Blue Ridge Parkway Journeys

This year’s jurors for the 9th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition have been announced!

“All of our jurors this year are passionate about the outdoors, possess a significant and varied photographic background, and have been committed to the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition in some way over the years,” states AMPC Competition Director, Rich Campbell. “We are thrilled to have these individuals be a part of the AMPC who are dedicating their time, talent, and expertise to the competition this year.”

William A. Bake

William A. Bake has photographed the South for over 35 years and has created five successful books as well as booklets, prints, and posters. Considered one of the South’s premier landscape photographers, Bake has captured many of the unique landscapes found in the southern Appalachians.

Among his published photography books are Wayfarer: A Voice from the Southern Mountains with James Dickey; The American South: Four Seasons of the Land and Towns and Cities, both with James J. Kilpatrick; and The Blue Ridge. In addition to being a well-regarded photographer, Bake is also an accomplished writer and interpreter of the natural and cultural heritage of the United States.

Ellen Gwin

Ellen Gwin grew up in a family full of artists and fell in love with photography in middle school. Having graduated from Appalachian State University with a double major in Technical Photography and Communication, Gwin has been working professionally as a photographer ever since. She enjoys shooting photography in both film and digital formats.

Passionate about her home in western North Carolina and the amazing natural and outdoor resources available, Gwin strives to promote these resources at every given chance.

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller developed a passion for photography in the mid-nineties when he began capturing the wild and unique places he found himself working in as an outdoor educator and guide. He continues to work as a freelance photographer capturing the work of artists for print, web, and archival purposes and has had images published in fine art catalogs and WNC Magazine.

While working at Appalachian State University, Andrew developed the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition and Exhibition and oversaw the competition through the first 8 years.

This year’s competition deadline is fast approaching! Be sure to get your photos uploaded by 5:00 pm Friday, November 18, 2011.

Weather Page Preview

Virtual Blue Ridge now has an updated Blue Ridge Parkway weather information page.  Previously, weather information was being extracted from a daily report that the National Park Service emailed to interested media outlets and park employees. In August, the National Park Service decided to discontinue offering weather reports in the daily broadcast so we had to work on a permanent, more accurate solution.

The biggest problem we had to overcome in developing the new weather content was that we previously offered only a general forecast for North Carolina / Virginia. A general forecast by state is extremely difficult as the elevation changes and geographic conditions can present quite a difference in climate.  You can travel less than 30 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway and experience temperature changes of 10 degrees or more.

The new weather page pulls real-time data from The Weather Channel and allows you to get specific weather details for over 20 cities and towns along the Parkway.  The forecast on the page is currently for 24 hours, but you can click within the weather box for more details and get maps, multi-day forecasts, and more. This system provides a better representation of the weather for the area of the Parkway you will be visiting.  The interface is easy to use and we look forward to expanding it in the future.

Please leave comments below to help us improve the content of the weather information page.

BlueRidgeMotorcycling.com is a new website providing information on safety tips, motorcycle routes, and motorcycle-friendly destinations in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Our friends over there want us to help them get the word out about their site.  Are you willing to help? They have provided 3 banners for you to choose from that are easy to add to your website or blog post. Thanks for helping them to get the word out!

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Taking a Break on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Virtual Blue Ridge is announcing the launch of a new website focusing on motorcycling in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Joe Veler, president of Virtual Blue Ridge, said “The launch of the website is perfect timing since May is Motorcycling Safety Awareness Month, and the lack of motorcycling safety tips specific to mountain driving was astonishing – until now.”

BlueRidgeMotorcycling.com features tips for driving in the mountains, an important feature since 27% of motorcycle accidents in 2010 occurred in the mountain region where only 12% of the state’s population resides. “Coordinating with Sgt. Mark L. Brown with the North Carolina Highway Patrol was paramount in getting a lot of this safety information together,” said Veler.

Sgt. Brown, coordinator of BikeSafeNC, says the Highway Patrol is very interested in reducing motorcycle fatalities by partnering an education tool such as www.BikeSafeNC.com with an enforcement element. There is no one better to teach this than the motor officers that do it for a living every day. BikeSafeNC is funded by a grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) and partners with local departments to offer courses for motorcyclists. As a joint venture of the GHSP, the Highway Patrol, and local agencies, BikeSafeNC’s common goal is to reduce motorcycle crashes and fatalities statewide.

Enjoying a Sunset on a Mountain Ridge

The new site is dedicated to providing information on routes favorable to motorcyclists including scenic features, mile by mile directions and interactive maps, as well as tips to keep them safe.

Motorcycle-friendly businesses are highlighted on the site to provide information so motorcyclists will have an easier time finding the best places to stay, eat, and play.

Future phases of the website will include motorcycling videos, Road Journal posts, guest ride submissions, additional destinations, community interaction, and GPS downloads of the rides. “We know these features will be instrumental in growing an online Blue Ridge Mountain Motorcycling Enthusiast community, and everyone’s feedback will be instrumental in how well the site progresses,” said Veler.

In addition to Sgt. Brown’s contribution of content, other motorcycling enthusiasts have helped to provide valuable content and popular motorcycle routes.

Misty Journey on a Mountain Road

Wayne Busch, cartographer, explorer, and designer, is no stranger to two-wheeled adventures. Owner of AmericaRidesMaps.com, Busch provides insider info to motorcycle rides with interesting twists. He is also prolific in producing point-of-view videos for the enjoyment of all. Busch has been featured in several publications and worked with SpeedTV on the Speed Channel. Every year Busch travels thousands of miles, selects the best rides, and presents them in a series of motorcycle maps.

Dale Coyner is the author of two books geared for motorcyclists. His expertise and sense of humor have made him a popular author with motorcycle enthusiasts. Coyner has been riding and writing since 1989, and has been featured in dozens of publications, including Rider and Motorcycle Consumer News.

We can barely believe it ourselves but Virtual Blue Ridge is celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary this year! In honor of this momentous occasion we’re offering a special advertising rate — a 12 Month Advertising Contract for the price of 10 months. That’s 2 months for FREE! Regardless of the advertising package you pick*.

It’s been a labor of love building this website, adding sections and content as the years rolled by, absorbing feedback offered by visitors to make it bigger and better, and in a lot of ways we owe our success to you guys! Our website visitors and advertisers have created a special kind of synergy to make planning your trip to the Blue Ridge region an easier one.

Thank you for taking the journey with us and we look forward to broadened horizons and additional features as the months roll on.

This special anniversary advertising offer is good through 4/30/2011.

If you would like to have a printable version of this promotion, please click here. This PDF file also contains our most recent website stats for the Virtual Blue Ridge Network.

You can contact us by visiting Virtual Blue Ridge’s contact page, or by calling the numbers listed on the advertising special PDF.

*this promotion excludes Top Banner ads.

Happy Travels!