After almost two weeks in the Outer Banks, it was time for us to leave the coast and head for the mountains. Our friends Kay and Michelle live in Edneyville, North Carolina. We have a lot in common with them, including our love of hiking, travel and good microbrew! It was a long drive so we looked for a spot to take a short break. The Pisgah Covered Bridge crosses over the west fork of the Little River in Randolph County, North Carolina. Like most covered bridges, it was nestled into a quiet country road. There are a lot of covered bridges in North Carolina. This would be the second one we'd visited on this trip.
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| Pisgah Covered Bridge |
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| View of the new road through the bridge |
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| Bridge over the Little River |
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| Dave getting a stepping stone view |
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| Dave at the entrance |
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| Beth on the boardwalk |
We arrived in Edneyville around 5:00, jumped into our friend's car and drove to Hendersonville for tacos and beer at Tipsy Taco. The food was delicious! After dinner, we walked to the Celtic Creamery ice cream shop for dessert. They sold cups and cones but also masterpiece combinations of baked goods smothered in ice cream and toppings.
There is a lot to see and do in the mountains of North Carolina. Our plan was to pack as much as we could into two days. On Friday, we drove to Dupont State Park and hiked Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, and High Falls. We hiked far enough to see the High Falls covered bridge crossing the water above us, but turned back before the summit so we had time to take a drive to Pisgah National Forest. A small garter snake slithered across the trail in front of us on the way down the trail. We pointed out that that it is common for us to see snakes when we are hiking! This little guy was harmless but we've crossed paths with rattlers several times.
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Hiking down to Hooker Falls
Michelle and Kay |
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| Hooker Falls |
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| A side fall along Hooker Falls |
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With Michelle and Kay
At Hooker Falls |
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| Road over Little River |
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| Little River Dupont State Park |
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| Triple Falls |
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Snake on the Trail
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| Triple Falls |
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| High Falls view from the trail |
High Falls
The drive to Pisgah National Forest was lovely. This 500,000 acre hard wood forest is popular with outdoor enthusiasts and known for its great hiking, biking, waterfalls, and scenic drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are three ranger regions, Pisgah, Grandfather and Appalachian. We headed for Looking Glass Falls, a beautiful landmark in the Pisgah region. Visitors were in the water and sunning on the rocks. A gentle mist floated on the warm air. We could have stayed all day.
We drove up to the Pounding Point Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachian Region. There were spectacular views in every direction! We took photos of Looking Glass Rock which is also called Mirror Rock. The sun reflects off the exposed sheer front of the massive granite mound when it's wet or frozen. A 6.5 mile trail takes you to the top and rewards your efforts with panoramic views. We'd love to hike that trail one day. On our way home, we stopped at Eucusta brewery to wrap up our amazing day in the mountains with a cold microbrew!
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| Looking Glass Falls |
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| Kay relaxing at the falls |
Saturday we drove over the border to South Carolina to hike Pleasant Ridge County Park, a beautiful hiking and mountain biking trail. Both bikers and hikers share the same trail but move in opposite directions. We were approached and passed by several bikers but never felt endangered. Everyone we passed was careful and friendly. Signs of damage from the floods that hit last year were everywhere. The trail took us past a kiln ruin from very long ago. We hiked up a short trail to the Pleasant Ridge Waterfall. Swallowtails covered the blooming bushes and trees along the trail. The forest was alive with spring!
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| Hiking through storm damaged trail |
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| Kiln ruin |
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| Michelle, Kay and Beth at Kiln |
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| Swallowtail |
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| Bench beside the falls |
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| Pleasant Ridge Waterfall |
Pleasant Ridge Waterfall
Campbell's Covered Bridge, the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina, was nearby in the town of Landrum. It crosses over Beaver Dam Creek just above the old grist mill. The 38 foot long and 12 foot wide structure was built between 1909 - 1911. It is named after Alexander Campbell who ran the Grist Mill. The setting is perfect for a picnic, serene with flowers blooming and the sound of water trickling by. We hiked a mile loop around the 18+ acre park, working up our thirst for a cold beer.
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| Bridge view from the creek bed |
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| Michelle and Kay crossing |
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| Dave, Michelle and Kay |
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| Dave on the other side |
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| Improvements happening at Campbell's Bridge |
There are a lot of great microbreweries in the mountains. Stubborn Mule Brewery has a wood fired oven and a full menu. We ordered what Michelle and Kay call "Linner", not lunch but not dinner. The food was good, the beer was great.
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| Custom made wood fired oven |
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| Sign in the Ladies Room |
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| Stubborn Mule Brewery |
We also stopped at Iron Key Brewery in Columbus, North Carolina. We took a table on the patio in the back of the former prison building. It was windy with a chill in the air but we decided to stick it out and continue our day filled with fresh air.
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Iron Key Brewery
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Michelle and Kay wanted to take us to Mast General Store in Hendersonville but it was closed. It's an experience to visit this old fashioned store with wooden floors, 500 types of candy, and everything you didn't know you needed. There is so much to see in the area. We've only just begun to explore and will have to visit again! Mast General will be on our list.
We sat on Michelle and Kay's stoop in the afternoon sun, relaxing after two busy days of exploring. The neighbors stopped by to chat. We moved inside when the air got a little too chilly. In the morning, we were packed and on the road by 8:30. It was time to head north to Minnesota. We spent almost three weeks on the road, visiting new places. Michelle and Kay shared some of their favorite attractions that drew them to this area. We visited several microbreweries and enjoyed a few weeks of spring in the south. We can see how easy it would be to spend the entire winter traveling in warmer climates. Maybe next year we'll do just that!
