Climbing a New Mountain - A First Look at the Appalachians
Climbing a New Mountain - A First Look at the Appalachians
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
Dear Henry,
My first foray into this mountain range.
I was so excited about this road trip, the kind of excitement that comes from realizing you’re about to see something entirely new. Until now, most of my travels have taken me west: the Rockies, the deserts, big skies, and sharp horizons. I had never visited the Appalachian Mountains, and I didn’t quite know what to expect.
What I found was green.
Endlessly, exuberantly green, hills layered with trees, valleys softened by mist, vines of kudzu spilling over everything with quiet insistence. These mountains don’t announce themselves the way western ranges do. They don’t rise abruptly or demand attention. They fold into one another, older and gentler, as if they’ve learned patience over time.
We traveled along Highway 23, also known as The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Along the way, roadside signs tell the stories of musicians who grew up here, names and sounds that helped shape American folk, bluegrass, and country music. I had no idea so many artists had come from these hills, or how deeply the land itself shaped their work.
There were also antiquing opportunities everywhere, small towns with storefronts that invite you to slow down, wander, and maybe bring home a piece of someone else’s history.
All in all, it was a wonderfully meandering drive. The kind that doesn’t rush you toward a destination but reminds you that the road itself is worth the time.
I think I understand now why people fall in love with these mountains. They don’t overwhelm, they welcome.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
✨ #TakeTheBackRoads
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