For our editor in chief, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a place to slow down and enjoy the ride.
blue ridge parkway
The Bluffs Offers Second Helpings
For more than 60 years before it closed, the first restaurant on the Blue Ridge Parkway was a beloved stop for hungry motorists, weary hikers, and local families. Now, The Bluffs is dishing up fried chicken and cathead biscuits once again.
The Blue Ridge Parkway: A Monumental Drive
In the mid-1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched a massive program to cut a 469-mile road through the North Carolina and Virginia mountains. More than 80 years later, the Blue Ridge Parkway remains the most popular scenic byway in the country.
The Scenic Route
Six nature lovers set out on different life paths, but each route ultimately led to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
21 Artists of the Parkway
The scenic drive from Cherokee to the Virginia state line guarantees beauty in more ways than one. Take a detour off the Blue Ridge Parkway to meet some of the artists inspired by our majestic mountains, wild landscapes, and natural diversity — and to appreciate a different sort of view.
8 Lovely Lookouts
These inns, resorts, and B&Bs in our mountains provide a place to recharge between your autumn adventures — plus, the views are gorgeous.
Call of the Wild in Asheville
At the Folk Art Center just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, artisans share the language of Appalachian craft with younger generations.
Mileposts & Memories: A Stop-by-Stop Guide to Exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway
We followed the Blue Ridge Parkway down through North Carolina, from Cumberland Knob just below the Virginia state line all the way to Cherokee, compiling our favorite vistas along the way.
A Road’s Refrain
On fall break from college in the early 1980s, a writer and his loyal English setter took a road trip from Watauga County to the Qualla Boundary, accompanied by the sweet sounds of fiddles, banjos, and high-lonesome harmonies.
