| The Blue Ridge Parkway is the legacy from
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| | for this is that the quality of the road
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| the era of Roosevelt and the New Deal.
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| | itself is excellent in that actually the
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| Now for students of history and indeed
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| | bicycle is a great way to experience the
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| for some with a very long memory, it is
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| | outstanding scenery at a more leisurely
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| not difficult to understand why this
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| | pace than one would otherwise experience
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| project was put together.
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| | from a car. However to enjoy the benefits
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| Originally planned as a link between the
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| | of the Blue Ridge Parkway on a bicycle
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| great Smoky Mountain national Park and
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| | takes planning and to be brutally blunt
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| the Shenandoah national Park, the Blue
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| | endurance. This last aspect is key as
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| Ridge Parkway has now taken on an
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| | though the lowest point may well only be
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| identity all of it's own.
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| | 600 foot above sea level and the highest
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| The 469 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway
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| | point 6000 foot the various "ups and
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| are a testament to the care and attention
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| | downs" off the route actually total an
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| and craftsmanship of the original workers
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| | elevation change of nearly 48000 feet.
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| and this goes quite some way to adding to
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| | That's nearly 9 miles to the uninitiated!
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| the experience and enjoyment gained by
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| | As has been mentioned the road
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| travelling on this route way.
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| | effectively spans two states Virginia and
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| As you can imagine executing a feat like
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| | North Carolina the terrain in each state
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| this took considerable experience as well
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| | is actually quite different effectively
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| as imagination. The landscape architect
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| | Virginia is more in the foothills of the
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| Stanley Abbot was chosen to head up this
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| | Appalachians but when you hit the North
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| task and as befits a man who's CV
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| | Carolina section of the Blue Ridge
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| includes Central Park Manhattan he
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| | Parkway mountings scenery becomes much
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| achieved this with considerable aplomb.
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| | more alpine and dramatic.
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| The Blue Ridge Parkway took approximately
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| | Initially work started on the Blue Ridge
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| 2 years to complete and extends from
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| | Parkway in 1935 and actually took 52
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| Waynesboro in the north to just outside
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| | years before the roadway was actually
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| of Cherokee on the edge of the Great
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| | officially opened in 1987 as one
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| Smoky Mountains National Park in the
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| | continuous road.
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| South.
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| | To really give the Blue Ridge Parkway
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| As it travels south west from Waynesboro
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| | it's due then you really have to set
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| the Blue Ridge Parkway passes Roanoke in
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| | aside two weeks to enjoy your visit and
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| Virginia and Asheville in North Carolina
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| | even then you may well find that that is
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| before stopping just short off the
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| | not enough.
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| Tennessee North Carolina border just
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| | Scott writes regularly about Travel
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| south of Gatlinburg.
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| | issues such as Smoky Mountain Cabins and
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| The Parkway is a great route for those
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| | Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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| who lovers of bicycles. The real reason
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