Blue Ridge Parkway, Day 1

Saturday, August 24 – Our first leg of the Blue Ridge Parkway, from

outside Charlottesville to Roanoke, was just a great as the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park yesterday.  About the same distance, too:  approximately 100 miles, although we moved along the BRP a little more quickly.  Not quite as many scenic overlooks.  Along Skyline Drive, there are about 75 overlooks over 100 miles.  That sounds fantastic, and in the beginning you feel like you need to stop at every one.  But then after awhile when you get a little scenery-fatigue (I know, I know, we're a little embarrassed to say that), you then feel guilty when you pass one by, because that one may have had the better view of all of the ones you've seen previously.  But even on vacation, you've gotta keep moving.  Plus, it was starting to get dark.

The Appalachian Trail also runs parallel to part of the BRP.  We were on the lookout for it, and this was the only sign we saw for it along the way.