Tripatini contributor Mary Ann DeSantis writes: 

"The leaves are starting to show tinges of red, orange, and yellow, and now is the time to plan for a spectacular peak season drive along this 469-mile scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park in northwestern Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina.

Ride awhile, then stop awhile: the two-lane parkway is designed for leisurely journeys.Turn on your favorite bluegrass music, make sure your camera battery is fully charged, and come along with me to some of my favorite stops along the first 200 miles of one of the USA's most scenic drives.

One of them is the Roanoke River Gorge (pictured here). Even if you are afraid of heights, bite the bullet and pull over at the Roanoke River Overlook. It's hard to take a bad photo of the breathtaking scenery of the gorge below. When you are ready for a break, take the nearby mile-long road off the parkway into Virginia's Explore Park. The BRP Visitors Center has three galleries with exhibits, including a miniature model of the parkway that shows just how long 75-year-old road is. The 1,100 acre park contains a living history museum, a 17th-century Indian village, and an 18th-century frontier fort. 

Read more in her post Finding Fall along Virginia´s Blue Ridge Parkway.