We spent a beautiful week in the historic mill town of Canton, North Carolina nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in Piscagh National Forest. Our home was the Riverhouse RV Resort and Campground. Located on the Pigeon River it couldn’t have been more peaceful, the sounds were my lullaby every night. Riverhouse RV has 20 full hook up sites and require a minimum one week stay. Not exactly big rig friendly, but we managed. John says, “Not for the inexperienced!” The camp hosts and owner are super nice. There was a corn field behind us that was being cut for “cow corn.” That’s where they leave the corn on the stalks until fall when they are dry and brown. Then a very LOUD machine comes and cuts the stalks, separating the corn. It was interesting to watch for the first couple of passes! The whole process took about 2 days!
Life is Good in the North Carolina Hood!
Our days were spent chasing waterfalls, hiking under the fall canopies, and just chillaxin’ at our campsite next to the river. What a beautiful place to spend a week in October. The fall colors were magnificent! We day tripped over to Asheville and walked around the downtown area. Wasn’t so impressive. Lots of homeless living among the quirky art and city parks and only a few buskers (street musicians) were out. We did enjoy a delicious tempura lunch, something we can’t easily fix in the RV!
In Search of Waterfalls
Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall should be on everyone’s Bucket List. The trees were in their glory! The reds, yellows, and oranges…it’s a good thing John was driving as I couldn’t keep my eyes of the beauty!
With hundreds of waterfalls in the area, we set out to find Looking Glass Falls. Apparently, it is NOT on the Blue Ridge Parkway. But, our GPS did take us to a great place to view Looking Glass Rock and the falls from a distance! We had to wind our way back down to see the falls up close along with dozens of other tourists, hence the masks!
We drove the Forest Scenic Byway along NC 215 to the French Broad Falls and Mill Shoals Falls, a two for one! And a short hike along the river through a rain soaked bed of leaves we found Cathedral Falls. It was gorgeous!! Another wander-ful day!
Chimney Rock, Dirty Dancing and a Flowering Bridge
Chimney Rock Village is a small tourist town about 4 blocks long with Chimney Rock State Park right in the middle. We drove through looking for the park entrance and ended up in the neighboring city of Lake Lure. We pulled into the Visitor’s Center with the intention of turning around to head back to Chimney Rock. I went in for information and discovered this little lake side town was where they filmed parts of Dirty Dancing!
And then there was The Flowering Bridge tended by a sweet group of gardeners that reminded me of my Earhart friends. The bridge closed to foot traffic 2011 and opened with beautiful gardens in 2013. What a wonderful way to repurpose a bridge!! It’s now a Monarch Waystation and a National Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. The flowers and fanciful garden art were a delight! I think John enjoyed it as much as I did!
After leaving the bridge we ventured back to Chimney Rock Village and up the windy road to Chimney Rock State Park. Not only was the road VERY windy, it was very narrow making it a precarious trip in our dually. So the ride to the top on the school bus was especially scary. YIKES!
Chimney Rock is a 315 foot rock formation with an elevation of 2,280 feet above sea level. The panoramic views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure from the top are breathtaking! The adventure seekers can hike the trail and 494 steps to the top or the experience seekers, like us, can take the elevator! Leaving just 44 steps to the breath-taking views! Either way the climb is well worth it!
The elevator itself is quite a marvel. A 198 foot tunnel was carved out of the solid rock leading to the elevator shaft. It took eight tons of dynamite and 18 months to complete, officially opening in May 1949. There have been several upgrades since then! Thank goodness!!
After experiencing the views from the top of Chimney Rock, we decided to hike the 1.4 mile trail to Hickory Nut Falls. One of the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi at 404 feet! Fun Fact: It was featured in the “Last of the Mohicans.” It was impressive!
After a day of hiking, it was time for food! We drove back down the mountain to Chimney Rock Village and found Old Rock Cafe. They boast a 100 percent grass-fed beef burger that made Zagat’s “Must try Burgers across the Country” list. We gave it a try, and well…I wasn’t so impressed. I found it dry and the texture was just not right! But it filled the void. We wandered the village and giggled at the Halloween decor and found a delightful coffee shop, Coffee on the Rocks. Perfect ending to a perfect day!
