The view shortly after sunrise, looking southeast towards the Great Smoky Mountains from the Chilhowee Foothills Parkway, near Maryville,
Tennessee.

On this weekend, I had decided to ride over to Maryville, TN, to visit with some friends that I hike and backpack with. While there, we decided to treat one of Paul's beehives that he keeps near the Parkway. It's a trip that I always enjoy, taking me through the mountains of Western North Carolina and across Hwy. 129, aka The Dragon.

Not a bad way to start the trip - this view of Looking Glass Rock from the Blue Ridge Parkway is a short ride from home. The weather was terrific - big fluffy clouds filled the sky, the temps were cool and a nice breeze kept the bugs at bay when I'd stop for photos.

Another look at Looking Glass Rock, near Brevard, NC.

Looking east from the same overlook, towards Mt. Pisgah and the Pink Beds valley below the Parkway.

One of my favorite points along the Blue Ridge Parkway is this high spot near the Devils Courthouse, just east of Hwy. 215.

The valley below is that of the East Fork of the Pigeon River, below Graveyard Fields. Greying skeletons of dead and dying hemlocks still stand on the hillsides, victims of the hemlock adelgid that moved into the region over the past decade. The adelgid, a tiny insect that destroys the ability of the trees to move food throughout the limbs. One of the most important trees of the eastern forest has nearly vanished from the ecosystem in a short period of time.

Not far outside of Sylva, I spotted a sign advertising a hot rod show at a small volunteer fire department. I circled back to see what was there - not too many cars, but the ones that were there were pretty impressive.

Details, details...

This was my idea of the perfect car when I was a kid. Hundreds of hours of work and a whole lot of talent are needed to put something this perfect together.