We have planned a relaxing tour enjoying both the fall colours, the unchanged landscape of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and the sites in the seat of power, Washington DC. We will travel the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to its completion in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee before returning north to Pennsylvania.

The Blue Ridge Parkway follows the top of the southern Appalachians as it winds its way south. The road is a designated National Park throughout its whole length and the speed limit is 45mph. The only habitation seen on the route are remote farms and old wooden buildings dating back many years. Any encroachment of modern development is strictly forbidden and the only towns we will visit on our journey will require us to leave the Parkway.

Our journey along the Parkway will be broken down into short lengths in order that we can take our time, relax and explore the wonderful scenery and hidden photographic opportunities that can be found all along this unique route. We will take the opportunity to make a short detour to visit Chimney Rock as we enter North Carolina. This magnificent location was the back drop for the amazing climax to the film ‘Last of the Mohicans’ and offers majestic cliffs and views over the surrounding landscape. From here we follow the final section of the Parkway into the Great Smoky Mountains. We will stop for three nights in the bustling town of Gatlinburg and this will be our base to visit the rugged cliffs and colourful streams of this picturesque park.

Once our visit here is complete we will retrace our steps north along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our journey time south will have allowed the fall colours to change as we head north. This will afford you the opportunity to capture the route in different moods and states of colour. Once again we will take a leisurely trip north allowing for a relaxing time and ample opportunity to explore and capture images.

Once we pass through the Shenandoah National Park we will head north to Gettysburg, taking time to visit this Civil War Battlefield that is now a National Park. We then continue on to Lancaster County in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Here we will find the Amish people whose rejection of modern conveniences, such as the motor car and television have left this area to become a unique tribute to times gone by. We will see people travelling by the unique single horse buggies that look out of place in the towns but look most natural in the unspoilt countryside. We will also be able to see the old fashioned farming methods still practiced by the Amish. At this time of year we will see the harvest being cut by horse drawn binders and loaded into horse drawn carts - no tractors here! The old schooldays will soon flood back as you see the children dressed in the black uniforms walking to and from school, carrying their satchels or being collected in the buggies.
Soon we will head to the Capital city of Washington DC where we have planned a day to visit the centre and photograph the many landmarks to be found here. With such buildings as the White House, The Capitol and the Washington and Lincoln Memorials, there is much to see. Of course there are many other great photographic opportunities such as the moving Vietnam Memorial, the many museums or perhaps the opportunity to photograph one of the many protests that regularly occur around the centre.