Chetola Lake

We are slowly working our way up the Blue Ridge Parkway towards Washington. No rush ... this is our last big adventure.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park,[3] runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It runs mostly along the spine of the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains.

We have aligned our journey with the 4 regions and are staying somewhere in the middle of each for 4 days at a time.

Last week was #1 in the South with Cherokee and the Smokey Mountains.

The Highlands Region is #2 and we have hiked almost 30km on the Tanawha trail. The muscle memory is kicking in. Blue Ridge Parkway is beautiful and the hiking is even better. Blowing Rock is a gem of a town and the Pizza at Mellow Mushroom the best.... especially after this morning's hike.Read more