Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. The 469 mile scenic road follows the crest of the Blue Ridge and other ranges. The parkway offers panoramas of the Southern Highlands to include the Humpback Rocks, Otter Creek, Roanoke Mountain and many others. Ranger programs at various points along the parkway provide insights into the everyday life and culture of mountain residents. Concrete mileposts help keep track of mileage along the road. The speed limit is 45 mph with an average speed of 30 mph so you can enjoy the many overlooks along the parkway.

Skyline Drive in Virginia

The Skyline Drive is in the Shenandoah National Park. The drive is 105 miles in length along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour for the entire length of the drive. There are many overlooks along the drive for visitors to view the rolling land of the Shenandoah Valley on the west and the wooded hills, orchards and fields of the Piedmont on the east. We were fortunate to have a wonderful sunset one evening, and enjoyed visiting with other travelers who shared in the awesome display of color provided from the setting of the sun behind the Massanutten Mountain and, further away, the Allegheny Mountains.

Northeast Corridor

We began our trip through the Northeast Corridor consisting of the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Due to dryer conditions, the trees are late in showing their colors. We enjoyed the fall festival at Front Royal, Virginia. This included a reenactment of the Civil War period.

New Hampshire - Our 50th State!

We achieved our goal of traveling through all 50 states with New Hampshire being the last state to make our accomplishment. The fall foliage was colorful in this area and only dampened by fog and light mist for traveling.

Bangor, Maine

We enjoyed our stay in Bangor, Maine. Our campground gave us spectacular views of the many changing colors on the trees. We came across a replica of one of the original McDonald's Restaurants, including the antique cars. As you travel from town to town, you will find lobster pots, boiling the fresh caught lobster. You just can't leave Maine until you have enjoyed one of these great catches.

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is the second most visited National Park in the United States. The park consists of 35,000 acres in area and includes 41 miles of spectacular coastline. The drive through the park is lined with granite stones and there are 16 granite bridges located in the park. The highest point on the eastern seaboard is located within the park, this being the 1,530 foot Cadillac Mountain. What a view of Bar Harbor and the entire coastline.