Eventually -- The Smokey Mountains

Well the weather couldn't stay perfect forever, and as the clouds rolled in, so did very dense fog, at least along the ridgeline, and that made driving all but impossible.  This picture doesn't really do justice to the thickness of the fog.

Cut It With A Knife, Blue Ridge Parkway, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So we had to leave the BRP and make our way down to lower elevation.  That was still an enjoyable drive with different scenery.  We found another place to stay in the Pisgah National Forest at Wolf Ford Roadside Camping located at GPS coordinates:  35.366019, -82.738652

Wolf Ford Roadside Camping, GPS: 35.366019, -82.738652, Pisgah National Forest, NC, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So we did not travel the full length of the parkway, although we did return once the weather was sunny again.  This time, into the Great Smokey Mountains of Georgia.

Smokeys and the Bandit?, Blue Ridge Parkway, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The Great Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Finally, we completed the Blue Ridge Parkway and over-heated our brakes a bit in the up and down process.  I vow to downshift more in the future.  But after cooling down, everything seemed safe again.

We used the Ultimate Campground app (by fellow LD'er Ted Houghton) to find our next campsite -- Sandy Bottoms along the Toccoa River, in the Chattahoochee National Forest, at GPS: 34.786292, -84.239739.  You'll need to cross a bridge that has a 7-ton and 10' 6" limit -- just barely enough for Thistle Dew Too.  But we made it!  This campsite has an $8 USFS camping fee.

Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area, GPS 34.786292, -84.239739, Toccoa River, Chattahoochee National Forest, Blue Ridge, GA, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

And here is the view from our bedroom window overlooking the Toccoa River.  Good news is that the glass is tinted so morning fishermen cannot look in ;-)

View from Our Bedroom, GPS 34.786292, -84.239739, Toccoa River, Chattahoochee National Forest, Blue Ridge, GA, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So there you have it -- our first week's activities on Thistle Dew Too's Encore Adventure!  So far we have gone through NH, VT, NY, PA, WV, VA, NC, and GA.  More to follow!

Sunset on Blue Ridge Parkway

So after a wonderful time on Skyline Drive (105 miles), we thought we might as well continue along the Blue Ridge Parkway (aka BRP, another 469 miles!), which picks up right after you leave the Shenandoah National Park.  The views continued to be spectacular.  This was clearly gonna take some time ;-)

As you can see from this photo, it's pretty clear where the Blue Ridge Mountains get their name.

Literally, the "Blue Ridge Mountains", Blue Ridge Parkway, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

And as the day was drawing to a close, we found a nice overlook to park and watch the sun set.

Sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blue Ridge Parkway, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

After doing some research on-line (cellular service varies along the BRP, but can be quite good in many places), we found we were not allowed to park overnight anywhere on the BRP (even though it is not a national park).  Well, bummer.

So we did a search for nearby National Forest campsites and found one that was originally used by the CCC "boys" when they built the road.  This one is called Oronoco Campground, and had a stocked trout stream nearby.  It is located at GPS 37.746931, -79.263976. 

Oronoco Campground, GPS: 37.746931, -79.263976, Vesuvius, VA, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Falling Water, Oronoco Campground, Vesuvius, VA, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge] 

Thistle Dew Too is Sky High

So after pulling out of our driveway around 11:00 am, we had a great brunch at Aesop's Table in Peterborough, NH (just a sandwich place, but oh-so-yummy).  We headed west through Vermont and southwest through New York until we crossed the border into Pennsylvania, and spent our first night in their Welcome Center (allowed by their security).  To celebrate their first night, one of us opened a bottle of Josh Cellars Legacy Red Wine and poured it into a real wine glass.

Our first night on the road, Welcome Center, Matamoras, PA, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

There was still snow on the ground and quite a nip in the air, so we continued southwest through Pennsylvania, a bit of West Virginia, and intoVirginia for our first destination:  the northern entrance to Skyline Drive in Front Royal, VA.  We got there late, so after scouting out a campsite and finding them still closed tight for the season, we headed back to the Dickey Ridge Welcome Center and thought we would park there.

Dickey Ridge Visitor Center Parking (not), Northern entrance to Skyline Drive, Front Royal, VA, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We were pleasantly surprised to see another RV there, so figured all was copacetic.  Well, we learned the following morning, from a park ranger visit, that no overnight parking is allowed anywhere in a National Park, unless it is a designated campsite.  He just gave us a friendly warning -- hey, we're still noobs.

Here are a few shots along the way:

Carol is High, Skyline Drive, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Steven is Higher, Skyline Drive, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Thistle Dew Too is Sky High, Skyline Drive, February 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We've never driven Skyline Drive (or the Blue Ridge Parkway) before, and it was beautiful and fascinating.  I never really imagined that someone could link ridgelines enough to make a road.  Let alone 574 miles of roadway!  And oh what great views to behold.  More to come.