Beyond Raleigh…a beautiful mountain oasis!

I was just vacationing not too far a drive from Raleigh. Have you ever been to Chimney Rock Park? If not you have to go! It’s absolutely breathtaking and one of the best kept hidden secrets in North Carolina…I always thought of myself as an ocean person more than a mountain person. I think it’s just what you grow up with. Not that you have to be one or the other, but I have found my opinion has totally changed after visiting Chimney Rock. And it doesn’t hurt that not only are the mountain views beyond amazing, but there’s also a huge gorgeous lake (Lake Lure) that surrounds the mountain town.

This should be one of the wonders of the world…that’s how gorgeous I think it is.

Even Apollo did the 2,280 foot hike with us to Chimney Rock which is a flat rock that juts out of the mountain. It’s marked with a big American Flag. Apollo liked climbing up and down the steps. And there sure are a lot of ‘em. There’s only one step he couldn’t make because it was too steep but he had no problems and could’ve left us in the dust with his energy.

Apollo the mountain dog!

We met a couple from the England countryside. They were on an US east coast tour and as you’d imagine, places like Washington D.C. were on the tour, but you wouldn’t expect the mountains of North Carolina to be a highlight but it was! That’s saying something.

Anyway, we climbed all the way to the top as far as we could go on foot. The Opera Box is as high as you can go now because Exclamation Point was closed off (2,480 feet).

Hickory Nut Falls

One of the highlights of the trip is going to Hickory Nut Falls which is a 404 foot waterfall…that’s steeper than Niagara Falls! There are scenes from the movie, the “Last of the Mohicans” that were shot behind the waterfall. That’s not part of the trail but interesting to know.

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