The Ultimate Road Trip: THE SILVER SNAIL : A solo woman's full-time RV adventure
THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN ROAD TRIP
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Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

As soon as I got on this parkway, I entered into The Zone of The Most Perfect Pure Driving Bliss. Not only is this two-lane road beautifully designed to blend into the mountainside with meandering smooth curves and surprise vistas, but consider this: there is no traffic, no stop signs, no stop lights, no fast food places, no businesses with ugly signs and logos, no power lines, no billboards, no driveways, no houses and no ugly metal guardrails. There are no obstacles and nothing ugly on this dreamy parkway. With so few cars to share it with at this time of year, the views are tremendous and the entire experience is meditative magic. It's all yours - this beautiful, smooth, easy and unrestricting ribbon of freedom that takes you to mountaintop highs and expansive valley vistas. The ultimate joy ride. The very idea of having to remove myself from it for any reason (gas, food, detour) was entirely painful. It's like the rest of the world doesn't exist when you're up here.

I took three days to drive from the start of it near Waynesboro, Virginia to Asheville, NC. I had to get off much earlier than expected at Mount Mitchell State Park because the rest of the parkway to Asheville was closed due to a combination of ice, snow and construction. I only stopped briefly for photos. I was thoroughly entranced with the zen of driving and really didn't want to stop the vehicle. It was disappointing to find that all of the National Park Service campgrounds were closed already, but there were still enough private campgrounds open that were conveniently on or very close to the parkway.

In Asheville, I spent a couple of nights at Wilson's RV Park, which is practically downtown and right on the French Broad River. It's also right next to the highway, but that's surprisingly not an issue. A bonus is that the French Broad River Greenway Trail happens to intersect the RV park, and on a Saturday afternoon, it seems all of Asheville comes out to play on it. Asheville always feels like someplace I could stay awhile, but it never happens. This time, I had plans to be in Greenville, South Carolina.


My backyard at Wilson's RV

 

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