July 27 - Stunning Vistas On Blue Ridge

Stunning! Just stunning! Every year I try to do a different section of the Blue Ridge Parkway as I work my way clockwise around the country. Today I spent the first several hours on the road making my way west from Greenville, North Carolina towards Asheville. Rather than head directly to my host’s home in Black Mountain for the evening I took a detour to do a section on the lower end of the Blue Ridge Parkway first. What an experience.

After covering about 300 miles going west today, I turned off Interstate 40 at the exit for Marion so that I could head north to a town named “Little Switzerland.” What a treat! After leaving Marion, the road narrowed, made numerous tight twists and turns, and gained in elevation as it approached Little Switzerland. The reason for the community’s name became readily apparent as there were wide-sweeping views of the mountains and the valley below from the various buildings perched on their cliffs.

I had chosen to visit this town, not just because of its promising name but also because it is situated right on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As I exited the town and got on the Parkway it started to rain and the air cooled, providing a welcome relief from the heat earlier in the day and setting the stage for some remarkable views.  Because it had been so hot earlier in the day and because the rain was intermittent at first, steam started rising from the hills in puffs like cotton and sunlight burst through the storm clouds, accentuating them. I have to say I was almost spellbound by the vividness of the colors and the untamed natural beauty.

After stopping at several overlooks and enjoying many spectacular vistas, I made my way south along the Blue Ridge Parkway back to interstate 40 and turned off at Black Mountain, almost completing a full loop from my starting point near Marion earlier. What an amazing experience.