Roads of Genius

       
…improvement makes strait roads, but crooked roads, without improvement, are the roads of genius…
                                William Blake via Andy Offutt Irwin 

Much as we celebrate our favorite Interstate (CLICK HERE) it is an undiminished pleasure to climb slowly away from it on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Today, on the cusp of the “colors” season, on a Tuesday afternoon, we traversed  from Milepost 392 (Asheville) to MP 412 (Wagon Road Gap) without a single car in our rear view. Down Hwy 276 at 30MPH, more solitude.
    strains of “Where have all the people gone…?”
It was sunny through Elk Pasture Gap but  Mt. Pisgah sported a wreath of fog which lingered until our descent began. We toured the campground at 5000+ but let that warmer valley weather and the temptation of trout lead us down to Davidson River.

In any season this masterwork of the CCC era still pulls at our hearts.  Each rock wall and tunnel, each hand-planted tree now maturing reminds us of the the thousands of men and young boys who lovingly crafted this road for $30 month.  They were doing their part, sending $25 home each month to soften the hard times for their families, building monuments to their spirit that we still celebrate. Where are such humble heroes for today’s hard times?



TOTALLY UNINTENTIONAL REFLECTION