It is a scenic parkway not a historically accurate preservation of Appalachian life.   It is interesting to hear the current interpretive Rangers explain why an 1880’s log home sits next to 1920s grist mill.   Perfect sections of split rail fence line the road with strands of barbed wire or electric fence hidden behind them.   Peaceful rolling meadows are interspersed just so often among rocky pasture land and tree covered slopes.   It was all by design to create a drive that gave travelers what they expected or imagined life in these mountains was like.  Combine this bit of creative staging with the natural beauty of the Ridge and it is a great drive.