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 | U.S. Scenic Drives |
| By Sheila Resari |
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| New England Color and Culture |
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 | Vermont 100, Vermont |
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Fall in Vermont
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For unrivaled fall foliage and good old-fashioned Yankee flavor, nothing beats the Green Mountains of Vermont. Route 100 runs the state from tip to tail, winding along this northern extension of the Appalachian Mountain system. The road skirts the New England village of Weston; the entire town, which captures American life at the turn of the nineteenth century, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Further north, the drive passes by Gifford Woods Natural Area; spared the ruin of development, these seven acres combine the beauty of northern hardwoods bursting into autumn color and the rarity of old-growth trees. Between Stockbridge and Talcville, the road follows the western branch of the White River — a great place to fly fish for brook trout and rainbows. Route 100 continues to the Quebec border, but the mountain village of Stowe is a nice endpoint, even in the skiing off-season.
Just the Facts
Route: North from Wilmington to Stowe along the Green Mountains
Length: 138 miles (three and a half hours)
Season: June to mid-September
Features and activities: Fall foliage (mid-September in the north, early October in the south), fishing along the Black River (Echo Lake, Lake Rescue, and Amherst Lakes), ice cream at Ben and Jerry's factory, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail (junction near Gifford Woods). |
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More Vermont scenic drives
Find Vermont destinations
Guide to Vermont outdoors
Find Vermont fall foliage
GORPtravel Vermont Trips
Shenandoah to the Smokies |
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| Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina |
Circa 1900s gristmill
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The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts a two-lane ribbon of highway atop the rolling southern Appalachians of Virginia and North Carolina. The parkway runs almost uninterrupted — crossroads pass underneath the road or yield to parkway traffic — from the southern tip of Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Often riding the very crest of the Blue Ridge, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers a unique vista; as great, foggy masses of weather move in from the west, the east retains a clear view of forest and wildlife. Most of the drive takes place high above human settlements — no fast-food oases or billboards to obstruct the scenery — but the land below the parkway is dotted with mountain villages and visitor centers.
Just the Facts
Route: South from Rockfish Gap, Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, North Carolina
Length: 469 miles (two days)
Season: Spring through fall
Features and activities: Folk Art Center's traditional mountain crafts and music, biking along the parkway, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail. |
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More scenic driving:
Shenandoah
Great Smoky Mountains
Virginia
North Carolina
Find Virginia destinations
Find western North Carolina destinations
More on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
GORPtravel Blue Ridge Trips
Water World |
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| Sea Islands, Georgia |
St. Simons Island Lighthouse
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A nice alternative to hectic interstate driving, routes 520, 99, and 17 explore the nooks and crannies of the Atlantic coast, allowing travelers to get close to Georgia's fertile marshland, estuaries, and barrier islands. The drive passes by the beautiful Golden Isles — Jekyll Island, St. Simons, Little St. Simons, and Sea Island — four destinations popular with the jet set since the turn of the century.
Beyond the luxury of the Georgian Gold Coast, there are plenty of quaint communities offering cozy diners, bizarre tourist attractions, and Low Country boils: giant pots of soup brimming with the bounty of the Atlantic coast — and anything else the cook decides to throw in. To get even closer to the water that shapes this drive, shoreline sea kayaking will do the trick.
Just the Facts
Route: North along the Atlantic coast, from Jekyll Island to Savannah
Length: 81 miles (two hours)
Season: All year
Features and activities: World's smallest church in South Newport, marsh-life viewing in the Marshes of Glyn, beachcombing on St. Simons Island, and winter whale watching. |
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More Georgia scenic driving
Find southern Georgia destinations
Bike coastal Georgia
Coastal Georgia National Monuments:
Fort Frederica
Fort Pulaski
We've given you ten. Do you have a favorite scenic drive that we did not include? Tell us about it in
GORP's Scenic Drive Forum. |
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