Directions: Drive north on the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville, about 18 miles north of the Folk Art Center on the Parkway (near U.S. 70 exit) or take scenic Town Mountain Road from downtown to the Parkway and turn left (about 20 miles total). This section of the Parkway closes frequently during the winter for snow and ice.
Blood returns to the heart through two large blood veins: the inferior vena cava and superior vena cava. The inferior vena cava carries the blood from the lower body parts, the legs and feet and from organs in the abdomen and pelvis.
The superior vena cava is one of the two main veins bringing de-oxygenated blood from the body to the heart. Veins from the head and upper body feed into the superior vena cava, which empties into the right atrium of the heart.he right atrium receives de-oxygenated blood from the body through the superior vena cava (head and upper body) and inferior vena cava (legs and lower torso). The sinoatrial node sends an impulse that causes the cardiac muscle tissue of the atrium to contract in a coordinated, wave-like manner.