I went to the mountains Saturday:
The Blue Ridge Mountains are the glory of Virginia, together with the piedmont leading up to them. It is a mistake to make too much of their naturalness, though, for they are a good example of human interaction with Nature to make it more habitable. The landscape would not be half so beautiful if there were not farm and estates clearing the forest and shaping the terrain. The Skyline Drive is a wonderful legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the vistas are carefully selected for pulling over and ogling. From time to time, there are campgrounds and lodges, and outside of the park, on either side of the mountains, there are numerous businesses selling souvenirs, fruits, cider, and Appalachian crafts to tourists. If one cannot find lodging in the park, there are motels nearby....Although the leaves were turning brown towards 3000 feet, autumn has been late, and the countryside was ablaze with color, and the trees continued to be glorious until about 2/3rds of the way up. By the time one gets to a mountain top, around 3600 feet, the weather is like that of Canada, as it were, and the northern foliage season was past.... |
