BALSAM GROVE, NC.  We arrived here July 24th after driving the motorhome towing a Jeep up many miles of narrow winding hairpin curves with low-hanging tree branches on Rt 215.  An experience to remember.  

Falls Along Rt 215

We are in a Verison dead zone, which are everywhere in this part of North Carolina, but the other carriers are far worse.  Our GPS took us past the park, across a small bridge, up a hill, and up to the park owner's house.  We had to unhitch the Jeep and maneuver it and the motorhome carefully around to go back down the hill and across the bridge to arrive at our site in the campground.  And, as it has for most of this trip, it has rained hard most of the time day and night.

View From Park Entrance

Our Campsite Beside Brook

The park is located on on a small brook, but no WIFI and no connectivity.  We can drive Rt 215 north to Waynesville, or to Rosman and Brevard to the south.  Both of those towns have some connectivity.   

Sunday morning we drove to Waynesville to attend church at the Hazelwood Presbyterian Church (PCA).  An old established church with a new pastor who arrived last April.  He preached a good sermon, but rather academic.  

Inside Hazelwood Presbyterian Church

We also visited Brevard, which has an excellent visitors center.  Waynesville has next to nothing for visitors, yet many Floridians seem to summer there.  In fact, one can see many Florida license tags all over western North Carolina. 

Hibiscus Tree in Downtown Brevard

The weather has been unseasonably rainy, then overly hot and humid when not raining.  Next week is supposed to bring relief from that.

We came here to visit the Blue Ridge Parkway, which we did in between rain storms.

The Blue Ridge

"Smokey" Mountains

Betty says the clouds look like glaciers.

Patch of "Smoke"

Framed "Smoke"

Sun Setting on Blue Ridge

Highest Point on Parkway

View of Rock Quarry from Parkway

Weeping Rocks Along Parkway

Wild Flowers

Betty Shoots Panorama Landscape