At milepost 422 we stopped at Devils Courthouse. This is a rugged, exposed mountaintop rich in Cherokee traditions. It's said that within a cave on the mountain the Devil holds court. In Cherokee lore, the cave is the private dancing chamber of the slant-eyed giant Judaculla.
The overlook sign tricked us with a promise of a 20 minute, 1/2 mile walk to the top of the mountain. Yeah. Maybe a Texas 1/2 mile! Both Donna and I had to take several breaks. Sasha was, of course, ready to run up the trail!
From the top of the Devils Courthouse, four states can be seen: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The parking lot in the lower right is the train starting point.
Along about milepost 432, we stopped for a photo at the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
We bailed off the parkway on US 74 and dropped off the mountain into Paynesville, NC, where we had lunch at the Church Street Depot. A four star hamburger restaurant, their menu is not extensive, but it is delicious! We also met a very nice lady, originally from New York, but now a North Carolina resident, who happens to have a Boston Terrier similar to Sasha! We were able to eat on the outside patio, where our server brought a bowl of water for Sasha and cookies for later!
On the way home, we took a side road through Clyde, Canton, and Enka Village before getting into Fletcher, NC, just before the thunderclouds covered the sky at sunset.
We had purchased a couple of two-day tickets to the Biltmore, but decided to share the second day with an elderly couple across the street who appeared to be running on a shoestring. They were very appreciative, and we felt good for doing a good deed. Besides, we wanted to go back to the Blue Ridge! Tomorrow we plan to visit the North Carolina "rainforest", so stay tuned!
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