On a spring afternoon, we threw the car keys to two of our editors and gave them one mission: Find the best ragtop drives in the South. One scooted along a beautiful stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Cherokee, North Carolina. The other headed southwest of Oklahoma City, up a twisting road leading to the infinite skies above Oklahoma's Mount Scott. Either drive is guaranteed to deliver a getaway like no other.
Breezing Along the Blue Ridge
Vroom. I smile when I see the thick wooden National Park Service sign with "Blue Ridge Parkway" carved in white letters. I'm
happy for several reasons: I'm in a candy-apple-red Ford Mustang convertible; it's a sunny, light-jacket spring day; and there
are no traffic lights or commercial vehicles on the Parkway.
Just for fun, I stomp on the gas pedal. The speed limit is a mundane 45 m.p.h., but I have to accelerate up this hill (my excuse) and let the reins out on this wild stallion I've rented.
I steer off busy U.S. 74 in Asheville, North Carolina, then stop at one of the Parkway's entry points. Hmm. North or south?
North takes me to the Folk Art Center and the Parkway's visitors center, then on to majestic Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain (6,684 feet) east of the Mississippi. The 469-mile road continues into Virginia, connecting with Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park near Waynesboro. That would make a fantastic trip, but I've only got a day, so I jerk the reins (oops, the steering wheel) right and head south. Giddyap.
The 80-mile stretch between Asheville and Cherokee makes for an easy day trip or a nice weekend getaway if I opt to stay in Waynesville, Sylva, Dillsboro, Brevard, or Cherokee. I've driven this route before, but not in a convertible. Being in a drop top completely changes my perspective.
Amazingly, there are 17 tunnels within a 70-mile span. Sunglasses off and headlights on, I whiz through short bits of darkness with names such as Ferrin Knob No. 1, Frying Pan, Devil's Courthouse, and Big Witch.
With a convertible and a quick side trip down U.S. 276 toward Brevard, I can take in Looking Glass Falls from the car. The fresh, lime-green growth of spring frames the foaming white spray of this 60-foot waterfall.
There's nothing like a ragtop for pull offs and panoramas--and there are plenty of them on the Parkway. Favorites are Devil's Courthouse, with gorgeous views of Pisgah National Forest from its rock summit; and Richland Balsam overlook, with views of the remnant spruce-fir forest.
For more information: Contact the Blue Ridge Parkway at (828) 298-0398, or visit www.nps.gov/blri.
- Loading comments...
