Enjoy a Scenic Drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway America’s Favorite Scenic Drive winds its way through North Carolina and Virginia. The 754-km-long Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are numerous entry points to the parkway (which is free to access) in southern Virginia and northern North Carolina but, if you want to admire some of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi River, you’ll want to traverse the parkway near Asheville. Popular stops along the parkway include Craggy Gardens (known for its 360-degree views and abundance of wild flowers), Mount Mitchell (the highest peak in the eastern United States) and Linville Falls (a threetiered waterfall that cascades into the Linville Gorge). When you’re ready to stretch your legs, there are multiple hiking trails easily accessed off of the parkway − including Graveyard Fields. This nearly 4.5-km-long loop trail takes hikers to two waterfalls. If you’re up for the challenge, there’s also the more strenuous 4.1-km out and backMount Pisgah Trail which features views of Cold Mountain from its 9,206-km summit. RV Lifestyle Worth Pondering… “Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.” —Charlie Brown, fromPeanuts Hatch, New Mexico It’s been 100 years since horticulturist Fabián García publicly introduced his hybrid chili, “New Mexico No. 9,” the grandmother of all New Mexican chili peppers today. To pay homage, consider a visit to Hatch, a small agricultural village in southern New Mexico known as the “Chile Capital of the World.”The oh-so-flavourful Hatch pepper is named after Hatch Valley, where the bulk of Hatch peppers are grown. This is thanks to its unique terroir, which includes fertile volcanic soil. Chili peppers keep their star status when it comes to dining, as well. For a quarter of a century, the family-owned Pepper Pot has been serving up Mexican American dishes such as green chili stew and red chili enchiladas (a favourite of late food personality Anthony Bourdain, who said that their red enchiladas were the best ever). Then there’s Sparky’s, a roadside eatery and attraction that’s known as much for the fibreglass statues dotting its rooftop and lining the street (including Ronald McDonald, Yogi Bear, a Roswell-inspired green alien and a towering Uncle Sam) as it is for its cuisine. Sparky’s green chili cheeseburgers are a talked-about phenomenon, though this counter-service spot also whips up wood-fired barbeque, espresso drinks and a wide array of shakes. Hatch is just 14 km north of the entrance to Spaceport America, the first purpose-built commercial spaceport on the planet and testing grounds for Virgin Galactic’s human spaceflights. Final Frontier Tours offers private, pre-scheduled tours of the facility, including the chance to experience a rapidly accelerating G-shock simulator, comparable to what astronauts feel in flight. CSANews | FALL 2021 | 33
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