Black Mountain

Mural on the side of a building downtown

 Black Mountain is a beautiful old town with a bustling, artsy, laid-back downtown. There's a weekly tailgate market, arts & crafts and plant sales, a variety of music venues and a couple of breweries. Dad says it's kinda like a micro-mini Asheville, and he and mom have already wandered around down there several times since we settled in. It's very walkable and friendly, and there are tons of spots where you can stand in place and turn 360 degrees and see beautiful blue-green mountains in nearly every direction. Of course, hiking has been at the top of their to-do list, and except for the first weekend we were here (cleaning, unpacking, setting up house, etc.), mom and dad have been at it every weekend. Starting slow, short, and close by since it's been a while and they're a bit out of practice, they've discovered several decent hikes around the Montreat Conference Center, right up the road. This past weekend, they tackled Catawba Falls Trail in Old Fort, where a loop takes you up to the stunning Catawba Falls and back. 

Trail Information

Teenie tiny mom admiring the Upper Falls

View from the trail

And another

There's still quite a bit of ongoing construction to repair damage from Helene, and there is a portion with steps that, according to trail information, is equivalent to climbing a 30-story building. 

Lower Falls and a small portion of the steps

Mom and dad did the loop clockwise so the steps were on the downside, and they claim that they'll do it counterclockwise once they're in better shape so they can show those steps who's boss. 

More steps

And still more steps

They returned hot, tired, and ready to put their feet up, until mom read about the Asheville VeganFest. So off they went, and by the time they returned from checking that out, their stinky feet clocked over 9 miles for the day. They're plotting their next hike for this weekend, and I can see that despite returning home exhausted, they're beyond thrilled to be back in NC.