Down the Blue Ridge Parkway - Weeks 7 and 8

It took us 3 days to drive from Lubec, Maine to the north entrance to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. In total, we drove through 8 states: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.  I couldn't keep track of where we were at any given moment.  The rainy weather finally caught up with us.  We plowed through flooded streets, hoping our battery didn't die on us.  EV fast chargers are everywhere in the East, so we had no problem getting a charge. The drive was smooth and fast even though we avoided toll roads and freeways.

When we finally got to Shenandoah National Park, our pace slowed.  The drive through the Park is 35 mph and goes right along the crest of the mountains--lots of twists, turns, and turn-outs (70 within the park itself) with views of the valleys below. There were not a lot of visitors, so the drive was easy.

  

Shenandoah National Park ended but the road continued along the crest of the mountains becoming the Blue Ridge Parkway (now at 45 mph). The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway (with park rangers, presentations, and such) noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park far to the south.  Naturally, Roger wants to see all 469 miles.

    

    

Our drive along the Parkway included a visit to an 1800s family farm.  We explored the one-room log home, the spring house (built over a creek with the purpose of keeping food cool), the chicken coop (with one chicken), the bear-proof log pig pen, the vegetable garden, and more.  As we wandered around these structures, we totally missed a huge copperhead snake at the base of one of the buildings. There was a sign saying not to play on the rock walls (which we didn't do) because a venomous snake had been sited there.  But there was no warning about the snake at the corner of the cabin!  The only reason we know about the snake is that walkers behind us took a picture of it.  When we returned to see it, it was not there.  From the family farm, we took a walk along the Appalachian Trail to Looking Glass Point (not particularly different from the views at the viewpoints, but a lot more effort!).

We visited the Moses Cone mansion (below) which now serves as a crafts shop, with perhaps the most unique crafts that we have seen on the trip so far. 

We stopped at a winery on the Parkway to share a "flight" of wines on their patio overlooking the vineyard and a light lunch of olives, apples, and cheese from our cooler.  The wines were okay, but the venue was outstanding.  

  Roger tasting wine

Later that day, we discovered the Blue Ridge Music Center with an hour-long performance of bluegrass music and a museum of local instruments.  At one point, members of the audience were invited to dance to one of the songs. I hopped up and danced away...totally out of breath when the song came to an end.

 Blue Grass Players

Our final stop along the Parkway was the Mabrey Mill with historic buildings and implements.  It was interesting how Mr. Mabrey channeled the water from several streams to his workshop where he not only ground grain, but also cut logs and made tools, built wagon wheels, and other items.  He did this all using the power of the water wheel. Fascinating!  I didn't have a chance to look at the crafts at this stop, but I have been told that they were equally as nice as those at the Cone mansion.

    

 Mabrey Mill

Eventually, all this driving brought us to milepost 300 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, very near the home of our dear friends in North Carolina.  We slipped off the Parkway at Blowing Rock (a small cutesy tourist town with lots of flowers, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and dress/souvenir shops) and found our way downhill to their place near Winston-Salem.  

Blowing Rock City Hall

We have known Ken and Carolyn since our Air Force days in Puerto Rico (early 1970s).  They lived on base just two houses from ours.  Carolyn and I were both pregnant when we arrived and delivered our children at the base hospital--our Puerto Rican babies!  For so many reasons, the 4 of us just clicked.  They introduced us to John Denver's Country Roads and to the game of bridge. We explored Puerto Rico together, and then a traveled together to Barbados.  When the base closed, we went our separate ways. Over the years, we have remained good friends, visiting each other when possible and traveling together from time to time.

Our week with the two of them was like "coming home."  They offered us great food and wine, walks, wonderful conversations, and a respite from all the driving. We read a lot, watched movies, and shared our views on books and current events. We just enjoyed one another. We had hoped to see Ken and Carolyn's kids (now about 50 and 52), but we couldn't make it happen. That will have to wait until our next visit. We did catch up with Abbey (their granddaughter), who is a senior studying marine biology at the University of North Carolina.

 The four of us and a peek at their dog, Maddy

Fully refreshed, and having traveled as far East as we had planned, we now turn west for our journey home.