Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Ultimate Guide to the Parkway's Best Attractions [Paperback]

Nye Simmons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

Filled with detailed information on the best hikes, scenic stops, waterfalls, and historic locations, this is the ultimate guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, one of America's most visited national parks. Information on lodging, way stations, side trips, hiking trails, and attractions of interest is included—ideal for the time-pressed traveler who wants to hit the high points of the park. Full-color photographs, photographer's notes, and photo tips complement the detailed descriptions of the park's attractions, making this handbook both a travel guide and a compilation to treasure.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nye Simmons is the author of Tennessee Wonder and Light and a coauthor of The Smoky Mountains Photographer's Guide. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Mountain Trail Press; Ill edition (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977793397
• ISBN-13: 978-0977793396
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have guide for the Blue Ridge Parkway, June 24, 2009

By 

C. Holloway - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Ultimate Guide to the Parkway's Best Attractions (Paperback)

I bought this book as I live close to sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I am an amateur (very) photographer, hiker, nature enthusiast. I was curious as to where some of the better photo opportunities were located along the Parkway and did not have the luxury of spending a lot of time attempting to find the these locales on my own.

I also live close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and own a copy of another book co-authored by Nye Simmons, "The Smoky Mountains Photographers Guide". Because this has proven to be an outstanding guide, I presumed I could not go wrong with purchasing Nye Simmons latest offering, "Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway". I was definitely not disappointed! It is a wealth of information about everything you need to know about the Blue Ridge Parkway. Of course, the photography in it is outstanding. Mr. Simmons unselfishly shares photo tips on where and when a particular subject can best be photographed. However, this is not just a photo guide, but I'm sure it will serve you well whether you like to point and shoot, are a serious amateur or even a seasoned professional.

Each chapter sequentially covers a section of the Parkway beginning at the north end in Virginia. Since I live closer to the southern terminus, I just skipped ahead to those chapters. Besides the photo op info, there are strip maps of each section, info on points of interest both on and close to the Parkway (scenic views, hiking trails, historic info) as well as info on lodging, dining and gas stations along the way. If you are looking for a guide to the Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is it!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable, September 14, 2009

By 

jaosehl (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Ultimate Guide to the Parkway's Best Attractions (Paperback)

Hubs and I drove up to North Carolina from South Florida over the Labor Day weekend. Because we were visiting family, we only had a short time to spend on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'm an amateur photographer, and was looking forward to finding some good places to get in some shooting time. We found this book just before we left, plotted out the time we had, and the places we wanted to see, and crossed fingers that we'd fit it all in. Thanks to this book, we did. This is a fantastic guide that proved invaluable to us on a short time budget.

PS. Take the 'MUST STOP vista' messages seriously. He's not kidding - they're awesome! =)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Planned motorcycle ride on the Blue Ridge, April 21, 2011

By 

Thomas Stover (South Dakota & North Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Ultimate Guide to the Parkway's Best Attractions (Paperback)

In June of 2011, I plan to ride my Harley Sportster from NY to Florida. Almost half of the trip will be on the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I bought this book at the recommendation of other readers especially because of the book's commentary on the location of gas stations and motels as well as mile by mile hi-lights.

I was extremely surprised and disappointed to see that this book was printed in China. Are we Americans no longer capable of producing our own travel guides? Some of the ink color selections make for difficult reading. This guide cries out for a spiral binding so you could lay it flat and turn the pages as you make progress on the parkway. Unfortunately, the binding is conventional and makes the book much more difficult to use.

Mine is the 2nd printing and by now I would have thought that some of the editing errors would have been cleaned up: missing word, spelling, etc.

The motel references are much more limited than I had hoped. Since there is very limited lodging on the parkway itself, I need something more useful.

The maps, according to the book, were modified from Park Service maps. There aren't any map keys and I haven't figured out what the red dots along the parkway mean.

The book features the author's photos which are numerous and very good, too. They offer inspiration for making the trip. There are many suggestions for stopping points and side-hikes. It should be a great trip.