Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Hi everyone, this adventure is from the beautiful town of Lenoir, North Carolina. We were in a beautiful park beside a little creek. During our time there we had a thunderstorm and the creek filled up really quickly. Glad that the rain did stop after a while. We enjoyed a nice fire in the evenings when it wasn’t raining.

The area is blanketed in green which is some kind of vine that covers trees, etc. It can be very beautiful as shown by the pictures. However, I did some research because it looked like a parasite. I discovered that it is called kudzu and was brought here from Asia ostensibly to stop soil erosion. However, it is an invasive plant and grows very fast and is hard to kill. It grows toward the sun and so grows up on trees, telephone poles, and anything around it. It has been known to break branches and even bring down trees. It reminds me of certain addictions, such as drugs and alcohol. They might seem enjoyable or something that helps you for a time, but they soon prove to be dangerous and hard to overcome. Sin may look pretty but it can destroy your life. Thank God that he loves us and had provided a way to overcome these temptations. Anyone who reads this and needs help can leave me a message on Facebook Messenger or my blog and I can put them in touch with someone who can help them. God loves you and wants to help you.

While in Lenoir we heard about a local attraction called Blowing Rock. So we headed up there on the bike, paid our entrance fee, and then walked in the gate. About that time the fog (clouds) rolled in and we couldn’t see anything. Then it started raining. So we went inside the visitor center to stay dry. I got to talking to one of the ladies inside and she asked me how my day was going. Being in a bad mood due to the clouds keeping me from seeing the view, I told her that I was frustrated that we had paid for something that we would not be able to enjoy. She was so nice and gave me a free pass to come back the next day. So kudos for the staff at Blowing Rock, North Carolina, for excellent customer service. Here are some of the pictures that we managed to get before the rain started.

The next day we did return and spent a very enjoyable afternoon viewing the “Rock” and the stupendous views. There is a legend told here about a young Indian maiden and the love of a young Indian brave. When he was going to leave to help his tribe she pleaded with him to stay. Torn by the conflict in her heart the young brave leaped from the rock to the valley below. The young maiden, grief-stricken, prayed to the Great Spirit to return him to her. Then one day there was a gust of wind that blew her young brave back into her arms. From that day a perpetual wind had blown up on “The Rock” from the valley below. The truth is that the rocky walls of the gorge form a flume through which the northwest wind sweeps with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void. It is the only place where the snow falls upside down.

At the “Blowing Rock” they have a very beautiful park setting with a waterfall, Koi pond with large turtles, and an observation deck out over the valley below. We enjoyed the fantastic park and the views of the valley. Hope you enjoy the spectacular display of fall colors as well.