On Tuesday, we rode the Blue Ridge Parkway with Kenny and Wesley. It was an absolutely beautiful day and ride! The Smoky Mountains are absolutely beautiful; and absolutely Smoky! It was a sunny day but every view of the mountains, they looked, bluish, smoky, or hazy! The rhododendrons were in bloom and grew randomly all over. Just a very beautiful, scenic ride…not to mention the speed limit on the Parkway is 45 mph!
Wally and I rode a Honda ST1300 Sport Touring bike. Kenny’s Pastor loaned it to us for the day and it was really a comfy ride. Kenny had just purchased a Honda VFR800…fast kind of bike. No thank you. Wes was reluctant to even get his motorcycle permit, but we encouraged him to so we could ride together. He admits he was very glad he did it. He rode Wally’s bike, a Honda XLV600. (I think we may sell it for a touring bike…any buyers?)
Enjoy some of the beautiful scenery that we enjoyed…
This is Grandfather Mountain. Somehow the rocks are supposed to form the profile of an old man. I’m sure I didn’t take a good picture, but I just didn’t see it!
We rode across this, the Linn Cove Viaduct. The Parkway began to be built as a part of the “New Deal” to provide jobs during the Depression. The man who owned Grandfather Mountain wanted to conserve the rock formations and fragile “rock slides” from being disturbed during construction of the road. So the two parts of the Parkway ended with out being connected for about 45 years. The land was sold to the state of NC in the 1930’s. Engineers came up with the plan to build the viaduct and the work began in 1979 and ended in 1982. The Parkway was completed in 1987, 52 years after it first began. It is absolutely a beautiful drive.
This is a suspension bridge. It is a mile high footbridge that connects Grandfather Mountain and Linville Peak. We did not take time to cross it, but I got a nice picture of it!
So ends Day Two!
No comments:
Post a Comment