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With four more nights left in our weeklong stay at Lake Powhatan Recreation Area, we are definitely enjoying the area. Even though our campsite is in the middle of a forest, we tend to get enough sunlight during the day to keep all systems running and even replenish 10 to 15 percent of our battery capacity during the peak daylight hours. We do need to run the generator but not nearly as frequently or for as long as we did prior to upgrading our batteries back in 2023. Previously for this length of stay we would have needed to run the generator twice a day for 2.5 hours each time which would have worked out to 35 total hours. By the end of our week here, we will only need to run it 15 hours total which makes for a much more peaceful stay.
The other thing we are very pleased with is our T-Mobile cellular service. We had read reviews for this campground and just about all of them state there is no cell reception. We had even done some upfront preparation to deal with the lack of communications - downloading movies and shows so we have something to watch in the evenings. It turns out that our phones on Verizon have no coverage here. Occasionally I will see it pop into SOS mode but that’s about it. However, our T-Mobile card in our upgraded cellular router was getting some service. Albeit 5 Mbps isn’t as good as we typically see at most locations (200 to 600 Mbps), but it’s enough to check email and lookup information about activities in the area. We were even able to do some streaming as long as we could tolerate the periodic buffering. I’m pretty sure our old setup would not have been able to get us any signal.
While looking for other things to do in this part of North Carolina, we come upon the Graveyard Fields Trails. We were positive we had never hiked here before but when we realized there is a geocache along the trail that we found back in 2015 when we were staying at this same campground, we knew that we simply didn’t remember the hike. I guess the good thing about forgetting a hike, it means when we do it again, it will seem like a new trail to us. The trailhead is about 25 miles down the Blue Ridge Parkway and when we pulled into the parking lot, we were surprised how many of the nearly 40 parking spaces were already taken. We get ready for what is listed as a moderate 3.3 mile hike with just over 400 feet of elevation gain.
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| Overlooking Graveyard Fields |
The trail starts at both ends of the parking lot. Either direction will work but we pick the trailhead in the eastern end which will lead across a series of boardwalks and bridges to the lower falls. The first bridge over the creek has a serious skew to it but it seems to be structurally sound.
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| Bridge is Askew |
As we work our way down to the falls, the boardwalk is in even worse shape in spots. It was so bad that we were surprised that the trail was still open. It’s possible the park service had caution tape up but earlier visitors had removed it. It’s completely manageable but care is definitely required.
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| Boardwalk Damage |
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| Stairs Down to Falls |
We made it down to the falls and waited for a bit to have the crowds out of the way for a decent photo.
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| Lower Falls |
After coming back up the stairs and boardwalk, we continued on the trail that heads to the west towards the upper falls. It’s about 1.5 miles on a decent trail to the falls. There were lots of spring flowers in bloom along the path.
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| Nice Trail |
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| Cluster of Trillium |
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| Azure Bluets |
The flowers that seem to catch my eye the most were the trillium. We must be near their peak blooming period because there were hundreds of of them.
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| More Trillium |
The trail definitely wasn’t as crowded hiking out to the upper falls so it was nice to have them almost to ourselves. After enjoying the falls, we came back on the other side of the loop back to the parking lot. It was a very nice hike even if we’ve done it 11 years ago.
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| Upper Falls |
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| More Substantial Bridge Along Trail |
The parking lot was still crowded so we drive to a different overlook to eat the lunch we had brought along figuring we didn’t need to waste a parking spot of a popular trailhead. We decided that we still had a bit more hike in us and having driven 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, there were a multitude of trail options. We remembered seeing a fire tower along the drive and did a little research to find out about it. Fryingpan Mountain and its fire tower are about 9 miles back north from Graveyard Fields. It sounded like the tower is partially open and sounded like as good as any stop on the way back. It’s only 3/4 mile from the parking lot to the tower but it is all uphill - roughly 375 feet up for a 9% average grade. The trail is actually a wide gravel access road used for service vehicles. It was a bit of a climb but after one turn in the road, we could at least see our goal.
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| Approaching the Fire Tower |
This was another very popular place for visitors. Of course it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon by now so probably should have been expected. When we got to the base of the tower, it was clear you could climb at least 80% of the way up. As we waited for one family making their way back down after only going up one flight of stairs, that was all Chris needed to see to tell me I’m on my own. The lowest set of stairs actually did seem a bit wobbly but things seemed better the rest of the way up.
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| Fryingpan Mountain Fire Tower |
I was expecting the trap door to the upper platform and tower to be locked but was amazed to look up and see that the door wasn’t just unlocked but chained in the open position making it easy to get to the top.
