[Reisender]

I did this parkway drive last fall from Smoky. Drove almost 250 miles and came back due to that one our friends wife was pregnant and dont want to continue.

It was one of the most beautiful drives in US which one should never miss if there are in east coast.
Alternatively, there is natchez trace parkway, which starts in TN - AL - Miss'pi. Just google this parkway, this one also is very good but not like Blue Ridge ofcourse.
One good thing about this is that you will cut through lot of small towns/villages where you have a chance to meet different people and taste thier local home based restaurant foods.

Sorry for this OT anyways..

[akbaree]

Originally Posted by aargee

Are there anymore pics taken in the evening? I love to see them.

Unfortunately that's the only picture taken in the evening. Early mornings and evenings are best to drive - I am stating obvious fact here.

And good to see the rail tracks & I hope its being used too. Any idea if they're meant for goods or passengers?

Most probably goods. We saw a goods train.

-----------------

Day 2

We started the day at 8:00 AM

As soon as on the Parkway, we realized that this is what we came here for. The colors were vibrant and pervasive in North Carolina section. At the first overlook for the day.





We knew that we are going to drive thru some of the best sections of the Parkway. Our planning for the day was same as day 1. We wanted to take time as we drive and enjoy the views.






We then climbed to this small hill, where I took my second Panorama.





The overlook below was somewhere near milepost 260





To be continued...

[akbaree]

Day 2 - Continued...

This next picture is taken just before the E.B. Jeffress Park (Benge Gap). Strange color combination.


The next stop was E.B. Jeffress Park. It looked like a popular desitnation. People come to this park to spend their vacation. And why not, it sure is beatiful and big. It was crowded as well.





We had our lunch at Blowing Rock town - and it is indeed a beatiful town.

After the lunch, we moved on and as the most interesting section - the Linn Cove Viaduct started apporaching, the colors kept becoming dense.






The Linn Cove Viaduct is interesting as it took more than 20 years to complete the 1000 feet Viaduct - environmentalists, etc. And it was only after the Viaduct completed that the 460 mile Parkway became complete (in 1987). Americans consider it engineering marvel. No pillar (with an exception of 1 pillar) is standing straight. All of them are at an angle other than 90 degrees.

We took a two mile trek - on a section of Tanawha Trail (that skirts the famed Grandfather Mountain and also the Linn Viaduct and is 13.5 miles long). As stopping is not allowed on the Viaduct, couldn't take any pictures. But if you are coming from the north, stop at around 300 milepost from where you can enjoy absolutely stunning views of the Viaduct. We missed stopping there.

Here are a couple of pictures from the trek...



The next destination - Grandfather Mountain. 20 USD entry fees (per head). But the views from the mountain top were absolutely stunning.










Abundant wild berries...


With that, our trip has come to an end. The time was 6:00 PM. The distance from Grandfather Mountain to Richmond - 359 miles. GPS showed arrival time as 1:00 AM. With fond memories from one of the most brilliant drives, I sign off from this travelogue. Until the next one...

Thanks for reading.

[MX6]

Nothing to beat 9072. Excellent composition. You should make a big print and frame it for posterity.
And fall colours are beautiful. Seems like it is time for an upgrade to an SLR.

[aargee]

Very nice composition of pics & the strange pic indeed looks very strange, getting ready to hug the snow in Winter. Any pics of "Blowing Rock town" is appreciated.

[Hayek]

Just completed the Blue Ridge Drive. Was fabulous - a must do for anyone in the US East Coast. Missed the fall colours except for a few hints of brown - but the next 2-3 weeks should yield a feast for one’s eyes.