Christmas is coming! Where are you getting your tree?

As the holidays approach, have you given any thought to where you are going to get your Christmas tree this year?? 

Nothing beats the smell and feel of a fresh cut tree. Start a new holiday tradition and come with your family to get your tree right here in Ashe County.

Did you know that Ashe County is the largest Christmas tree producing county in the United States? The County has approximately 12,000 acres of trees in production, which equals approximately 20 million Christmas trees!

Christmas tree farms provide over 700 local jobs year around and adds an additional 2,000 jobs during the tree harvest season. Christmas trees and greenery contributes more than $85 million annually to the Ashe County economy. 

Most of the trees that you see growing in the fields are Fraser firs, which are native to Ashe County. The average 8 foot tree is between 10 and 12 years old. 

There are 10 different Choose and Cut tree farms in Ashe County to choose from. Some of them open as early as November 15th, with the remainder opening around November 20th. This link will take you to the map of the different farms with their hours and information. 

Many of the farms offer refreshments and snack. Some even have live music and Santa! 

Come to Ashe County and start your holidays off with a fresh cut Christmas tree!

History of the Linn Cove Viaduct by the National Park Service

 

One of the most beautiful drives through the Fall colors is on the Linn Cove Viaduct. Circling around Grandfather Mountain, it is worth the drive to enjoy the views!

The below is courtesy of the National Park Service and covers the history of the viaduct. 

Viaducts are elevated roadway sections carrying the road high above dry ravines or across the shoulders of mountains where extensive and aesthetically unpleasing fill sections would otherwise be required. The earliest of these is the Rocky Mountain Viaduct, constructed in 1937, on the northern section of the parkway at milepost 35. This steel girder structure is supported by arched stone piers and stone-faced abutments, and is the only viaduct to feature this treatment. Most other parkway viaducts are steel girder structures supported by reinforced concrete or steel piers.

Text excerpted from "Highways in Harmony" publication produced by Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), in cooperation with the National Park Foundation

 

The Linn Cove Viaduct is 1,243 feet long and is made up of 153 segments weighing 50 tons each.

Kristina Plaas photo

As the last piece of the Parkway to be completed, the Linn Cove Viaduct was a peak of Parkway engineering and environmental protection. Completed in 1983 at a cost of almost $10 million, the Linn Cove Viaduct is 1,243 feet long and contains 153 segments weighing 50 tons each. The American Society of Civil Engineers designated it a National Civil Engineering Landmark (Highways in Harmony). Visit the Linn Cove Viaduct (Milepost 304) to experience this engineering feat in person.

 

Establishing the Route

The exact route location of this segment, commonly referred to as the "missing link,” created a lengthy and heated controversy between private individuals and the National Park Service. Finally, North Carolina Governor Dan K. Moore negotiated a compromise location. A key factor in this controversy was environmental concern over Grandfather Mountain. Engineers were faced with a serious question: How do you build a road at an elevation of 4,100 feet without damaging one of the world's oldest mountains?

National Park Service landscape architects and Federal Highway Administration engineers agreed the road should be elevated, or bridged, where possible to eliminate massive cuts and fills. Figg and Muller Engineers, Inc. developed the bridge design and construction method. The result: the most complicated concrete bridge ever built, snaking around boulder-strewn Linn Cove in a sweeping "S" curve.

 

Computer control kept Linn Cove Viaduct construction measurements accurate to 0.0001 feet.

Constructing with Care

In order to prevent environmental damage and to allow construction to continue during severe winter weather, builders pre-cast sections indoors a few miles from the site using a process known as "match casting." Each new segment was cast against the segment preceding it.

The viaduct itself was the only access road for construction. Each pre-cast section was lowered by a stiff-leg crane and epoxied into position against the preceding segment. Steel cables threaded through the segments secured the entire bridge deck.

