PEAKS OF OTTER, Va. – The Blue Ridge Parkway is finally back open after Helene - and it’s just in time for peak fall season. At Peaks of Otter, they say the month of October keeps the guests rolling in.
“This time period is extremely crucial to us,” General Manager Jean Hoell said.
Jean Hoell is the general manager at Peaks of Otter. She says while many places slow down after the summer, Peaks of Otter sees a boost. People come for the views but often stay for the community.
“Is that really why you got into this job?” 10 News Anchor Abbie Coleman asked.
“Oh, for the people? Absolutely,” Hoell said.
Peaks of Otter falls smack dab on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which up until Friday was closed as damage from Helene was assessed.
Steven Haines came all the way from Santa Fe and didn’t know if they’d be able to make it up to the lodge because of the closures.
“It just opened. We’ve been on it before when we’ve been previously, but we hadn’t been this direction,” Haines said.
But the fall tourism even attracts people close to home.
Betsy McMillion lives in Bedford and saw the impact Helene had on the Parkway and the community.
“It’s amazing. They care about one another. It’s a community. It’s like it used to be years ago,” McMillion said.
And even though Peaks of Otter remained open through the closures, Hoell tells us these next few weeks are the real reason people come to the Parkway and the lodge.
“We are a seasonal property, so we close November third. So this is really crucial. This is when people are up here capturing the leaves; they really want to see the leaves,” she said.
It gives a uniqueness she tells us you can’t find anywhere else.
“Everybody has a story that they have grown up with Peaks of Otter. It is very, very iconic,” she said