Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Grandfather Mountain

Like most folks who have office jobs, I do many different things from day to day. Some days I write code.  Some days I fix broken software.  Some days I create documentation.  Some days it seems I do nothing but attend meetings.

Some days, and these days are rare, mind you, some days I get into a luxury bus with my entire team and head up into the mountains for a picnic, and some hiking.

Some days it is very easy to go to work.

A couple weeks ago our team did just that - headed to Grandfather Mountain for a picnic, and taking in some scenery.

Grandfather Mountain lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about an hour from where I live.  It is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which means lots of land, and lots of animals, both in the wild, and in captivity.

They have a small zoo on site, featuring animals found in the area, like this bald eagle.
Also, this black bear.
At the very top of Grandfather Mountain is a stunning overlook. It offers almost a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains, and one of then highest peaks in the area.
To get to that overlook, one crosses a swinging bridge, that is 1 mile (5128ft) above sea level, and 80ft above the valley it crosses.
One last view of the area before we go - highlighting the incredible beauty, and sweeping views of the area.
It is easy to see why these mountains got the name Blue Ridge, eh?

So that was how I started my first work week in October.  How did yours go?