The greatest joy of living in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia is the Blue Ridge Parkway. One entrance to the scenic parkway is less than a mile from our house, and Walter and I can take a slow-paced, relaxing ride in the mountains any time we feel like it.

Sometimes we will start the day by driving to Bedford, Virginia, to stop at Mountain Fruit & Produce, a little convenience store near Gross Orchard. We grab a juicy hamburger made on their grill and pick up fresh peaches, Halifax cantaloupes, and jars of local honey or preserves. But the real treat is their peach ice cream. It is frozen so hard that we take it with us, leave the store, drive to The Parkway, turn south at the foot of Peaks of Otter, and on to our favorite stop at Bobletts Gap Overlook before the ice cream is soft enough to eat.   

Much of the overlook is overgrown, but there is still a magnificent view of the north face of the Blue Ridge Mountains and valley. A basket of bears often travels with us for a picnic in the woods or to do some rock climbing in this hidden overlook area. The peaceful setting is rarely crowded. We find it the perfect place to relax in the beauty of nature and share our ice cream with the Bears.

For those who love hiking, there is a path behind the picnic table that leads to the Appalachian Trail. We haven’t ventured into the woods from Bobletts Gap, but it is one way to connect to the iconic trail from The Parkway.  

I’ve read that Will Boblett was a farmer who owned the land, and seven members of the family are buried in a small cemetery beside the overlook parking area. The early settlers moved from the mountains to the valley but left their loved ones in the cemetery, although the headstones have been removed. It is fascinating to see this tiny fenced-in graveyard right there on The Parkway, reminding us that people once inhabited this mountain wilderness long before The Parkway was built.