episode of The Andy Griffith Show.
Locals insisted upon a visit to the
93-year-old The Snappy Lunch for the
official state sandwich – a pork chop
breaded in pancake batter served
with coleslaw on a bun.
That same day we stumbled on
Mayberry Spirits Distilling. Alas,
they were closed. So I pressed my
nose against the glass door for a peek
at the retail room. Soon, a young-
ish man in a red flannel shirt turned
on the lights, invited us in to sam-
ple three whiskies produced in the
TRAVERSE
56
backroom still.
While we took in more hiking and
lookout spots – including one where
we met a couple riding from Ontario
to New Orleans and back –time ran
short for must-visits like Blowing
Rock. Another time, perhaps.
The route continued over the Linn
Cove Viaduct, a 1,243-foot bridge,
which hangs from Grandfather
Mountain. The cantilevered stretch
of concrete would have frightened
me, except I viewed oncoming traf-
fic through the lens of my Samsung
camera.
By late afternoon we rolled into
Beech Mountain, about 30 minutes
from Mile Post 305. A city of fewer
than 350 people, Beech Mountain
(elevation 5,506 feet) is the highest
incorporated point east of the Missis-
sippi River. (Leadville, Colorado, at
10,335 feet is the highest city in the
United States.)
Lunch at Grandfather Mountain
(elevation 5,946 feet), one of the high-
est peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountain
range, marked the trek back to the
Parkway. The highest peak east of