After Mexico, we arrived to Southern Virginia and stayed for 6 weeks ( Nov 1st to Dec 14th 2021). The fall was the best time to visit due to the pretty foliage.
Some of the areas with beautiful foliage-
Blue Ridge Parkway – it is known as “America’s Favorite Drive.” It spans 469 miles and connects Cherokee, North Carolina with Rock Fish Gap, Virginia.
It’s good to know that each mile along the way is marked with a Mile Post (MP) number. This help visitors to find just what they are looking for.
Mabry Mill – milepost 176
One of the most photographed places in the US, I enjoyed walking here. There’s a water-powered mill in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains that was known to be built by Edwin Boston Mabry. The water-powered mill & the blacksmith shop were completed in 1910.
Constructed in 1903, Mabry Mill was first use as a blacksmith and wheelwright before becoming a sawmill and later a gristmill. Check the website for the schedule of milling demonstrations.
Lover’s Leap
Spectacular view along Blue Ridge. The name comes from a local legend about two lovers in the 1600’s — an Indian maiden and a white settler, separated by prejudices who were forbidden to be together. They were threatened & shunned. Unable to bear the burden of a life without each other, they threw themselves off the cliff.
Hungry Mother State Park
Hungry Mother State Park is known its beautiful woodlands and lake. Easily accessible from Interstate 81, this park has folklore and camping, history, hiking, swimming, cabin rentals, boat rentals, and the park system’s first conference center, Hemlock Haven.
Rocky Knob Recreation Area
The Saddle Overlook gives you a stunning view of the nearby valley and you can also make the trek down the Rock Castle Gorge Trail.
Cascade Falls Milepost 271.9
Hikers will need to walk one mile to find this thunderous waterfall tucked inside E.B. Jeffress Park.
This hike is 4.0 miles and gains 800′ in elevation. Here, all the main tree species can be found along the path. You will see a variety of vegetation and rock formations along the trail.
Channel State Forest
The Channels State Forest is located on the south slope of Clinch Mountain. It is in Washington County, approximately 8 miles due north of Abingdon.
There are 400-million-year-old sandstone formations, nestled into the southern slope of Clinch Mountain, near the summit of Middle Knob.
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