North Carolina 

early fall 2001

They don't call these the Smoky Mountains for nothing!

Our visit to North Carolina was all too brief. We went to visit our friends whom we had met in Arizona last season.  Robert and Ruth were so nice to us. They welcomed us with open arms and made us feel like part of the local community family. They arranged for a great place to park up in the mountains with them.

We nestled into a comfortable spot near their home high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the far western end of the state. We were boondocking on an active Christmas tree farm close to 4,000 feet in altitude. Even in late August and September the altitude was enough to keep the temperatures very comfortable all the time. We now understood how important an adequate number solar panels were for boondocking in the mountains. There was shade from the mountain to the east of us in the mornings and when the sun came out it may not last too long! Even with the extra panels we still had to recharge with the generator a couple of times. It still was so beautiful with rain or sun shine.

What a peaceful and glorious place to be! Many wild flowers were in bloom as well as berries. We had our fill of blue berry and buck berry pies!  

Every Sunday afternoon we would all gather at Walt and Cora Gene's place up on the mountain top and have a big feast and social.  

             The ladies were very much into playing cards.

The view from the mountain top there was stunning! And, there was the benefit of abundant wildlife that came right up to us to feed. This was still a farming area so there was the usual livestock to be found.   

The bounty of Robert and Ruth's home garden was the source of many fresh meals.  

The surrounding country side was ripe with falls harvest. Apples and wild berries were everywhere.