Tag: Full-time RV Living

Posted February 8, 2025 – Narrated by Jim

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What took us so long to BRP?

Well before before Day One of this Airstream adventure – in response to one of our earliest posts, Tell The Beaubeauxs Where To Geaux – Living in Beauty followers have advised us to visit the BRP: Blue Ridge Parkway.

Then, for more than seven years, we drove over the BRP, under the BRP and around the BRP, until… Bingo. We finally hit the target and gave the Blue Ridge Parkway the full focus of our attention for the entire month of July.

At last, we understand why the popular Blue Ridge Parkway is called “America’s Favorite Drive.” This National Park Service, NPS, attraction averages more than 16 million visitors per year, mostly during the Autumn color season.

That’s a noteworthy statistic since the NPS boasts 5,000 miles of Roads, Routes & Parkways such as The Loneliest Highway, The Natchez Trace, The Cheraholla Skyway and many more that we hope to drive in the future.

The BRP’s 469 smoothly paved miles is the longest linear parkway in the United States – linking Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

This dream road-trip can be accomplished in two days – about 15 hours start-to-finish – but why do that if you don’t have to?

We gave the BRP 31 uplifting days of constant rubber-necking, frequent pull-offs and unplanned side-trips. That’s long enough to work through an entire pound bag of Atomic Fireballs 💥 and listen to the complete works of John Denver about six times. Blame it on the chlorophyll, but being old and alive never felt so good.

Proceed Carefully! Green & Blue Overload Ahead!

The BRP didn’t quite get the full 4-3-2 treatment, the rule we continually strive to master with hit-and-miss success.

As public concerns about airline travel (the safety and ethics the hassles and delays) increase, traveling longer and slower is the obvious solution to just staying home, as more travel experts advise.

For us, new and emerging technologies are put to better use for overlanding at a light-hearted unhurried pace rather than schlepping bags on escalators through overcrowded airports.

Still, most folks don’t get us, and we get it. We loved those two-week cross-country trips and whirlwind European vacations. But why keep that up till the cows come home?

Before retirement, the “Two-Week American Vacation Challenge” was a rush. Now, the mission is to relax and cherish every sunset.

When time isn’t under the whip and the comforts of home are ever-present, travel is no chore. Truth is, we don’t fancy being golden handcuffed to an oversized property.

Living in Beauty began with a simple bucket-list, but over the years our primary objective has widened to achieving contact – to shoot for the moonwalk experience.

Don’t ask if we saw this or that, just ask us how it made us feel to be there.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was like a plunge into tranquility. It’s no wonder why the regional mountain musicians like to sing about heaven.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a vacation for the senses, a re-boot for the ol’ neurotransmitters–

a mental massage. The short tunnels compress the senses, initiating a brief moment of tension–

and then gently release with a serene valley view under majestic skies with the occasional fleeting glimpse of a terrestrial life form.

It’s like free-birding through a mystery-land of the imagination.

Apologies for breaking the spell, but the entire experience was expertly cultivated by the NPS. Relax, no one is casting illusions. The magic behind The Blue Ridge Parkway is what is not there …

Like the absence of commercialization–

and the presence of flourishing overhead growth because 18-wheelers are forbidden.

The low speed limit (we averaged 30 mph) without the visual cadence of telephone poles and drooping power lines.

And no people. We’re not sure why traffic was low, but we felt alone for several hours of the day. The climate was cool, the weather more wet than usual, and it was not buggy in the least.

Some History

The BRP was conceived in the early 1930’s to protect the region’s natural beauty and restore forest destroyed by excessive logging, erosion and fires.

A low-impact road to blend into the protected corridor and create a perspective that extends as far as the eye can see. To restore natural beauty. That was the plan.

The BRP was completed in 1966, with the exception of a 7+ mile stretch around Grandfather Mountain. The remaining miles took 21 more years with the construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct, one of the most complicated concrete bridges ever engineered. The 1200 feet sweeping “S” curve suspended section is built in 153 segments weighing 50 tons each.

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Getting There

A website provides all of the info you need to plan a BRP drive. It covers basic information, things to do, road closures, lodges, campgrounds, restaurants and detailed maps.

We started out from Tennessee, following a two-month stay at Carmen’s sister’s house in the Cherokee National Forest.

