Up the Ridge

Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive
Leaving Natural Bridge, I had hoped to go to the Bridge the night before for a hike & a view, today I will try. This is a private venue, only $12 for a hike & a view, so I decided to hike Sharps Top at Peaks of the Otto instead, poor visibility, lots of cloud cover, still a nice hike, I let my mind wander, and it's quite humid, sweating off all that BBQ off, right.
Bill Markham has lived here his whole life, as a boy he saw the CCC camps back in the 30’s working on the Parkway and the trail up to Sharps Top, he never meet these people, they were not from here, so he stayed away, don't talk to stangers, but recently he meet one of the workers,they are both elderly now, they shared stories and talked about the work that was done here, it took 3 years to build the road to the top and trail, they used picks, and most labor was done by hand, workers sent money home to families, about $28 per month, I have seen the work of the CCC in the west and now here, times were tough, no work, the depression, my grandparents told me stories, too. Links to the past through oral history, we pass the experiences of our generation and stories we have heard, so please share, listen and pass them on.
Normally there are views of seven ridges up on top, West Virginia some 52 miles away.
Then I head down step by step, rock to rock most of the way, my legs get a really good workout.
A baby fawn on trail, flowering columbine, very peaceful on the trail, only me and nature.
Peaceful drive north on Blue Ridge Parkway, I had hoped to camp a couple of days in these mountains, but the clouds and rain have moved in. So I take a leisurely drive at 45 mph, the Parkway follows the Appalachian Mountains chain, and provides seemingly endless views of parallel ranges connected by cross ranges and scattered hills.
The Parkway leads into the Shenandoah Natural Park and Skyline Drive, staring at the Smokey Mountains add 114 miles to 355 miles of beauty, you would need weeks to truly appreciate this drive, the wildlife is abundant, having seen a fawn, a small Black Bear, they to shy for a picture, and birds of all kinds, and more deer.
There is History at every turn as well, ‘Stonewall’ Jackson used these mountains to confound the North for years.

This is a Great driving road, lots of time for views and while listening music, excellent way to sneak northeasterly, less people, less traffic, no hype, me, Skate, views, animals, flowers, trees, today I am one in the clouds.
Old timey music in the old time mountains.
Front Royal, Virginia, just out of the mountains, I find a Jersey style Italian Eatery, Castiglia’s,there's Pizza, Stromboli, Cheese Steak Sand, Meatball Sand, Eggplant Parmigiana, Cacciatore, Pasta, Tiramisu and Cannoli, I settle for a Pizza Steak Sandwich, no biscuits.
Take Hwy 522N up the road to Winchester, time for beer, the blog and some needed sleep. And it's still raining.
59.9 mpg/ 244.3 miles traveled

Books purchased: The Appalachians, America’s First and Last Frontier, companion to PBS series, and Blue Ridge Music Trails, Finding a Place in the Circle by Fred C. Fussell

“These mountain people, who have been shut out of the world all these years, I know them. If I live…perhaps we can do the justice they deserve” Abraham Lincoln
A follow-up on the Bill of Rights, today I read that Post 9/11 Patriot Act and other new laws, 9254 National Security Letters were issued in 2005, no courts, no review, no oversight, anti-terrorism laws allow access to an array of consumer information, as well as business, health, library and books, too.
The lock has been taken off the door!