Chimney Rock

After a morning swim and continental breakfast we drove to Chimney Rock State Park, about 25 miles from Asheville. Once we got up into the hills the road was very twisty, and we were stuck behind a slow bus almost the whole way. That made Eli grouchy, but the scenery was so amazing he was hard pressed to keep his bad attitude.

The centerpiece of the park, which has been open for more than 100 years, is the iconic granite outcrop that rises up into the sky. From the top (which can be reached by staircase, or by an elevator shaft blasted into the mountain more than 50 years ago) one can see for more than 75 miles on a clear day. We rode the elevator to the top, and then had a grand old scramble getting back down on the network of staircases that crisscross the mountain.