Blue Ridge Parkway

Jeanne really wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is not a road for 55' land yachts (although we did see a few). I had been watching the weather on the Parkway for the past 6 weeks. The highest elevation is over 6,000 feet and it snowed up there just 10 days ago: I was a little apprehensive!

The Blue Ridge Parkway travels 469 miles from Northern Virginia to the SW corner of North Carolina. It is often referred to as the best road trip in America: and it is great! Just north of the parkway is Shenandoah National Park. This park runs 100 miles through the northern section of the Appalachian Mountains, and where it ends, the Blue Ridge Parkway begins. Just South of the Blue Ridge Parkway, is Smokey Mountain National Park; which runs about 50 miles into Tennessee: We did the whole run; and it was great!

Much of the parkway was built in the 1930's by the CCC. The first lodge we stayed in was in the Shenandoah National Park, and was built in the 1930's. While not as spectacular as some of the CCC built structures around the country we have seen, it had similar flavors, and was an enjoyable experience.

This Mill is the most photographed spot of the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP).
The road is a motorcyclists dream. I caught myself leaning into the corners (which is just not the same in a 1-ton dually). The whole 469 miles (OK 600 miles including Shenandoah and the Great Smokey Mountains), was very picturesque. I longed for my bike.

There are thousands of miles of hiking trails; but, these mountains are what us West coasters would call foothills. They look like the lowlands of the cascades; just rolling hills: and there are very few conifers.

However, there are rhododendrons: as big as a house, and whole forests of them, I can only imagine what hiking through these deciduous forests with huge Rhodie's in full bloom must be like. About half way down the BRP we stumbled onto a second lodge, in a secluded spot that was like something out of a dream. Sitting on the back veranda, sipping wine, and watching the sun set after a leisurely hike with my son was a religious experience (if I was a religious man). This is a picture from our room, and the back veranda.At the extreme south end of the BRP we stayed in a log cabin built in the 1700's (yes it had been restored). It was my birthday, and I wanted to go to a motorcycle museum we had passed the day before. This guy had the largest collection of U.S built antique motorcycles in the world. It was fantastic! That's me, sitting on a fully restored Indian Motorcycle that was once owned by Joe Montana. We spent over 2-hours here, and a real affection ado could easily spend the entire day. The collection was more like visiting an art museum.
This is one of Evil Kenevals motorcycles: for real!

Overall; a great trip. There are 3 distinct seasons in the BRP: Spring, summer, and fall. Fall is the most popular, with the leaves of all the deciduous trees, I can only imagine how spectacular it must be. Something to look forward to another time. Spring: this is what we hit. and we were a little early at that. But, no traffic or crowds. Above 3,000 feet the leaves had not yet opened up. Locals told us that beginning in May, the leaves open up every 100 foot rise in elevation each day. We actually experienced this over our 6 day journey in the Appalachians. Most of the parkway is closed in the winter.

My best suggestion if you come: bring your motorcycle, the roads are great!