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| Made It to Upper Platform |
Being on top of the mountain and atop a 70 foot tall tower does give some great view of the mountains along this part of the Blue Ridge.
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| Great View from Fire Tower |
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| Blue Ridge Parkway Below |
It took a little bit of doing to get Chris to notice I was up on top of the outer platform but she eventually saw me.
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| Chris Looks Up |
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| Nearby Communication Towers |
The inside of the tower was also open. Most of the glass windows were still intact but completely covered with spray paint. As the sun came through the painted windows, it almost had a stained glass feel to it.
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| Inside Fire Tower |
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| Stained Glass Feel |
By now a couple other people had made it to the top so I started my way down. It took some time since there isn’t a lot of room to allow others to pass along the stairs. There were a couple of girls on their way up and they looked like they were petrified. After waiting a couple of minutes and reassuring them the view was worth it, they finally got past my spot. The walk back to the car was fairly easy and other than stopping for one geocache on a trail as we drove back towards camp, we called it a day.
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| Down Through the Hatch |
Having stayed in the Asheville area, we’ve completed a lot of different hikes in the surrounding mountains. We noticed over a dozen geocaches hidden west of this campground so there was a good chance we’ve never hiked there before. Known as the Baldwin Trails or the Beaverdam Wildlife Restoration Area, we weren’t finding a lot of information about the area but it is reasonably close and many of the caches have been found within the past year so we figure it’s worth a shot. We made it to the trailhead parking area and there were several cars already parked. There are quite a few trail options here. We could either head to the northeast or southeast. It might be possible to do the both parts as a loop but it would have been a 10 mile walk. The trails to the southeast looked to be more traveled so we pick that direction.
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| At Baldwin Trailhead |
The trails were nice and we found the majority of the geocaches we searched for. There weren’t any particularly beautiful overlooks or other unusual sights. It was just a very pleasant 3.75 mile hike. The butterflies I saw along the trail were easy to spot. Chris, on the other hand, did an amazing job of seeing the small snake along the side of the trail. Not sure if it was a small copperhead or some completely harmless snake but we decided to leave it alone and not find out.
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| Butterflies |
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| Snake |
When we had taken the tour of the New Belgium Brewery a couple days ago, someone mentioned the other large brewery in town might be worth a visit. Sierra Nevada Brewery is based out of Chico California near the mountains for which they are named. But back in 2014, they opened another brewery just outside of Asheville in Mills River. I’ll admit that even though we have heard of Sierra Nevada beers, we had never tried any. That’s likely because their most popular beers are varieties of IPA’s which we don’t tend to like. And even though they do brew other styles of beers, the only ones we would typically see in stores as we travel the states are the popular ones. But even though we might not like their beers, we heard that the brewery and its grounds were amazing and well worth the visit if only to see the facility. It was clear as we drove up the half mile road beyond the entrance gate that this was not your typical brewery.
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| Beautiful Stonework on Drive to Sierra Nevada |
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| Main Visitor Center |
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| Taproom Next Door |
They have 3 different tour options. The 2 hour “Trail Pass Outdoor Tour” sounded like the one most up our alley but it’s only offered on weekends and we didn’t realize that earlier in our stay. They also have a 1 hour “Hoppy Hour Tour” but it doesn’t include any beer samples. We sign up for the 90 minute “Beyond the Pale Tour” which tours the brewery and samples 9 beers.
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| Beer Bottle Chandelier |
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| Display Case |
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| Nice Mural |
We arrived a bit early so we had time to walk around some of the halls at the main building. There are lots of displays with artwork and information about the brewery. Even if you didn’t get a tour, there is a lot to see in the public area including overlooking the main kettles where the brewing starts. We watched one worker come out and take a long pole with a mug on the end to sample the mash.
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| Overlooking Kettles |
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| From Other Side |
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| Worker Collects Mash Sample |
When it was time for the tour to start, the 10 of us were led into a small screening room to watch a video about the beginnings of Sierra Nevada Brewery. We also got our first sample to enjoy during the screening. After this was over, we headed into the production hallway where we got a chance to go into the hop room. This is the room where the different varieties of hops are sitting in large tubs - each with a different style of hop. We are all given a sample to break open and observe and smell. At one point we all needed to make room as a worker came in to get the proper amount of one of the types of hops for a beer that was in process.
