Autumn in North Carolina
 

Along the blue ridge parkway, there are turnoffs that will take you to many places such as, the famous Mount Mitchell State Park, Linville Falls, and, one of the best tourist stops, the North Carolina Minerals Museum. If you are visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Smokey Mountains to take photographs of the beautiful landscapes or fall color, the best time of year to go is mid-October. By the end of October, the awesome colors have reached their peak intensity. Often, people like to take in all the fall color at their own pace by taking a week or so off and staying in one the many vacation rentals in North Carolina. There are a lot of family-run bed and breakfasts and inns. In addition, you may want to stay in a log cabin rental in Saluda, NC, or Bat Cave, NC. While staying in a cabin, why not have fun Gem Mining? One fun place to do this at is the Blue Ridge Gemstone Mine and Campground. It is located in Little Switzerland, NC. You can sift through dirt to find precious stones and gems. For a small price you can have one of the employees’ help you cut, grind, and polish the gems that you find. You can also have your gem or rock made into a fine piece of jewelry. If you would like to search for gold or for certain gems like Rubies, then you may want to visit the Smoky Mountain Gold and Ruby Mine, in Cherokee, NC. Whether you like to do anything from tour pretty mountainsides, stay in original log-cabin homes, or gem mine, then North Carolina is the right place for you!