From the National Park Service website:

America’s Favorite Drive

A Blue Ridge Parkway experience is unlike any other: a slow-paced and relaxing drive revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The Parkway meanders for 469 miles, protecting a diversity of plants and animals, and providing opportunities for enjoying all that makes this region of the country so special.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is Many Things

• It is the longest road planned as a single unit in the United States.
• It is an elongated park, protecting significant mountain landscapes far beyond the shoulders of the road itself.
• It is a series of parks providing the visitor access to high mountain passes, a continuous series of panoramic views, the boundaries of its limited right-of-way rarely apparent and miles of the adjacent countryside seemingly a part of the protected scene.
• It is a “museum of the managed American countryside,” preserving the roughhewn log cabin of the mountain pioneer, the summer home of a textile magnate, and traces of early industries such as logging, railways, and an old canal.
• It is the product of a series of major public works projects which provided a boost to the travel and tourism industry and helped the Appalachian region climb out the depths of the Great Depression.
• Stretching almost 500 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge mountains through North Carolina and Virginia, it encompasses some of the oldest settlements of both pre-historic and early European settlement.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is all these things and more!

Roaming Rangeley Summer 2022

Elizabeth:

After working a conference at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC Gary and Rangeley met me at the hotel. The incredible stone building was built in 1913. The architecture is incredible. See their website for fabulous photos of where I worked for 5 days!

https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/asheville-grove-park

Yesterday (Aug 11, 2022) we spent over 3 hours looking at acreage. Our oldest, Cooper and his wife Chelsea are devising a 5-year plan and the Asheville area might be of interest. We found some fun places like Weaverville, NC. A very historic, now updated and “hip” town. 

Today (8/12/22) we drove 40 minutes south of our hotel in Asheville, NC to start our journey of driving the entire 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). The BRP connects Smoky Mountain National Park and Shenandoah National Park. We are driving it backwards, so to speak, by going north, because the Parkway’s “0” mile marker starts in Shenandoah and ends in the Smokies. We never do anything quite the way it’s “supposed to be done” : )

We started the day by visiting Soco Falls (pronounced sew, like a seamstress – Ko). The short but steep, ruggedly rocky trail to the bottom of the falls was no challenge for the “boys”. Gary and Rangeley played in the river at Soco Fall’s base and took fabulous shots of the double falls converging. I loved seeing most of the falls from about halfway down : )

We continued south to Cherokee, NC on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We then took a photo at the entrance to Smoky Mountain National Park, the southern-most point of the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, mile post 469. Each time we drive this road, we are amazed that these roads and stone tunnels were constructed in the 1930’s. We went through 17 of the 26 tunnels on the BRP today alone. We went through Pine Mountain Tunnel (1,462 feet long) which is the longest on the Parkway.

The weather is on our side, for now. This past week has brought low thick clouds, thunder, lightning and almost enough rain in just a handful of days as Phoenix gets all year!  Today…sunny, clear and beautiful! 60 degrees at 6000 ft on the Parkway mid- day!

We stopped at the high point of the BRP (6053 feet) which is located on the border of Nantahala National Forest. The unexpected highlight was finding wild blueberry and blackberry bushes abound! I grabbed a sandwich baggy from the car, leftover from some nuts we ate earlier, and we picked a few for our yogurt in the morning!

Our photo session at Cowee Mountain Overlook, elevation 5950, brought some of the most facinating picture results we have probably ever taken! While video-taping Gary, myself and Rangeley sitting in the grass with the spectacular expansive views behind us, a large bug randomly – unbeknownst to us at the time – flew in front of the cell phone while it was recording. We have been getting nice still shots from video recently. But, while viewing this video later today, back at the hotel, while choosing screen shots to put in the journal, the below shots appeared. The bug’s “photo bombing” us made for some incredible photography!!

We walked up to Devils Courthouse View Point. A short but 300 vertical half paved then wooded and rocky lovely hike.

Our next planned stop was to hike to Graveyard Fields. There was a stream, wooden board walks and dirt paths. Rangeley was thrilled and tired out!

A quick stop to enjoy the views at the Pisgah Inn, in the Pisgah National Forest and back to Asheville for a late afternoon main meal of the day at Creekside Taphouse. Melt in your mouth ribs, a burger, salad and local porter topped off our day.

 BRP Day 2      8/13/22

Today is another gorgeous day. No precipitation predicted, 60’s and sunny. We packed up and left our lodging after 5 nights in the same hotel in Asheville (Gary 5, me 3 nights).

