Road Trip - Day 9 (Chimney Rock)



Our last day on this road trip started us back up and over the Eastern Continental Divide, and this picture of the GPS we were following shows a good image of what was making most of us in the car very sick.  Prior to leaving, we stopped at Hardees once again, and Ruby ran right to her seat in the window.  The Junkins are now fans of Hardees. 

 

Once we made it to the base of Chimney Rock state park, we had in front of us 399 stairs to the top of Chimney Rock.  It has an elevator to the top, which was part of the attraction, but unfortunately, it was not working.  So up up up we went.  We started with 4 bottles of water in the pack and that was NOT near enough.  We made it to the Rock at 2280' high.  Amazing view from this rock, and really a must if we are ever back in this area.  Magan and the girls went into the air conditioned store they have at the Chimney Rock level, while Sam, Davis and I trekked another 300 stairs to Exclamation Point.  The view was not as spectacular from being out on Chimney Rock, but had some neat areas showing how high above chimney rock we were. 

 

Going back down the rock we found a different route which was much more shaded, and even had a cool tunnel.  Belle and Ruby loved going thru the tunnel.  Back at the bottom there was another trail to some waterfalls, which will be good if we ever get back here...but it was 1:00 PM, and we still had 6 hours to drive back home.  I took a picture of the van...it made it too...we are very proud of the many miles it has taken us around the country. 

 

Back on the road, we had one last adventure finding that we lost Ruby's new snoopy dog and one of her blankies...frantically searching the van, we realized they had both been left behind.  Magan began digging the trail calling the hotel in Asheville to see if they had found it, then after I helped her with the name of our hotel...she called the right hotel that we stayed at, but they had not found it.  We pictured it on that window seat in Hardees, but they had not found it.  Then called the Chimney Rock store, and it was there, both of them.  So they were kind enough to send them back, and little Ru is sleeping with both tonight.