Myrtle Beach resident Matt Weil (AKA the-mp) took a trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains

Myrtle Beach resident Matt Weil (AKA the-mp) took a trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains out in Western VA and he’s got enough beautiful photos to make you want to leave your job and go all ‘Into the Wild.’

“I wanted the full Blue Ridge Parkway experience,” wrote Weil in a message explaining how and why he ended up driving through one of the US’s (and Virginia’s) most beautiful landscapes. He’d been further south, but was curious about what the Blue Ridge had to offer – so he packed up his car around 3 AM Friday morning and started driving.

“As the weather started to get better, and tourist season hadn’t fully hit here (meaning cheap rentals), and I finally decided now was the time.”

He made the round trip back to Myrtle Beach by 9 PM that night.

For those of you curious to follow his in Weil’s footsteps, he suggest planning rigorously, then throwing those plans out the window.

“I had a list, actually just the Wikipedia page, of the biggest highlights of sites and views on the Parkway I kept referencing,” he said. “I knew not to drive past and miss something amazing. Take the time to learn about a few sites that you absolutely do not want to miss; do NOT do this while you are already up on the mountains!”

He suggests packing food, and plenty of gas, because places to stop are far and few between.

“You never know what will hit you up there – maybe you’ll want to sit at an overlook for an hour! Or maybe you’ll want to whip through an area you thought would call to you. Regardless, hopefully what hits you isn’t a deer – follow that speed limit. On the other hand: the National Park Service closes segments of the Parkway, at will and unexpectedly, for the safety of motorists. They may do so even preemptively, or when a driver may think everything looks fine.”

Weil described his camera experience as minimal, despite what you’ll see below – it’s just him and a Cannon DSLR. But the collection of photos he’s posted speaks more than any words could.

So check out a few of the photos below, and then click over to the full gallery to see the rest (with some notes by Weil).

Then pack a bag, cause it’s time to head west.