Kim Chappell is a graduate from the Realtor Institute and is an agent with Wintergreen Resort Premier Properties, the official real estate office of Wintergreen Resort.  Kim also lists and sells property in beautiful Nelson County.  Contact Kim Chappell at kim@ExperienceNelsonCounty.com or 434-238-2430.  The Free Daily Blog is posted on both www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com and www.ExperienceWintergreen.com

Blue Ridge Parkway History

I have an old home movie from the mid 1960’s of my parents and grandparents visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Since they grew up in the region, they were very proud of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The old movie shows a few stops at scenic overlooks and can make you dizzy to watch as my Dad was holding the camera as they drove along.

Yesterday, I picked up the book, Building The Blue Ridge Parkway by Karen Hall and Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc.  It is a great collection of over 200 photos of the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The next time you are driving along the Parkway, take some time to marvel at the construction of the actual road, bridges and tunnels. 

Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway started in September of 1935 and was not complete until 1987.  The Parkway is the longest scenic highway in the United States and driven by more than 20 million visitors a year. Nationally, it is the most visited park.  The Parkway is 469 miles starting in the Shenandoah National Park and going to the Great Smokey Mountains.  Each mile of the Blue Ridge Parkway is marked with a milepost.

As part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway provided jobs throughout the region and in Nelson County.

Plans for the Blue Ridge Parkway began in 1909 and the first section was to be called the Appalachian Scenic Highway.  Contractors did most of the work on the actual road, and the Civilian Conservation Corps created the overlooks, landscaping and guard walls.  The CCC planted thousands of trees, grass and shrubs.  There was a CCC camp in Nelson County called the Black Rock Camp.  It was located at milepost 3.3 in the Summer of 1935.   

Close to the Black Rock Camp was the Humpback Rocks Visitor’s Center at milepost 5.8.  This site was preserved and created to show Virginia mountain life prior to the construction of the Parkway.  It is a great example of Nelson County history. 

There are 250 scenic overlooks on the Parkway.  There are also many mountain living demonstrations as well as mountain crafts.  The Blue Ridge Parkway keeps the history of our mountains alive.  If you are planning on visiting Nelson County (or even live in Nelson County) be sure to take some time to travel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

Keep in mind that the speed limit on the Blue Ridge Parway is 45 miles per hour.  Also, note that the Parkway is not maintained in the Winter and is often closed during the snow season. 

There is a Blue Ridge Parkway library in my Blog Archive at www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com 

The Blue Ridge Parkway in the Spring

Many of my posts come from questions from my clients.  I have been receiving a lot of questions about the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Below is some general information about the Parkway in the Spring.  I will be posting again about the Parkway in late Spring in a series of posts about Day Trips from Nelson County.  For complete information about the Parkway, check out www.BlueRidgeParkway.org.  This is a great website with much information.  If you are planning a summer vacation to the Blue Ridge Mountains, this web site can help you plan many days of adventure.

The Blue Ridge Parkway follows the Appalachian Mountains and follows through Nelson County.  One personal comment is that I never advise visitors to drive on the Parkway at night.  Since there are no street lights, it is very dark and some areas do not have cell phone coverage. Population is very sparse.  It is very easy to miss a turn if needing to exit, etc.  Along the Parkway, each mile is marked with a “mile-marker”.  The first marker at the zero milepost is at Rockfish Gap, immediately south of the Shenandoah National Park.  So, if you are joining the Parkway from Nelson County, you are starting near the beginning of the Parkway in the low mile marker numbers.

The Parkway makes for an interesting drive in Spring as you can watch the trees, wildflowers and wildlife awake for another season.  More than 100 types of birds can be seen during the Spring migration season.  Many trees will have showy blooms in Virginia, starting in April.  One of my favorite areas of the Parkway in Virginia is the Otter Creek area.  (more in my blog in April about this area)  In mid-May in the Otter Creek area, you can see another one of my favorites, the Mountain Laurel blooms.

