ESCAPE Route!

Gritting my teeth and clinching the steering wheel, I sped out of the driveway. It had been “that kind of week”….. We all deal with stress in our own way--sometimes a slice of strawberry pie will suffice. Other times, a glass (or two) of pinot grigio will lighten the frustration. Today, the situation necessitated a change of scenery.

A bit of heaven located not far from my door is the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is the longest linear national park in the United States. It is over 469 miles of pure beauty located in the Blue Ridge Mountain portion of the Appalachian chain. The task to create this marvel began in 1935 under the authority of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and finished in 1987. It runs from Virginia through most of North Carolina. It is truly amazing.

For years, a trek on this route has provided near-magical therapy and personal solace. With the windows down, I set my cruise control at 45 and began the winding trail up the mountains. The air was cool and smelled crisp. A peep in the rear view mirror revealed that my hair looked like it had been styled by Monsieur Cuisinart. I simply didn’t care.

The Parkway is full of surprises. Every time I get it on it, I realize something new. Today’s ramble did not disappoint. The sign read, “Mabry Mill”. I pulled over to discover one of the most quintessential bucolic images of America. It was gorgeous: A gristmill, sawmill, and woodworking shop built in 1910 in the Meadows of Dan, Virginia. This little spot of American history has been saved and maintained as a window into the past. It is here that park rangers give demonstrations of basket weaving, yarn spinning, chair making and other early-American tasks of life. A bevy of log homes and out buildings quickly transport one to a different time. It is most humbling to realize how little we actually “need” in life to be happy.

The road continued to wind and narrow at times. Traffic was quite minimal. As commercial vehicles are prohibited, nature seems to be the king of the road on this throughway. Although the summer’s heat had parched the verdure from the lawns back home, the greenery, here, was most lush. Rhododendrons were abloom. Daisies dotted the fields. Daylilies trumpeted the sunshine.

Scenic overlooks are identified throughout the park. Some offer vistas of waterways, while others provide long-range views of the surrounding mountains. In some cases, the designated stop might be educational in nature. A couple of times, I pulled over to enjoy such. One was a display illustrating the various types of fencing used in colonial America, while another showcased the cabin home of Orelena Hawks Puckett, a midwife with over 1000 babies of delivery experience. Sadly, she lost all 25 of her own children in infancy.

Farther up the mountain, I spotted an old general store. It was built in 1892. Crossing the threshold, I knew I had just left 2016. The little store was crude by today’s standards. It spoke of unpretentious necessity. Dimly lit. Modestly displayed. Streamlined offerings. Missing was a sense of hurry. It, too, had a certain therapeutic air to it. I milled about, listening to the quietness of it.

Somehow, time had been extirpated. I don’t know how the day had vanished so quickly. Returning down the mountain, I chuckled to myself.--- Funny, I could not remember what had frustrated me.

This was A Moment in America.

2 Comments

Jun 26, 2016, 4:40:51 PM

Austin Rese - You are so right, indeed! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. They are most appreciated.

Jun 26, 2016, 4:19:50 PM

JoAnna Bennett -
well you have done it again. You have given me even more reason to appreciate the region we both call home. I have been to most of those places you mention and photograph dozens of times but the beauty never fails to impress on us the beauty that surrounds if only we will slow down long enough to see it. I even went and got out my I Pad to look at some of the same images I have taken in the past. Yes to do make a great impression on us all to look at the simple things in life and not to be in such a hurry to leave all that is sweet and wonderful around us behind.

Previous Post Next Post

ESCAPE Route!

Somehow, time had been extirpated. I don’t know how the day had vanished so quickly. Returning down the mountain, I chuckled to myself.--- Funny, I could not remember what had frustrated me.

This was A Moment in America.

Archive