Spectacular late-June Catawba rhododendron blooms attract park visitors to 6,285-foot Roan Mountain on the North Carolina - Tennessee state line. We beheld one of the world's largest natural rhododendron gardens, also a North Carolina haven for rare plants, and spotted a hummingbird hovering at the overlook platform entrance.
After the native Rhododendron Gardens ($3 fee per car) we rendezvoused with Alan and climbed Round Bald. Near the panoramic peak at 5,826 feet an approaching thunderstorm flattened the foot-high grasses stretching ten miles over the treeless "balds" (save for a fir tree copse), the longest anywhere in the world. Yes, indeed, nearby lightning bolts chased us back down the trail while drenching rain drove us into our waiting vehicles.
We followed Alan to his parents' cabin near Glen Ayre and met his uncle Richard. We visited awhile and hiked up the mountainside for swift waterfall views, then drove in a torrential downpour back to the Amphitheater at Tennessee's Roan Mountain State Park to watch their 10 p.m. Independence Day fireworks, special enough to stop the rain showers. Famous flora inspired us Charlotte folks to come join this June 30th weekend fun.
The next morning Joe and I headed back toward Charlotte. We found just the right church at just the right time. Turkey Cove Baptist Church, built the year Joe was born (1949), welcomed us to worship, then invited us to their potluck dinner, a feast covering many, many tables with some of the world's best cooking. Wonderful folks!
We doubled back to Little Switzerland to visit the museum and mine at Emerald Village. We found Frankie Miller at Discovery Mill, who will facet a blue topaz gemstone I found there into a silver ring.
Links:
http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/roanmtn
http://ncnatural.com/NCUSFS/Pisgah/toecane.html
http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/roanmtn/rnmtn.htm