Day 10: Mt. Mitchell, NC

After discovering the actual highest peak east of the Mississippi River was Mount Mitchell, NC., and not Clingsman Dome, TN., plans for the next day (Day 10) changed. Mount Mitchell was a little over a hundred miles from Clingsman Dome, but my basecamp was still in Kingston, TN., which was another hundred miles in the opposite direction. Meaning that the next days agenda would start off with about a 200 mile drive from Kingston, TN., to Mount Mitchell, NC.

The next morning I broke camp and left for Mount Mitchell. The plan was to drive from Kingston, back through the Smoky Mountains National Park and on to make the visit to Mount Mitchell and then drive north and get as close as possible to the Watauga settlements (Sycamore Shoals) and the Cumberland Gap. Those had been the original destinations planned for Day 10.

The drive was all up and down and around and thru the mountains and along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the NC Scenic Byway.

I intend to return and drive the entire Blue Ridge Parkway in the future. Its scenic, beautiful and has something you never find in the Midwest… tunnels!!!!

At the end of the day I had reached Johnson City, TN., just a little short of my destination. After covering over 300 miles it was to late to obtains and make camp so I treated myself to a hotel room in Johnson City.

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