Nature’s Air Conditioning

For the last 2 weeks we’ve had unusually warm temperatures here in the mountains.  This past Sunday it was 88 degrees in Waynesville, and 93 degrees in Asheville.  Those are record-breaking temperatures for our area.  On Sunday afternoon, Barbara and I put Dakota (our 75 pound Golden Doodle baby) into the car and hit the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We headed north of Asheville on the Parkway to Craggy Gardens.  The views were outstanding, with a few puffy clouds in the distance.  The temperature at Craggy Gardens was 72 degrees with a cool breeze blowing.  The Mountain Laurel and the Rhododendron were both in bloom, putting on quiet a show for all us tourists.  We even saw a motorcycle with a small side-car for a puppy.   The puppy was wearing a pair of red goggles and a small red motorcycle helmet. After leaving Craggy Gardens we drove a short distance north to the entrance of Mt. Mitchell State Park.   The views driving up the road to the parking lot at the top were absolutely gorgeous.  At the parking lot (photo above) there is a concession building, and a small museum telling about the area.  The thermometer at the museum read 64 degrees.  There are many trails in the park, including the trail to the observation tower at the summit.  The grave of Elisha Mitchell, for whom the mountain is named, is also at the summit.  His body was found at the base of a waterfall not far off the mountain.  He was heading back down to the Toe River Valley after one of his many trips to the mountain.  He had an on-going disagreement with Thomas Clingman over the bragging rights as to which mountain was taller- Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains,  or Black Dome in the Black Mountains (later renamed for Mitchell).  Elisha Mitchell died before knowing that he had won that argument.  Mt. Mitchell is actually 6683 ft. above sea level, while Clingmans Dome is only 6644 ft. above sea level.  Mt. Mitchell is the highest mountain in the United States east of the Mississippi River.

To my original point- yes, we have some hot days here in the mountains occasionally.  However, we have the option of getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or other roads, and going to higher elevations to enjoy nature’s air conditioning.  If you live in Florida, you don’t really have that option on a hot afternoon.  Let us know if you would like to join us.  We’ll keep the open sign on for you.