BOONE, NC.  I am seated in the Appalachian Regional Library in Boone.  The battery in my computer died, so I need a place with WIFI AND a place to plug in the AC adapter for the computer. 

Betty is back at the KOA doing laundry in their coin laundry since our wunderkind RV washer died early in our stay here.  There is nowhere to service it around here, so we shall have it fixed after we return to St Augustine.  Meanwhile, we must feed the ravenous quarter-eating monster.

On Tuesday the 7th, we drove to Blowing Rock to visit and have lunch with the Rohrbaughs and Mary Ann Hayes from our home church in St Augustine.  After lunch and some sightseeing in town, Betty and I drove to the feature after which the town is named, the Blowing Rock, about which someone made up a "legend" about an Indian princess and her lost love, etc.  I wonder how many such legends exist from as far back as Pocahontas. Below is the rock in question.

Rohrbaughs, Betty, and Mary Ann

The Blowing Rock

 There are other such rocks there, like the one below.  There were few to none in the way of attendants to explain what the significance of these are, and the heat and humidity were so great that all we wanted to do was stay in the snack bar and drink cold bottled water at over $2 each.  We came here to escape the heat and humidity of Florida only to find this.  In a few days, after a few storms, the temperatures should lower.

Another Rock Formation

The view from the overlook (see below) was nice except for the haze in the distance.  

View from the Overlook

At some point influential folk built substantial homes on adjoining ridges. Below is one example.

Private Home on Adjacent Ridge

Below is the Observation Deck, which extends the viewer a bit farther in the direction of the valley below.

Observation Deck

We decided to send our "retired" associate pastor and his wife, who were vacationing in (much cooler) Maine, a selfie of us at the Observation Deck (see below).

A Rare Effort at a Selfie

Betty later took the following not-so-flattering shot of me examining the area.  

Looks Like I am Doing Back Stretches

Betty took the following of me trying to recover from the heat in the air conditioned area beside the snack bar.

After a Couple Cold Bottles of Water

If the weather had not been so awfully hot and humid we might have hiked some trails and had a much better overall experience there.  As it was, it seemed only like one more tourist trap.