At a mid-point about one and a half hours south of Knoxville, two hours northeast of Chattanooga and three hours north of Atlanta is a dark spot on the map. No cell phone towers. No roads or rushing traffic. No digital billboards.

One of my favorite Blue Ridge Parkway stops – and one of Mindy DeCesar’s “favorite projects” – is the garden at Brinegar Cabin (mile marker 238.5) at Doughton Park .

This summer, head up – 4,000 feet up, or more – to parks, peaks and resorts throughout our region that put you on top of the world.