The 2012 Opening Dates and Hours of Operation have just been released and are now available on the Virtual Blue Ridge website!  It’s never too early to start planning your next Parkway excursion, so be sure to double check the dates and hours of your favorite Parkway destinations!

View the 2012 Blue Ridge Parkway Concession Schedule

View the 2012 Blue Ridge Parkway Facilities Schedule

Those hoping that Bluff’s Lodge would reopen in 2012 will unfortunately be disappointed yet another year.  The future of Bluff’s Lodge is to date still unknown.

Don’t miss out on all of our other useful and informative trip planning information for the Blue Ridge Parkway, including Parkway maps, regulations, frequently asked questions, and more!

Happy Travels!

A performance from a trio of stellar artists – Patrick Simmons, Darrell Scott & John Cowan – has been added to the Friday night schedule of MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s Hardware and slated for April 26-29.

This star-filled addition to the festival lineup is announced as fans can still take advantage of the early bird ticket discount, available through March 12, 2012. Ticket purchases for MerleFest 25 can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857.

MerleFest is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson. The festival hosts over 90 artists, performing on 14 stages during the course of the four-day event. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org.

Patrick Simmons (guitar, vocals) is one of the driving forces behind legendary rock band The Doobie Brothers, whose influence and recordings continue to shape contemporary music today. The group racked up a string of gold and platinum albums in the U.S., along with a number of radio hits like “Listen to the Music,” “Black Water,” “China Grove,” “What a Fool Believes” and many others. The Doobie Brothers performed at MerleFest last year as part of their international “World Gone Crazy” tour.

Many MerleFest fans will remember artist Darrell Scott from his visit to the festival last year as part of Robert Plant’s Band of Joy; as a multi-instrumentalist, Scott lent his skills on vocals, guitar, mandolin, accordion, pedal and lap steel, and banjo to last year’s closing performance on the Watson Stage. But many know Scott, a contemporary folk singer-songwriter with eight critically-acclaimed albums, as an incredibly successful country songwriter. More than 70 artists have recorded his songs, including everyone from the Dixie Chicks to Brad Paisley, Faith Hill, Travis Tritt, Kathy Mattea, Sam Bush, Guy Clark, John Cowan, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins and more.

A favorite of the MerleFest regulars, John Cowan has appeared at the festival solo and as a member of New Grass Revival, the John Cowan Band, and last year with The Doobie Brothers. Cowan (bass, vocals), along with NGR bandmates Sam Bush, Bela Fleck and Pat Flynn, led the bluegrass revival of the ’80s, introducing a new generation of music fans to an explosive, experimental brand of bluegrass often referred to as “newgrass.” Over the years, whether in his own projects or as an in-demand session player, Cowan’s ability to take audiences on a musical journey through multiple genres – everything from rock to soul to blues to country and beyond – has made him one of the most unique and universally loved and admired vocal artists of his generation, not just by fans and critics, but by fellow artists.

Over the years, lineup additions like this – as well as spontaneous collaborations and last-minute performances – have become part of the MerleFest legacy. To keep up with any additional changes and additions to this year’s lineup – even during the festival – MerleFest encourages fans to sign up for the e-newsletter and to follow the festival through Facebook and Twitter. Links are available at www.merlefest.org.

MerleFest, considered one of the premiere music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of what Doc Watson calls “traditional plus” music, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian region plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.” The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.

Hampton Inn and Suites - Cashiers Sapphire Valley

Greetings Fellow Motorcyclists! Our friends at The Hampton Inn and Suites of the Cashiers/Sapphire Valley in North Carolina are offering an exclusive offer to stay in their private mountain retreat by staying with them before March 31st, 2012.

Their fabulous Mid-Winter Valley Special is meant to lift your spirits and remedy cabin fever. The special price offer is $79/night (Friday to Saturday) and $69/night (Sunday to Thursday). The price includes all applicable taxes and the standard hotel amenities. The only way to get the special rate is to call the hotel directly at 828-743-4545 and ask for the Winter Valley Special!