Here is a brief guide to seeing Spring wildflowers on the Parkway near Nelson County:

Buttercups are common along the side of the road and Tulip Poplar are common in low woods

Golden Groundsel can be found at mile marker 29.1 in April and May

Rhododendron can be found at mile marker 4 in April and May and Phlox in May

Redbud can be found between markers 54-68

False Soloman’s Seal can be found along the roadside

The Virginia Dogwood can be found at marker 6 in May

Check out the web site for a complete guide to Spring wildflowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Bike Riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway

After last week’s post on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I received several questions about riding bicycles on the Parkway.   Yes, you can ride bicycles on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Below are two Parkway day rides:

Blue Ridge Parkway Loops
Enjoy views from any of several scenic overlooks along the parkway. The 22-mile ride begins at Royal Oaks Cabins in Love (Milepost 16) and goes south to Tye River Gap and back. For the 40-mile ride described in the cue sheet below, begin at the same point, but head north to Milepost 0 at Afton Mountain. At this point, take the optional loop through the small hamlet of Afton, home of the legendary Cookie Lady, a weary cyclist's best friend.

0.0 - R Route 814
0.2 - L Blue Ridge Parkway (scenic overlooks into Shenandoah and Rockfish Valleys)
16.2 - L on exit to reach Route 250 East
16.3 - R Route 250 East (Rockfish Gap Tourist Information, long downhill, country store)
19.1 - R Route 750 (Bike Centennial's Route 76)
20.9 - R Route 6 in Afton (home of the legendary Cookie Lady on your right, just across railroad bridge) Head back up Route 6
22.3 - L Route 250 (watch traffic)
23.5 - R on ramp to Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park
23.6 - L on Blue Ridge Parkway
39.6 - R Route 814
39.8 - Return to  Royal Oaks

For Mountain Bikes:
0.0 - From milepost 16 Blue Ridge Parkway - cross the Parkway onto Route 814
Right onto Route 56 to North Fork - follow it back to the Parkway
Right onto the Parkway back to milepost 16

Both of these routes are from the Nelson County Visitor’s Center, and I will be posting additional routes in coming months. 

Camping in Nelson County & Along Blue Ridge Parkway

Crabtree Falls Campground:  This campground is just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is near Crabtree Falls.  (Check out my other blogs for more information about the Blue Ridge Parkway)  The campground is also on the Tye River, which adds to the ambiance. There are options for tent, RV or cabin camping.  There is also a camp store, a heated bath house, washer and dryers and a rec room.  This campground is open year-round.  We suggest reservations by calling 540-377-2066.

Montebello Camping and Fishing Resort:  This resort is very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and offers many amenities for the entire family. (on RT. 56, just 3.5 miles from the Parkway)  They have everything from tent camping to full hook-up.  Cabins are also available for rental year-round.  They have fishing, swimming in a 4 acre lake, paddle boating and hiking on the nearby Appalachian Trail.  Call 540-377-2650 for information and reservations.

Otter Creek Campground:  Not in Nelson County but a quick drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile post 60.8.  I want to mention this campground as I spent many long weekends in this campground as a kid, and it is still one of my favorite.  It has tent camping as well as RV hookups. (45 tent and 24 RV sites)  There is hiking, lakes, scenic drives and many other family activities.  The entire campground is shaded and along Otter Creek.  There is a nice restaurant at this location that serves some amazing buttermilk pancakes with blueberries.  (when in season)   Dogs are allowed, with no additional pet fee.  This campground is open from early May through the Fall.  Call for additional information:  434-299 5941

Tomorrow’s blog will be about some great deals in Wintergreen Resort for Spring visits.  For additional information about Nelson County or Wintergreen Resort, visit www.ExperienceNelsonCounty.com

Exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway

 The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through Nelson County.  The Parkway has milepost markers at each mile along the drive.  Many of the activities are described by the milepost markers.  Today, we are going to explore the Parkway from milepost 5.8 to milepost 8.8.

Humpback Rocks at milepost 5.8 includes a replica of an Appalachian mountain farm.  European settlers came to the Blue Ridge Mountains and settled near Humpback Rocks.  Many self-sufficient farms sprang up in this area.  Today, visitors can see a collection of 19^th Century farm buildings that were moved to this park.  The park is open year-round with the buildings open in the Summer months. The area also has a visitor’s center.

The visitor’s center has a small museum that shows life in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries in the mountains of Nelson County.  This is a location that the whole family will find interesting.  During the Summer months, park rangers dress in period clothing and demonstrate period crafts and skills.

There is a picnic area with 91 sites at milepost 8.5.  Tables are scattered around nearby overlooks.

Hiking Trails:  At milepost 6.0, you have the choice of an easy trail or a strenuous trail hike up Humpback Mountain.  There is also access to the Appalachian Trail at this milepost.  At milepost 8.8, there is a self-guided nature trail at the Greenstone Parking Overlook.

Make sure that you visit the Blue Ridge Parkway when in Nelson County.  I hope to see you there…