The Linn Cove Viaduct is the last piece of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be finished, and probably the most ingenious. For decades, the Parkway had a gap on the side of Grandfather Mountain, because the owner of the land refused to allow a conventional road to scar the slope. The solution, completed in 1983, was a curving concrete bridge, about 380 metres long, that twists along the mountainside on slender piers, and was built from the top down, so that no heavy machinery had to touch the forest below. Its 153 precast segments, each slightly different, were lifted into place one by one. When it opened, the whole Parkway, begun in the 1930s, was finally complete, in 1987, after more than fifty years.
The result is a road that looks like a ribbon draped over the rock. The viaduct curves in a continuous S-shape, and riding across it, with the mountain on one side and a drop through the trees on the other, feels like flying. Below, the forest is a mixture of hemlock, rhododendron and hardwoods, which in autumn is a blaze of colour. The visitor centre at the viaduct has an exhibit explaining the construction, and a short trail runs under the bridge so you can see the piers up close.
Grandfather Mountain itself, a few kilometres away, is one of the oldest mountains on earth, and one of the most biologically diverse in the Appalachians, with rare plants and animals. It is a privately run park with a mile-high swinging bridge between two peaks, and there is an entrance fee. The Parkway around here is slow, tight and twisting, with a speed limit of 35 or 45 miles an hour and plenty of tourists, but the pace is the point. Fog is common, and wet roads and leaf litter in autumn need respect. This section can close in winter, so check the park's status.
Foscoe and Banner Elk have stations and shops, and Boone, about twelve kilometres away, is the nearest sizeable town with the full range of services, as well as an appealing university atmosphere and bluegrass music in the cafes. Fill up there before the ride north or south. Bring layers, because the weather at this altitude changes fast, and a sunny day in the valley can be cold and misty on the ridge.