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.

Callaway Gardens

The entrance to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Conceived and founded by Cason and Virginia Callaway, this 2,500-acre garden opened to the public in 1952 as a retreat where "man and nature could abide together for the good of both."

Designed for year-round beauty, the azaleas take center stage in early Spring, but were past their peak when RVing friend, Brenda and I arrived.

But one can't be disappointed because the Mountain Laurel were blooming in full splendor.

The Callaways made their fortune in the textile industry. When Cason Callaway retired as CEO, he and his wife turned their attention on creating these gardens. This area is known as the "Azalea Bowl," and was funded by one of the Callaway brothers.

Although the azaleas blossoms are gone by, mountain laurel and irises line the pond.

Brenda on the bridge over the azalea bowl.

More Mountain Laurel

We'll see a lot more butterflies later in the Butterfly Garden.

Cason had a chapel built in honor of his mother, Ida Cason Callaway. You can tell where he got his name.

Behind the chapel is a small waterfall and creek. The location was chosen so that the creek could be dammed below creating a small lake in front of the chapel.

The little chapel in the woods is used for many weddings.

This stained glass window represents Georgia pines, and all varieties of native GA pines are represented in the glass panes.

The side windows represent the four seasons.

And the other large window represents oak trees.

Lower Falls Creek Lake

A Great Blue Heron stands guard.

Cason Callaway died a year before the chapel was completed. It was dedicated in 1962 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

Native plumleaf azaleas.

Bridge across the Azalea Bowl.

This little wildflower is called "Fringed Pink."

The Camelias were gone by too, but I found this one bloom.

We had lunch at the cafe here.

Visitors were feeding turtles below the bridge.

Well-fed turtles.

Lunch made us late for the raptor show. We got there just in time for the clean-up crew...a Black Vulture.

He may not be very pretty, but he has an important job to do.

Along the scenic drive we found some azaleas still in full bloom.

Pretty Azaleas

A family of geese in one of the many ponds.

Our last stop was the Butterfly Garden. Doesn't Brenda make a pretty butterfly?

Entrance to the Butterfly Center.

Before we enter the butterfly enclosure, there is an active display of chrysalis. Each one is labeled above.

This huge Atlas Moth just emerged from its chrysalis. It has a wingspan of 10-12 inches.

The butterfly enclosure is very warm and humid, just as the butterflies like it. We, not so much.

Tropical gardens...

Sometimes the butterflies hide under a leaf.

Feature Plant, a genus of Bromeliad.

Notice the lovely blue topside, and the camouflage underside of the wings.

Brenda with a butterfly on her head.

You didn't expect me to remember all the names, did you?

It's a jungle in there.

Butterflies doing what they do...

There are multi-levels in the butterfly enclosure.

More wildflowers in the fields as we were leaving.

Looking down on Callaway Gardens from a Pine Mountain overlook.