Those Views

“We don’t live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means, and that is what life is for”. – George Mallory

Whenever I go to the mountains, I am always in awe of the views I see. I have been to the North Carolina mountains dozens of times in my life. Every single time I am amazed at the views. If you visit the mountains, and you are not impressed by what you see then I have concerns. I love visiting the mountains. The awesome part about living in Charlotte is that I am only a few hours away. We try to visit at least once a year. My favorite time to visit is fall, but that can be tricky because I am a teacher, and fall is my busiest time of the year.

I visit the mountains for more than just the views. There are so many awesome places that we have visited over the years. Here are just a few.

• Most recently we visited Bryson City, North Carolina. It’s a small mountain town filled with shops, antique stores, and great places to get dessert. Bryson City is also known for the Great Smoky Mountain Express. It’s a train that goes through the mountains. We have not done it before, but I have heard it is awesome.
• Grandfather Mountain is a one stop place for a museum, zoo, and a great view of the mountains. It’s pricy to visit, but worth it at least once. They even filmed part of one my favorite movies there.
• Asheville, North Carolina has great food, fun, and everything else you can think of. My favorite spot to visit is Double D’s Coffee. It’s a coffee shop housed in a double decker bus. The location is pretty cool, but the coffee is even better.
• Curtis Creek is one of my favorites off the path places to visit. It is located in Old Fort, North Carolina. The road runs right by the creek. You can see some of the best views from your car. The road leads up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it isn’t too far from Mt. Mitchell.

I took these photos in Bryson City last time we visited. I decided to walk around the area where my campground was with my camera in order to see what opportunities for photos I can find. The views in this area never disappoint. I took these right on the side of the road.

What great spots have you visited in the mountains before? Share about them in the comments below.