Picture of the day - June 7, 2007

"The Knob" on North Carolina's Pilot Mountain

Thanks to its famous "Knob", Pilot Mountain is one of the most recognizable mountains in the world. Often referred to as "Mount Pilot" on the old "Andy Griffith" television show, this Surrey County, North Carolina peak holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Americans. Pilot Mountain's "Big Pinnacle" - commonly known as "The Knob" - rises some 200 feet above the mountain ridge upon which it sits. This cylindrical peak with near-vertical sides has served as a guiding landmark for travelers for thousands of years, leading the area's Native Americans to originally name it "Jomeokee" - their word for "pilot", or "great guide". Today, Pilot Mountain and the nearby town of Mount Airy (Andy Griffith's hometown) are popular destinations for several generations of Americans who grew up watching "The Andy Griffith Show" as well as younger folks who continue watching the show in the form of perpetual "re-runs". A trip to "Mount Pilot" and Mount Airy takes one back to a simpler time when neighbors were truly friends and a person's word was as good as any written contract. About the photo: A couple of days ago, Cheria, Houdini and I embarked on what will perhaps be our last journey to Wilmington, North Carolina to see our daughter Amy before she makes the move to her new home in a neighboring state. As usual, we took I-74 / US Route 52 from I-77 to Winston Salem, a route that takes us right past Pilot Mountain. As we whizzed by "The Knob" at 65 miles per hour, Cheria rolled her window down a bit and captured the "Picture of the Day" with my Nikon D50 and its "kit lens".   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!            Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"