road

Many of the hiking trails in the Parkway feature beautiful views, such as in this photo of Crabtree Falls (Ken Lane). There’s a reason the Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s most visited National Park Service site. The 469-mile road does more than connect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It is both a fascinating display of the nation’s history and a gorgeous landscape to explore. It is renowned for its beauty and for its peaceful natural atmosphere—even though it is a popular vacation spot, the park is large enough that it feels secluded and peaceful.

Imagine this: road stretching for miles and miles—as far as the eye can see—the sound of wind whistling as the car hurtles along at a solid 100, now 120, now 150 miles per hour, followed by that rush, that feeling of pure exhilaration. It might all sound like a high-speed police chase at first, but on the German Autobahn, it’s just another morning commute.