Greetings from Blue Ridge Parkway

My grandparents lived and worked in the Blue Ridge Parkwat at the Skyland Lodge. I also have relatives by the name of Taylor who lived in the mountains and when the the government declared the mountains a National Park they were all given an acre of land with a house to leave the mountains. I have some books that mention my garandparents and their children. My grandfather was much older than my grandma. He died inthe mid 50’s. His last name was Bates. I had many uncles and an aunt that were my grandpas children and he had more children with my grandma. She lived to be 98 and sha died in 1999. I also know that my greatgrandpa fought in the civil war and also past relatives who fought in the Revolutionary war. We bave a book tracing my roots to the 1500’s in England. It appears that the family came to America in the 1600’s in the 1600’s. Hope you like my story.

Sincerely,
Nancy Bates

Blue Ridge Parkway

Extending more than 450 miles between Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a trip through the history of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the people who have lived here for hundreds of years. This meandering road ties together diverse landscapes and conserves architecture, industry and cultural traditions associated with the mountain communities of southern Appalachia. Visitors can while away an afternoon listening to traditional music at the Blue Ridge Music Center, learn about the life of early settlers at Mabry Mill, or peruse traditional arts and crafts at the Folk Art Center, among other adventures.

State(s): North Carolina Virginia,

Established: 1936

“We need to save them for future generations so they can enjoy them as much as we did.”

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

{{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway I holds so many memories from my childhood I'm not sure I can pick one so I will tell you what it meant to our family. It days together enjoying the beauty of mother nature. Having our father teach us how to track and notice small signs…

  • Greetings from Blue Ridge Parkway

    We have been hiking the blue ridge mountains from Virgina to North Carolina for 30 years. We especially love the Cades Cover area in Gattlinberg, TN. We have been to Pisgah National forest, the Grand Canyon,Mount Mitchell, and of course one couldn't go without adding the Tenneessee and North Carolina…

  • Greetings from Blue Ridge Parkway

    Our favorite hiking trails are around the Manor (Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 294). Miles and miles of connecting trails to enjoy with our human parents. Sending loves and kisses to other animal/nature lovers. Brittany, Nikki and Boomer

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now