Martha Thurston
If you are looking for a weekend getaway for the family or if you are just looking for a daily escape, the Blue Ridge Parkway has much to offer. The parkway is 469 miles long and winds through North Carolina and Virginia. It is a beautiful, slow scenic drive through the mountains.
Before taking on this long, leisurely trek, I would advise packing a picnic and snacks along with filling up the tank. There are very few places to get off of the parkway once you are on it, and finding gas stations, or even restaurants, may be difficult. Don’t let this stop you. There are many places to pull over and enjoy a picnic, plus if you are afraid, you can always visit the Blue Ridge Parkway website and download their travel app.
Depending on where you enter the the Blue Ridge Parkway is dependent on the direction that you may want to drive. You can start at the beginning or the middle and pick a direction. No matter where you start you will still have gorgeous views.
Pick a time of year that works well for you
The time of year that you go will depend on the amount of traffic that you may encounter. In the fall when the leaves change, there tends to be more people traveling the parkway. Who wouldn’t? Think about the blaze of colors painted across the landscape. This is when the mountains really begin to show their magnificent glory. The weather is cooler and a jacket is a must. Just be careful and check the weather because the closer it gets to November the more likely you are to see snow in the higher elevations.
I personally love the spring and toward the end of the summer. The weather is cooler in the mountains, and of course, on the particular summer day that you will see in my pictures, it was a rather rainy day. There was not a lot of traffic, and we were able to allow the grandchildren an opportunity to get out and run around without worrying about cars or people. And they enjoyed splashing in the puddles!
This particular day was a wonderful day trip. We started out at lunch time, drove up to the parkway and then made our way to Cherokee, North Carolina before heading back home. We did not take the parkway back home, but instead we drove the highway, which was the quicker route, back home.
The grandchildren loved the fact that we are able to see some varied wildlife, lots of flowers, and many tunnels. It was so much fun.
