Moonshine Creek to Mt. Pisgah

At long last I started my trek north via the Blue Ridge Parkway, my favorite route in the East. My first stop was just shy of the Parkway, at a Passport America campground to dump tanks, fill with fresh water, and do laundry. The name of the campground is Moonshine Creek.

It's worthy of a mention because as PA campgrounds go, this one is a cut above. Tucked away in the mountains, it has been beautifully landscaped with many sites along the fast-flowing creek. The bath house and laundry building seen in the background here, is immaculate with new, state of the art facilities.

There are many walkways that criss-cross the creek, and many places to sit...some where you can dangle your feet in the cold water.

There are waterfalls both natural, and man-made.

Rental cabins on the hillside above the creek are named in keeping with the moonshine theme. This one is Jack Daniel and the one next to it is Jim Beam.

One of the creek crossings via a small covered bridge. There were rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom throughout the campground.

Paths and seats along the creek, with tent sites.

More water features.

The natural creek flows beside this pool where water from the creek has been diverted.

Below the pool, water cascades down to rejoin the creek.

Tent sites on the left. RV sites on the right.

I caught up with the azaleas...

And the robins too!

The next morning I started up the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Rhododendrons and azaleas were blooming along the cliffs at left. Water was streaming down the rock face.

The water coming down the cliffs created conditions for hanging gardens of wildflowers to grow.

Forget-me-nots

Tunnel view

More flowers

We stopped for a break at the highest point on the Parkway, 6,053 feet in elevation.

Any easy drive to the first campground in the National Park. It was almost empty except for a few tenters in another loop.

Mt. Pisgah. There's a trail to the top, but I don't know if I will have time to do that one, as I have others planned.

Thistle and I started out on the Frying Pan Trail, which ends at a fire tower. I quickly remembered I haven't been hiking in the mountains lately, lol.

Thistle found some bear scat.

There were a few obstacles along the way.

View from the trail.

Trillium in bloom.

Do you see the tiny red bug inside this one?

I don't remember what these cone-shaped fungus-looking things are called. Seems like I remember reading or being told that bears like them.

A white-flowering tree. Butterflies and bees were about.

Some gnarly old trees.

Fiddleheads! I remember my mother liked to eat them.

It was a wildflower kind of day.

The fire tower was our intended destination, but we didn't make it that far.

It was a lot hotter than I planned on and I did not bring enough water. When Thistle kept sitting down in each shady place with his tongue hanging out, I knew it was time to turn back.

We'll be on the lookout for black bears while we're here. Planning a 3-day stay here, and more hiking.