Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina 2010

The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers

at Grandfather Mountain
and The Mile High Swinging Bridge
May 6, 2010

Former North Carolina Tourism Director Charles J. Parker coined the name " Mile High Swinging Bridge" at the Bridge's dedication in 1952.

- The term "mile high" refers to the structure's elevation above sea level
- The term "swinging" refers to the fact that suspension bridges are free to sway.

Plus photos of Split Rock and the Sphinx Rock

Grandfather Mountain is a mountain and state park near Linville, North Carolina. It is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the south side of the mountain.

Grandfather Mountain was created about 730 million years ago when two of the earth's plates slammed together, thrusting great sections of the continent into the sky. A 1962 US Geological Survey reported, however, that some of the rock formations on Grandfather are even older than the mountain itself, dating back 1.1 billion years. The original Cherokee name for the mountain was "Tanawha," meaning "a fabulous hawk or eagle." It was named "Grandfather" by pioneers who recognized the face of an old man in one of the cliffs. Many vantage points reveal different faces, so there is no one official profile of the mountain, but the most popular can be seen from the community of Foscoe, seven miles north of Linville and 10 miles south of Boone on NC 105. Grandfather Mountain's Elevation is 5,946 feet above sea level.
Access to The Swinging Bridge requires climbing 50 stairs to reach the level of the Swinging Bridge. Those who choose not to climb the stairs can enjoy similar vistas from the parking area. The 228-foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation and claims to be America's highest suspension footbridge.

The two RV Gypsies paused for a photo opportunity before beginning their journey to the other side, which is considered the highlight of a trip to Grandfather Mountain. Actually, the bridge is now anchored by cables and does not swing due to the excessively high winds. Karen Duquette had to remove her hat due to the strength of the wind. The wind could be heard howling throughout the area.


Below: A sign in the middle of the bridge

The bridge was fabricated in Greensboro, then reassembled on top of the Mountain. Erecting the bridge took 3 weeks, a process slowed by inclement weather created by a hurricane off the North Carolina coast. Cost -$15,000 Rebuilt in 1999 using the original towers. The cables, floor boards and side rails were all replaced using galvanized steel. One of the main advantages of the modern building materials is that they do not have to be painted. Now Grandfather Mountain employees will not have to hang out over the gorge to paint the span. Cost of rebuilding - $300,000. The breath-taking views of the great peaks of the southern Appalachians from Grandfather Mountain's Linville Peak. From the heights of Grandfather Mountain, the skyline of five surrounding counties can be seen.


Below: A bit of the curvy road can be seen in the below photos


Below: The two RV Gypsies climbed higher up Grandfather Mountain. They paused at the top of this area for photos.

Below: A view of the next higher level that the two RV Gypsies climbed next. Two other people were already up there but can barely be seen in the photo. They appear as just tiny black specks.

Below: As stated earlier, it is extremely windy on Grandfather Mountain, as can be seen by the way Karen Duquette's hair is blowing.


Below; Lee Duquette photographed a plaque embedded in the mountain where he was standing.

Below: Lee Duquette enjoyed the view while Karen Duquette took photos.


Below; Karen Duquette looks like she has straw sticking out the top of her head, and Lee Duquette has a wild man hairdo - thanks to the strong winds.


Below: Looking back at the bridge and parking lot from higher up on Grandfather Mountain

A couple of school busses full of kids arrived and crossed the bridge. The two RV Gypsies just sat and enjoyed the scenery until they left. The kids never went further then the bridge area.

Below: A great view of the bridge and the highest part of the mountain

Below: The two RV Gypsies ate their lunch in the picnic area on Grandfather Mountain, just down the road from the bridge. It was still quite windy - check out Lee Duquette's hairdo.



Below: The toad of the two RV Gypsies at the picnic area on Grandfather Mountain


Below is a closer view of the scenery that is behind the truck in the above photo


Below: A small part of the curvy road that leads up Grandfather Mountain. Several turns were difficult to make in a long vehicle. The road shown in the photo on the left actually connects to the road shown in the photo on the right.

Below: More of the same curvy road - in the far distance

Below: Towards the bottom of Grandfather Mountain - two famous rocks

Below: Karen Duquette stood by The Split Rock - WOW - that's a big rock - So amazing how it split into two pieces.



Below: The Sphinx Rock photographed from the back side of it

IF YOU CAME HERE FROM THE 2019 TRIP TO GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN (or if you just want to see more of Grandfather Mountain), GO THERE NOW. A link at the bottom of that page will return you back to here, so you can continue on with the 2010 journeys via the links below.

The two RV Gypsies in North Carolina - May 4-6 2010 - You may visit any of these 6 web pages in any order you wish. The page you are on is grayed out and cannot be chosen from here.
Boone, North Carolina	Hawksnest Zipline
The City of Blowing Rock	Blowing Rock Mountain
Grandfather Mountain (this page)	Linville Falls

After you have viewed all 6 sites above, please continue on for more of the two RV Gypsies' adventures in North Carolina - a Segway tour, and lots of waterfalls.

OR Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below





OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)

IF YOU CAME HERE FROM THE 2019 TRIP TO GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN (or if you just want to see more of Grandfather Mountain), GO THERE NOW. A link at the bottom of that page will return you back to here, so you can continue on with the 2010 journeys via the links below.

After you have viewed all 6 sites above, please continue on for more of the two RV Gypsies' adventures in North Carolina - a Segway tour, and lots of waterfalls.

OR

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice via the alphabetical or category buttons below

OR Click here to see travels by the year (not the best way)

Continue Navigation in the order of your choice
via the alphabetical or category buttons below