 | | photo by Norris Barnes |
"By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer." - Helen Hunt Jackson
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Save the Journey®
Donate today
and your tax deductible contribution will help preserve this magnificent National Park area for future generations.
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 | | photo by Dale King |
"September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn."
- Rowland E. Robinson |
Calling all photographers! We are always looking for beautiful photos of the Blue Ridge Parkway to use in our e-news and other publications. If you have photos that you would be willing to let us use, please get in touch with our communications staff at
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 | | photo by Vicki Dameron |
"When the goldenrod is yellow,
And leaves are turning brown -
Reluctantly the summer goes
In a cloud of thistledown.
When squirrels are harvesting
And birds in flight appear -
By these autumn signs we know
September days are here."
- Beverly Ashour, September
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Protect the Parkway
For each new or renewed specialty plate, $20 is given to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
The entire specialty plate fee of $30 is tax deductible.
If you are a North Carolina resident,
Click Here to find out how you can help protect the Blue Ridge Parkway's historic, cultural and scenic resources today and into the future.
Already own a
NC Blue Ridge Parkway Specialty Plate?
Enter to Win a 2 Night Stay at Mast Farm Inn, a Porsche rental, and a $100 gift certificate to Mast General Store!
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 | | photo by Norris Barnes |
"Happily we bask in this warm September sun,
Which illuminates all creatures..."
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Become a
Parkway Protector
With a commitment of just $10 a month, you can become a Parkway Protector and join a special group of our most dedicated monthly supporters - caring people just like you who love the Parkway.
It's easy - simply setup a monthly donation using this link.
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"Though a tree grows so high, the falling leaves return to the root."
- Malay proverb
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Join Us For Plates for the Parkway
September 18th
Plates for the Parkway is set for September 18th and it's a great way to have a fantastic meal and help the Parkway at the same time. Make sure to mark your calendars and visit one of our many generous restaurant partners that have agreed to donate a portion of the day's proceeds to help us preserve the Blue Ridge Parkway. Current participating restaurants stretch from the top of the Parkway in Waynesboro, VA down to Asheville, NC.
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Mast General Store Supports the Foundation
On Friends Day - September 15th
 On Saturday, September 15th, the Mast General Store will once again celebrate Friends Day by donating a portion of their sales for that day to several organizations, including the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Last year, Mast Store's donated over $15,000 to the Foundation from Friends Day.
Representatives from the Foundation will be on hand at the Mast Stores in Valle Crucis, Boone, Hendersonville and Asheville to answer questions and share the activities we are undertaking to preserve the Blue Ridge Parkway.
So mark your calendar and plan to do some shopping on September 15th - you can get a head start on your holiday gift list and help the Parkway at the same time!
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Give on the Go!
The Foundation has entered the mobile giving universe with our new "Give on the Go" campaign. Our donor boards at project sites along the Parkway now give you the option to donate on-site from your cell phone or tablet using a QR code (as long as there is a signal, of course!). QR Codes allow smart phone users to quickly scan an image that will take them directly to a website - in this case, a donation page designed especially for mobile users.
The donor board at Graveyard Fields and our new donor boards at the Heart Pond, Price Lake and Abbott Lake all now have "Give on the Go!" codes. Give it a try with your mobile device and support these projects on the Parkway today!
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Tarheel Foodie Helps the Parkway
Live in the Triangle? For the month of September, Tarheel Foodie will donate 20% of proceeds from all food and education class sales to the Foundation to help us protect the Parkway. Tarheel Foodie provides healthy cooking education programs throughout the state and seasonally adapted food products using local sustainable and organic farm provisions. Learn more at www.tarheelfoodie.com today!
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Don't Be Afraid of the Dark!
 Summer nights are a great time to be on the Parkway. Did you know the National Park Service has a Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division that works to protect, maintain, or restore acoustical and dark night sky environments throughout the National Park System? The service-wide program work in partnership with individual parks and others to increase scientific understanding and inspire public appreciation of the value and character of soundscapes and star-filled skies.
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Music and Art in the Mountains
Visit the Peaks of Otter on Saturday, September 8 for a "Peak" at Plein Air painting. Artists will set up all day throughout the Peaks of Otter area to capture the unsurpassed beauty of nature. The Plein Air style is spontaneous, with artists painting outdoors to capture the ever-changing effect of light on their subjects. Artists painting at the Peaks will be happy to discuss their work and answer visitor questions. There will also be a drawing workshop, a dulcimer workshop, the 13th annual Poetry and Musical Spotlight, a Celtic music concert and a ranger-led night hike. See the full schedule.
Find lots of other fun events in September in the Events Section of our website.
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Want to Get Away From It All?
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photo by Vicki Dameron
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Pack up your tent or camper and head to Crabtree Falls at MP 339. The campground is tucked away beyond the Parkway main road, making it serene and peaceful. Campsites are surrounded by large trees and spread out from neighboring sites.
