Blue Ridge Parkway

On our first Saturday in town, we took a drive to the mountains nearby. The Appalachian Mountains start in Maine to the north and continue all the way down into   . The area near us is called the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is a road that goes along the crest of the mountains above the Shenandoah Valley on the western side and this is where we headed. They are more like height of the Port Hills at this point, but covered in a forest that at this time of year is stunning with the autumn colours.

Part way along the road we came to a stop (Humpback Rocks) where there were some walking trails and a pioneer farm that had been reconstructed from original buildings found around the area.

 

It reminded me of a book I read to the kids years ago called Mary on Horseback, which was a story of a nurse in the Appalachian Mountains back in the 1930's I think. What a hard life they led.

 

We came back down the mountains via the Wintergreen Ski Resort (no snow yet) and through some of the back roads, stopping at a roadhouse for lunch in a small town. It was exactly what you would expect J All part of the experience.