There are two national parks (Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains) along the 469 miles of this National Scenic Byway that winds through Virginia and North Carolina (with a tiny piece hanging over in Tennessee). The words “Blue Ridge” refer to the section of mountains in the Appalachians, and it’s these 250 miles that are the most riveting, often providing breathtaking panoramas through North Carolina. The second-most- stunning portion of the route may well be the 105-mile Skyline Drive, the only public road through Shenandoah. There are enough activities along the entire parkway to keep generations entertained, including hiking, biking, fishing, swimming and golfing. Or you can just sit in the vehicle with your jaw dropped and your camera out (keep your eyes peeled for bears).
The route most traveled: Milepost for the Blue Ridge parkway is in Front Royal, Va., and if you go all the way to the end of the line to Milepost 469.1, you’ll be in Cherokee, N.C.
Off the beaten path: Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridges, Asheville is a jewel box of a town. Poke around its streets — many of them the same that native son Thomas Wolfe walked and then wrote about in “Look Homeward, Angel” — and you uncover gems. This Land of the Sky city isn’t as sleepy as it once was. While music, art and physical beauty still draw tourists (hence the name of its minor- league baseball team, the Tourists, a Rockies affiliate), thousands of people have relocated to Asheville in recent years. The area abounds with hiking trails, but the local pavement is something of a pedestrian’s paradise. Whether you’re exploring West Asheville, which has morphed into a hipster’s haven, or taking in the terrific period architecture in the downtown, bring your walking shoes. Hang out in Pack Square, where kids can cavort around the fountain, and City Hall and the Buncombe County Courthouse loom in the background.
The kitschy-kitschy coup: There’s something unnatural about the Natural Bridge Gift Shop (15 Appledore Lane, 800-533-1410, ), which not only is one of the biggest gift shops ever: It also houses the largest collection of “Virginia is for Lovers” items in, well, the world. It’s quite natural to feel compelled to stop to look at the bridge, which is 90 feet wide and sits across Cedar Creek. To see it, though, you have to go into this gift shop at buy an $18 ticket ($10 kids) in this fading hotel, which also has a wax museum, a toy museum and a butterfly exhibit.
Refuel on road food at: Charlottesville, Va., is at about Milepost 90, and if it’s dinnertime, then it’s time to swing by the C&O Restaurant (515 E. Water St., 434-971-7044, ), which feels like a bunch of eateries in one. There’s the bar-lined bistro and the mezzanine, with a smaller, more intimate setting. The covered patio is semi-al fresco, while the terrace is pefect for romantic starry nights. All of the dining rooms, though, serve the C&O’s innovative dishes, things like rabbit over lentils and trout in sea salt crust. There are always several creative vegetarian options, and the wine list is fairly priced and has a few surprises.
Sweet dreams: Five miles west of the parkway near the town of Floyd sits Ambrosia Farm B&B (271 Cox Store Road, , 540-745-6363), a restored farmhouse surrounded by pasture and working farms, where deer nibble the foliage near the front door in the mornings and you can take your coffee out for a stroll or to sit out in the flower garden or on the front porch swing. Breakfast, as well as the snacks with afternoon tea and wine, is often made from the garden produce, and the rooms are filled with comfy antiques. Rates start at $90.
More info:
Other classic road trips
