15 days on the Blue Ridge Parkway: September 2014

We decided to take the trailer out on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so we could see how long we could "boondock" without having any power except our battery.  All the camping sites on the parkway are without power, and in beautiful places.   Before leaving, the trailer had been in our driveway for two months, while Alan and I (mostly Alan) did a lot of needed things.  The most arduous was dealing with the exterior, which had half-gone decals and grime from never having been waxed since it left the factory.  I won't go through all the trouble involved, but the results are great.  We now have a shiny trailer, with only the intact decals still there.  Plus, Alan built and installed lots of needed improvements on the interior.

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For those of you who aren't familiar with the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is a beautiful drive that goes 469 miles along the crest of the Southern Appalachians, linking Shenandoah National Park to the Smokies.  Here is the official park service link, if you are interested in finding out more. 
 Blue Ridge Parkway information

Our first five days were at Mt. Pisgah, about 20 miles south of Asheville.  We chose to be there because my nephew Pete and his wife Karen from Chicago planned to be in Asheville on vacation.  We were able to get together with them for hiking and exploring the great restaurants in Asheville.  We had a wonderful time with them.  

Pete, Rhoda, and Karen at fog-shrouded overlook before a rainy, but fun  hike

Pete and Karen on hike to top of Mt. Pisgah

Alan showing off his new mountain bike bought at REI in Asheville

Thousands of Daddy Longlegs around a sign on the restroom
We have no idea why they were there.

We saw lots of beautiful fungi.

Our next stop was at the Linville Falls campground:

Upper Linville Falls

Lower Linville Falls

Some of the trees were starting to turn.

Linn Cove Viaduct from trail below
The viaduct was built on an incredibly steep section of Grandfather Mountain.
The road kept falling off the mountain until they devised a special  design.  

All of the other bridges on the parkway are beautiful stone arches,
like this three arch bridge over the Linville River.

View of the parkway with stone walls, many of which were constructed by the CCC.
The parkway was a depression-era project designed to give jobs.
The result is a stunning  drive, with wonderful overlooks every few miles. 

Our last five days were at Doughton Park, almost at the Virginia border.  It was our favorite park of the three.  We will definitely go back, because there were so many beautiful places and trails there.

There were lots of fall wildflowers.

We had site A8, a lovely wooded site.