Wayne Busch, one of our favorite motorcycle riders extraordinaire, shared news about the missing Blue Ridge Parkway sign at the Richland Balsam overlook at Milepost 431. We found this so intriguing that we had to make a phone call to get to the bottom of just what happened.
If you've ever had the good fortune to speak with one of the Park service employees that work on the Parkway, you've probably been blessed with a great conversation and "above and beyond the call of duty" kind of help. There are some really great people that work there!
I spoke with a very nice lady about the sign and asked her just what had happened. Turns out that the question of "what happened to the sign?!?" had become a very popular one indeed. Just goes to show how the little things on the Blue Ridge Parkway can really capture our hearts.
The incident happened on the night of June 23. It would be a lot of fun to start that sentence out with "it was a dark and stormy night" but weather data for that day in nearby Franklin, NC doesn't really reflect insane winds -- then again, there's quite a difference in elevation between the two points.
According to the Parkway office, all signs point to vandalism. One may think that it could have been caused by a wrecked vehicle but there aren't any skid marks to be found.
Unfortunately the sign was made out of Redwood and approximate costs for replacement using the same materials will be about $9,000. A work order has been placed for a replacement sign and it should arrive in the next couple of weeks or so. But I don't think it will be made of Redwood!
Repairs on the stone base for the sign will commence today. If any of you riders have the opportunity to send in pictures of the progress please do so. While some of you may be disappointed on a missed opportunity for your scrapbook, think of it this way -- events like this are extremely rare so at least your photo will have an interesting story attached to it!
Happy Travels! ~Tanna
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