scenic drives Archives

Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

I can’t say that I’ve been to West Virginia but if singing this John Denver song counts then I’ve been many times. 🙂 I even played it in the background while I was doing my research for this post. I figured it would put me in the mood.

One of the first things I ran across was Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, Cass Scenic Railroad State Park offers excursions that transport you back in time to relive an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Now that sounds like a top of the list experience in my book.

For a scenic drive West Virginia boasts the 43 mile long Highland Scenic Highway. This was built for the pleasure of mountain driving. The quiet two-lane highway takes you into the heart of the 919,000 acre Monongahela National Forest. On the 23 mile section known as Rt 150 there isn’t a house, business, utility pole, bill board or traffic signal! There’s no plowing in the winter so unless you plan to travel it on your snowmobile, plan a summer visit.

In Wheeling, a winter trip will land you in the middle of the Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights. A 6 mile driving tour set in a spectacular setting – a 19th century ridge top resort that was once a “Gilded-age” tycoon’s estate. The estate is now owned by the city of Wheeling and every year more than a million people enjoy more than 5o lighted displays.

Adventurous souls should explore the New River Gorge in south-central West Virginia. Once the coal capital of the state today tourism rules the economy and the New River and nearby Gauley River have become top white water rafting destinations.

Plan your trip for October and you might see some crazy acrobatics on and off the New River Gorge Bridge. Bridge Day is the largest BASE Jumping event in the world. Every year some 450 BASE jumpers leap off the 876 ft. high bridge doing all kinds of flips and turns before deploying their single parachute.

At the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers you’ll find Harpers Ferry, the site of John Brown’s ill fated slave rebellion. But long before this historic event, Thomas Jefferson described it as “perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature. ” Harpers Ferry is remarkably well preserved with narrow streets and a lot of history.

West Virginia is the only state completely contained in the Appalachian Mountain Range giving the state a hilly winding topography. Folks joke that if the state were pulled flat it would be bigger than the state of Texas!

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, Mountain Mama
Take me home, country roads

The count now stands at 20/28

Rounding out the states that start with N are North Carolina and North Dakota. I’m afraid that’s 2 more no’s but what is there to see and do in these two states?

North Carolina

Lots to see and do in this state. I can’t wait to get there! The top 7 things on my wish list are:

The Town of Cherokee. It includes the Cherokee Reservation and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Reviews of the town and the events are great. If you like Native American History, then this sounds like a place to check out. Many Cherokee from North Carolina were rounded up and made to march to Indian Territory on the “Trail of Tears”, not one of the white man’s finer moments.
Cape Hatteras and the National Seashore and Lighthouse. You’d think I’d be happy to skip this when I have the Cape Cod National Seashore in my own back yard but if it’s undeveloped and wild, count me in.
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Same as above. I want to see the migrating birds and any other wildlife that might be lingering about.
And the #4 spot on my list goes to the Wild Horses of The Crystal Coast. The nice thing…we can go see them! Tourists are welcome to ferry over to Shackleford Banks to see the horses. “While it is not in the best interest of either horse or person to get too close, people should look, photograph, and enjoy the wild horses for the unique part of North Carolina that they are.” .Read more: http://www.budgettravel.com/blog/the-amazing-wild-horses-of-north-carolina,12054/#ixzz2gIsMhOmg
The Blue Ridge Mountains. I want to drive the Blue Ridge Mountain parkway for the scenic views and a taste of Appalachian Culture.
Nantahala National Forest holds Nantahala Gorge, a crevasse that’s 1800 feet at it’s deepest and 100 yards wide at it’s narrowest. The scenic drive is known as the Nantahala By way. There’s even a Nantahala Gorge Train ride.The 4 ½ hour round trip Nantahala River Gorge Excursion departs from the historic town of Bryson City and travels 44 miles to the scenic Nantahala River Gorge. This tour travels along a stretch of the Tuckaseegee River, goes through charming countryside, crosses Fontana Lake on a 100 foot high trestle bridge that spans almost 800 feet across the Lake, winds through the scenic Western North Carolina mountains and into the legendary Nantahala River Gorge. Oh my! A Must See if there ever was one!
Roanoke Island is home to the first settlement established by Sir Walter Raleigh more than 30 years before the Mayflower dropped anchor in Plymouth, Ma.

There’s lots more besides these 7 places but I bet it would take the whole vacation to do 1/2 of it partly because I’d be all over the state! In fact I’ve gone on so long about North Carolina that I’ll have to save North Dakota for another post.

So adding North Carolina to the “Must See” side of the ledger brings my tally to 12 visited 21 to go!