Blue Ridge Parkway

We left Sylva about 10:00 am and hopped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for a leisurely, two hour drive to Asheville, North Carolina, and the Biltmore Estate.  It took us a little while longer to make it to Biltmore, but the journey was well worth it.  The speed limit was 35 mph or 45 mph, there was little traffic, and there were lots of chances to pull over to enjoy scenic overlooks.  We even passed the highest point on the Parkway, an elevation of 6,053 ft.  

The Parkway's construction started during the Great Depression with work by private contractors, state and federal highway departments, Italian and Spanish immigrant stonemasons, and thousands of Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees.  Dedication of the completed Parkway took place in 1987.  The Parkway meanders for 469 miles, from Virginia to North Carolina; it begins in Virginia, where Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive ends, and finishes in North Carolina, at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  If you have the time and the inclination, give it a try.  You won't be disappointed.