The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic 469-mile winding road from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.
We traveled on the top ridge of the mountains as we drove the southern end of the Parkway. The road twisted and turned and each new vista was just as amazing as the last one.
A Night to Remember
The evening we were on the Parkway was very memorable. We spent the day hiking, driving, exploring the area.
However, we had no idea where we were going to spend the night. The sun was getting low in the sky and there were no campgrounds along the way to choose from.
As we continued to drive, we realized a few things:
- There was a visitor center coming up in a few miles
- We were hungry for dinner
- The sun was going to set within the hour.
Waterrock Knob Outlook
When we arrived, the visitor center was closed to our disappointment.
However, as we assessed the area we knew we were in the right spot at the right time because the sun was setting and we were at Waterrock Knob Outlook.
Steve found us the perfect picnic spot to view the sunset. There were other travelers with the same idea as they were staking out their viewing spots as well.
We had a romantic picnic dinner watching the sunset and it was a wonderful evening. Steve took some amazing pictures.
After many of the other onlookers left, we decided to park Alice for the night and boondocked in the same spot. What a joy that was. We slept at the top of the mountain in solitude.
There are many trails, areas of interest and look out stops along Blue Ridge Parkway. We spent a day and a half exploring the southern end of the route and have plans to go and explore more of it! For another story on the Blue Ridge Parkway read Tunnels, Alice and The Blue Ridge Parkway.
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