Connect With Us
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Instagram

Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway – Virginia & North Carolina

The story below is an excerpt from our May/June 2015 issue. For the rest of this story and more like it subscribe today, view our digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!

Best of the Parkway Corridor: 2015

Our readers provide their favorite stops, bites, sips and more along and off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our thanks to all who voted during last fall’s polling, our congrats to the winners, and, dear readers, herewith a set of great recommendations for your next drive!

Best Small Town

Floyd —Platinum

Bedford— Gold

Roanoke —Silver

Best Retirement Town

Roanoke—Platinum

Floyd— Gold

Meadows Of Dan—Silver

Best College Town

Blacksburg—Platinum

Lexington— Gold-

Charlottesville— Silver

Must-See Attraction

Mabry Mill, MP 174—Platinum

Peaks of Otter, MP 86— Gold- (tie)

Mill Mountain Star, MP 120

 —Gold- (tie)

Best Festival

Floydfest, Floyd—Platinum

Olde Salem Days, Salem

— Gold- (tie)

Dickens of a Christmas, Roanoke — Gold- (tie)

Best View Along the Drive

Mabry Mill, MP 174 —Platinum

Peaks of Otter, MP 86— Gold

The story above is an excerpt from our May/June 2015 issue. To see the full list of winners subscribe today, view our digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!

You Might Also Like:

Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA, - May 15, 2021: Reenactment at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park of the Siege of Fort Watauga in 1776.

Revolutionary Roundup

On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
2025 Festivals and Events

2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion.
A happy 8-year-old Eula Mae standing in front of her father, Woodrow, in this Golding family photo taken in 1952.

My Beloved Scenic

Before it became America’s Favorite Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway was a farm family’s front yard, playground, and memory lane.
Portrait of Stuart Gay and Mabel Pendleton centered on the front of their shared tombstone.

Beneath the Swinging Bridge

The Shakespearean tragedy of Stuart Gay and Mabel Pendleton is still remembered in the small railroad town of Clifton Forge.
A bee clings to the center of a sunflower at Mill Springs Farm, located just up the road from historic downtown Jonesborough, Tennessee. From the photographer: “The farm grows a yearly crop of a variety of sunflowers. The bees love them!” Photo by Jay Huron

Among The Blooms: A Photo Essay

Our contributing photographers wandered the mountains in late spring and early summer to capture critters big and small frolicking, nibbling, and buzzing about.
2027 Best of the Mountains Awards

2026 Best of the Mountains Awards

Submit your nominations for the finest in the Blue Ridge today!
Hikers willing to take on a moderate climb are rewarded with incredible panoramas from the summit of Marys Rock.

An Insider’s Guide to Shenandoah National Park

This year is a landmark one for this treasured piece of mountain land in Virginia: the 100th anniversary of Congress authorizing its establishment and the 90th anniversary of its dedication.
Christmas at Biltmore, November 6-January 10, Asheville, North Carolina.

Holiday/Winter 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside, you’ll find gatherings celebrating food and drink, the arts, music, and more—all worth building a mountain road trip around. Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning!
Knoxville Asian Festival, August 29-30,  Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of Asian Culture Center of TN

Fall 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside, you’ll find gatherings celebrating food and drink, the arts, music, and more—all worth building a mountain road trip around. Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning!
4th of July Parade & Festival, July 4, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Summer 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside, you’ll find gatherings celebrating food and drink, the arts, music, and more—all worth building a mountain road trip around. Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning!

Current Issue

CALENDAR OF EVENTS