The High Country of North Carolina is a beautiful area to visit year-round. I love the spring, when azaleas, pink laurel and rhododendron trees bloom and grand poplars rise from valley floors. But fall, when the Appalachian Mountains are ablaze in orange, red and yellow foliage, is extraordinary. The best way to behold the splendor of the landscape is to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile route that connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the southern entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Roll down the car window and enjoy the sweet scent of the fall leaves in all their polychromatic glory.