WOW!!!! The Blue Ridge Parkway

We were so happy to finally be driving on the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway as we had missed it up north, when the tornado hit near us in Virgina.  God was smiling on us this time though, as we had picture-perfect weather.  This road has been voted the 2nd best drive in the entire USA (after the Grand Canyon) and it did not disappoint!  It's in the southern part of the Appalachian mountain range and as we entered through the lush, green, forest with trees creating a canopy over our car, the morning mist was just starting to burn off the mountains.  If you have time, click on the pictures to enlarge and enjoy some of the details.

The initial views revealed just a few layers of mountains, and every hill was covered in the vibrant green of spring.
There were little villages and farmsteads nestled into valleys and as we progressed, the vistas started to open up.

There were many overlooks to stop at and drink in the magnificent views, providing layer after layer of mountain ranges, gradually fading into the haze.  That's how the name "Blue Ridge" originated, as the mountains in the distance appear to be blue.

The road twisted and turned, criss-crossing hiking/biking trails and we marvelled at the cyclists as it was difficult enough just driving in a car!  The slow speed limit allowed us to relax and enjoy the views, but we decided to retract our comment from the last blog about having experienced the curviest road ever... it was nothing compared to this.

Around every turn in the road was another breathtaking view and as we climbed to higher elevations

 (5,000 ft.), the deep cut valleys and steep mountain sides became more dramatic.



That's a waterfall through the middle!

We drove through many, long tunnels carved through massive mountains,



and all along the road were naturalized azaleas in full bloom.

After more than 3 hours of this gorgeous, but also demanding drive, Jim definitely needed a break!



Luckily we came upon a suspension bridge, just begging to be swung on.

We had to force ourselves off the Parkway as we had many more miles to cover, but the highways continued to deliver more amazing mountain scenery for hundreds of miles.  This area of the country (North Carolina, Virgina and West Virgina) is absolutely stunning to drive through.

There was also evidence of their fierce pride in their Confederate roots...

We finished our drive at another university to check out... you guessed it... their athletic facilities!

This is the University of West Virginia in Morgantown.



Basketball stadium exterior above,
and interior below.



Football Stadium exterior above,
and interior below.

We're well on our way back north now, to bring this adventure of a lifetime close to it's end...