Stop in Blowing Rock, NC. It’s worth spending a night or two. Quaint mountain town with some nice restaurants. Stay at Chetola Resort for a real treat. Just south of Blowing Rock is Grandfather Mountain and Linville Falls. Requires a bit of hiking, but nothing too strenuous. Little Switzerland (North Carolina) is a nice stop for lunch. A few miles before that is The Orchard at Altapass. You can pick your own apples in season (autumn) but the shop has lots of goodies. There are a lot of nice waterfalls south of Asheville near Cashiers/Highlands but you may not want to go that far.
Look into Peaks of Otter Lodge - it’s an upscale rustic lodge on the Parkway in Southern Virginia. Town of West Jefferson is fun, they have a cheese factory there you can tour. A bit north of there is River House Inn & Restaurant, a charming B&B that does Sunday brunch dinners with live music. (Call first to see if they still are doing that). I’ve heard good things about Galax, VA as well but haven’t been there.
The Blue Ridge is 469 miles long and stretches from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina. Is there a section of the parkway you plan to travel? Are you planning to drive the entire length of it? Where are you starting from? There are lots of attractions and scenic spots all along the parkway, but there's no sense in directing you to any of them that are not on your route.
Likes (1)
Stephen B.
Comments (2)
Cindy I appreciate that. I should have clarified. We are planning to pick it up at the first exit in Virginia and drive to Asheville. We will be staying in Asheville for several days - we have been there but have always flown - and then we will return as · (1 like)
Cindy Sorry - that sent by mistake. We will return north by car. Plan on spending two or three nights on the way down and one or two on the way back. Thinking about perhaps Charlottesville on the front end but might save that for a different trip. Looking to stay upscale - resorts, elegant b&b etc. Also want to know which are the best falls to stop it and any other must sees. Thanks · (1 like)
Stephen B.