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| Grandfather Mountain & The Mile High Swinging Bridge |
| 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 (5,280 feet) |
Plus
photos of Split Rock and the Sphinx Rock |
| Grandfather Mountain is a mountain and state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet, 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. | |
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 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 ft above sea level. |
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| 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. | |
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| The two RV Gypsies pause 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 had to remove her hat due to the strength of the wind. The wind could be heard howling throughout the area. | |
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Sign in the middle of the
bridge |
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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 |
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| 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. |
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| a bit of the curvy road can be seen in the below photo | |
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| The two RV Gypsies start climbing higher up Grandfather Mountain. They pause at the top of this area for photos. | |
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| A view of the next higher level where the two RV Gypsies will climb next. Two other people are already up there & can barely be seen in the photo. | |
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| As stated earlier, it is extremely windy on Grandfather Mountain, as can be seen by the way everyone's hair is blowing. | |
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| Lee Duquette photographing a plaque embedded in the mountain where he is standing. | |
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Lee Duquette enjoying the
view |
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| Karen looks like she has straw sticking out the top of her head, and Lee has a wild man hairdo - thanks to the strong winds. | |
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| Looking back at the bridge and parking lot from higher up on Grandfather Mountain | |
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| A couple of school busses full of kids arrive and cross the bridge. The two RV Gypsies just sit and enjoy the scenery until they leave. The kids never went further then the bridge area. | |
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A great view of the bridge
and the highest part of the mountain |
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| The two RV Gypsies eat their picnic lunch in the picnic area on Grandfather Mountain, just down the road from the bridge. It is still quite windy - check out Lee's hairdo. | |
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The toad of the two RV
Gypsies at the picnic area on Grandfather Mountain |
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Below is a closer view
of the scenery that is behind the truck in the above photo |
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| 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. | |
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More of the same curvy
road - in the far distance |
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Towards the bottom of Grandfather
Mountain - two famous rocks |
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Karen Duquette stands by
The Split Rock - wow - that's a big rock - amazing how it is split into
two pieces |
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The Sphinx Rock photographed
from the back side of it |
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| The two RV Gypsies in North Carolina |
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Grandfather Mountain |
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| 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. |