We were excited to learn that Chimney Rock Park recently reopened a portion of the Skyline Trail to a point fittingly called Exclamation Point, a little over a half mile from the Chimney. Exclamation Point is at an elevation of 2,480 feet and is the highest point in Chimney Rock Park, even higher than the Chimney. The trail is still closed to the top of the beautiful Hickory Nut Falls as work continues to improve the trail.
Have you ever read about a place with historical significance or a time long since passed and wished that you could go back and have a one-on-one conversation with the people who lived during that time? We always feel a stronger connection with the past when we find stories told by the very people whose lives are woven into the fabric of an area’s history — stories that have been thoughtfully and carefully preserved for present and future generations.
This being the International Year of Astronomy, we’ve been excited to see and/or read about all the special celestial events this year. The next event, the Perseids meteor shower, has its best viewing late tonight, as long as the sky is clear — will the clouds part in our area of western North Carolina between Black Mountain and Old Fort? We hope so.
As mentioned in previous blog posts, we have spent the past two years helping out small business owners in developing countries by participating in microloans to those business owners through Kiva. It’s a way for us — just regular, ordinary people who have a bed & breakfast in North Carolina — to help in the fight against global poverty.
