Suggestions - Shenandoah Valley & Blue Ridge Mountains

Basically anywhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway will be good for photo ops. There are lots of pull offs.
Asheville is great! They have a big arts district, so if you have time I do recommend it even though you say you aren't interested.

Heather,

Thanks a bunch - that's exactly what I was thinking re's the parkway and pull offs. I appreciate knowing about the arts district and I should probably add it to the list. I had no idea!


--Donna Proctor

;) and sing this while you drive...

From Asheville - you should head down to Franklin - you could stay on the Blue Ridge and get off on 276 headed east towards Brevard - pass looking glass falls - at Brevard go south towards HIghlands on 64 - up and over to Franklin - stop and see Dry Falls - at Franklin you head south into GA - stay on 441 until you turn right at Eatonton on 129 headed towards Macon - then south on I-75. You can wave at me as you speed by Lake City in Florida - OH - fill up in gas at either exit 5 or exit one in GA - much cheaper - might even see you down as far as Ocala - before you turn for home.


PS - coming down from Highlands - hope you like curves - there is the stop at dry falls - and at the bottom of the gorge is Cullasaja Falls - there is a pull off in the curve - be careful - but if the water is running it's spectacular.

depending on your tastes - and if you can find it - there is the Caffe Rel in Franklin - very good food - although it's been a couple of years since we've eaten there. Caffe Rel

Mt. Pisgah area, dupont state park near bravard nc. Davidson river area. Waynesville area. Lotz of beauty is west nc. Our home away from home :)

@ Roy - Thank you! Lots of good suggestions including Caffe Rel. I plan to pull up a map of the area again and will search for some areas you suggested. It sounds like a beautiful drive. I really wanted to take this trip in October for the fall foliage, but it was now or winter... brrrr. ;) Hey, depending on when we will be back in FL, maybe we can meet up for a cup of coffee.

@ Drew - Thanks. I'll do some research on your suggestions also.

@ Lawrence - fantastic! Thanks for the videos. I'm on my first cup of coffee and will check them out in a while and report back to you. :)

I'm a bit prejudiced because I live here but check out Luray, Virginia and take 211 to the national park and the views on skyline drive from the Thornton Gap entrance in the Shenandoah National Park are fantastic especially if you head south towards Big Meadows. Or you can keep going on 211 heading in the direction towards Warrenton and when you get to the other side of the mountain in Sperryville, make a right on route 522 heading towards Culpeper. That's a really pretty drive too :-).

Donna, I'm very bendy.....is there any room for me in the trunk?

@ Marlene - No need for a trunk hon, it's an SUV and we have the room if you can make it here by mid-day tomorrow :)


@ To those of you who contributed - THANK YOU again for all of the great suggestions. I've written it all down, researched what I could find and watched the videos! Now, I just hope I'll have enough time to see many of them :)


--Donna Proctor

Have fun Donna! Avoid pigeon Forge Tennessee at all costs unless you like a Kissimmee atmosphere.

I have to occassionally go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge to photograph a country singer son of a friend, and hit up JoAnn Fabrics... its a country fried Disney world.... yuck.