Mount Mitchell

Day 2 of our Asheville trip, we ventured on to the Blue Ridge Parkway in search of Mt Mitchell. Despite losing satellite to our GPS several times, we finally found it!

Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the eastern United States. It was the highest point in any state of the United States until Texas joined the union in 1845.

This was at a visitor center on a peak on the way there, as we came out of the restrooms. I loved the grotto feel of it. The road is on the other side of the high wall.
And this is why it is called the BLUE Ridge Parkway. The mountains look so hazy in the distance.
We drove almost to the peak...it was only a short, steep hike to the overlook. Highest peak East of the Mississippi River! Elevation 6684 ft. The tomb behind us in the picture is the professor/explorer that originally discovered the peak. The mountain was named after Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, who determined its height in 1835 and fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857, having returned to verify his earlier measurements.
Our mountain goats LOVE this kind of hiking!
Overlooking it all...Savi and her Dad.
Sydney actually hiked a pretty good section this day. We ended up on a couple of different trails.
We had lunch in an open air cabin that looks like it was built at least 150 years ago. The wood logs were squared by an axe..you can see all the marks along it, incredible! Gorgeous spot, and perfect for picnicking! Lots of big, root-y trees along the way with clover, mushrooms and ferns. Moist cool climate up here. It was pretty nice that on a day it was 100 degrees in Charlotte, we were enjoying temps of 68-70. We loved breathing in all that nice mountain air!
Cool overhangs on the Nature Trail...there were trees up top growing out of this rock.
The top of the world, as we know it!