Blue Ridge Parkway: Mount Mitchell

We drove to the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak East of the Mississippi River. The landscape changed drastically and it suddenly felt and looked like winter. It was pretty cold and windy at the top and we felt like we were up in the clouds. Luckily we found some hot chocolate to warm us up. All of the Fraser firs made it smell like Christmas!

Possibly the best family photo a stranger has ever taken. Everyone looking AND smiling.

Blue Ridge Parkway: Scenic Views

We continued driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping at many of the scenic overlooks. Every view was stunning. We stopped at a trail head for a hike to a different waterfall, but it was longer than we thought so we continued on to Mount Mitchell.

Blue Ridge Parkway: Linville Falls

We were excited to check out the fall colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ben had been out of town for work for a few weeks so it was nice to go on a little family excursion. We left Friday evening and spent the night about an hour from Asheville (one benefit of Ben's travels...free hotel stays). We got an early start and headed straight for the Blue Ridge Parkway. The drive was gorgeous and the views were spectacular. We hiked to Linville Falls, a three-tiered waterfall, and got to the trails early enough to avoid crowds. The kids had a great time hiking and loved checking out the different lookout points for the waterfall. It was definitely much chillier up in the mountains and I was glad we had come prepared with hats and coats.