We woke up the next morning and looked up into the mountains north of Bryson City where we were headed to what looked like fog.  It had rained some in the night and it was actually a low cloud layer still hovering in the mountains.  We unhooked and headed to the Parkway entrance and were immediately rewarded with no traffic and beautiful scenery. 

These two features kept coming back over the next 4 days as we drove north on the Parkway.  First, it seemed that we were the only ones driving.  I would guess that for about 95% of the 4 days on the Parkway, we had no one behind or in front of us that we could actually see.  That was good because I was driving slower than the marked speed limit of 45 mph.  The hills and curves were tough to navigate much faster with the RV and the Jeep, and it was a lot easier with no one pushing you along.  If I got a few cars behind me, I would pull over at a viewing overlook to let them pass.

This first section was a part of the Great Smoky Mountain Park with no commercial development.  Our first overnight stop was to be in Banner Elk, NC about 190 miles up the Parkway.  At 30-35 mph average, that would end up taking us 7 hours with overlook stops included!    

That was the second feature.  There are about 275 official pullout overlooks along the Parkway.  These are actual small “parking lots” that have room for cars and RVs to stop and enjoy the vistas.  Some are bigger than others and some are small with no real room for the RV with the Jeep in tow.  They all have a plaque with the overlook name and elevation.  And some have a further explanation about the importance of the area and that particular overlook.

Obviously, you can’t stop at everyone but that first day was different.  With the cloud layer sometimes above us and sometimes below us, the view changed a lot, and we stopped maybe more than was necessary.  But it was new, and it was very stunning.  So, we did.  Picking photos to post would become even harder.   But one stop of interest was the highest point overlook which was at 6053 ft.  We met a nice couple from College Station, TX that took our picture.

There are also 26 tunnels on the parkway and all but 1 are at the south end so we did 25 the first day and the last one on the 4^th day.  They range in height from 19’ 3” to 17’ 7” in the center to only 14’ 8” to 11’ 7” on the edge line.  Since “the Boat” is 11’ 6” with our antenna, we felt good about going through them.  I had asked some of the other Delano owners if they had driven the Parkway and was assured that the clearances were good.  But it still looked close!

We did stop at the first visitor center after about 20 miles and were informed that there is a 50 section of the parkway closed for repairs that we would encounter on the second day.  We definitely recommend stopping to get information about the road as you start your journey.

After about 8 hours, we made it to Banner Elk and got hooked up at the Grandfather Campground.  This was a large and very nice park with RV pads, tent areas, cabins and a large field for group camping and events.  It is not associated with the Grandfather Mountain State Park, and we soon discovered there are many businesses and other things with Grandfather in the name.

We were off almost immediately up to Beech Mountain to visit our Florida friends, Nancy and Earl.  They spend the summers at their mountain house and winters back in Miami.  It was great to see them, have some nice meals, go for walks around the golf course, and get caught up on family news.  But it was scary driving back to the RV park down the mountain in the dark!   We left earlier after the next visit. 

Gail And Nancy made the trip over to Blowing Rock and while they enjoyed all the boutique stores, they spent most of their money at the outlet mall.  Nancy was also a good sport when Gail navigated her on an alternate route back to Banner Elk via a dirt road!

We also made time to visit Gail’s high school drama teacher who has lived in Banner Elk for over 35 years, and we see her each time we come to town.  We showed off the RV to her and made plans to get together again the next day.  By coincidence, Kandi King, who student taught when Gail was a senior in high school was also in the area and Gail, Janet and Kandi had a nice reunion.  (The men enjoyed hearing their stories, but we also talked about RVs and our travels.)

One final stop in the area was back up in Beech Mountain to the ski lift.  Each time we had visited before, the lift was not operating.  But it was open and taking people (including a lot of bicycles!) up to the top.  The day was hazy, but the view was still very incredible and well worth the wait. 

After 3 days, we headed north again.  The next stop was to be just across the border in Fancy Gap, VA at an RV park just off the Parkway.  Most of this section was the part under construction with a detour already designated.  We got back on near the Blue Ridge Music Center and stopped in time to see The Buck Mountaineers do a few numbers and see a demonstration of the wooden “limberjack” dancing doll do a couple of jigs!  

The next day we were back on the parkway for another 90 miles.  We stopped at a few places including the Pucket Cabin where “Aunt” Orelena Hawks Puckett lived to be 102.  What a life!  She had 24 pregnancies but none of the children lived due to RH factor.  Later in her life, she became a midwife and delivered over 1000 babies the last in 1939, the year she died. 

The next stop was at Mabry Mills, a preserved grist mill that Ed Mabry built where he and his wife, Lizzy, ground corn, sawed lumber, and did blacksmithing for three decades. It is the most photographed and most recognizable feature on the Parkway and used in many Virginia (and other states) marketing campaigns.  The grounds have a variety of other buildings and tools of the time.

We spent the night at Explorer Park (Don’s Cab-Inns) in Roanoke.  Small campground located to the south of Roanoke.  We did a nice walk along the Roanoke River before driving the last part of the parkway.  Of course, we stopped at more of the lookouts and did a short walk at Otter Creek to the James River Canal Lock Exhibit.  Very interesting to those of us that have used locks as part of our travels.

We finished the Parkway with another 135 miles drive to Waynesboro, VA.  This was a more developed area with farms and pastures among the trees.  We spent the night at another Harvest Host location, Seven Arrows Brewery.  Enjoyed a good hamburger and beer and the use of their internet.  And a good night rest!  

Next leg is to visit family and friends in eastern North Carolina and up into Maryland.