Stone Mountain NC

 Among Carolina's many wonders are a multitude of water bodies. Some horizontal in the form of lakes, one we are lucky to live by and some vertical in nature.

The latter was what was on this Thanksgiving day agenda.  We drove north some 100 miles to witness a 200 foot long cascade flowing down a million year old granite face.

Not huge in terms of gross tonnage it makes up for in its sheer tranquil surrounds and a gurgling that can lull you to sleep.  It is a steep hike down the hill made easy by our state funding the wooden stairs to take customers down gradually and safely.

Stone Mountain State Park is on the south fringe of the Blue Ridge Mountains that run up the spine of Virginia State.  Our visit was on a day when roads are largely empty and so are the parks.  There were some families making most of the wonderful fall day but it was largely quiet and picture perfect.

cascade at Stone Mountain

We then traveled south to see a former mill town called Wilkesboro with a charming historic center and then continued west to Blowing Rock to a resort in the hills.

Courthouse at Wilkesboro, NC

Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock, NC