I won't claim to know anything about the personal lives or business dealings of the Gilded Age tycoons, but they did love their mountains. And for that, I'm grateful.
Their old stomping grounds have provided millions with countless hours of fun and relaxation.
From George Vanderbilt, we got what eventually became a chunk of Pisgah National Forest. Lucius Morse, a wealthy doctor, left us with Chimney Rock Park, soon to be a state park.
And from Moses Cone, "The Denim King" from Greensboro, the National Park Service inherited Flat Top Manor and the surrounding 3,500 acres off the Blue Ridge Parkway near mile marker 294.
For end-to-end parkway drivers, Moses Cone Memorial Park is one of those must-stop places that can break up miles of twists and curves. For the rest of us, the park is a worthwhile day trip that can be tagged onto a visit to Blowing Rock or Boone, or be coupled with a jaunt over to Julian Price Park -- named after another rich guy who left us a beautiful piece of property -- for more leisurely hiking.
Moses Cone Park's most obvious feature is the white house perched atop a mountain that overlooks ripples of mountain ridges and Bass Lake, which is every bit as peaceful as the house is grand.
A worthy destination
I've gone to the park before and not visited the lake. After hiking down to the lake earlier this week, I won't make that mistake again. The house may be the park's centerpiece, but the five-mile loop from the house to this serene lake is the gem of the park's trail system.
Moses and Bertha Cone loved their land. They grew apples in an extensive orchard and planted white pines and hemlocks. They would tour their property on the 25 miles of carriage roads that Moses built.
Moses died in 1908, and Bertha died in 1947. She left the property to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, which handed it over to the U.S. Department of Interior in 1950.
There's enough here to satisfy people of all fitness levels. You could string together a couple of hikes and walk 15 miles or so, amble along a nature walk that is less than a mile or simply wander into the craft shop inside the manor house, then rock in a chair on the spacious front porch.
On my recent visit, some friends and I pieced together a hike that started from the porch of the manor and gradually descended a few miles to Bass Lake.
The hiking here is easy. Remember, it's an old carriage road, so it's wide and smooth with nary an ankle-twisting root in sight. But all is not rosy. The Park Service, in keeping with the spirit of the trail's original intent, allows horses on the trail. So be mindful that horseshoe tracks are not all that the horses leave behind.
The trail winds past banks of rhododendrons and through thickets of towering white pines. Eventually, it leads to the 22-acre Bass Lake. You can skip the house altogether by driving straight to Bass Lake via U.S. 221 near Blowing Rock. But the grade up to the house is gentle, so if you take it slow, you shouldn't have problems.
On my visit, Bass Lake was a picture of tranquility. One duck skimmed the glassy surface, leaving a V in its wake. Others plunged head first into the water to scour for food, exposing their little duck fannies. Along some sections, blankets of water lilies hugged the shoreline.
I was there in the middle of the week, so it was blissfully quiet. On weekends, expect a steady parade of walkers. Horses, by the way, are not allowed on the loop around the lake. Bicycles are not allowed on any of the carriage trails.
The gravel is finely crushed and well packed. People in wheelchairs would probably find the trail suitable.
Julian Price Park is a few miles down the parkway at mile marker 297. Here, you can find picnic tables, tent and RV camping sites as well as a few more easy to moderate hikes, including the 5.5-mile Boone Fork Trail.
If you plan to visit this area, you will need to take a detour. The parkway is closed for repairs until November from mile marker to 270 to 280. The detour is clearly marked, but if you want to be better prepared, check out the parkway's Web site at www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm.
■ Lisa O'Donnell can be reached at 727-7420 or at lodonnell@wsjournal.com.
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