Easin’ Along the Blue Ridge Parkway – Day 1

By the time this article gets published, Helen (adorable wife) and I have been on the road for a day and a half.  We were fired up and ready by the time we pulled Gracey (trailer) out of our neighborhood around noon on Wednesday and pointed Bert (truck) east. We have been stuck at home recovering from knee and hip replacement since May and words cannot describe how grateful we are and how blessed we feel to be back on the road less traveled.

As I write this it is nearly eight in the evening.  We are in Pineola, NC, nearly 5,000 feet above sea level and sitting beside a roaring Linville River at Down By the River Campground, campsite C-1. Our site is about as relaxing and as picturesque as it could get. We’re wearing jackets in the chilly weather…so delightful.

We spent Wednesday night in Cherokee, NC at Happy Holiday Campground, not our usual spot in Cherokee, but it was very nice with clean showers and close enough to the Casino for Helen to get her shot at breaking the bank. That didn’t happen, but we had a lot of fun. By the time we returned to Gracey, the temperature was dropping into the 50’s and we slept well.

The entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway is just a few miles from our campground but a few thousand feet higher. Within a few miles of the access to the Parkway, we caught the first of a countless number of overlooks with views that I can only describe as breathtaking. I have taken a few pictures to share with Easin’ Along readers, but photos capture a small portion of the panorama.  Trust me when I tell you that the views are extraordinary and, when framed by an azure blue sky as they were on this day, the beauty was greatly enhanced.

Our drive from Cherokee covered about 150 miles. A young bear cub greeted us from the shoulder of the road, as did a wild turkey.  We made several stops along the way to take pictures and check into the Visitor Center near Asheville to pick up some maps and guidebooks. The speed limit along the curvy and somewhat hilly terrain varies between 35 and 45 mph so the trip took us nearly five hours to reach Pineola. Drained from holding Gracey on our side of the somewhat narrow Parkway, I looked forward to reaching the campground to rest my tense shoulders.

Helen and I were a bit apprehensive about our campground because there aren’t a lot of choices up here and we took what was available at the time I made reservations. Our worries turned out to be a waste of energy.  Down By the River Campground is a campers paradise.  Manicured grounds greeted us.  Pretty flowers are everywhere and the river I mentioned above is right behind our campsite.  We may not have hit the jackpot at the Casino, but Lady Luck blessed us here.

The hour is late now, and we have not had our campfire stew yet, so I am going to close.  We will be here for four days of exploring the area around Blowing Rock and Grandfather Mountain and will report back on what we uncover. Please come back and join us as we spend five weeks on the road…just Easin’ Along.