We have spent the last four days driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway - and what a wonderful way to travel. We seriously considered travelling along the coast, stopping to see the beautiful coastal towns that so many Americans told us we would enjoy - but in the end we opted for the Parkway and we have not regretted it. The photos below simply do not do justice to the natural beauty of the mountains. All week, not a day has gone by when I have not thought of Dad and how much he would love to be riding his motorcycle along the Parkway. We passed so many cyclists - indeed chatted to a trio of blokes who were riding the length of the Parkway to celebrate their 50th birthdays - and a few runners, and I so wished I could be out there with them on a few occasions (whilst on other occasions - like climbing a relentless hill in the RV - I simply wished them well!). There have been plenty of things to see and do along the way. If we didn't have the children with us we may have hiked more, but as it was we were flat out seeing all the things we wanted to get to.
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| Entering the Parkway at Humpback Rocks Visitor Centre, we visited a recreated mountain farm, something akin to what people living in and worked in the early 1900s - incredibly primitive for the time. We saw similar buildings and farming in Williamsburg and Jamestown that people built and used in the 1700s. |
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| Scarecrow in the corn |
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| Right from the outset, the views tempted us to take our eyes off the road! |
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| Blossom II |
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| At James River Visitor Centre - mile marker 60 on the Parkway |
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| The man I will continue to follow to the ends of the earth ... mainly because I have no sense of direction and would be lost without him! |
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| My four Junior Rangers at Peaks of Otter Visitor Centre - mile marker 86 on the Parkway |
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| Mabry Mill - a water driven flour and lumber mill built in the 20th century, and still in commercial use in the 1930's - no electricity! Mile marker 175 on the Parkway |
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| best mates |
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| The flume delivering water to the water wheel to drive the mill |
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| Noses to the grindstone! |
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| At the Blue Ridge Music Centre - spent time thinking about my friend Gayle and her partner Kenny every time I looked at all the guitars here and listened to the country music! |
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| Receiving patches for completing several worksheets along the Parkway |
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| At Brinegar Cabin - mile marker 240 on the Parkway. A small family allotment of 225 acres taken up in the 1890s and sold to the National Parks in the 1930s. All the buildings, furniture, etc were built on site, by the family, from local timber. |
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| The Mountain Folk were obviously short |
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| view back up to the cabin from the spring |
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| Similar vintage, but upper class, the summer home of America's Denim King, Moses H Cone |
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| View from the Cone Mansion |
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| At the Linn Cove Viaduct we came across Ranger Amy who had found a salamander - apparently rare in NC. The kids were fascinated by it and we helped her catalogue it by taking a photo of it for her. |
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| Looking toward the Viaduct from the Overlook |
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| From the Overlook - same view as above, different camera settings (to get the ranges in the distance). |
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| A model of the Viaduct. Completed in the 1980's, a good 40 years after the rest of the Parkway. You once had to get off the Parkway and onto the interstate, then back on again. We were one day off the 25th celebrations for the completion of the Viaduct. |
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| Linville Falls - mile marker 315 on the Parkway |
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| As the sign says - Mineral Museum mile marker 332 on the Parkway |
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| A good deal of our overnight stays have been in accommodation and surrounds like this. Beautiful but no internet reception. That is just fine by me. This was at Buck Creek RV park, Marion, off the Parkway. |
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| The flowing creek behind our RV |
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| Our morning walk to the summit of Craggy Dome, mile marker 365 on the Parkway. |
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| A sight to behold - God's playground ... |
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| ... and only a few miles from the tallest peak east of the Mississippi - 360 deg views - wow |
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| Lovely hugs from my Phi |
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| At Biltmore House - off the Parkway at Ashville. Sharing banana splits - yummy. |
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| Biltmore Estate is the mansion belonging to the Vanderbilt family of George and Edith and their daughter Cornelia. It took 6 to build, and George took possession of it when he was 33years old. Talk about filthy rotten rich. 8000 acres, 240 rooms, landscape design by the guy who designed Central Park, and architecture by the guy who designed the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. 23000 book library. Far out brussel sprout! Whilst I appreciated the lavish surrounds - I can think of better ways to burn cash! |
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View to the Winter Garden on the other side of the windows - an indoor garden, just lovely
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So now we are spending the night in Ashville. I am enjoying a bottle of wine purchased at Biltmore Estate, and the kids are in the pool - yes it is still lovely and warm here, and I have not missed winter one little bit. Tomorrow we head back to the Parkway for a final stint, and then head toward Tennessee.
