The Appalachain Mountain chain is the world’s oldest and Grandfather Mountain is the tallest in the chain. We trekked around the mountain on a cloudy day. One of the draws, outside of the great views, is the Mile-high Swinging Bridge. While the bridge’s altidude is just about 5,280 feet, there is rocky ground just 30 feet below it. The park keeps a wildlife park inhabited by black bears, river otters, deer, and a bald eagle.
This visit was my first to Piney Flats. It’s in the NE corner of Tennessee, a rural area dotted by small towns and criss-crossed by winding country roads. It reminded me of the countryside of North Carolina I drove through between home and college. Mom gave me an excellent tour of her stomping grounds. We saw a 225 year old family home, Boone Lake, and more farm structures near collapse than I have ever encountered. My stay reminded me that Southerners will wait until gravity has the last laugh before declaring a structure unfit for use. Southerners also still understand courtesy, hospitality, and how to construct and locate grand homes. The images here were taken near my Mom and Step-fahter’s home at Boone Lake outside Piney Flats, TN.
