October 2013 (part 1)

We took advantage of the beautiful weather on the last Friday of September to go to the mountains and ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was a gorgeous day and we headed up Old 421 to Wilkesboro (moonshine country) and stopped for lunch.  We continued up and got on the parkway.  We stopped at every overlook along the way to see the views.  There were beautiful wildflowers in bloom and the sky was clear so we could see for miles and miles.  If you've been on the Parkway very often, you know that even though the weather may be clear, there may be a haze in the sky that can prevent you from seeing into the distance.... but we had none of that.

We traveled north to Jefress Park where there was a hiking trail to the cascades. 

As we drove along I could remember coming to the parkway with mama and daddy when I was a kid.  Daddy had his old 1950 Chevy and we would load up on Sunday after church, drive along the parkway until we could find a place to pull over that had a shady tree, and mama would bring out a quilt that she would spread on the ground in the shade and we would lie there in the cool mountain air and nap the afternoon away.

We continued along the parkway until we came to Glendale Springs where there was a trading post.  I remembered that there was a church there with frescoes and thanks to Google, we were able to find it.  Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is this tiny little church sitting on a hill.  The office and mission house are across the street on the corner and like most Episcopal churches, it is always open for those who wish to pray and draw closer to God.

You really should look them up online because my little picture just doesn't do the interior of the church justice. There are many photos online that show the entire fresco and others within the church.  

There are many hiking trails and campgrounds along the parkway.  We plan to go back, take our backpacks and some sandwiches and hike along the MST (look that one up if you don't know what it is).

What is your favorite part of the Blue Ridge Parkway?

P.S.  Notice the Etsy favorites.  Although I don't eat pumpkin, I do like the looks of it at this time of year.