Evening star., 1936-11-01

for motor journey along
Skyline Drive. Days are cooler and
more exhilarating. Scenery. thanks
to Mother Natures age-old habit of
donning her Fall cloak of vari- -colored
leaves. is lovelier, unquestionably, than
at any other time Of the year. Re-
cent heavy rains have settled the dust
Of the broad highway.
AS for traffic conditions along the
magnificent boulevard that rides the
crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains
while there is still steady flow of
cars from almost every State in the
Union, the congestion has been re-
lieved considerably. And for a very
good reason. AS most Washington
motorists know already, Skyland Drive
as it exists today is 66 miles long, has
its start at the Village of Front Royal
and terminates at Swift Run Gap.
Prior to october /, however, the
boulevard. so far as the motoring pub
lie was concerned, stopped at Fish
ers Gap. more commonly known as
Panorama. The new 32-mile stretch
Of roadway between Panorama and
Front Royal has been available to
motorists for only a trifle over three
weeks.
Result? Traffic in the surrounding
region has been loosened up almost
everywhere and this applies to the
nearby State roads as we'll as to the
drive itself. Heretofore, visitors have
had to drive into the park either at
Panorama or at Swift Run Gap. To-
day there's third entrance, the new
one at Front Royal, which now can
be reached by any of three main
roads: U. S. Route so, via Middle
burg; State Route 7, via Leesburg and
by way of Maryland, West Virginia
and Virginia via the newly-opened
bridge at Harpers Ferry.
QUERIES concerning Skyline Drive,
X despite the advent of late Oc-
tober. continue to pour into the Offices
of the American Automobile Associa-
ton and the National Park Service,
which supervises the maintenance of
the famous boulevard. This is easily
understandable, when 1t is realized
that goodly portion of Washington,s
population is semi-transient or float
ing. Newcomers are arriving here at
all times by the hundreds, the ma
jority, of course, to engage in Govern
ment occupations.
One of their most urgent questions
is this: Where are the best places
for week end motor trips? Skyline
Drive is best known to them, and they
want to travel there before visiting
the other scenic points within a few
hours motoring distance of the Capt.
tai.
Shall we, then, dedicate today's trip,
which incidentally Is the final one in
this years series, to new residents of
the District? All right, let's go. Folks
who've never been to Skyline want
to know, first Of all, what to expect
in the way of scenery.
Well, the drive is in the heart Of
the Blue Ridge and is now part Of
the Shenandoah National Park, COM
prising 176,429 acres in one of the
loveliest regions of the mid-South. 1t
will be recalled that the newest men,
ber of the family Of national parks
was formally dedicated by the Presi-
detn on July 3, 1886.
The many overlooks, parking areas
and secluded spots along the drive
provide ample opportunity for closer
acquaintance with the charms Of the
landscape and for relaxation. The
enthralled visitor views innumerable
panoramas of forested mountains,
sloping hillsides and cultivated val
leys. Today these scenic wonders
have become q great mass of rich
color, with browns, reds and yellows
splashing the woodlands in every
direction.
West Of the drive may be seen that
portion Of the Shenandoah Valley ly-
ing between the Blue Ridge and Mas
sanutten Mountain, the latter divid-
ing the valley for distance Of SO
miles. Beyond the Massanutten lies
the remainder Of the valley, with the
crest of the Allegheny Mountains
seen in. the distance. East of the
drive are the foothills Of the Blue
Ridge and the extensive Piedmont
Plain.
YOUR initial journey to Skyline
will be easier and pleaSanter II
you clip the map on this page, pre-
pared for The Sunday Star by the
American Automobile Association.
However. the map concerns itself only
with the region around the drive it
self. Take your choice Of these four
pleasant trips: No. /, by far the
shortest, takes you by way Of Middle
burg to Front Royal (80 miles from
Washington, thence over the Skyline
Drive to Panorama and finally back
to Washington by way Of Warrenton.