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| Inside the Hop Room |
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| Hop Variety Saphir |
Next we head into the large room with all the kettles and vats. We are all provided a sample of “wort” which is the unfermented liquid before it becomes beer. Most of us take a sip and dispose of the extra since it isn’t all that tasty. As we continue down the hallway, there are large windows into each of the different areas. Our tour guide explains what happens in each room and how automated the beer making process is with the beer makers in control rooms opening and closing valves to move the beer from one point to the next.
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| Closer View of Kettles |
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| Plumber's Delight |
One of the latter stops passes by the packaging area. We had looked through here before the tour to see the stream of bottles and 12 packs whizzing by. Good thing we saw it earlier, because by the time our tour group arrived, there was no activity taking place.
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| Bottling Line in Action |
Our last stop was at the very nice bar area where we will get to sample the rest of the beers they promised us for the tour. They were generally decent but none of the sample provided were ones that really stood out to us.
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| Our Tour Group Sampling Beer |
After the tour, we decide to take a walk on some of the trails that have in the woods surrounding the brewery. This was quite unusual to have hiking trails available. We only get in 1.25 miles but it was pleasant and gave us just enough exercise to justify heading into the taproom to try some of their beers more to our liking. This place is huge and there are lots of people here for some beer or some food they offer from their restaurant. With over 20 different beers to choose from, we sample two before deciding each get a Bock, Stock and Barrel. I was surprised that Chris liked this although it does taste a lot like Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale which we both really like.
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| Overlooking the Taproom Bar |
After finishing our beers and people watching, we head out to the outdoor area behind the taproom. It’s absolutely gorgeous with chairs and tables scattered all over the patio and yard.
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| Brewery Grounds |
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| Patio Behind Taproom |
There is even a garden area where they grow some of the food used in the restaurant. The lower side of the terraced lawn has a large stage. They likely have different entertainment come in during the summer months. We left Sierra Nevada impressed with the facility they built here. If we could only find the beers we liked elsewhere but were told it is only sold in the taproom.
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| Greens Under Cover |
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| Stage Area |
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| Beer Vending Truck |
With just one more day before we head out from the Asheville area, we decide to do one of the more touristy things in the area. Given how many weeks we have stayed in this part of North Carolina, it’s a bit surprising that we haven’t given in to touring the Biltmore until now. From what we have heard, seeing everything on the grounds in one day is nearly impossible. It’s the largest privately owned home in the country - over 175,000 square feet big! Of course if you need a home with 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms, you’ll need a big number of square feet. While the house might be the highlight of the visit, it sits on 8000 acres of land with gardens, a winery, a farm and several separate guest hotels. We arrive at the entrance gates just as they open since we know it will be a long day if we hope to see most of the sights. You can also sign up for a house tour time. We pick a time just after lunch so we can see much of the gardens near the main house before having lunch and then tour inside. Having arrived early, we get into one of the closer parking lots so it isn’t too far of a walk to get to the first place where we can see the house.
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| Biltmore |
We start our walking around the less formal gardens - the Spring and Azalea Gardens. Even though these gardens are informal, they are meticulously maintained. We see lots of work crew out trimming shrubs and mowing the lawns. I cannot imagine the number of workers required to keep this place looking so nice.
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| Rhododendron |
There are such a wide variety of plants and so much is in bloom right now.
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| Dogwood |
This ends up taking us to the rose gardens and conservatory. We decide to head inside to see all the plants. There is over 7000 square feet of heated space with a wide variety of plants.
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| Rose Garden |
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| Conservatory |
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| Creative Artwork |
It’s sensory overload walking inside the conservatory. I found so many unusual and beautiful flowers that it took us a long time to make it into the various rooms or habitats.
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| Flamingo Flower |
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| Orchid |
It wasn’t just the blooms that were interesting but some of the leaves were very unusual. One of the ferns had dots on the one side of its fronds and it looked like an artist would have needed to meticulously place them to produce something so beautiful.
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| Unusual Fern |
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| So Colorful |
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| Unnatural Color |
Some of the flowers seemed to grow in unusual places on the plant - oftentimes emerging from what looks like a leaf.
We spent nearly 45 minutes exploring the conservatory and really enjoyed this place.
We come back outside to check out the rose garden. These gardens are the most formal on the grounds and there are so many different kinds of roses to look and smell. On top of one trellis was a mockingbird that was just sitting there singing up a storm.
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| Roses Galore |
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| Mockingbird Serenades Us |
One section of this garden was receiving a complete makeover. This bed had already been cleared of whatever was there before and the crew had drilled evenly spaced holes for a new set of plants. I’m guessing this type of work goes on nearly nonstop, at least in the warmer months.
