On the September 17th we drove part of the Blue Ridge Parkway (mostly in Virginia) and managed to tack on crossing the border to set foot in West Virginia.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic drive through the Appalachian
Highlands and it meanders for 469 scenic miles through 29 Virginia and North Carolina
counties, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National
Park.
As we left the RV Park we noticed one of our neighbors had a cute Pot-bellied Pig (and 2 dogs). The cute little guy was wagging it's curly tail and seemed as happy as a pig in.... well, you know the saying. We've seen lots of people traveling with their dogs and a few cats, one with a cockatoo and now a pig!
We drove up past Mount Airy towards Asheville and crossed
over into Virginia and joined the Blue Ridge Parkway after passing through
Fancy Gap. It’s a slow scenic route with many viewpoints along the way. Some of
the viewpoints were so over grown with trees that you couldn’t see the mountain
range. We also didn’t have the best weather for viewing as it was overcast and
rained a tiny bit along the way. There was some fall foliage that added to the
beauty of the drive.
Mt Airy Granite Quarry (trees too tall to see)
passing through a few small towns along the way - Orchard Gap
At one of the viewpoints there were 2 Beagles (or some mix) that appeared
to have been left behind. When I got out of the car one tried to get in the car
while the other one just stood back and cried and whimpered. They jumped all
over us. When we went to get back in the car one of them got in my door and
ended up in Greg’s lap and he opened his door and got the dog out. They looked
like they were well taken care of and seemed to have their claws clipped since
when they jumped on us they didn’t scratch us. They didn’t seem hungry, just
starved for attention and ready to adopt us as their owners. We didn’t know
what to do about them. We hoped that someone accidently left them and would
come back for them.
too overgrown to see Pilot Mountain, but these dogs sure wanted to adopt us
This stop showed examples of the different types of Picket
or Paling rail fences. The 3 most common types are Snake rail, Buck rail and Post & Rail fences.
lookout cabin
view from the car
Round Meadow Creek - overlook is from the center of the bridge
you can see a glimpse of the stream in this photo
we did the short trail down to the creek
easy path
creek at the bottom
going under the bridge
We stopped for lunch at Mabry Mill. I had a grilled croissant with country ham and home-made pimiento cheese and a huge salad. Greg had BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with coleslaw fruit.
Mabry Mill Restaurant & Gift Shop
BBQ Pulled Pork
Country Ham & Pimento Cheese
Edwin Boston Mabry (1867-1936) built this water powered
mill. He was a jack of all trades; a chairmaker, a miner, a coal blacksmith and a farmer). The gristmill and sawmill have been restored by park
naturalists so visitors might see live exhibits, a real mill, and a working
miller to demonstrate the milling process.
Mabry Mill
The Matthews Cabin is an outstanding example of mountain
architecture and workmanship and offers an intriguing look into the tanning and
shoe making crafts. There is also a whiskey still, a sorghum mill and a working
blacksmith shop. Mabry Mill was a community center for the Meadows of Dan area
when it operated as a gristmill and sawmill.
1869 - Appalachian House
Bark Mill - Simon the tanner used this horse powered Bark Machine to grind Oak & Hemlock bark for tanning mixed with water for tanning hides. The ground bark produced bark liquor for tanning hides.
Whiskey Still
Wood Drying Rack
Versatile Mill -
Grist Mill, It started as a blacksmith shop, then became a sawmill, then
evolved into a grist mill, sawmill and a woodworking shop is housed there. though
it included a lathe, a planer and a jig saw so the versatile Mr. Mabry could
maximize it’s use and success.
Mill Stones
We walked around Rocky Knob area - it was a campsite with numerous hiking trails
Rock Castle Gorge
Buffalo Mountain - 3971 ft elevation
we are standing in the saddle - Woods Gap, Sugar Loaf and Smith River Valley in the distance
the Saddle
the Saddle
Rakes Mill Pond
Rakes Mill Pond
from the car
Shortts Knob Overlook - elevation 2806 ft
young buck - White-tailed
Trail's Cabin - built in the 1890's by the Trail family
bathroom at the park
Smart View Overlook - elevation 2564
Cahas Mountain - elevation 3577, elevation here at 3013
from the car
Lost Mountain elevation 2160 elevation here 2200
Lost Mountain - Roanoke Mountain in the distance
Masons Knob elevation 3200 elevation here 1430
from the car on the way to West Virginia
town of Paint Bank on the drive to West Virginia
We stopped for a break in the small town of Paint Bank.
Swing Bridge Restaurant & Paint Bank General Store
Udderly Chic(k)
On a grassy hill behind the General Store we saw this interesting sculpture of a cow hatching out of an egg
Topiary
the drive back to Roanoke......
We stopped for dinner in Roanoke. It was around 9:30 when we
got home. It was a long day but enjoyable. We did just a short distance of the
Parkway and there are miles and miles of scenic beauty yet to be explored.
There are numerous hiking trails to do as well. Another year for that...
Tomorrow, we are hiking Pilot Mountain State Park. Since we look at it every day, it's time to go see it up close!
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