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Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains
Article & Photography by Cherie DeLory
othing but heavy fog is encircling our minivan and I doubt we’re travelling faster than 20 miles in a 45 mph limit. We’re on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway in Southwest Virginia, known for its scenic views along the Blue Ridge Mountain range. This National Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. It’s 469 miles of winding, cliffside, convertible topdown worthy road trip terrain. “Have you driven this road before?” I ask our driver. I’m a little nervous when she says no.
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We seem to be climbing higher, on route to Mabry Mill, one of the most photographed
sites on the Parkway, a restored gristmill and blacksmith shop. Before reaching the mill we stop for photos at the 1,430 elevation mark. At first I am reluctant to pull out my camera, thinking the light rain and thick fog will ruin any chance of capturing an awesome shot. Though I’m inspired after a travelling companion and professional photographer says how some of his best nature shots have been taken in foggy conditions. The fog accentuates the fall colours of the leaves, he explains. He was right. The Blue Ridge Mountains are to the Appalachians what the Alberta foothills are to the Rocky Mountains in Canada. The mountain range spans from Georgia to the south, to Pennsylvania to the north. This is
my first visit to Virginia and the Blue Ridge region, and I quickly become acquainted with the reality of southern hospitality during my introduction to the inviting small towns, wineries, craft breweries, restaurants, and historic and cultural venues. This is a place where an exhuberbant “y’all” is a term of endearment, and buttery biscuits, deep fried green beans, and shrimp and grits is home cooking at its best. We touch down at Blacksburg Regional Airport in Roanoke, a five-minute drive from the epicentre of the city, approximate population of 100,000. Located in the Roanoke Valley, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, there is a quiet calm protecting its relaxed ambiance.