PHOTO SUBMITTED While the destination provides adventure and gorgeous scenery, weather conditions can adversely cause susceptible roadways.
Winter wonderland on the
Blue Ridge Parkway BY NEAL FALVEY
T
aking a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway is a unique experience, a meandering drive reveals the magnanimous longrange ruggedness of the picturesque Appalachian Mountains. The scenic route carries onward for
90
more than 400 miles and the stretch situated in the High Country of North Carolina is some of the best on the entire road. The Parkway displays and protects a various array of animals and fauna native to the region and provides an opportunity for travelers to get a glimpse of the lush landscapes.
The Blue Ridge Parkway receives its name from the Blue Ridge Mountains, a physical
geographic province of the greater Appalachian Mountains. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. This province consists
of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Appalachian Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian range. The Blue Ridge
Mountains obtained its esteemed moniker from the bluish color it renders when viewed from a distance. The vast trees of the area put the ‘blue’ into the landscape due to an atmospheric hydrocarbon phenomena, hence the distinctive color palette in the scene. SEE BRP ON PAGE 91
WINTER TIMES 2021
