Jonathon Engels 
[Updated on March 9, 2022] The Blue Ridge Parkway road trip is truly an American classic. It’s possible to traverse the entire 469-mile route on rubber alone, stopping at some of the 200+ Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks for those famously breathtaking mountain views, without ever breaking a sweat. The list of the area’s natural attractions … Read more
The 25 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Waterfalls in North Carolina, from Boone and Burnsville to Asheville, Cherokee and beyond!
Hungry Mother State Park is one of the six original Virginia State Parks in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It includes over 3,300 acres of wilderness, as well as a 108-acre mountain lake. The park’s unusual name comes from the legend of a pioneer woman, Molly Marley, and her child. After being captured by Native Americans, … Read more
The Blue Ridge Mountains are known to blow visitors away with its jaw-dropping panoramas. Nature abounds in the region, with countless hiking trails, thunderous waterfalls, mountain streams, vibrant wildflowers and wildlife. And there’s an inherent peacefulness that comes with these pastoral landscapes. A road trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the best ways to take … Read more
Located about 55 miles northeast of Asheville NC at milepost 316.4, Linville Falls is perhaps the most famous of the many waterfalls on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The waterfall’s popularity is largely due to the ease with which it can be reached. But it also offers amazing geological formations, a spectacular three-tiered dance down to Linville Gorge, … Read more
Virginia is a phenomenal state to explore for anyone who appreciates the wilderness, as well as those who enjoy delving into US history and Appalachian culture. Top-flight sightseeing in VA is never far away, and the list of things to do in Virginia seems limitless. Virginia is home to the George Washington and Jefferson National … Read more
[Updated 1/12/2022] The city of Roanoke VA has no shortage of great restaurants to choose from. With a population of around 100,000 people– the largest of the many mountain towns along the Blue Ridge Parkway– there are eateries of every ilk to satisfy any possible craving you could have. My wife Emma and I have been … Read more
The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia offer a rich, biodiverse terrain with lots of mountain streams, waterfalls, high-altitude meadows, and extensive forests. It’s a perfectly fertile place for the beautiful Virginia wildflowers to flourish. Not only is this an ideal setting for catching amazing scenic vistas and spotting wildlife, but the many microclimates found within the … Read more
There are almost 900 caverns and caves in North Carolina, most of which are located in either the mountains of Western North Carolina or the NC piedmont. But only a few of them are open to the public. That being said, the accessible caves in NC are an impressive collection. Better still, these NC caves are … Read more
Nothing quite ups the ante on a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains like nestling in beside a beautiful mountain lake. In our eyes, Virginia lakes are some of the most remarkable in the nation. The lakes of Virginia– particularly those in the western reaches of the state- tend to be geared towards tourists, with … Read more