Our first adventure was hiking at Craggy Gardens at the closed for the season visitor center by the same name. This short, gradual hike brought us to what is referred to as a bald. Usually a treeless high point on a knoll. This trail provided views of the Black Mountain Range.

Rhododendron bushes/small trees are thick and mature on this entire mountainside. Unfortunately, the flowers peak in May and June and it’s mid-August. But 59-degree temps at 9am amongst the brambles, imagining the vibrant pinks and purples that coat this whole area, was still a nice adventure. See pics below.

Next stop, Mount Mitchell, 6,684 ft. The 3.9mi. State Route 128 approach road from the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) brings you to the summit. Mitchell gets 91 inches of snow per year and is generally 20 degrees colder than any surrounding town. At 10AM I donned my leggings and a wind breaker at the 51 degree top. 

Poor Gary has tried three times over the years to hike the 3,694’ vertical, 6 miles one way trek to the top of the tallest peak east of the Mississippi. He and Rangeley even drove over to the Asheville area two days sooner to hike Mt Mitchell before meeting up with me. For two days this trip brought thunder and lightning, making it unwise to venture out on a 10-hour day of driving to and from and doing the hike. It remains on a future list.

Mount Mitchell is in the Sky Island Wilderness within Pisgah National Forest in the Black Mountain Range. We only needed to walk 300 yards from the parking lot to the summit sign. Gary decided he would be in the picture, next time, only after actually hiking to it!! The fog was so thick while we were at the top that, as my mom would say, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face! The sunny, clear views were again visible as we descended the mountain.

There are hundreds of options of over looks, hiking, waterfalls and more, on the BRP. One could spend weeks and not experience it all. Our next stop we have chosen is Little Switzerland. 

Great lunch at Switzerland Inn! Maine lobster salad for me and a wonderful Reuben for Gary. Views! Not too crowded, gift shops, fabulous bookstore, Porsche club driving by (Gary counted 28!), older MG’s and their owners sharing under the hood info to passers by, motorcycles galore and a wonderful ice cream parlor that had chocolates and… draft beer! Smart owners, they covered it all! Rangeley was the talk of the town with lunch staff and guests complimenting and petting him. An adorable 2-year-old, who’s dad went to Arizona State University (ASU) where we live, was enamored by Rangeley, cuddling him and smiling as he got wet kisses from an animal 4X the little one’s size!  Fun stop.

Heading north to Linville Falls brought us just a little bit off the BRP on US Route 221. It was a half mile walk down to the bottom of Linville Falls from the parking area. Beautiful wooded, Rhododendron lush path but…we were not the only ones that wanted to visit this location on this lovely, sunny, 68 degree summer on a Saturday : )’  

Grandfather Mountain was our last place to experience yet another adventure for the day. The 5,946 feet at its highest point is a grouping of mountain tops with the Mile High Swinging Bridge on one peak. It is America’s highest suspension footbridge spanning 228 feet long over an 80-foot-wide gorge. Rangeley was hesitant at first, but all three of us traped across that bridge as it whistled and swayed. The only place that dogs are not allowed is inside buildings and amongst the wild animals they have in a small zoo in a nature setting up on the mountain. After enjoying the 360-degree views we headed back down the two mile access road. Before returning to the BRP and still on the access road, there is an outdoor zoo with cougars, bears, eagles, elk and otters. Because it was mid afternoon, I only saw a couple of the above animals but was impressed with the large natural enclosures. There’s a restaurant and gift shop, discovery center, educational offerings, hiking trails and, when you go through the entrance gate, just one mile off the BRP mile post 305, on US 221, they give you a USB or CD with lots of turn by turn directions and information about what is offered with your entrance fee of $22 per person (senior rate, over 60).

We got off the BRP and are staying in a pet friendly LaQuinta in Boone, NC tonight. We’ve traveled so much this last year, we are Platinum Elite members with Wyndham (they manage LaQuinta Hotels) so we used points for tonight’s stay. Summer rates on the BRP are quite expensive for the middle of the road hotels. This room would have been well over $200 for a Saturday night. The good thing about a LaQuinta, they rarely have an additional dog fee. After laundry, writing this journal and posting the pictures we will get a good night’s rest and be back on the road in the morning to experience more of what the BRP has to offer as we head north.

Thanks for reading along.

Live simply, love well, breathe, appreciate life.