Blue Ridge Mountains

We left Tuesday to go drive the Blue Ridge Parkway through the mountains. We started up near Boone, N.C. and started to head south toward Ashville. The neat thing about the parkway is every so often there is a place where you can pull over and check out the view. They were all very similar but somehow very different and absolutely gorgeous. A few miles into it we hit what is called Grandfather Mountain. We took the narrow and very windy road to the top (nerve wracking for someone like me...you look out the window sometimes and the edge is so close you don't see the road, just the drop-off). Once we made it to the top in one piece we walked out to the mile high swinging bridge. Dave took the boys across but I stayed behind with B. It was so windy and he was in a backcarrier that I thought it wouldn't be smart to go. O.K. My fear had a little to do with it. Once across Dave caught his breath and nervously took the boys to the edge of the cliff. What a view. After they got back safely we continued down the parkway thinking we would hit Ashville by 4. Next thing you know, only 10 miles away we hit a closed road...no warning. We didn't know where to go, turn around what road to take to get to where we were going. With no cell phone reception we started back hoping we would figure something out. We finally got some reception and called the hotel. We got directions that got us back on track (oh my, what a road that was!) and made it to Ashville only two hours late. After spending the night in a hotel we explored Ashville and all it had to offer. We found so many cute and eclectic stores. That evening we drove home (on the highway, thank you very much!). We all can't wait to get back and spend more time in such a wonderful place.