Keeping it real, keeping it cool, while remaining fairly wet in Watauga County | Eastern North Carolina Now

    The day after those dark, damp hours in Blowing Rock, was, once again, quite moist, regardless, we challenged the Gods of Inclement Weather, and consequently, we took a brisk walk along the hard packed trails through the Moses Cone Memorial Park. The Memorial Park, at just over 3,500 acres of mountain top land, is just a few miles west of Blowing Rock, bisected by the Blue Ridge Parkway.

    At the epicenter of the Memorial Park is Flat Top Manor, a 13,000 square foot frame mansion, elegantly appointed, with its voluminous foyer and staircase, which is forever bustling on its lower story that is one continuous expose` of galleries, craft shops and information kiosks.

The Flat Top Manor House is an impressive edifice irrespective of the inclement weather's darkening tones: Above. The Carriage House is just a few paces north of the Manor House, where the rest rooms are located, and are available to the public even when the Manor House is closed: Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage

   The walk was certainly a challenge due to the weather; however, the walk was remarkably simple due to the measured grade of the hard packed path, known as Flat Top Road, which leads to the Flat Top Tower and Moses Cone's grave site. It was a fine walk, with some very impressive views of high rolling fields strewn with livestock, and mountains off in the distance in the low, moving clouds.

We begin our afternoon trek by passing under the Blue Ridge Parkway, and then up the Flat Top Road, where the vistas were magnificent: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage
These two photos are basically the same shot that are of different angles and bracketed to reveal two separate moods of the symmetry of the rolling hills, with the eastern face of Grandfather Mountain off in the distance: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage
Along the Flat Top Road, amongst the deepening forest, the vistas are gone, but the color green is everywhere, and is a major part of the color scheme of this moss eaten fence: Above. This large shard of this sedimentary outcrop is most reminiscent of praying hands: Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage