Saturday, October 29, 2011

Getaway--Part 5

Getting Home

I guess we knew that our idyllic getaway would have to end sometime--and it did. On our trip home. The plan was the same one as getting there--spend two days leisurely driving back. Well, we did spend two days, but I wouldn't exactly call it relaxed or leisurely. The first clue that our vacation was over should have been the morning we left when we saw clouds rolling in across the mountains. However, since we hadn't been listening to the news, we didn't know rain was coming. But it came and followed us for the whole day. Heavy rain, light rain, fog, big trucks, road spray, more heavy rain, mist, fog, stupid drivers. We saw it all.

We were happy to reach our hotel for the night. When we checked in, the staff was talking about a forecast for snow. But we weren't too worried since we were in the mountains, and we would be leaving them in the morning. However, what we didn't know was that the storm was covering half of the country and may be the biggest October snow storm since the Civil War. We started driving the next morning in a cold rain and it only got worse. Rain, sleet, snow, fog, trucks, road spray, more trucks, snow, white-out, sleet, stupid drivers. We saw it all.

But we made it home safe and sound. Had a wonderful time, wish you had been there.


The new clouds nestled in the mountains should have told us something.
 
And, when it was raining and 38, we should have known that something was up.



The snow was what was up.


But we made it home. Now we just have to unpack.

Getaway, Part 4

Water Falls and Winding Roads

Today, we took a hike in the Deep Creek area of Smoky Mountain National Park where we saw several waterfalls. Later in the afternoon, we drove the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway where it begins.

The road leading the the trails for the falls.


The Tom Branch Falls. The water flow on all of the falls was light.


Juney Whank Falls


Indian Creek Falls



Blue Ridge Parkway








View from Water Rock. We were out of the hardwood forests at this point and the clouds were rolling in.