| CHIMNEY
ROCK |
Blue Ridge Parkway
- Pg. 2
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July
1, 2007
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We visited here as a side trip while staying in Asheville at the beginning of the tour. The Morse family has owned and shared this special place since 1902 when tourists would arrive on horseback or in carriages. Now you can visit in comfort and welcome it as one of North Carolina's newest additions to its state park system. |
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An elevator
will now take you up the 258 feet to the base of Chimney Rock.
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She couldn't
manage the stairs to the edge, but Mom enjoyed the views from the
level of the Sky Lounge. When I returned from my hike, she told
me how much she had enjoyed visiting with some of the other folks
coming in and out of the gift shop and restaurant.
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I decided
to hike the Skyline-Cliff Trail Loop trail. This was one of my favorite
inspirational stops.
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There
are many worthwhile places to pause in wonder at the beauty all
around. The tiny trail to my right takes you across the area seen
toward the end of the movie "Last of the Mohicans" where
the heroine's sister took a dive.
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Talk about
being between a rock and a hard place! This is just one of the tight
areas on the trail that keeps things interesting.
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But what
was really interesting is that I actually made it to the top of
Hickory Nut Falls, a 404 foot wonder!
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What they
say is a 2 hour round trip hike actually took me more than 3 hours.
But I spent quite a while resting at the top here soaking my hot,
tired feet in the cool water. Well worth every step, though!
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| See Malia's Miles page for more pics of Chimney Rock. | ||||||||||||||||
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| Copyright 2001-2007 by Malia
Lane
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