A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Blue Ridge Road Trip" is from the October 2002 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.
Autumn. The Blue Ridge Parkway. They're synonymous here in western North
Carolina. It simply wouldn't be fall without a cruise along this scenic two-lane
highway in the sky.
The parkway's 45-m.p.h. speed limit forces you to relax and savor the trip. If
you can't spare the time to do the whole thing, there's an 80-mile stretch
between Asheville and Cherokee that makes a nice day adventure. There are all
sorts of places to pull off the parkway, so you can make the journey as long or
short as you like.
Start at the Folk Art Center, located on the parkway about 5 miles east of
Asheville, near the intersection of U.S. 70. The center displays and sells
excellent works made by members of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. There's
an information desk, usually manned by a park ranger or volunteer, offering
pamphlets about the Blue Ridge Parkway. From the Folk Art Center, head west to
Cherokee. Here are some suggested stops.
Pull over at the parking overlook at the French Broad River, just past the
intersection of State 191 and 280, and view the display recounting the river's
importance to the area.
Then you'll start a slow climb from the valley and up along the mountain
ridges--a gain of some 3,500 feet in elevation in the next 36 miles. The
temperature cools noticeably, about three degrees for every 1,000 feet.
In the next 15 miles, you'll pass through nine tunnels, and then end up at Mt.
Pisgah Inn. There's a service station, as well as lodging and dining here.
Nearby is an overlook with a spectacular view of the French Broad River Valley.
Rates at the Mt. Pisgah Inn are $75-$87 double occupancy. Call (828) 235-8228.
Next stop is Sliding Rock on U.S. 276 (near milepost 409), a natural, 60-foot
water slip-and-slide. A bit farther down the road, you can take a side trip to
the Cradle of Forestry in America Visitor Center, about 3 ½ miles on the way to
Brevard. Exhibits, demonstrations, and guided tours tell the story of the
birthplace of modern forestry. Past the intersection with U.S. 276 is the
overlook for Cold Mountain, made famous in the best-selling novel by Charles
Frazier.
Ahead are several neat stops: Looking Glass Rock, a huge 400-foot exposed
dome, and Richland Balsam Overlook, about a half-mile on the left past milepost
431. It's the highest point on the parkway at 6,047 feet.
There are many more panoramic scenes and stops before you exit the parkway at
its southern terminus at U.S. 441, near Cherokee in the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. Remember, you're in no hurry: It's the drive, and not the
destination, that makes the trip enjoyable.
For more information: Contact the National Park Service Blue Ridge Parkway at
(828) 298-0398 or www.nps.gov/blri.
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