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| Oval Window in New Trellis |
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| Garden Bed Gets a Makeover |
We did a little more exploring in the gardens before we picked a nice bench in the shade to eat the lunch we had brought along. There are restaurants and other food vendors but we kept our meal simple - PB&J on a homemade roll.
As our tour time for the actual house approached, we head over to the entrance. We had watched the line and sometimes there was a line of 50 people waiting while other times, like when we got there, there was no line and we received our digital tour guide. This thing worked well as the whole flow of the tour really impressed me. As you approached a location, there was a sign with a number on it. Punch the number into the device and the tour guide explains about the specific room you are in. You could pause the narration if needed and some stops have auxiliary programs that get into more detail. You can more or less control the pace that you tour the mansion.
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| Incredible Glass Ceiling |
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| Billiard Room |
The scale and details in each room were amazing. The main dining hall is huge. Just outside the room a flutist was playing to set the atmosphere.
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| Large Dining Hall |
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| Fireplace on One End |
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| Pipe Organ on Opposite End |
I was pleased that even though there were a lot of other people touring, it never felt too crowded. At times I needed to wait for some people to move before I could get the picture I wanted but not too often. I suppose having a house that is this big allows for many guests to be there at one time.
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| More Intimate Dining Room |
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| Library |
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| Quite the Collection of Books |
The main bedrooms for George and Edith Vanderbilt were separate but that was pretty much the norm back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. There was a huge common room that was between the two master bedrooms.
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| His Bedroom |
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| Other Part of His Bedroom |
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| Intermediate Room |
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| Her Bedroom |
The couple had one daughter born in 1900. I cannot fathom what Cornelia’s life would have been like living in such opulence. One story mentioned on the audio program is that historians have no real knowledge of which room was hers. If I was a kid living in a place like this, I could almost imagine sleeping in a different bedroom each night.
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| One of Many Guest Rooms |
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| Painting of Cornelia |
One of the rooms in the basement was painted with very colorful murals. Apparently Cornelia and friends painted the room for some large party being hosted at the house.
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| One of Many Murals in Basement |
This section of the house also had the bowling lanes, swimming pool and exercise rooms. The staff was responsible for setting the pins after each attempt since automatic pin setters hadn’t been invented yet.
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| Bowling Lanes |
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| Swimming Pool |
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| Exercise Room |
The lower level is also where all the servants worked and lived. Even the servants quarters were fairly spacious. The kitchen was big but given the size of the dinner parties they frequently had, it would make sense to have a large kitchen.
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| A Servant's Quarters |
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| Kitchen |
There was an enormous laundry room. The racks that held bed linens to dry were big. But with all the guests that stayed at the house, this room might have been busier than the kitchen. When we finally made it to the end of the tour, we had been in the house just over 2 hours - quite the amazing home.
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| Laundry Room |
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| Drying Racks |
I still find it amazing how tired the body gets from walking around the gardens or inside the house at a slow pace. We hike a lot and are used to a challenging 7 mile hike with lots of elevation gain, but what we did these past few hours seems equally bad. Or at least that’s what I told myself to allow us to stop at the ice cream shop for a treat. It was already 3 PM and we still needed to head over to check out another part of the estate called Antler Hill Village and Winery. It’s a 5 mile drive from the estate to the village but it is a beautiful drive.
Our admission includes a free wine tasting at the winery so we head there first. It’s a very neat walk through some old stone lined tunnels from outside to the winery. When we finally make it there, we see the line for the tasting. We get at the end of the line but after a few minutes with no movement, we decide that waiting this long for wine wasn’t worth our time.
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| Winery Entrance |
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| Down the Long Hallway |
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| Side Room With Lots of Wine |
We head over to explore Antler Hill Village. There are a few little shops but not much action going on except for a couple of women that were spinning yarn. Some of the buildings here are in need of some TLC but there was caution tape around the areas of concern.
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| Section of Antler Hill |
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| Large Loom |
From here we head to the farmyard. Of course Chris was drawn to the goats but there were chickens, pigs and cows. It was now 5 PM and we were tired. There were likely other things to see but we had both had enough culture for the day.
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| Newborn Goats |
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| Chickens Feeding |
Back at camp, we need to pack up after our weeklong stay. Lake Powhatan Recreation Area has a wonderful campground and fairly decent shower and restroom facilities so even though we had no utilities at our site, we managed just fine. Next we head into Tennessee with a few planned stops - Oak Ridge being the first.
