We decided to visit the famed Rhododendron Gardens of Roan Mountain in the middle of the week to avoid the crowds. We settled on Wednesday, June 20th and left Dot at 8:00. Upon arrival around 10, we were surprised to find droves of people and a steady stream still descending upon the Carver's Gap parking area. Apparently more people were interested in hiking on the balds than viewing the gardens. There were hiking clubs from all around. We joined the lines of people and took in some views from Round Bald. There were still a few blooms on the balds to enjoy.
We headed back to the parking area and drove up to the Rhododendron Gardens. We were told that heavy rains had knocked off a lot of the blooms but there were many left to enjoy. Unfortunately, a low hanging cloud kept us from enjoying the overlooks. And a cool breeze caused us to change our picnic venue further down the mountain at Roan Mountain State park. We explored around the area and hike the Cloudland nature loop.
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| the gardens |
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| Round Bald |
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