The Blue Ridge Parkway, part of the Appalachian
Mountains running through Virginia and North Carolina, was in the final throes of Autumn glory
the week we spent in this part of Virginia. Stretching 469 miles through 29 counties, one cannot hope to
experience it all in just a few days. Taking it slow, stopping often to enjoy
the stunning views of rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the
Appalachian Highlands, and taking pictures make for slow progress, but this
experience dubbed "America's Favorite Drive" shouldn't be rushed. We
spent several hours on two separate days taking in portions of this breathtaking
drive and still couldn't get enough of it. Our visit to this area added to our
growing love and appreciation of the beautiful state of Virginia. Below are pictures we took in late
October.
On the last day of October, while still in Virginia,
we drove to Rockbridge County to visit the Natural Bridge.
Centuries ago waters from the James River carved
out a gorge in the mountainous limestone terrain, forming a natural arch 215
feet high with a span of 90 feet. Although the Natural Bridge has been
designated a Virginia Historic Landmark as well as a National Historic
Landmark, it is not under the auspices of either the State or National Park
systems, and it cost $18 per adult to access the 6-acres it resides in. Dan and
I grumbled about this, it seemed like quite an unfair gouge to the
public, but in the end we spent the money, and a few hours, checking it
out. Autumn, and a noticeable chill, were definitely in the air that day,
making for a brisk walk along the paved path that ends at Lace Falls.
The color changes were pretty, and the reflection of the trees along Cedar
Creek made for some interesting pictures. Even though the designated
"hiking" trail isn't very long, there are some decent climbs up and
down a set of stairs, and we ended up working our legs some. The arch itself is
very impressive, and I'm glad we decided to take the time to see this natural
wonder.
On the same day we went to Lynchburg, we visited Poplar Forest,
Thomas Jefferson's plantation house which he designed and treated as a private
retreat. Jefferson built this house as a place to escape the hordes of visitors
at Monticello
and seek the "solitude of a hermit". He worked on the house
continuously from 1806 until he died 20 years later, and once wrote in a
letter, "It is the most valuable of my possessions". In 1773 Jefferson inherited this land, 4800 acres in all, from
his father-in-law John Wayles. The property was eventually bequeathed to
Jefferson's grandson who sold it in 1828 to move to Florida. Over the years, and under the
influence of many different owners, the house underwent numerous alterations
and the plantation's area was incrementally reduced to 50 acres before being
taken over by the Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest.
The house is in part now surrounded by suburban subdivisions. By 2014 over 600
acres of the original plantation was purchased back by the corporation to
provide a landscape easement for the house from further subdivision
encroachment. During our visit we were led on a guided tour of the inside of
the house which is undergoing a complete restoration to return the plantation
to the same conditions that existed during Jefferson's
time. This even includes using the same construction techniques that were used
in that era, and as you can imagine, this is a very long term project. Although
not as magnificent as Monticello, his primary
residence in Charlottesville,
this was nonetheless a worthy visit and another glimpse into the private life
of Thomas Jefferson.
Lynchburg, Virginia is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge
Mountains along the banks of the James River. We
decided to stop here briefly on our way to visit nearby Poplar Forest
(Thomas Jefferson's summer home) in late October 2014. It doesn't take long to figure out why Lynchburg is known as the
"City of Seven Hills", or just "The Hill City". We soon
found ourselves gazing up at the iconic Monument Terrace, the link between Courthouse
Hill and the central business district below, joined by 132 steps, 10 landings,
and 11 markers and monuments. Slowly we worked our way to the top, while local
residents on their lunch breaks used the steps and landings as an outdoor workout
gym, passing us by in both directions. In general, I am not a big fan of all the war
monuments in this country, and I yearn for more tributes to peace. But from an
architectural standpoint alone, I found this presentation quite impressive. The
way the monuments were arranged in chronological order along the ascent, with
the forward passage of time advancing along with the stairs was quite
effective. Once we got to the top of the hill, the view of the city was magnificent.
Below was a grand view of the town and the river, and above was a street filled
with beautiful old churches of every denomination. Although we didn't stay
long, we enjoyed our visit to this old and historic Virginia
city.
