In The Smokey Mountains, NC

We have visited yesterday Boone in NC and on the way back to Asheville, NC we had some rain for minutes. Later, the sun came back and "smog" started to come up everywhere in the hills, like the hills are on fire. That was again a beautiful show of mother nature - that's where the hills of North Carolina get the name from : Smokey Mountains.

The Great Smoky Mountains
are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the Smokey Mountains, and the name is commonly shortened to the Smokies. The Great Smokies are best known as the home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which protects most of the range. The park was established in 1934, and with over 9 million visits per year, it is the most-visited national park in the United States.

The name "Smoky" comes from the natural fog that often hangs over the range and presents as large smoke plumes from a distance. This fog, which is most common in the morning and after rainfall, is the result of warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico cooling rapidly in the higher elevations of Southern Appalachia.

The Great Smokies are part of an International Biosphere Reserve. The range is home to an estimated 187,000 acres (760 km²) of old growth forest, constituting the largest such stand east of the Mississippi River. The cove hardwood forests in the range's lower elevations are among the most diverse ecosystems in North America, and the Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest that coats the range's upper elevations is the largest of its kind. The Great Smokies are also home to the densest black bear population in the Eastern United States and the most diverse salamander population outside of the tropics.

Pretty light on the side of the road

Hi my friends,

All your kind comments make always my day, thanks for that! :)

The rain came back yesterday evening and also in the night, and this morning it was raining too - too boring! We decided to stay here in the Asheville area for another day and to relax. Traveling is a hard job, you know that too.... right? ...LOL...

Tomorrow we will be heading West in NC... I heard there is somewhere a Casino and you can win there easy a lot of money...LOL... we will try it again :) I'll let you know if we won... LOL... :)

See you there!
Susanne

It feels like the time stand still in Saluda NC

We have visited Saluda in North Carolina, again. And we have also visited the more than 100 years old General Merchandise store in the main street of this small village - you cannot miss it!

Saluda

is a city in Henderson and Polk counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 575 at the 2000 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, the steepest standard gauge railroad line in the United States. The main street has been improved since 1995 with new restaurants and art galleries. Tourists and cyclists are common on summer and fall weekends. The town festival is named Coon Dog Day, after raccoon hunting dogs. Their fire department is the first department in Polk County that received heavy rescue achievement. They have around 10 trucks, and a good staff along with a supposedly excellent dive team. There are 8 certified members.

The Henderson County portion of Saluda is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The owner of the store is Mr. R. Pace who is working there every day. Go and have a small talk with him, he is an interesting and humorous, nice gentleman.

In the store you can find everything you need: socks, crochet-cotton, buttons....

There are also objects to see behind glass from 100 years ago when the store started out, like this items and a book keeping book

Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, the steepest standard gauge railroad line in the United States.

Even a real railroad cap is available to buy...

...or do you prefer a pretty colorful scarf?

...or maybe a t-shirt, that tells: Be proud of to be a customer here since more than 100 years..? :)

The store offers also P.O.Boxes and it works as a little gallery beside all the useful items to buy for your gardening work

This is the office desk of Mr. R. Pace, located also in the store

I wrote last year already a post about Saluda and about this store, see it here:
http://sues-daily-photos.blogspot.com/search?q=Saluda

Hi my friends,

thank you, thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and compliments to my last post!

Yesterday I had no Internet connections again... we were sitting on a campground somewhere in the woods and missed you all...LOL... I ask my self often: what the hick I did with all my time before I was blogging.... :)

Tomorrow I'll show you some pictures of the "Smokies"... I experienced the Smoky Mountains after a light summer rain., it was just beautiful!

See you tomorrow :)
Susanne

They are sunshine....

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
~ Luther Burbank ~

Hi my friends,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all your good wishes to my yesterdays Birthday, you're all so great! :)

We are on the way to the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, visiting Asheville and other pretty places up there. I love NC and its beautiful hills!

See you there!
Susanne