driving the appalachians


Down North Carolina way is the wonderful town of Blowing Rock, whose eponymous tourist attraction is the state’s oldest, where “snows falls upside down”To escape the I-95 corridor, more and more often I go inland and travel along the East Coast’s long inland range.  What beauties, both natural and man-made, to encounter!  Recently I revisited the Blue Ridge Parkway (speed limit 45mph) and the Skyline Drive (speed limit 35mph), far more enticing drives than the parallel I-81.  [see thumbnails for captions] 


About ben

Ben Batchelder has traveled some of the world's most remote roads. Nothing in his background, from a degree in Visual & Environmental Studies at Harvard to an MBA from Wharton, adequately prepared him for the experiences. Yet he persists, for through such journeys life unfolds. Having published four books that map the inner and exterior geographies of meaningful travel, he is a mountain man in Minas Gerais, Brazil who comes down to the sea at Miami Beach, Florida. His second travel yarn, To Belém & Back, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. For more, visit www.benbatchelder.com.