It was a pretty day for a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and all the rain we’ve had this summer has kept the mountains lush and green.
Starting at Milepost 0 at the north end of the Parkway, here are a few of our pictures from the day.
MP 10.7: Looking west from the BRP to the Shenandoah Valley at Raven’s Roost overlook.
East view & billowing clouds to the west:
At MP 34.4, we stopped to check out a reconstruction of an old logging railroad and to walk up a short trail to Wigwam Falls:
After walking back down the trail, we continued driving south, stopping at various overlooks along the way. This is the view at MP 49.3:
We drove through the Bluff Mountain Tunnel at MP 53.1,
and stopped at Otter Creek Flats at MP 58.2.
The water was incredibly clear and full of tiny fish….
Wayne enjoyed photographing the changing patterns in the water.
Just further south, we stopped again at Otter Lake (MP 63.1), which features a small dam and spillway.
Our next stop was at the James River Visitor Center (MP 63.6). We made our way down a short trail to the pedestrian bridge that’s built under the regular bridge that crosses the James. At just 650 feet above sea level, this is the lowest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Such pretty views, both upstream and down!
Dozens and dozens of swallows nest under the bridge, and it’s not uncommon to see turtles sunning themselves on logs in the James River.
After getting back on the Parkway and crossing the James River, we turned onto Rt. 501 towards Lynchburg, VA to start the drive home. The clouds we’d watched all day were becoming more ominous, and radar confirmed that strong storms were moving into the area.
Just south of Lovingston on Rt. 29–when we couldn’t see the road or mountains ahead due to heavy rain to our north–we decided to stop and wait it out. Fortunately, we were able to avoid the worst of the storm, and there was just light rain on the rest of the drive home.
We always enjoy our visits to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we’re thankful that we could take/make the time for one more little adventure before the start of the school year!