North Carolina

The Origin of The Blowing Rock...

At the time the rocks of the Blue Ridge Mountains were being thrust up by tremendous forces that slowly squeezed the rocks of the region very much like a huge vise, other natural processes of weathering and erosion started tearing down the young mountains. Now, after more than 250 million years have passed, mountain building has ended and erosion has gradually stripped off the uppermost miles of rocks that were originally here. In the process, rocks that were once buried and squeezed under the weight of miles of rock are now exposed at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains where we see them at The Blowing Rock and other areas in this region.
These old rocks were drastically changed (metamorphosed) by high pressure and temperature during the hundreds of millions of years while they were still buried. Geologists have classified these metamorphic rocks as GNEISS (pronounced "nice"). The age of the gneiss has been determined to be 1,055 million years by the geologists of the U.S. Geological Survey. This age is based on the amount of radioactivity still present in the small crystals of the mineral zircon found in the rock. This particular rock is officially designated THE BLOWING ROCK GNEISS by Geological Survey of The United States.
During the formation of the Blue Ridge Mountains, strong pressure in the rocks of the earth's crust produced many features which we now see at The Blowing Rock. These features include the more or less "striped" appearance caused by the alignment of the crystals of minerals in the rock. The pressure also caused many microscopic cracks in the rock. Weathering has widened and enlarged these cracks. Erosion by running water has removed the weathered material to such an extent that the present form of The Blowing Rock has been created.

It is said that a Chickasaw chieftan, fearful of a white man’s admiration for his lovely daughter, journeyed far from the plains to bring her to The Blowing Rock and the care of a squaw mother. One day the maiden, daydreaming on the craggy cliff, spied a Cherokee brave wandering in the wilderness far below and playfully shot an arrow in his direction. The flirtation worked because soon he appeared before her wigwam, courted her with songs of his land and they became lovers, wandering the pathless woodlands and along the crystal streams.
One day a strange reddening of the sky brought the brave and the maiden to The Blowing Rock. To him it was a sign of trouble commanding his return to his tribe in the plains. With the maiden’s entreaties not to leave her, the brave, torn by conflict of duty and heart, leaped from The Rock into the wilderness far below. The grief-stricken maiden prayed daily to the Great Spirit until one evening with a reddening sky, a gust of wind blew her lover back onto The Rock and into her arms. From that day a perpetual wind has blown up onto The Rock from the valley below. For people of other days, at least, this was explanation enough for The Blowing Rock’s mysterious winds causing even the snow to fall upside down.

How The Blowing Rock Got Its Name...

The Blowing Rock is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea level, overhanging Johns River Gorge 3,000 feet below. The phenomenon is so called because the rocky walls of the gorge form a flume through which the northwest wind sweeps with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void.
The current of air flowing upward from The Rock prompted the Ripley's "Believe-It-Or-Not" cartoon about "the only place in the world where snow falls upside down." Visible from "The Rock" down the gorge to the southwest are Hawksbill Mountain and Table Rock. To the west are Grandfather Mountain (the highest peak in the Blue Ridge chain) and Mount Mitchell (the highest peak east of the Mississippi).

 

Blowing Rock’s growth encompasses 1500 full time residents and approximately 8000 summer residents. The village offers the best of small town living: cool climate, magnificent views, year-round outdoor activities, a safe environment, beautiful churches, an award winning school and the finest accommodations with superb restaurants and shopping. A major preservation effort has been in place for the past decade to protect the proud historic heritage of the village and maintain the community character that so enhances this little town.

The town of Blowing Rock takes its name from an unusual rock formation which juts over 1,500 feet (460 m) above the Johns River gorge. Due to the rock's shape and size, wind currents from the gorge often blow vertically, causing light objects to float upwards into the sky.

Blowing Rock is the site of Glen Burney Falls and Glen Marie Falls.

The Blowing Rock area was once fought over by the Cherokee and Catawba Native American tribes. According to legend, two lovers - one from each tribe - were walking near the rocks when the man received a notice to report to his village and go into battle. When his lover urged him to stay with her, he became so distraught that he threw himself off the blowing rock into the gorge. The woman prayed to the Great Spirit to return her lover, and the Spirit complied by sending a gust of wind which blew the man back up the cliff and landed him safely on the blowing rock itself. This story of course is fictional but it was used as a draw for the attraction. In the 1980s, a billboard in Wilkesboro for Blowing Rock showed two Indians holding hands, one standing on the rock and one "floating". Today "The Blowing Rock" is a tourist attraction and is known for its superb views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.

The town's elevation of 3500 to 3600 feet (1067–1097 meters) above sea level results in cooler summer temperatures than lowland areas to the east and south. Daytime temperatures in the summer rarely rise above 80 degrees fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).

Rudbeckia Goldsturm

Petunias and Zinnias

.

After my cousins lost their home on Highway 90 in Biloxi to Hurricane Katrina, they moved to Hendersonville, NC for a few years.  We visited them one summer and, on our way there, we stopped in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.  Blowing Rock offers so many attractions, it's hard to see them all in one trip. From popular attractions including The Blowing Rock, Tweetsie Railroad, Grandfather Mountain and Linville Caverns, there is something for all ages and tastes. Arts patrons will enjoy the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, featuring rotating exhibits and special programming for adults and children. In addition, Blowing Rock offers a variety of art and craft galleries, festivals and events. The Blowing Rock area is also close to many apple orchards, Christmas tree farms and wineries.  We spent our day walking around town enjoying the spectacular weather, the charming and picturesque town, and exquisite flowers. The beds all over town were so well-maintained and weed-free.   

Limelight Hydrangeas

Daisies, Purple Coneflowers, Rudbeckia, and Varigated Hostas

Yellow Stella de Ora Daylilies

Daniel Boone Trail Marker

Blooming Hostas

Daisy Garden

Geraniums and Day Lilies

Rudbeckia Goldstrum

Purple Verbena

Pink Begonias and Yellow Daisies

Lamb's Ear and Blue Hydrangeas

Pink Knock Out Rose

Such eye candy.......Pink and White Day Lilies and  Coreopsis Grandiflora (or Pot of Gold)

It was unbelievable how incredibly magnificent each garden was!  Purple Liatris Spicata (Blazing Star)

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

Hope you've enjoyed our little walkabout Blowing Rock!  Have a great Friday!  T.G.I.F.!


Information from www.blowingrock.com 
Pictures are my own and a few from google.com