Blue Ridge Parkway Journeys

Abhijit at Parkway entrance sign ...

Have you noticed how news becomes more impactful the closer it is to home, or if the event or person is known to you or known by someone you know?

Such was my experience last week when I received a call from a former Parkway staff member who started off by saying “have you seen the photo of the Duke University student (Abhijit Mahato) that was killed? …this guy actually visited the Parkway.”

Abhijit Camping Along the Blue Ridge Parkway

And with a little bit of searching, there it was … the most authority rendering photograph of a young man standing in front of a Blue Ridge Parkway entrance sign. The question still lingers as to what kind of visitor or Parkway champion he might have become. Interesting in the composite of photos available, he is also seen cooking a 2-egg breakfast over a gas stove at a campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and . We know of at least three perfect places he visited.

Abhitjit standing on the pedestrian bridge at the Nantahala Outdoor Center

Such a tragedy …

If you wish to know more about this promising young man, visit news coverage here ….

Family enjoying a picnic at the Chestnut Cove Overlook south of Asheville

For generations people have come to the Parkway to be inspired, soothed, awed and enlightened. Those who journeyed here as children years ago return now with children and grandchildren. For them the promise of the Parkway thrives not only in a quiet escape to natural splendor, but also in the joy of sharing a profound and unforgettable moment in a predictable safe environment. Loaded weapons have no place on the Blue Ridge Parkway or any national park. Read more »