I drove the northern section of Blue Ridge Parkway again today in the X3. Got to about mile post 83 (about 40km north of Roanoke) before giving up. Here are the pictures that I took. Not a fancy camera, but I guess its something to pass the time.

I wish I had a co-pilot to help me take pictures and enjoy the ride . And share the drive; it was exhausting.........about 350km today (200+mi)

The weather was certainly interesting; got a little bit of everything. Temps from 19° to 28°, from clouds to showers to sunshine.










I did more driving and a bit less hiking this time, but I still strayed off the beaten road at times which is why it took me 4 hours to cover the southbound distance.








I did drive to both the lowest point (Otter Creek, 200m) and the highest point of the Parkway in Virginia (1200m).









Crossing the James River at the Visitor Centre near US 501, facing east:



Facing West:



My exit off the Blue Ridge Parkway was near mile marker 90 (145km) onto VA-43, into Botetourt Co. towards Buchanan.

Compared to VA-130 at Glasgow, this is a tricker and narrower mountain road. I don't rattle easily when it comes to mountain roads (in fact I love them), but the two hairpins at the bottom are downright scary. It's so steep I thought I was going to crash into the pavement. . But because the X3 is amazing, I drove the road twice. . Then it was back to I-81 and I-64.







For the most part, it was a pleasant drive. At times I certainly beat up the X3 (the 2,5i AT runs out of ideas with a 5% gradient ) so there was a lot of burning of everything going on, like brakes, tires, gearbox, and motor oil. But still managed 9 l/100km average (26 US mpg)

Still, I enjoyed the scenery more than the drive. There wasn't too much haze, the rain stayed away and the sun was shining in typical Southeast tradition. I'd just gotten my new DJ Sammy CD (The Rise), so the CD player kept me company. The stuff on the radio here is horrid.

Perhaps I'm getting old, but I really don't think I want to do this alone again. It's too exhausting and I need someone to share the driving. Or maybe I'll book a hotel room next time so I don't have to rush back in the same evening.