Blue Ridge Parkway

    For a short weekend the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great ride. We decided at the last moment to try to drive the southern half of the parkway. The parkway starts only 70 miles outside Washington DC and terminates near Knoxville, TN in the Smokie Mountains. The total distance is 469 miles.

Since there wasn't enough time for the entire drive we started at Fancy Gap (about mile 190) we drove south on the parkway. The scene is very beautiful in the early morning as the sun has just risen and the shadows are long. Our first stop was the Music Center. Not much to see here, but a good restroom break anyway LOL.

The parkway winds up and down the ridge of the Blue Mountains and has numerous overlooks to take in the view. I resisted stopping at each one, instead stopped only for something catching the eye.

There are numerous trails to hike from the overlook parking, in fact, I learned that parking is permitted almost everywhere not just in the marked spots. The second trek was from Jumpin Off Rock trail. Nice easy trek and reward is a very nice panoramic view eastward.

The end of the first day ended in Blowing Rock. Very nice little town with nice main street and choices to eat. Unfortunately, we headed into Boone and ate at the Peddler. The steak was good, but I'm not into "supper club" type dining. Blowing Rock has many more cafes and bistro's and I would recommend to eat there.

Second day was Grandfather Mountain. Easy drive to the top, I think this place would be quite special if there was no road and only hiking was allowed. The reward is spectacular. Two mile-high peaks are joined by a swinging bridge which has been in place for more than 40 years. The view is great, and the breeze is fresh.

Next was Linnville Falls and Gorge. The pictures don't properly show the elevations. The rocks were begging to be climbed. LOL. In all, the drive on the parkway was 200 miles of winding mountain roads, about 10 miles of trekking, dozens of pictures and awesome scenery.