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Continuing our drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we stopped off in Newland, NC, at the lovely Secluded Valley RV Park. It is indeed located in a little valley with a stream along one side and small lake in the middle. It is an appealing campground that was very quiet during our stay. We would like to take the weather we experienced here with us everywhere we go: low to mid-70s during the day and mid-50’s at night.
We spent several hours one day visiting the nearby Linville Falls. This is a multi-stage waterfall that makes a zig zag cut through an opening in the rocks in its final stage. There are several hiking trails that lead to a variety of spots for viewing the waterfalls. Our final hike took us down to the floor of the Linville Gorge near the pool formed at the bottom of the falls.
A few miles away there is Linville Caverns that is privately owned and offers 30 minute tours. This is a small cave which was discovered in the mid-1800’s and has a fairly modest variety of formations. But we added another cavern to the list of those we have explored.
About 20 miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we explored Crabtree Falls. Another nice waterfall with good hiking trails that gave us a moderate aerobic workout.
Next stop: Asheville, NC