The area boasts several warmer days for riding your motorcycle in late winter and early spring as it is in the lower elevations on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 40 miles south of Asheville, NC. Our Wild Dam Waterfall Loop goes right in front of Hampton Inn and Suites and makes for a great starting point for a tour through the “Land of Waterfalls.” Situated right off of Hwy 64 East in Sapphire, NC, the curvy mountainous ride will please in and of itself.

You’ll enjoy beautiful and comfortable rooms and suites with modern convenience in a quaint mountain setting at the Hampton Inn and Suites. Standard king or queen rooms are available, as well as king and queen studios and suites. Many rooms have mountain views! All rooms have microwave and mini-fridge, free wireless Internet access, coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. There is also a complimentary hot breakfast and beverages; indoor pool and whirlpool; fitness room; Business Center and meeting facilities.

The Blue Ridge Parkway will close the section between State Route 191, at French Broad Parking Overlook, Milepost 393.8, to State Route 151, Milepost 405, beginning Monday, February 13, 2012.  This closure is expected to remain in place until April 15, 2012. The closure is required to complete repairs of Ferrin Knob Tunnel #1, located at Milepost 401.

The Parkway will also close the section between U.S. Route 19, Milepost 455.7, to the end of the Parkway at U.S. Route 441 in Cherokee, NC, until April 15, 2012, to complete repairs on the Big Witch Tunnel, located at Milepost 461.

The Parkway appreciates the public’s understanding and patience of this long winter closure, without implementation of a signed detour, as these two very important tunnel safety projects are undertaken.  Be sure to see all of the most recent Parkway road closures.

This Sunday, the Staples Center in Los Angeles becomes the focal point of the entertainment world, when music’s top artists are celebrated at the 54th Annual GRAMMY© Awards. Several of the artists nominated for these prestigious awards will grace the stages of MerleFest 25 this spring, continuing a twenty-five year tradition of bringing music’s most talented performers to Wilkesboro, N.C., for one of the country’s premier music festivals.

MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s Hardware and slated for April 26-29, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson – who himself is the recipient of seven Grammys. Doc will share the MerleFest stages with the following 2011 Grammy nominees: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, the Original Lineup (nominated for “Best Instrumental Composition”), Vince Gill (nominated for “Best Country Song”), Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”), Jim Lauderdale (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”), Steep Canyon Rangers (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”), Tedeschi Trucks Band (nominated for “Best Blues Album”) and artist Chris Thile, performing with the Punch Brothers at MerleFest 25 (nominated for “Best Bluegrass Album”).

Of course, MerleFest 25 boasts the talents of many artists who have already received that most prestigious of music awards. Besides Fleck (12-time Grammy recipient), Gill (15-time Grammy recipient), Lauderdale (three-time Grammy recipient), Tedeschi Trucks Band and Thile (two-time Grammy recipient), other Grammy honorees include Sam Bush (three-time Grammy recipient), John Hammond, David Holt (four-time Grammy recipient), Jerry Douglas (12-time Grammy recipient), Los Lobos (three-time Grammy recipient), Nashville Bluegrass Band (six-time Grammy recipient),  Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Marty Stuart (five-time Grammy recipient) and dobroist Tut Taylor.

Of special note in Grammy history is MerleFest 25 performer Alison Krauss, whose 26 prior wins makes her the most awarded female artist in Grammy history.

In addition to its stellar roster of Grammy-nominated performers, MerleFest has also become known for spontaneous moments, collaborations and last-minute performance additions. To keep up with any additional changes and additions to this year’s lineup – even during the festival – MerleFest encourages fans to sign up for the e-newsletter and to follow the festival through Facebook and Twitter. Links are available at www.merlefest.org.

Ticket purchases for MerleFest 25 can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012.

With over 90 artists performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest 25 is an excellent entertainment value. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of what Doc Watson calls “traditional plus” music, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian regional plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.” The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.