We are in Sicily, Italy, for a special kind of road trip. We land at the Catania airport where we rent an old Alfa Romeo Giulia to discover the eastern part of the island. At the coffee corner we meet Ben, the owner of the old timer road trip company Sicily by classic. He takes us to Linguaglossa, the start point of our trip. Like a real Italian he races trough the busy airport traffic while using the horn and hand gesticulations very often. We are in Italy, so much is clear.

The three old timers used for tour trips

Running for 469 miles (755 km) along the famous Blue Ridge mountain chain, Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Shenandoah National Park in the north to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south. Starting at Rockfish Gap, this road trip picks us up where Skyline drive ends. The Parkway itself is not a National Park, but is a National Scenic Byway. Around every bend you’ll find another surprise for the eye, whether it’s a hawk’s-eye view of a river valley, a tree-covered peak or a peaceful pasture crowded with cows.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Located in the Taihang Mountains of China, the small village of Guoliang is sitting on a mountaintop and was isolated from the rest of the world. The only way to reach it was to walk through a valley surrounded by steep cliffs, and then climb a series of cut out stone steps. Cut off from the rest of the world, the village was doomed to become a ghost town, unless a road could be constructed trough the cliffs.

This all changed in 1972. When the Chinese government decided it wasn’t worth to invest several millions into a road that would only be used by 300 people, the villagers decided to dig the tunnel road themselves. It was their only hope to get connected to the rest of the world.

Winding trough the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Skyline Drive is a scenic road trip that is particularly popular in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. The road takes us along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although there is a small entry fee to drive the road, it’s more than worth it.

Skyline Drive