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Discover the journey. Then help protect it.
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March 2018 - In this issue of The Scenic:
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The Countdown to Opening Day Begins!
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Sunshine and snow in the same day? Even for the Blue Ridge Parkway, we've see some wild winter weather this year. However, spring is official according to our calendars even if it's elusive in the air. The Parkway season will be in full swing starting May 25, when visitor centers open their doors. But just like the first flowers of spring, some locations spring back to life earlier than others. Find out more with our Season Preview!
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Volunteer for Campground Cleanups!
You can lay out the welcome mat for travelers during the
Project Parkway Campground Cleanup event from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 21. The National Park Service is inviting Parkway fans to help with a variety of preparations, from leaf blowing and tree limb clearing to painting and trail work at all eight campgrounds.
Learn more
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Parkway Place Photo Challenge
Do you recognize this gathering place on the Blue Ridge Parkway? There is more than one of these retro amphitheaters on the Parkway, so guess carefully. Follow us on
Facebook and
Instagram
to post
your answer under the matching image to enter the Parkway Place Challenge. One winner will be drawn from those with the correct answer and will receive a Blue Ridge Parkway RIDE license plate.
Good luck!
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Bertha Cone |
Before Women's History Month comes to a close, we want to recognize a woman whose legacy became a jewel of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, may bear the name of its philanthropist and conservationist founder, but following Moses' death a mere 10 years after the estate's completion, his widow, Bertha, took up managing its 3,500 acres for nearly 40 years. She embraced her role, proving to be a quick study in regards to the finances and farm work of the estate, and a fair supervisor to the tenants who worked the land. Bertha died in 1947 at the age of 89, and the estate eventually passed into the care of the National Park Service. It's fair to say that Moses H. Cone Memorial Park would not be the beautiful landscape it is today without Bertha's tireless dedication to its success. Bertha's story is just one we plan to tell with
enhanced interpretive materials on the estate.
Read more about Bertha Cone
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Order your North Carolina specialty license tag and help the Blue Ridge Parkway.
For each attractive license plate sold, $20 goes toward important projects on the scenic route, and $10 funds the N.C. Department of Transportation Wildflower Program.
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It's going to be a great season of performances at the Blue Ridge Music Center.
From May through October, the Parkway venue near Galax, Virginia, will feature some of the best-known names in contemporary roots and Americana music, including the only female winner of the Steve Martin Award for Bluegrass & Banjo, Rhiannon Giddens; two-time Grammy Award-winners, the Steep Canyon Rangers; one of the most innovative traditional music ensembles in America; the Kruger Brothers, and rising bluegrass star Sierra Hull.
Here are links to help you enjoy the summer series:
The Foundation proudly supports programming at the Blue Ridge Music Center, milepost 213, to preserve the cultural and musical heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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Road to the Past
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Construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct in the 1980s. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service
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The Linn Cove Viaduct was the missing link that finally completed the entire Blue Ridge Parkway in 1987. Construction of the
1,243-foot span made up of 153 segments began in 1979.
Today it is
celebrated as an engineering marvel with the S-shaped bridge wrapping around the contours of Grandfather Mountain to have a minimal impact on the landscape. The precast segments were added one by one using a cantilever technique.
This spring, the viaduct is undergoing much-needed repairs and repaving and will be closed to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians through May 24.
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By naming the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation as a beneficiary of your IRA, a life insurance policy, or in your will, you create an enduring legacy that protects this special place for generations to come.
With a planned gift, you also become a member of The André Michaux Society, which honors the French botanist and explorer who enlightened others about the natural wonders of our mountains. For more information, call Ashley Edwards at (866) 308-2773, ext. 170, or e-mail
[email protected].
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Join the fun during the High Pass Boogie
The fifth annual Blue Ridge High Pass Boogie, is taking the show on the road from Friday, May 11, to Sunday, May 13. This year, participants will gather at the Willville Motorcycle Campground in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, for a weekend of exploring southern Virginia's best motorcycle routes. As in years past, the event offers two on-road routes and one dual-sport route. Camping is included with your registration, and there are three weekend packages available that include meals and escorted rides ranging from $125 to $375. The Boogie is presented by Eurosport Asheville and Frontline Eurosports and proceeds help support Parkway improvement projects. Sign up
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Join our Community of Stewards
As the primary fundraiser and trusted steward of the
Blue Ridge Parkway, the Foundation is forever committed to preserving the past, enhancing the present, and safeguarding the future of America's Favorite Journey™. Learn more about joining our Community of Stewards at
brpfoundation.org
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