Poor Farmer’s Market, Milepost 174
Pull over for gas and snacks at the Poor Farmer’s Market. Impossible to miss because in the winter it's lined out front with Christmas trees, wreaths, and stacks of firewood, it’s a one-stop shop for all things parkway. And that includes local sourwood honey, pumpkin nut bread, and fried apple pies. 2616 Jeb Stuart Hwy., Meadows of Dan, Virginia; poorfarmersmarket.biz

Rex Theater, Milepost 213
By eight o’clock every Friday night, the live bluegrass radio show is rolling onstage at Galax’s Rex Theater. From the balcony, swaying a bit in the theater seat, you can look down on a couple of cloggers or flat-footers shuffling away on the dance floor in front of the stage where Wayne Henderson (who makes guitars for the likes of Eric Clapton) might be picking away for a crowd of four hundred. The 1939 theater has hosted Roy Rogers, Lonesome River Band, Gene Autry, and Lash La Rue, and thanks to rehab efforts by volunteers in Galax, the music hub of the parkway, it’s still hosting free to cheap bluegrass. 113 East Grayson St., Galax, Virginia; rextheatergalax.com

Parker Tie Company, Milepost 261
Mom-and-pop hardware stores have all but been smashed by soulless corporate chains, but not in West Jefferson, North Carolina, at a little gem called Parker Tie Company. Even parkway superintendent Phil Francis likes to poke around the store Gene Parker opened in 1935, the same year the parkway broke ground to the north at Cumberland Gap. Across from Parker Tie, the state’s only creamery, Ashe County Cheese, builds seven thousand pounds of cheddar wheels a day, and it’s worth a visit, too. 19 S. Third Ave., West Jefferson, North Carolina; parkertie.doitbest.com

Mast Farm Inn, Milepost 294
Staying at Mast Farm Inn is a little like traveling back to the eighteenth century—with all the modern conveniences. Seven outbuildings of the main house have been transformed into upscale rentals, from the Granar to the Blacksmith Shop. Every one of them is loaded with rustic charm, but the Loom House is hands down the best part of the property to rent, since it has a huge stone fireplace and a claw-foot tub set against a double window. 2543 Broadstone Rd.,
 Banner Elk, North Carolina; mastfarminn.com

Famous Louise’s Rockhouse, Milepost 316
No road trip along the Blue Ridge would be complete without a big plate of comfort food dished out at a truly local establishment like Famous Louise’s Rockhouse. Louise, her daughter Shirley, and her granddaughters have run the Rockhouse since 1987, though it’s been serving similar hearty fare to passersby since it opened as the Linville Falls Tavern in 1936. Inside, original owner Lenoir Franklin’s photographs of the parkway in its early days line the walls. Don’t leave without ordering the country-fried steak. 23175 Rockhouse La., Newland, North Carolina; 828-765-2702

Table, Milepost 382
The handwritten menu at Table gives it away. It means that what you will eat at this modern Asheville eatery is so fresh it probably came out of the ground hours before it was oven roasted and artfully arranged on your plate. Owners Jacob and Alicia Sessums’ hyperlocal sources change daily as the food rolls in from places like Hickory Nut Gap, where the couple buy their famous pork chops. 48 College St., Asheville, North Carolina; tableasheville.com

Jack of the Wood, Milepost 383
There are plenty of dive bars along the parkway, but if you want authentic ambience, drive into downtown Asheville and join the eclectic crowd at Jack of the Wood. Tucked just below street level, this modern brewpub serves English-style ales from nearby Green Man Brewery, among other artisanal offerings. Consider yourself warned, though: It’s the kind of place where you’re more than likely to go two or three pints deep. 95 Patton Ave., Asheville, North Carolina; jackofthewood.com