North end: BRP

When we went to Graveyard Fields a couple of weeks ago, Libby pointed out that there was a section of the Parkway on which we had never traveled: the northern-most section, from the NC-VA border to Blowing Rock. Not only that, but in all our years in Richmond, we had never traveled the southern-most section of the Parkway in VA either. We decided to set that as a goal for sometime in the near future. On Thanksgiving Day, the opportunity presented itself. Since our guests were not coming until Friday, and because we didn't want to do two big meals, we decided to spend the day traveling.

We went to Statesville, and then north on I-77 through Elkin into Virginia. We got on the Parkway there, and went north about 20 miles to Mabray's Mill. It was deserted, it being a holiday and all, but what we missed in terms of closed buildings was made up for in terms of having the place to ourselves. One of the boys (Calvin) even managed to get wet!

Back in the car, south on the Parkway back into NC. We were able to lay claim to visiting a couple of NC's one hundred counties we had never before been through. There were some nice overlooks on the Parkway, and the day being remarkably clear, we could see all the way east to Hanging Rock and other sites. The music center was closed, but we made the most of Doughton Park. By that point we had enjoyed our fill. We got off the Parkway at NC-18 and traveled through North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro and Lenoir, before finally wending our way around Morganton and home. Not a bad way to spend the day, and far superior to lying about watching TV and playing computer games.

Sadly, we didn't quite "finish up" our traverse of the Parkway. There remain about 40 miles between NC-18 and Blowing Rock that we have not seen before. Maybe at Christmas-time...