Ewa Powell lives in the foothills of North Carolina with her husband and two kids. On sunny winter days, they head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. In the winter, many parts of the parkway are closed to traffic, leaving wide open space to walk and wander. Sometimes the Powells picnic right in the middle of the highway, while the kids play. Powell says, it's so quiet and peaceful there that it makes them feel like they are the only people left on earth -- in a good way.
