Blue Ridge Country May/June 2023 - 71

girls school where my maternal greatgreat-grandmother
played the violin.
But as I roamed the campus, I felt a
nagging tug of nostalgia. Though the
place was beautiful, what with its brickpaved
paths and towering oaks, the rhododendrons
were few and far between.
And without their dark, mystical presence,
I felt unmoored. Lost. Breathless. The
world was too sunny and sprawling. Heart
thumping loud in my ears, I returned to
the mountains as soon as I could and, for
the first time in a long time, spent an afternoon
watching shadows dance in the
neighborhood thicket. This was home.
These plants, with their waxy-green leaves
and honey-yellow blooms, were with
whom I belonged.
Brazen Botany
Looking back, it may have been foolish to
hitch my future to a plant. As my family
Rhody Show:
WHERE TO SEE RHODODENDRONS IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
Rhododendron blooms are nothing short of magic, ranging in color from
pure ivory to hot pink. But for a truly picture-perfect scene, you have to
know where to look. Here are a few favorite viewing spots in the Blue Ridge
Mountains.
Craggy Gardens. Located about 25 minutes northeast of Asheville, North
Carolina, Craggy Gardens is a mile-high bald covered in rhododendron. Blue
Ridge Parkway, Milepost 364.
Roan Mountain Rhododendron Gardens. Straddling the North CarolinaTennessee
state line, the Roan Mountain Rhododendron Gardens offer a
spectacular display of purple-magenta blooms in mid-June. State Rd. 1348,
Bakersville, North Carolina.
Grandview. With jaw-dropping sights of the New River and spectacular
displays of Catawba rhododendrons, Grandview in West Virginia is a springtime
must-see. 4700 Grandview Rd, Beaver, West Virginia.
Apple Orchard Falls. The Apple Orchard Falls Trail is a 2.6-mile trail
near Buchanan, Virginia. Though considered strenuous, your efforts will be
rewarded with views of a 200-foot cascade and plenty of rhododendrons.
(The falls itself is also reachable from Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 78.)
Cherohala Skyway Drive. Running from Robbinsville, North Carolina, to
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, this thoroughfare crosses through the Cherokee
and Nantahala National Forests. Come late spring, you can see blooms as
you drive.
-LS
MAY/JUNE 2023 71
COURTESY OF EXPLORE ASHEVILLE | PHOTO BY ART MERIPOL

Blue Ridge Country May/June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country May/June 2023

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