Picture of the day - July 22, 2005

Appalachian Mountain View

The Rocky Mountains of the western U.S. are famous the world over, and for good reason - their snow-capped peaks, several of which are over two miles high, tower above the cities and towns below providing the backdrop for countless postcards and photographs. In the minds of many people around the world, they ARE the mountains of America. But it's the Appalachian range on the other side of the country that truly gives our nation its character. Although the Appalachian Mountains are only half as tall as the Rockies, their influence on American culture has been profound. For example, virtually every genre of modern music has strong Appalachian roots. Bluegrass and Country music were born right in the Appalachian foothills of Kentucky and Virginia, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a Rock-and-Roll guitarist who has never played Maybelle Carter's Wildwood Flower. The Appalachian range is also no slouch when it comes to natural beauty. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, offering one spectacular view after another for the thousands of visitors that drive it each and every year. And the most popular national park in the country, Great Smokey Mountains National Park straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Millions of people from all around the world converge on "The Smokies" every year to experience the beauty of the park's peaks, ridges and valleys as well as the wide diversity of its fauna and flora. The Blue Ridge Parkway, the Great Smokey Mountains and the rest of the Appalachian Range offer much to all who choose to visit. There is no end to the number of amazing views you'll find waiting for you there. One such view is the one in today's picture, captured from an overlook on I-26 just a few miles from Erwin, Tennessee.   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles