Grandfather Mountain........

   Today we visited Grandfather Mountain Park in North Carolina.  The top, L pic is of a tree we found as we hiked through some of the woods on the lower part of the mountain.  This treasure has a hole in the middle, from who knows why.....  rotted?  lightening strike?   Mary and I were able to get inside of the tree for a picture.  It was really something!   The woods was  a vivid, bright green....  stunning to gaze upon.

The top, rt pic is  of a rock formation called Split-rock;  640 million years ago it split, forming the 2 rocks.  The second rock, after millions of years of rain and ice eroding and cracking pieces away, forming the sphynix face. The boulder weighs an estimated 400 tons.  

The bot L pic is of the mile high bridge that spans between the highest part of the mountain  over to the other side of the peak which forms the grandfather face silhouette.   The bridge is a suspension bridge, held steady by tension wires and springs.  As you walked across, the bridge sways beneath your feet... each time you went to put a foot down you weren't sure if the part of the bridge you were aiming for was there or if another part would should up!   That was a fun walk.

The bot Rt pic is the Watauga River where the locals in Valle Crucis  go to swim, have picnics, spend family time, kayak, go tubing and floating....  
One of the locals told us the river was about 40 degrees and it wouldn't get any warmer through the summer... it was mountain water.  Children learn to swim here, trout are abundant (but there is a no keep prohibition)  Sundays are family time here.