The viaduct was constructed from the top down to minimize disturbance to the natural environment. This method eliminated the need for a "pioneer road" and heavy equipment on the ground. The only construction that occurred at ground level was the drilling of foundations for the seven permanent piers, on which the Viaduct rests. Exposed rock was covered to prevent staining from concrete, epoxy, or grout. Tinted with iron oxide, the concrete blends in with the existing rock outcroppings. The only trees cut were those directly beneath the superstructure.

 

Out of 153 total segments, only one - the southernmost - is straight. The rest create a sweeping “S” curve around Grandfather Mountain.

Timeline of Completion

Although the Blue Ridge Parkway’s construction began in 1935, construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct was delayed until 1979, when Congress finally approved funding. In the meantime, other portions of the "missing link," most of them north of the Viaduct, were completed bit-by-bit between 1968 and 1987. In addition to 12 bridges, the 7.5 mile section includes a dozen parking overlooks and the 13.5 mile Tanawha Trail, stretching from Beacon Heights to Julian Price Park.

A ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony on September 11, 1987, heralded the completion of the Parkway and the end, too, of a narrow and crooked 14-mile detour around Grandfather Mountain via the Tonahlossee Trail (U.S. 221). The final section is not only a triumph of engineering and sensitivity to the environment; it is a joy to drive, safe but thrilling. Hugging the contours and Grandfather Mountain, the road gently curves and rolls, presenting motorists with magnificent views as it sweeps toward the sky.

It's Fall Y'All!!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year :) From stoking up a campfire to enjoy the crackling flames to relaxing and enjoying the spectacular colors of our surrounding mountains, there is something for everyone with Fall in the High Country. 

Colors start to change at the higher elevations first, so plan your leaf viewing accordingly! Late September to the beginning of October will see color changes in elevations that are 5,000 feet above sea level and higher. 

Grandfather Mountain with its' Mile High Swinging Bridge, located in Linville has breathtaking views, some great hiking, and a wonderful nature museum. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway is always a great choice for breathtaking vistas and a scenic drive through the Fall colors. It offers a variety of hiking trails and picnic spots. 

Linville Falls located at milepost 316.3 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the perfect area for hiking, enjoying the scenic views and hiking to the stunning falls. The Falls have two different hiking trails. An easy trail leading to the upper Falls area and a more difficult trail leading to the larger lower Falls area. 

Kick off Fall in style with the Ashe County Museum of History - Autumn Leaf Festival - on Saturday, September 28th at the Museum. There will be historic demonstrations, children's activities, food, music, dancing and more! The Festival is free and open to everyone from 10 am to 2 pm. 

Whats on your Fall bucket list?

Fall is on it's way! The air is a bit cooler and the leaves are starting to change. I love this time of the year, just the promise of the glorious fall colors that are on their way and the fresh mountain air. 

What is on your wish list for Fall?? 

Apple pie is one of my favorite desserts, along with a cup of fresh hot apple cider, or even better - some locally grown / locally made "hard" cider!. Stop by Molly Chompers Cidery and taste some of their wonderful hard ciders. Available by the glass or by the bottler, taste some today! This time of the year, they are open Wednesday & Thursdays from 2 pm to 8 pm and Friday through Sunday from 1 pm to 9 pm. 

Take a relaxing drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway - the Fall colors should be at their peak in October, but the leaves change first on the highest peaks and conclude at the lower elevations. The Parkway varies in elevation from just under 650 at James River in Virginia to over 6,000 feet south of Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina. 

The Parkway offers spectacular mountain views, rolling pastures and some wonderful trails. Try the Jumping Off Rock Trail (milepost 260.3), Thompkins Knob Trail (milepost 272.5) and the Lump Trail (milepost 264.4).  Blue Ridge Parkway hiking trail info can be found here. 

 

Another of our favorite things to do this time of the year, is to just relax around a crackling  fire! Here at the Cabins at Healing Springs, we offer several cabins with fireplace and we also have outdoor fire pits, stocked with wood for your use, with comfy Adirondack chairs. Grab a beverage of your choice and the marshmallows and toast some s'mores! We look forward to seeing you!