Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.” – May Sarton
Linn Cove Viaduct — Wikipedia photo
Adventures with Pepper: Days 35-36
One of the best things about the Blue Ridge Parkway is that it’s totally decommercialized, which means if you need gas you have to exit the parkway.
I found the rock walls along the parkway just as fascinating as the more spectacular autumn views at overlooks. — Photo by Pat Bean
I needed gas, and according to my maps, Linville, North Carolina was where I needed to get it. Right before I got there I crossed the Linn Cove Viaduct, a 1,243-foot bridge that snakes around Grandfather Mountain. It was completed in 1987 at a cost of $10 million and was the last section of the parkway to be finished. As I was crossing it, I thought how nice it was for a change not to be going up and down ridges for a little bit. The thought turned out to be cause for laughter almost as soon as I got across the bridge. Linville was in the hollow at the bottom of the bridge crossing.
Some times Mother Nature makes words seem inadequate. — Photo by Pat Bean
So down I went, and then back up again to continue my slow, winding, uphill-downhill journey on the parkway. I would spend the next five hours driving just about 100 miles. While the parkway speed is 35-45 mph, most of the time that’s way too fast for road conditions . And then of course there were the overlooks and Mother’s Nature’s wonders around every bend in the road that needed to be explored on foot.
I spent the night and all the next day at a small, but friendly, RV park just off the parkway in Ashville, North Carolina. It was a welcome break for all that uphill and downhill-ness, even if I had enjoyed every moment of it.
Book Report: Nada. Too busy with other projects. Somehow I’m going to have to push Travels with Maggie back up to the top of my priority list.
The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.
Bean’s Pat: A Silk Road Forest http://tinyurl.com/b82opv8 I thought this arm-chair travel blog was a nice contrast to the forests I was driving through.
Pat Bean's blog 
Now that bridge looks like fantastic, it almost looked like everywhere in a microcosm.
It was fun to drive across. It was really high in some places, which is why I thought I was getting a break from the uphill-downhill routine. Thanks for commenting.