Day 1: Blue Ridge Parkway/Great Smokey Mountains

Flying into Greenville/Spartanburg in South Carolina on a Saturday evening via Southwest was easy; the plane was only 2/3 full and we had a whole bank of seats to ourselves making for an easy game of Gin- Rummy.  We stayed in Greenville that night and headed north in the morning to North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This was to be our only good weather day of the trip.

We started on the Mount Pisgah trail.

Nothing special - three miles and 700 feet; a lovely trail.

It was somewhat quiet for a Sunday morning; but we did run into more people than we thought we would.  We did see the survey marker.

And the views were nice.  But if you ever do this trail - there is a very tall television antenna that is up there with you!

Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway was fun; it really was beautiful.  It would be fun to take it all the way from Shenandoah National Park.  We saw so many motorcycles...probably more than any road we had ever traveled before.  We had hoped to do the Graveyard Fields hike, but the trailhead was closed for new bathroom construction.  Oh well - we just kept going knowing there would be hiking in the Smokey Mountains.

Just a reminder as this states:  "For the Permanent Enjoyment of the People".  So, the next time the government decides to shut down...keep the parks open.

We stopped in the Oconaluftee Visitor center to talk to the ranger about the weather forecast for the upcoming day(s).  It didn't look good.  We had originally wanted to hike to Mt. LeConte the following morning, but decided instead today to hike to the Alum Cave (a popular hike on the way to Mt. LeConte) this afternoon scrapping Mt. Leconte all together.

Originally, we would have went the 10 miles to Mt. LeConte - but instead just stopped at the Alum Cave Bluffs since it was already mid-afternoon.

The trail was nice - easy to follow.  The beginning was along a stream.

The crossings were all easy.

Arch rock was an interesting part of the trail.

And the cave bluff was impressive.  Not sure why they called in Alum Cave - it was more just an overhanging rock.

We stopped at the Newfound Gap overlook and found the trailhead for the Appalachian Trail - something we talked about doing in the future.

It was a nice overlook - not too busy when we were there.

This is also the North Carolina/Tennessee state line.

We would stay the night in Cherokee, North Carolina this day.  On the way back to Cherokee - there were rangers out in the road directing traffic.  They were keeping people going for there was an elk on the side of the road.  Overall - a good day 1.