D-BLUE+RIDGE+PARKWAY

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is located in North Carolina and Virginia. The Parkway serves a major highway and has many senic veiws. The highway runs from north to south. If you travel south it will lead you to the [|Great Smokey Mountians National Park]. If you travel north the parkway will lead you to the [|Shenandoah National Park]The park runs for 469 miles. The climate in [|North Carolina] consists of snowy winters, tornados, hurricanes, and large thunderstorms. The climate in [|Virginia] is more different than other states because it has five [|**climate region**]. The five climate regions of Virginia are [|Tidewater], [|Piedmont], [|Northern Virginia], [|**Western Virginia**], and [|**Southwestern Virginia**]Both North Carolina and Virgina are located in the Southeast region of the United States. Visitors per year of the Blue Ridge Parkway depends on how many people travel on the highway everyday. There are plenty of activites and events to take part in the parkway. The parkway consists of bicycle paths, walkway, and parks within the parkway, as well as plenty of recreational areas.
 * Park Profile**

media type="custom" key="5430007" width="214" height="206"Here is a real veiw of The Blue Ridge Parkway!

There is a lot of history throughout this parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway became a National Park in 1935. During this time in the United States was the Depression. An influential person that had a major role in getting this land to become a national park was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Part of Franklin D Roosevelt's [|"New Deal"] was he wanted to do more for the environment, meaning he wanted to improve it. So, since the use of automobiles was growing it gave a good reason to make this parkway, and the New Deal provided the money for the project as well as man power. The Blue Ridge Parkway is not a natural site because it took a lot of men to make the road that people are able to travel on. For a few centuries Native American tribes shared the resources that are avalible in the valleys of the mountians located in the parkway. The parkway is a historical site because it was an improment made by the New Deal, which helped the country come out of the [|Depression]. Activities that visitors can take part in in the park are; bicycling, camping, fishing, and following the bloom schedule. The bloom schedule is when all of the various species of flowers are fully bloomed, which gives visitors a great oppurnunity to take lots of photographs. media type="custom" key="5438343" width="287" height="257" This video gives you a great veiw of the fall leave at the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather of the Blue Ridge Parkway follows the weather of the two states the parkway is located in (North Carolina, and Virginia). The geology of the parkway consists of mountians, and valleys. The ecosystems of the parkway are dark green spruce trees that cover the mountians, and various species of flowers. The air quality of the parkway has been affected by [|air pollution], you can tell because of the blue haze that sits over the distant horizons.
 * History**
 * Environmental Issues**

media type="custom" key="5430025" width="234" height="206" This video gives great information of this great park.

There are many recreational activties for visitors and park goers. These activites include: [|Biking] [|Camping] Fishing Kayaking and experiencing "America's Favorite Drive".
 * Recreational Activities**

In this year, 2010, the Blue Ridge Parkway will be celebrating it's 75th anniversery. There will be many events held to honor this beautiful park and to share it's incredible story. The plans for the anniverserity are to bring awareness to people and to make sure that the parkway has a strong furture and will contiue to be America's Favorite Drive. You can also follow the Blue Ridge Parkway on Twitter and Facebook.
 * Fun Facts**



media type="custom" key="5438385" width="414" height="318" align="right" This video shows you some great photos of the parkway during the summer.

"The Blue Ridge Parkway." //Experince America's Favorite Drive//. 12 Feb 2010. Blue Ridge Online, Web. 12 Feb 2010. .

"Blue Ridge Parkway." //Destination 360//. Web. 12 Feb 2010. .

Virtual Blue Ridge,. "Blue Rdge Parkway History." //Blue Ridge Parkway Guide//. Web. 21 Feb 2010. .

State Climate Office of North Carolina." //NC State Universiety//. Web. 21 Feb 2010. .