![\"IMG_9616\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/nature-rambles\/files\/2014\/11\/IMG_9334.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nA thick layer of fog turned the breathtaking views from the parkway into a solid blanket of grey but had the upside of getting us off the road and into the forest.<\/p>\n
The fog lifted to reveal a glorious palette of yellows and orange painting the forest. Here Nic schooler KC Bierlich strolls nonchalantly through this enchanted wood which had me giddy as a little school girl.<\/p>\n I felt like a kid in a candy shop. So many things to photograph! Every which way you turned was just one scene more glorious than the shot before.<\/p>\n I just love the peculiar quality of light produced by the diffuse sunlight passing through layers of coloured leaves. Needless to say it was near impossible to tear me away from this place even as darkness descended and stomachs growled in protest. Eventually my traveling companions did somehow manage.<\/p>\n While I failed to photo-document the delicious brews, burgers, and brunches that we sampled in town I will recommend that anyone looking to eat well make a culinary tour of Asheville. The town is one of the micro-brewery capitals of our country but even if you aren’t a die hard beer-lover there is plenty of delicious diversity.<\/p>\n On the road to or from Asheville I would also recommend taking a stop at Catawba falls. It’s just off the main freeway but the lack \u00a0of\u00a0signposting leaves it delightfully\u00a0peaceful.<\/p>\n We worked our way up the creek leading to the falls to turn over some rocks and look for salamanders. ‘Mandering has quickly become one of my favorite activities in North Carolina.<\/p>\n This area represents the world’s hotspot for salamander biodiversity and just about every third stone we turned over had a wriggly little critter underneath.<\/p>\n Whether you’re into ‘meandering’ or not these creeks are worth a wander for their clear beautiful waters and peaceful pools. The crowning reward that feels almost undeserved\u00a0with only a\u00a0gentle hike up a\u00a0short trail is the Catawba falls.<\/p>\n The multi-part structure\u00a0of these falls means that pictures don’t do it justice. But don’t take my word for it. \u00a0Go check it out yourself!<\/p>\n For a while there was no one who’s pictures we could ruin at the base of the falls so we kicked our shoes off and scrambled\u00a0all over it. Eventually a school group came through so we scrambled back to the base and continued along the steep slope beside the falls to get a view from the top.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n