The area also includes a small snack bar, restrooms, a gift shop, and a hiking trail to the beautiful 70 foot Crabtree Falls. A large picnic area and amphitheater are located nearby, and rangers present programs every weekend.
So plan to get away from it all this fall - Crabtree Falls has facilities for the whole family!
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Blueberries Are In!
Blueberry picking on the Parkway is in full swing. This year's crop is not the best because of a late freeze this spring. If you're heading out to pick blueberries, park regulations state that you can pick one gallon per person, per day, of the following edible fruits, berries, and nuts for personal use or consumption:
- Mushrooms and related edible fungi
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries/raspberries/wine berries
- Grapes
- Elderberries
- Gooseberries
- Huckleberries
- Cherries/plums
- Serviceberries
We don't know what the regulations are for your dog!
 | | Watch this dog gathering huckleberries! |
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A 75th Anniversary Adventure
 Back in 2010 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Parkway, Kevin Wingfield set out on a three day trip by motorcycle. He created a beautiful write-up of his journey, which was printed in the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America magazine.Read about his amazing journey!
Do you have a special Parkway story or memory to share? Share it on our blog. H ave you traveled the entire length of the Parkway? Our end-to-ender program is designed to celebrate those people who have traveled all 469 miles of the Parkway, whether done in one trip or many. To submit your story and receive your rewards package, please go to www.endtoender.org.
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Mountain Meadow Farm Corn Maze
TRACK Trail Opens Again
 For the last 7 years, the Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market has created musically themed corn mazes celebrating the musical heritage of the Appalachian Mountains. This year, Mountain Meadow Farm is celebrating the Lonesome River Band, a long time bluegrass band from the region. This year's corn maze design is a rendition of the Lonesome River Band's 30th Anniversary logo.
This year, for the third year in a row, the Mountain Meadow Farm Corn Maze is more than a corn maze... it's also a seasonal TRACK Trail. The Kids in Parks staff has created a Corn Maze Scavenger Hunt adventure so that as kids and families get lost in the maze, they can learn some interesting facts about corn.
The Mountain Meadow Farm and Crafts Market is located just a few hundred feet off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. Their address is: 84 Concord Rd. Meadows of Dan, Virginia 24120.
The Corn Maze is open on Weekends from 10AM - 5 PM, September-October, (weather permitting). There is a fee of $5 per visitor with kids ages 5 and under being free.
For more information about the Corn Maze or Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market, please visit their website.
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Orchard at Altapass TRACK Trail Opens
On Saturday, August 25th, the Kids in Parks program celebrated the grand opening of the Orchard at Altapass' TRACK Trail, located at Milepost 328 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Little Switzerland, NC.
The TRACK Trail at the Orchard is located along a series of newly opened trails that crisscross throughout the Historic Apple Orchard. The trails lead visitors along groves of apple trees, through a cove of woods, near the historic Clinchfield Railroad Line and past the gravesite of the famous Charlie McKinney - a local legend.
The Orchard at Altapass TRACK Trail has four self-guided brochures that visitors can use to connect with the natural, cultural and historical resources found at the Orchard. Whether learning about the Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains, looking for natural things hiding along the trail, discovering the Over Mountain Victory Trail, or connecting with some of the key features at the Orchard, the self-guided brochure-led adventures are sure to turn your hike through the Orchard into a fun-filled adventure.
The Orchard is open every day, except Tuesdays, (May - October) from 10:30AM - 5:30 PM. However, the trails at the Orchard are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
The Orchard at Altapass is located just a few hundred feet off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Little Switzerland, NC. Their address is: 1025 Orchard Road, Spruce Pine, NC 28777
For more information about the Orchard at Altapass, please visit their website.
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 Frank Fary, a member of our Council of Advisors, graduated from Duke University in 1955. After completing Officers Candidate School, he served a tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer. He worked for Cone Mills Corporation in Greensboro for 34 years, the last half as the public and community relations executive for the company. After retiring in 1995 he and his wife Meg moved to Blowing Rock, where their home has a winter view of Price Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He has been active in numerous community organizations since retiring, serving as president of the Rotary Club of Blowing Rock and on the boards of the Blowing Rock Historical Society, the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show Foundation and two terms as trustee of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
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Parkway Place Challenge
 | | photo by Monty Combs |
Do you know the location of this photo taken on the Parkway? Submit your answer on our website by midnight, September 24th. Three winners will be drawn at random from those who submit the correct answer, and each winner will receive their choice of an array of prizes.
 Last month's correct answer was the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area (Milepost 367). If you submitted a correct answer, the randomly selected winners will be drawn this week, and you will be notified if you are one of the winners.
Do you have a photo that you think would be a great puzzler? Submit it here!
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