Virginia's Blue Ridge Parkway is a great American road trip

If you’re looking for a great American road trip you can’t do better than the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway in southwest Virginia. As the Parkway extends through Virginia and North Carolina it links two eastern national parks, Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains, which add to the road trip’s possibilities.



Roaring Run Falls
Photo by Beverly Burmeier

Designated a National Parkway and All-American Road, it carries visitors through America’s longest linear park. Winding 469 miles through the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Parkway is a treasure trove of accessible scenic and historical sites including 47 National Heritage Areas, 369 miles of hiking trails, and 372 paved scenic overlooks.

With a 40 mph speed limit, the Parkway is designed for leisure travel. It’s not necessary to drive the entire distance to appreciate what the Parkway encompasses, but to really enjoy the highlights, plan to take your time and schedule side trips on foot, bicycle, or by boat.

Read the full article as published in the Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/travel/headlines/20160729-this-469-mile-virginia-road-is-america-s-designated-slow-lane.ece