Final leg of my journey - Blue Ridge Parkway - Tues 13th Aug

I am in Seveirville - TN, about to start the Blue Ridge Parkway backwards!! It starts near Cherokee and heads north east along the Appalacian Mountains.  I will be in the Smokey Mountains initially, and will finish in the Shannadoah National Park not far from the home of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello..He wrote the US Constitution and sent Lewis and Clark off to the pacific NW (had to get it in somewhere!!).
Just had breakfast after staying in the Landmark Inn, room 303 for $41. Not bad for the money. 
Update more later...

Driving out of Seveirville towards the Smokey Mountains went through lots of amusement parks on the road side. Very tacky, Ma Pa huts, the Titanic and nearby is Dollywood.  Obviously aimed at a particular sector of the American public.  Another Blackpool.  I was surprised because the Landmark Inn area seemed quite respectable?!!

As I left Seveirville, it started to rain and clouds were very low.  Going over the Smokey Mountains was very damp and visibility was very poor.  Stopped at a visitor centre for maps and guidebooks, then continued to Cherokee to find milepost 469. Actually missed the entrance to the Parkway and the first milepost I found was 464, then I hit the clouds!!  Visibility was very poor and I was really crawling along at 15mph!!  I thought this would take forever at this rate!!

Near milemarker 430 came to the highest point, and was I in the clouds!!

Luckily the weather improved and the sun came out and a clear day began!!

As you can see, the views were amazing!!  I also had some luck.  At Asheville, Mile post 385, the Parkway was closed off for repairs and I was diverted onto I-40. I had to take a 60 odd mile detour and picked up the Parkway at mile post 305.  That probably saved me 80 miles at 30mph or three hours!!  

I ended up camping at Doughton Park for $20 (it was actually $16, but I did not have the change!! So after stiffing the US Forestry Service at Bighorn Wy, they are now even!!)

A primative site, with only two other people camping.  It was also cold at night!!  But I survived and slept quite well. 

I did quite well with travelling, considering it took me so long to get through the Smokey Mountains out of Seveirville.  Doughton Park was at milepost 238, so I was only half way!!