Climb The Mountains

John Muir born in 1838, was a Scottish-American naturalist who was instrumental in preserving Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park here in America.  He also founded The Sierra Club and was involved in many other preservation accomplishments.

Each Summer our family travels up to Robbinsville,  North Carolina for a visit to the mountains.  On a wall in our cabin is a framed mountain photo with one of John Muir's quotes that we especially enjoy:

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn."

And, yes as the quote from John Muir states, we do love to go to the mountains.  It is so peaceful to sit in a rocking chair with a good book or visit with family or friends, and enjoy the fresh cool breezes coming across the mountains.

The view from the front porch each day is always different.

Our local Robbinsville friends tell us the mountains seen way off in the distance, on the left,  in the above photo is the south-west part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  They tell us that on a clear day you can see Clingman's Dome with the help of binoculars.

From this photo it is hard to believe you are looking at the same view as above.

Our cabin is often in the clouds as seen in the below photo.

The day-lilies bloom in the mountains in July.

Everything is so lush and green during the Summertime.  In the below photos you will see the driving path going down the mountain.  This also makes a fun walking trail all the way down the mountain with a total of 18 curves in the road.

At the end of the mountain road we must drive or walk through the creek
which crosses the road leading out to the paved roadway.

Little Buffalo Creek

 All along the way at different times of year we see unusual wildflowers as in the below photo.

Bees and Hummingbirds love this wildflower.

Bee Balm or Oswego Tea

The blackberries growing all over the mountain were not quite ripe while we were there.  They ripen in late July and early August there in North Carolina ... Too bad we missed picking them this year.

Blackberries

Many Rhododendron were blooming all along the mountain path.

Driving away from the mountain we reach the paved road.  

It was a beautiful drive all along the way with all the lush Summer greenery.

Driving on toward town we always pass this cute little mountain church.  

There are usually words of inspiration on their church sign out front.

The pasture below looked like it had just recently been cut.

Shortly after driving by the above pasture we spotted these neatly stacked hay bales and I wondered if they had come from the above pasture.  They look like a work of art stacked in this triangle.

Someone had been working really hard to cut all of this hay and stack it in the barn.  I am sure the cows and horses in the Robbinsville area will be thankful for all this delicious hay.

The mountains are always cool, quiet and peaceful.  I always bring my camera along when we sight-see around in the mountains in hopes of trying to capture some of the amazing beauty with my camera.

Thank you for traveling with us along the back-roads in the Robbinsville area.  I hope that you too are enjoying this beautiful Summertime wherever you may be.