Mount Mitchell is located in the state park of the same name along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the backcountry of North Carolina. I was returning to Florida from my parents' house in Pennsylvania and decided to bag my first highpoint on the way. Coming from I-81 in Virginia, I decided to take a "shortcut" on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and found this route to be quite the opposite, as winding roads and scenic overlooks kept me from reaching the gate at Mount Mitchell State Park until well after the park closing time of 9:00 PM. After spending the night in Asheville, I returned to the park the next morning to be greeted by an incredibly dense fog and a cool 50 degrees on the summit. There were only two other people visiting when I was there and they were courteous enough to take a picture of me at the highpoint. There was also a snack bar at the beginning of the short hike to the top with friendly service. I bought a bottle of apple cider and a Gatorade, and was on my way to Florida.
On a side note, this is when I realized that my car was old (1991 Buick Roadmaster wagon), and that old cars cannot take mountain roads for granted. After making it through the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, my car had all sorts of trouble starting up the next morning. This would later be amplified by the fact that I went from Mount Mitchell in 50 degree fog to South Carolina in 105 degree scorching heat - all in a span of about 4 hours.
