I think I will save them for a post all on their own.

Have a great Monday,

Kat

Oh, Deer!

When we were on the way home from our River Rafting trip,

we spent some time on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This lovely deer was kind enough to pose for me.

(Got to love the Zoom button).

I have to work today, but I will post more photos from the parkway soon.

Cheers,

Kat