Blue Ridge Parkway Turns 75 in 2010

30 minutes from Charlottesville is a manmade and natural wonder called the Blue Ridge Parkway. It stretches 469 miles from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway turns 75 this year, celebrating the birth of a roadway that set auto tourig in motion and put thousands of young men to work in the midst of the Great Depression. Construction began in 1935 and was completed more than 50 years later with the last section at the Linn Cove Viaduct going into place in 1987. The Parkway is ranked "America's scenic drive." This scenic drive follows the mountain crests of the Blue Ridge, offering sweeping views of mountains and valleys, split-rail fences, camping, hiking, fishing, biking, picnicing, overlooks and much more.

There are so many special places to explore along the Blue Ridge in Virginia. Most everyone loves watching waterfalls. There are 4 waterfalls accessible from The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia: White Rock Falls, Wigwam Falls, Apple Orchard Falls, and Fallingwater Cascades. Crabtree Falls can be reached 6.5 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 27. Crabtree Falls is the highest vertical-drop cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River.

Here's the link to all you need to know about The Bue Ridge Parkway: http://blueridgeparkway.org/

Here's the link to all you need to know about events planned for the 75thAnniversary: http://blueridgeparkway75.org/