We took the day off from working here at Foxfield Inn to enjoy a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is only a short distance from Charlottesville and worth the 30 minutes along scenic country roads to get there. The day was slightly overcast so the colors didn’t pop quite as much as they would have if it was sunny but it was still very beautiful. Peak leaf color is about a week away but it was great just enjoying nature as were others
We stopped at the Afton Mountain overlook and marveled at how the leaf colors were changing already. We thought we might be too early to see much change but there was more than we expected. Our next stop was at the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center shortly after you enter the Parkway from the north. There we saw the restored farmstead and talked with the rangers about the way of life that early settlers had in the mountains. Another group’s dog discovered chickens running around the farm – he wasn’t quite too sure what to make of this animals. There were several black walnut trees there and the rangers were drying some of them before cracking them open to remove the nutmeat.
Then it was off to several more overlooks and beautiful sights. I wish we had more time to explore and hike the many trails that the park has to offer. If you are in the area it is well worth taking a half day (or a whole day) to drive this scenic road.
