BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY--HEADING EAST

We were greeted by a clear crisp fall-like day, perfect for taking a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This time we headed east from Fancy Gap.  There are historical sites to see all along the Parkway, including several cabins dating back to the late 1700's.  One such cabin is the Puckett Cabin.  Oreleaa Puckett was a midwife who delivered over 1000 babies from the early 1900's until she died in 1939.  She lived to be 102 years of age!  Notice how few windows were used in construction back then.

The Puckett homestead was small, less than an acre.  There were two fenced areas; one for livestock and the other for a garden.

Another cabin we saw was the Trail's Cabin, built in the 1890's.  Just look at the view they had looking south towards North Carolina.  Notice the chinking between the logs has been eroded away by time.

Mabry Mill is the most photographed spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway, according to many travel journals.  This  restored gristmill/sawmill/woodworking shop and blacksmith shop will be featured later in a separate blog entry.

Another interesting exhibit we saw was about the different types of fencing used by the pioneers who settled this land.  This photo shows three of the more popular types of fence.  From left to right: snake rail fence, picket fence and post & rail fence.

We could see the silhouette of Buffalo Mountain from one of the scenic overlooks along this portion of the Parkway.  The great hump towers 1000 feet above the surrounding terrain.  This was especially interesting since we had hiked to the summit earlier in the summer. 

The mountain ridge called the "Saddle" sits in the right center of this photo.  Can you see how the curvature of the mountains looks like a saddle?  There is evidence that this area between the Blue Ridge plateau and the lowlands of the Piedmont was settled before the Revolutionary War.

Several new colorful flowers were seen along our drive.  First, Queen Ann's Lace with an insect sitting on top of the flower.

There were lots of blooming Black-eyed Susan visible all along our 75 mile ride.  At times it was like we were driving through a yellow tunnel.

Lastly, Butterfly Milkweed with either a large blue butterfly or moth seeking nectar.

We concluded our scenic drive with dinner at the Wasena City Tap Room in Roanoke.  This was our second time eating at this restaurant, recommended to us when we visited this area back in May.

We had a fantastic day visiting historic sites as well as enjoying a nice meal.