10/27/10: Homeward Bound through NC, VA, WV, PA, and NJ:
Day 12: Even though we may have been able to drive straight through (approx 11 hours) we decided to take it easy, and allow ourselves 2 days to get home. There are still so many things to stop and see along the way, and we don't want to push ourselves too hard, since we have the rest of this week off work. If we get home on Thursday, we'll still have three full days to recuperate before going back to the ol' grind! Plus, I just want to stretch out one more day of vacation!!
It was a foggy, rainy morning when we left Asheville, and as we got on a highway heading north, we realized after a short time that we were on the wrong highway, so we pulled over at a rest stop to figure things out. While there, I got some great photos:
It was a foggy, rainy morning when we left Asheville, and as we got on a highway heading north, we realized after a short time that we were on the wrong highway, so we pulled over at a rest stop to figure things out. While there, I got some great photos:
Once we got turned around the right way, we decided to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway again, and enjoy it's beauty for a few more miles! As we drove along the curves, dips and valleys of the Parkway, it was so foggy in spots, we could barely see a car's length in front of us.
We drove through some neat tunnels:
We stopped at some overlooks, where we couldn't see much due to the fog!
We then decided to get off the Blue Ridge Parkway and head toward Mount Mitchell, the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the eastern United States. Mount Mitchell is located near Burnsville, North Carolina, in the Black Mountains subrange of the Appalachians, and about 32 miles northeast of Asheville. We never actually made it to Mount Mitchell State Park, as we decided it was a bit out of the way. But we continued our trek northward on rural roads and saw some great things!
Now on winding backroads, we saw some strange and some beautiful sights! The first thing we saw was this billy goat, chained to a very large tree stump! It was not directly near a house or a barn, so we couldn't quite figure out why! A Guard Goat, perhaps :)
Now on winding backroads, we saw some strange and some beautiful sights! The first thing we saw was this billy goat, chained to a very large tree stump! It was not directly near a house or a barn, so we couldn't quite figure out why! A Guard Goat, perhaps :)
A strange "hex sign" on a barn:
A Covered Bridge
Over this little creek:
Orange Foliage and fence:
After spending a good part of the day doing more exploration of the back roads of western North Carolina, it was time to hit the open highway and get to Virginia, where we planned to spend the night.
Even though we were officially on the way home, it was another very good road trip day!! We stayed the night at a Red Roof Inn in Staunton, VA and will continue on home tomorrow!
10/28/10: Final Leg: Staunton, VA to New York City!
Day 13: Today will be our final travel day, with all highway driving. The sightseeing part of the trip is over, and now it's just "homeward bound"!
We drove from Staunton, VA into West Virginia, and stopped at a rest stop just over the border. This is my FINAL photo of the trip!
Home safely around 4:00 PM! What an amazing trip, full of beautiful memories and images! And now with this blog, a great way to remember them!
END OF FALL 2010 ROAD TRIP!!
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