The SKYLINE DRIVE winds along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through Shenandoah National Park for about 105 miles. ( Luckily – as we were delayed for several hours due to bad weather – this motel had 24 hour service so was still open when we finally arrived at 3.00 a.m.) You’re just here to sleep – pick a motel.

Collect your car at the airport and it’s a comfortable 75 mile drive. However, ignoring their emphasis on leisure enjoyment, wilderness and relaxation, we were going to whizz through as much as we could in one week!įinish: Asheville, North Carolina ( or Charlotte Airport to be precise!)ġ night – Front Royal, Charlottesville, Lexington, Boone, Blowing RockĮven without a direct flight to Washington, you should easily reach Front Royal on day one. They are all uniquely amazing and offer an incredible range of services, activities and events. Nobody does national parks like the US National Park Service. We went as far as the town of Asheville in North Carolina but with more time, we could have continued on to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This route begins with a drive through Shanandoah National Park and then joins the Blue Ridge Parkway. A huge tourist destination for USA residents, only a handful of acquaintances at home had any clue of its whereabouts. I’d no idea this region was so accessible to the major transport hubs of Washington / New York until I began investigating it as a possible short road trip.

The trail of the lonesome pine artwork