If you ever find yourself driving through Elk Park, North Carolina, make sure to take a detour and visit scenic Elk River Falls. It’s a little off-the-beaten path, but well worth the effort!
North Carolina
Price Lake
Believe it or not, this is what Price Lake at MP 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway looks like after the dam broke recently. Let’s hope the lake fills up again soon!
Thunder Hill Overlook
A very popular scenic spot at MP 290.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Thunder Hill Overlook features nice mountain views from a trail that can be picked up across the Parkway from the parking area. A short hike will take you to the top of the hill where you will also see a variety of apple trees. Definitely worth a stop the next time you’re cruising the Parkway just north of Blowing Rock!
Mount Mitchell State Park
The peak (no pun intended) of my recent Blue Ridge Parkway excursion featured a side trip to Mount Mitchell State Park, which, at 6,684 feet, is the highest point east of the Mississippi. Yes, you can buy a T-shirt at the gift shop (which I did, of course), but there are also several great hiking trails right off the parking lot near the top. Don’t miss it!
Blowing Rock, NC
“Blowing Rock, named for a nearby geological oddity, is an old resort town filled with beautiful homes that once belonged to wealthy early-20th-century industrialists. It’s a small town, but the surprising array of restaurants, cafes and galleries make it pleasant to stroll, window-shop and sit to enjoy an ice cream. Blowing Rock also offers easy access to Moses Cone Manor and other notable landmarks.” – Jason Frye, Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip, 2018
“The village of Blowing Rock sits on the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet. Its location near the Blue Ridge Parkway is fortunate and provides additional recreational amenities. Unique restaurants, mountain inns and fascinating shops offer a myriad of opportunities to visitors. Ordinary visitors have also been joined by many famous visitors to the town, including Dwight Eisenhower, Pearl Buck, Annie Oakley, Richard Nixon, Margaret Mitchell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.” – Donna Akers Warmuth, Images of America: Blowing Rock, 2004
Jerry Jeff Walker (1942-2020)
Back in 1995 when I was a lowly reporter with The News of Orange County in Hillsborough, North Carolina, I got the opportunity to cover legendary singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker in concert at the “Big Barn” and briefly interviewed him after the show. He will be greatly missed …
Chestoa View Loop Trail
A true hidden treasure along the Blue Ridge Parkway (MP 320.8), the 0.6-mile Chestoa View Loop Trail provides an easy leg stretcher through a scenic forest capped off with a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Or you can opt to skip the trail and make a beeline straight to the rock balcony. However I highly recommend the hiking trail so you get the full experience of the Chestoa View Overlook!
Hebron Rock Colony Falls
The incredibly scenic Hebron Rock Colony Falls can be accessed via the Boone Fork Trail at Julian Price Memorial Park (MP 297) on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
Hike #50: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway
Hike #50: 52 Hike Challenge: Price Lake Loop Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway. It was an extremely cold but sunny afternoon as we headed along the Blue Ridge Parkway to one of my favorite North Carolina High Country hikes, the Price Lake Loop Trail at Price Lake Overlook (MP 296.7). We took our time hiking around the lake and enjoying the scenery, as well as carefully navigating around the occasional muddy patch. My phone conked out early on because of the cold and unfortunately I was only able to get the above photo. Afterwards, we headed up to Blowing Rock for a nice lunch at Mellow Mushroom. Not a bad way to spend my 50th hike! Distance: 2.7 miles.
Jerry Jeff Walker
Between the late summer of 1994 and the fall of 1996, I worked as a lowly reporter for a small weekly newspaper, The News of Orange County, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. There weren’t many perks in this rather thankless job, but I did get a chance to cover the concert of one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Jerry Jeff Walker, who took the stage at the Big Barn for one magical evening of entertainment (sorry, I forget the actual date). Above is one of the photos I took documenting the event. I even got the chance to chat briefly with Jerry Jeff after the show. Truly one of the highlights of my brief stint as a reporter!
Wandering Florida 