We passed through The Peaceful Side of The Smokies, stopping to take in the charms of Tellico Plains, famous for Tellico Grains Bakery.

From there we entered the Cheraholla Skyway, a 43-mile National Scenic Byway ending near the entry to the BRP.

Asheville

The BRP starts a few miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina.

Our first two-week stop was in Lake Powhatan Recreation Area, near Asheville.

‎⁨A hiking trail near our site, meanders through the Pisgah National Forest.

From a nearby launching point we kayaked the French Broad River through downtown Asheville …

then stopped at Blue Ghost Brewing Company…

… and White Duck Taco Shop, the best taco stand in the south.

All that fresh Asheville spring water makes the micro-breweries grow.

Our dear friends Frank and Debbie DiBona–

lavished us with first-class southern hospitality at their lakeside cottage for the 4th of July weekend.

Linville Falls

Leaving Asheville we re-connected to the BRP via Town Mountain Road.

Our first stop, Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, was socked in by fog, but still worth the visit.

Just 41 miles down the BRP, driving through tunnels –

and taking in the views –

we settled in for the night at Linville Falls Campground, where a mountain trail leads to waterfall views.

Dan’l Boone Inn

The next morning, after about an hour on the BRP,

we detoured a bit north to dine at Dan’l Boone Inn in Boone, North Carolina.

They served up a delicious high-country feast, served family-style.

Bandits Roost

Then, back on the parkway, we passed through Bamboo Gap–

ending our day at Bandits Roost Campground, near Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

There we celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary with chicken salad and Rosé.

Grassy Creek Vineyard

Heading north on Hwy 18 we connected again to the BRP–

and stopped for a complimentary night at a Harvest Host near State Road, North Carolina.

After a lovely wine tasting at Grassy Creek Vineyard, we dined in their charming pavilion beside the pond–

and turned in for a peaceful night in a clearing beside the woods.

The next morning we grabbed our hiking poles and hit the trailhead beside the parking lot.

Blue Ridge Music Center

Continuing north on Hwy 21, we merged back to the BRP for the Blue Ridge Music Center experience.

The museum preserves, interprets, and presents the evolving musical traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains, highlighting its influence on American music.

Concerts are always in session along the Parkway. We missed a Saturday big summer outdoor concert, but a thoroughly amazing local trio made up for the loss.

Round Peak Vineyards

Less than 30 minutes down the road we exited for another Harvest Host –

and overnighted at Round Peak Vineyards.

We loved their wines, but they also had beer on tap from their on-site Skull Camp Brewing Company.

So we took our growler to the rose garden–

and marveled at the mountain sunset.

Mabry Mill in Meadow of Dan

The next morning, after driving about 270 miles and 22 days on the BRP in North Carolina, we crossed over into Virginia for the final 200 miles.

About 40 miles north of the border we stopped at Mabry Mill.

Completed in 1905, the gristmill was powered by a wooden aqueduct water system.

Funded by the National Park System, naturalists and working millers demonstrate the process and answer questions.

Next door, the Mabry Mill Restaurant served up their famous buckwheat pancakes–

and we stocked up on grains.

After a fascinating three-hour visit, we pressed north.

Floyd

We wrapped up the final week at Virginia Highland Haven Airstream Park, just off the BRP. From there we took day trips to nearby attractions.

For all its charms, the BRP is not a culinary destination, so we mostly dined at home with a focus on salads. At least once a week I made Niçoise, Carmen’s favorite.

A few miles south of our campground, we caught the Friday Night Jamboree at Floyd Country Store, an authentic haven for Blue Grass artists.

Roanoke

We took a day-trip up the BRP to …

Roanoke, Virginia to get a mountain top view of the city–

with the largest free-standing, man-made, illuminated star in the world–

and to enjoy the safe designated cycling trail between Roanoke and Salem–

with brewery and restaurant stops along the way.

We never tired of the green and blue which held us in thrall even to the southern border of Shenandoah National Park.

Barren Ridge Vineyards

The manicured property of Barren Ridge Vineyards made a perfect ending to our month on the Parkway.

Cheers to the Blue Ridge Parkway–

Almost Heaven

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You can see our exact route on this map.

*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.

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