For some, whether with or without the home along for the ride, the journey itself is the most gratifying part of a road trip. Sure, the destination can be a focal point, but why miss what you could otherwise see along the way? Enter one of the most famous drives in the country.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is an over 450-mile scenic drive through the Appalachian Mountains. Spanning through West Central Virginia and Western North Carolina, this road is maintained by the National Park Service, yet remains one of the properties that does not charge a fee to travel. Those towing a rig are permitted to travel this parkway, although caution is advised along this windy road with breathtaking views. If you wish to travel the entire length, give yourself a couple days to really soak it all in.
Those starting from the northeast can hop off Interstate 64 around Waynesboro, just a bit west of Charlottesville, and past the southern edge of Shenandoah National Park. Start heading south, and once you get used to the tight curves and lack of significant guard rails, a number of overlooks allow for views of incredible valleys and expansive wilderness. It's an easy going road, so take your time and soak it all in. If a break is ever needed from the parkway, the road visits the outside of Roanoke, or you could hop off just a little before that onto the US 501 and visit Lynchburg, the home of Liberty University. Campgrounds such as Otter Creek and Rocky Knob are found along the parkway in Virginia.
Mile marker 217 is reached, just past the Chestnut Creek Bridges, and a welcome to the Tar Heel State of North Carolina. Continue along the parkway seeing the peaks of Fodder Stack, Meditation Mountain, and Tomkins Knob. The campgrounds of Doughton Park, Julian Price, and Linville Falls will give you a chance to take a rest in North Carolina. A bit further down the way, make a stop in Asheville, made famous by the author Thomas Wolfe. Those continuing to travel to the southwestern end will eventually make it just outside Cherokee and US 441, at the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
If your internal compass tells you to be literally on the road, never fear in following it. The Blue Ridge Parkway may just be one of the options for you.
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