Finally, Blowing Rock

Thursday August 18, 2022                                   Most Recent Posts:
Bear Den Family Campground       Mast General Store & Crab Orchard Falls
MP 324 Blue Ridge Parkway                   Crabtree Falls and Little Switzerland
Spruce Pine, North Carolina

Blowing Rock North Carolina is one of the little towns I wanted to visit but as you may have read, I tried once before, got rained out and ended up at the movies in nearby Boone.   But today, I made it and had dinner there.

But first a hike on the  Glen Burney Trail.  56 minutes and 34 miles to get there.  There are two falls off this trail, Glen Burney and Glen Marie.  At this point of distance, I’m not sure which was which and googling it didn’t help me clarify as all the pictures said Glen Burney Trail and both the falls that I saw were also labeled Glen Burney.  So I’ll just show them in the order I saw them and if you take the trail you can figure it out for yourself.

The trail began wide as a road and gentle.

Shortly it began to descend and passed a cement structure which after I hiked further down I learned was a former wastewater treatment plant.

There was a sign calling it “The Ruins” with a date of 1929.  Based on the size of this treatment plant there obviously wasn’t a lot of waste water to treat then.

I’d already crossed this creek twice when the 3rd crossing provided a footbridge.

The trail became the familiar very rocky path.

I passed what I thought was the falls but a sign, that I was wise enough to take a picture of, told me it  was called the “cascade”.   It was easier to get both pictures and this video of “the cascades” than of the first of the actual falls.

My photographs at the first falls were disappointing.   I could not get the angle the waterfall book author had.

And as I am now in Florida and do not have the North Carolina Waterfall book with me, can’t check his picture to see if this is Glen Marie or Glen Burney.
A BIG problem of not taking pictures of all signs and of writing months after you’ve actually done the hike.   The hike was August 18 and today is November 7th.

I found that I liked the second falls better just because I could get better looks at it.  It was so sweet but doesn’t look anywhere near as high as the first falls though the  waterfall book claimed they were the same height.   I got better pictures and this 15 second s video which you can see here. 

Rocky trail out.

The hike took 2 hours.  Because of the rainforest rain around here it was of course muddy and rocky.  Don’t go without a pole.   But do go.

I went on into Blowing Rock, such a darling town with flowers everywhere.

First I put my name on the list for a table at The Speckled Trout.  I felt like I really should have trout here in the mountains of North Caroling.

They took my name and said they would text me when my table was ready.  So I walked around town and stopped in at the library.  A very common thing for me to do.

I was still in the library when I got the text and went back to the restaurant where I wished I had asked for a table outside instead of “first available”

I ended up at a table right behind the host desk in the bar area.  But the cracker crusted trout was good.  I had it with collar greens and beets with goat cheese, yogurt and pumpkin seeds. I would definitely return and sit outside– assuming I had time.

Since there was a Kilwin’s ice cream in Blowing Rock, I meandered my way though town on my way there for dessert which I really didn’t need.

I have always had tremendous envy for painters.

How I would love for my hands to be able to recreate what my eyes can see.  Notice the harpist.  She was there playing today.

I’m finding it more and more lonely to be traveling and hiking alone all the time and especially when I try to take a decent selfie.  I don’t look like I”m enjoying this coconut crunch and Traverse City Cherry ice cream cone but I really am.

After that little bit of gluttony I continued my walk around town.  I listened to the busking harpist the artist had been painting.   The artist is there on the left.

 

There really were flowers everywhere, in the yards of every home, church, and business.

And for several blocks of the main street edging the park.  The hanging baskets you can see here were also all along both sides of Main Street on nearly every lamp post.   I wonder who takes care of all this beauty?   Landscape businesses must be booming.