About us

A Message from Tom

 

Greetings Travelers!

When I retired in 2018, as Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association,  after spending 36 years with the organization, the Association and the National Park Service  presented me with my very own Parkway milepost at my retirement party, which I proudly display at my workstation.

There’s optimism!
It is with great pleasure, as publisher of the Blue Ridge Digest, I write to you from the
beautiful Western North Carolina! I couldn’t be more optimistic for the travel opportunities available to us all!  Fear of missing out? Never again… If you’ve missed any of our travel editions, the last 9 of our 35+ years, are all archived, so you can still find enough to do in these mountains to keep you traveling for decades!

And that’s not all-
We cover six states: VA, NC, WV, TN, KY, and GA and we’re always adding more venues and locations of interest. Bonnie East, an award- winning travel writer and editor, will be adding travel stories to our editions.

With gratitude-
Thank you for making your vacation an All-American experience in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. I understand why you’re here. I’ve spent most of my life traveling these roads, and I still do.

I’ve come to know the people and the businesses along the way.  I’ve witnessed travel trends over the years, and I’ve seen a loyalty of followers to the Blue Ridge Mountains that is unsurpassed. I hope you find some great travel ideas in our publication that fit your needs. And I hope you find extraordinary experiences along these well-loved roads. But most of all, while you’re on vacation,  I hope you feel a little bit like you’re “home.”

See ya ‘round!
Tom Hardy,
Publisher