August Trailer Trip: Franklin, NC August 15 - 22, 2020

 We had a most enjoyable week at one of our favorite places:  Franklin, NC.  It is a beautiful area in the mountains between Asheville and the Smokies, only about a two and a half hour drive from here.  We have been there numerous times for anniversary weekends at B & B's, as well as tent camping before we got our trailer. Franklin is close to Highlands, another lovely mountain town.

The route between Franklin and Highlands goes through the Cullasaja River Gorge.  As you wind up the mountain on hairpin curves, the river plummets down the side of the gorge next to you.  There are numerous outstanding waterfalls.  One of the best is the oddly named "Dry Falls."  It is a lot of fun, because you can actually walk behind the falls.  Unfortunately, I only took videos there, and after numerous attempts and Google searches for help, I have been unable to download the videos to this blog.  So below is a link to some commercially taken pix. Be sure to scroll down to the end, where there is a fantastic video--much better than what I took.

Pictures of Dry Falls

All along the route, people were playing in the cascades and waterfalls.  Here some people had tied a rope so they could swing out, turn around, sit down, and slide down the falls.  It took some maneuvering to manage it.

We had two fun hikes.  The first was to Wayah Bald, where we hiked on the Appalachian Trail.  We have been there several times, and it is a great hike any time of the year.

View from observation tower

Another wonderful hike was the Chattooga Loop Trail from the Bull Pen Road Iron Bridge.  We were the only ones on the trail, once we got past the bridge, where there were some folks playing in the water.

Tillie II waiting for us in the empty parking lot at the end of the hike

We ate lunch next to the river.

Cascades seen from the bridge, with people playing in water

We also tried to get to Jones Bald, but after a long drive up a series of  mountain roads, we came to an impassable dirt road.  Later, we asked about it at the outfitters in Highlands, and they said that we were wise to turn around.  Even jeeps can't get up there now.

Both Franklin and Highlands are lovely little mountain tourist towns.  They had local ordinances that required masks both on the streets and in businesses, so we felt comfortable there.  Everyone was wearing masks.  We even had lunch at outdoor patios a couple of days, the first time we have eaten "at" a restaurant since March.

View from restaurant patio in Franklin

Franklin has lots of beautiful pocket parks all over downtown.
There was a statue of a Confederate soldier in one of them, though.

We stayed in a commercial campground next to the Cullasaja River, so we could have electricity for A/C during the day, if needed.  (The nights were in the 60's, so we slept with the windows open.) Most of the other trailers there were permanent large trailers and fifth wheels that snowbirds use in the summer.  Almost all of them were really nice, with permanent decks and docks next to the river. Our next door neighbor, however, was this weird old trailer with an arbor of trumpet vine.  It covered half the trailer, too.  Shelby loved it because a baby bunny lived under the vine.  Every once in a while it would emerge and eat grass next to our trailer.  Shelby would sit transfixed and watch it.

We thought it was unoccupied for a while,
but a normal-looking man and dog showed up for the weekend.

Shelby on alert for the bunny