Still America’s Favorite Drive

By Elizabeth Sims

Even after 75 years, one beautiful turn deserves another along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has been called “America’s Favorite Drive.” It’s easy to see why.

Historically speaking, the road symbolizes ingenuity and determination, devised as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression, when our nation was experiencing profound economic hardship. American optimism was challenged at every turn, but perseverance and an often unspoken spirit united us. We believed we could get through adversity if we did it together. And we vowed to renew our appreciation of country, of family, of faith, of freedom.

In other words, we’ve been down this road before. It speaks to who we are as a nation.

The Blue Ridge Parkway celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year with a full calendar of events in communities along its route, culminating with a special celebration at the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Virginia, September 10–12. The weekend will feature crafts, food, demonstrations, talks, tours, exhibits, vintage vehicles, and plenty of music, of course, headlined by bluegrass legend and southwest Virginia native Ralph Stanley. The location of the gala commemoration on September 11, near Cumberland Knob, North Carolina, and the Virginia state line, is where construction first began on the road in 1935. It was a 469-mile undertaking that would not be completed until 1987.

When it was conceived, the Blue Ridge Parkway coincided with America’s new love affair with the automobile. Roosevelt and Virginia Sen. Harry F. Byrd were meandering along Virginia’s Skyline Drive one day when the idea was hatched. What better time to devise a rustic diversion—and a source of jobs—in the densely populated East? National parks out West were popular symbols of discovery and pride, unbridled freedom and natural beauty. Families happily loaded up picnic baskets, threw in suitcases and sleeping bags, gassed up the car and headed toward the promise of discovery together.

The idea of a road linking Skyline Drive—at the southern end of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park—with the North Carolina portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park would create employment as well as preserve the beauty of southern Appalachia. Such a project would also bring dollars to a region in need of an economic boost and create a new linear national park with a mission of preserving the culture, heritage and biodiversity of the area. The planned motor road was dubbed the Blue Ridge Parkway, a ribbon of asphalt following the backbone of the ancient Appalachian Mountains. To the locals, however, the new road was simply called “The Scenic.”

An All-American Road as designated by the National Scenic Byways Commission, it is the ultimate drive in many respects, including its enormously satisfying role as a front door to hundreds of welcoming communities and small towns along its corridor. The accessibility of hiking, biking, fly-fishing, camping, climbing, sightseeing, waterfall-gawking, picnicking and geology-hounding activities, to name but a few, lends itself to the best sort of travel: the kind that encourages you to take your time.

Driving the length of the parkway is the ideal way to experience it, since its design was intended to surprise you at every turn. And it does.

With 264 overlooks (“balconies,” locals call them) along the way, the parkway also affords travelers numerous stops for contemplation and memory-making. European stonemasons left their aesthetic mark along the road with 168 beautiful stone bridges and 26 tunnels. These are among the oldest mountains in the world—older than even the Himalayas—and among the most magnificent, too, with their rock formations, pristinely carved river gorges and towering summits. With 600 streams, 47 designated Natural Heritage Areas, 100 species of trees, 1,600 vascular plant species and 159 species of birds known to nest here, “The Scenic” is a lesson in humility.

Driving the entire length of the parkway, from its beginning (Rockfish Gap, Virginia) to its end (Cherokee, North Carolina), is the ideal way to experience it, since its design was intended to surprise you at each turn. And it does. Start in the north, near Waynesboro, and begin at the 800-acre Humpback Rocks Mountain Farm (Milepost 5), continuing to the popular Peaks of Otter and Sharp Top Mountain—considered a must-see hike—at Mileposts 84–87. If you’re so inclined and have the necessary license, fly-fishing on Little Stoney Creek, at Peaks of Otter, is a treat. Take in an unusual piece of history along the way at Natural Bridge (near Milepost 61), an impressive rock formation once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

Continuing south, spend a night in Roanoke (Milepost 120); the stay—and the spoonbread—at the historic Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center are worth it. Then take in the city’s new jewel, the Taubman Museum of Art. A prime picnic spot is an overlook known as Smart View (Milepost 154). Stroll its moderate trail, offering good views of the commonwealth’s Piedmont region. The town of Floyd is a memorable stop promising live music (think traditional bluegrass), working artists and abundant hospitality at the Hotel Floyd, Milepost 165. Nearby Château Morrisette (Milepost 171.5) offers a taste of Virginia’s wine trail and a dining opportunity at the winery’s restaurant.
Experience natural beauty firsthand with a fly-fishing diversion at Rock Castle Creek in the Rocky Knob area (Milepost 167). Then drive on to Mabry Mill (Milepost 176) and wander this scenic spot. If you’re there at breakfast time, don’t miss the buckwheat pancakes, or at least buy some freshly ground grits to take home. Then head south to the Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213), which offers exhibitions, traditional music and scheduled concerts and is part of Virginia’s famed Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail. Near the center is Cumberland Knob Trail (Milepost 217), an easy hike that’s ideal for leg-stretching.

As the parkway crosses into North Carolina, enjoy a hike near Milepost 271 to the Cascades at Jeffress Park, where you’ll be rewarded with waterfalls. Serious hikers will want to explore the 13-mile Tanawha Trail located near Julian Price Memorial Park (Milepost 305), offering spectacular mountain views, as well as Erwins View Trail (Milepost 316), with its sweeping vista of Linville Gorge and Linville Falls. At Milepost 305, test your nerve by walking the 228 feet—80 feet above the ground—across Grandfather Mountain’s famed Mile High Swinging Bridge (the name refers to the structure’s elevation above sea level). Then reward yourself with a stay at the elegantly rustic Eseeola Lodge. Be sure to stop at the historic apple orchards at Altapass near Milepost 328.

Driving toward the eclectic city of Asheville (Milepost 382), be sure to check out Mount Mitchell State Park at Milepost 355 (on the way to the summit there’s a casual restaurant, open May through October). At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, and it always smells like Christmas at that altitude. The waterfall at Crabtree Meadows (Milepost 339) is well worth the stop and the hike in. Craggy Gardens (Milepost 364) is an ideal spot for a roadside picnic, and as you continue south, drop by the Folk Art Center (Milepost 382), filled with regional arts and crafts for sale.

Need some more leg-stretching? Consider the Shut-In Trail (Milepost 405.5) and the Graveyard Field (Milepost 418). Prime overnight stops include the Pisgah Inn in Waynesville (Milepost 408) and the Balsam Mountain Inn (Milepost 443) as you head toward the ancient and culturally rich community of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.

Whatever you do, simply savor the ride, knowing each bend in the Blue Ridge Parkway offers a fresh perspective. The trip is not about arriving, after all. It’s about the drive.

Blue Ridge Basics

A wealth of information about the parkway’s Diamond anniversary is available at www.blueridgeparkway75.org. During the late fall, winter and early spring, be aware that some sections of the parkway, as well as some of the attractions listed here, may be closed, so be sure to call ahead. For still more information, visit the online home of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, www.blueridgeparkway.org.