Connect With Us
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Instagram

Streaming On The Parkway, Part 9: A Wet Visit To Galax, Virginia

EDITOR’S NOTE: This guest blog series is being provided courtesy of members of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (wbcci.org) who recently participated in the 2019 Taste of the Blue Ridge Caravan between late May and mid June. Their 500-mile journey began in Cherokee, N.C. and ended outside the historic towns of Charlottesville and Staunton, VA. We hope you’ll enjoy following along!

We knew it would happen sooner or later while we were on the 2019 Taste of the Blue Ridge Airstream Caravan. It started raining when we parked in our campground near Galax, Virginia. 

It was hard to be disappointed over the rain because many people from the area told us how much it was needed. Besides, we were able to complete most of our caravan’s outdoor activities before we crossed over into Virginia. 

While it is easy to picture Tennessee or Kentucky as the home of bluegrass music, the Galax area made a strong claim to be the heart of this music. Members of our caravan enjoyed attending the HoustonFest, an all day bluegrass music festival in Galax. 

Another popular place to visit was Mount Airy, the town that actor Andy Griffith grew up in and used as the model for Mayberry. We stopped by Mayberry’s jail and saw the cell used by Otis, rode in the Mayberry squad car, sat in Floyd’s barber shop and stopped by Wally’s filling station. This was a wonderful place to visit and was close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

How much rain fell while we were in Galax? The rain gauge in our campground said that 4 inches of rain fell within 24 hours. While it was wet outside, our Airstream trailers kept us nice and dry. 

After two days in Galax, it was time to make another journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway to our next campground. 

You Might Also Like:

White jelly snow fungus growing in the author’s Botetourt County, Virginia woodlot.

May’s Wild Edible: White Jelly Snow Fungus

“Pass the fungus,” is not common dinnertime conversation in the Blue Ridge Mountains region, but that’s because folks perhaps have not heard of the white jelly snow fungus.
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.
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.
Wild garlic growing in Fayette County, West Virginia.

April’s Wild Edible: Wild Garlic

Fayette County, West Virginia’s Mitchell Dech is one of my foraging mentors, and when he wants me to try an edible new to me … I’m ready to learn about it.
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.
Blue Ridge Country Parkway Guide 2026

2026 Blue Ridge Parkway Guide

Start planning your next trip on America's Favorite Scenic Highway
A Virginia Historical Marker stands at the entrance to Green Pastures. Green Pastures’ picnic area was build by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s.

Green Pastures Reborn

When it officially opened in 1940 — in the depths of the Jim Crow era — Green Pastures was likely the first U.S. Forest Service recreation area in the nation constructed for African Americans.
Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park rewards a steep climb with exceptional mountain views. Inset: Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s Chimneys Picnic Area sits beside the West Prong of the Little Pigeon RIver.

11 Picnics with a View

These bucket-list destinations are perfect spots to kick back, enjoy a delightful meal and take in the great outdoors.
At Hayfields State Park in Highland County, Virginia, easy-to-moderate trails wind through quiet forests and past historic structures.

Greening the Blue Ridge Region

New Parks, Healthier Creeks, Solar Power, Protected Lands and More.
John Scrivani bags female flowers from atop a 40-plus-foot-tall chestnut.

The Good Steward

Veteran forester John Scrivani dedicated his career to restoring American chestnut trees — and helped lay the groundwork for the effort’s next generation.

Current Issue

CALENDAR OF EVENTS