A July Retreat

The higher the temperature gets outside, the less people want to think about clothes, so time out for summer vacation.

We've been cooling off in the North Carolina mountains this week and as often happens we've spent some off-hours on a busman's holiday. This time we visited Flat Top Manor the vacation home of Moses Cone, one of the founders of the hugely successful denim manufacturer Cone Mills.

The house itself is not remarkable, but it commands a view for miles around and the view alone is worth the trip. The view and the masses of rhododendron in bloom this time of year, that is. Happily, this textile mogul was also a philanthropist. He and his wife bequeathed the property to their home city, Greensboro, which subsequently passed it on to the National Park Service.

If you are meandering down the Blue Ridge Parkway in the vicinity of Blowing Rock, go see.