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