Flat Top Manor--more commonly known as Cone Manor--is the center piece of the 3,600 acre Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, donated to the National Park Service by the family of textile magnate Moses Cone after his death. The grand structure, once used by the Cone family as a summer retreat, looks down on Bass Lake near Blowing Rock. The property it dominates, acquired by Cone in 1897, includes 25 miles of winding carriage roads leading down to the lake. The carriage roads are popular with locals and visitors alike for hiking, jogging and horseback riding. Located near Parkway milepost 293, the Manor now houses the Parkway Crafts Center. The bright white of the Manor is stunningly beautiful on a sunny, blue-sky day, contrasting against the darker tones of the sky and the green lawn. To me, the Manor is equally beautiful in less hospitable weather, such as that on this cold, densely foggy early autumn afternoon. The swirling mists and dim light gave the old home a moody, mysterious character that day, causing one to wonder what past secrets the old structure hides, what events from long ago it remembers. On a day such as this, Cone Manor looked like a wonderful setting for a Stephen King novel.