Diana's Profile
Name: Diana Baker
Title: Manager, Blue Ridge Parkway Store
Diana grew up in upstate New York and as a child enjoyed many hiking and camping trips to Allegany and Adirondack State Parks. Diana came to Boone in 1999 to attend Appalachian State University where she graduated with a degree in Business Marketing. She enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her two dogs, Ping and Roxie.
One of the newest editions to the store’s collection of videos is a DVD entitled “The Spirit of Asheville“. This video is a 73 minute overview of one of the state’s most popular cities. It includes amazing photography of the landscape, architecture and artwork and takes you on a virtual tour of the downtown area.
A typical soundtrack for this type of video would be what I like to call, “elevator music” but this DVD takes a different approach. The whole video is narrated by people on the streets of Asheville. The people interviewed talk about what they love about the city and what makes it special. Some of the individuals interviewed have lived in Asheville their whole lives while others are new to the community and share what it is that brought them there. Read more »
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Store is pleased to announce a new book available on our website. “When the Parkway Came” is the first-ever children’s book about the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is written by our friend and fellow blog author, Anne Mitchell Whisnant and her husband David. They hope this book will inspire us all to share our Parkway stories with our children and grandchildren for years to come. Read more about the book in this letter from authors Anne and David.
We wrote this book to share some of the joy we have had traveling and learning about the Parkway with our two young sons while Anne was researching and writing (and later speaking about) her book, Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History (University of North Carolina Press, 2006). We were surprised to find that there had never been a book on the Parkway written for children and young people. We wanted to find a way to engage, delight and help a new generation of travelers understand the Parkway’s history and commit to preserving the road. Read more »
Are you in need of a Blue Ridge Mountain Vacation? Visit Virtual Blue Ridge and enter for your chance to win.
Don’t miss your chance to win a relaxing retreat to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Retail Value up to :: $1,473.87 Read more »
The Blue Ridge Luxury Cabin Retreat Giveaway is now up and running! Virtual Blue Ridge’s newest giveaway includes lodging at a luxury log cabin and a unique horseback riding adventure. If you’re in need of a relaxing retreat to the Blue Ridge Mountains don’t miss your chance to win this incredible vacation package!
The total prize package is valued at over $900 and includes: Read more »
Virtual Blue Ridge is excited to announce two new sections detailing activities along the Blue Ridge Parkway to its website.
Part of the allure to this region for many visitors is checking out the many wineries located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and surrounding areas, as well as participating in the various winery tours that many wineries currently offer.
We have included information about wine tasting techniques as well as descriptions for most of the varieties of wine that are currently out there for the public to enjoy.
Many wine trails offer complete flexibility to the visitor enabling you to go at your own pace and in whatever order you please, while other wine trails are more full service, providing transportation and even lodging options. Read more »
