Saturday, May 28, 2016

May 28, 2016

Connected Again

We have been without internet connection for the last few days.  Actually we had very good connection one day but nothing of interest to post.  the rest of the time has been pretty remote technology-wise.

First day after leaving West Virginia (Side rant:  It’s official – West Virginia has the worst roads overall of every place we have been which is pretty much the entire country.  The pioneers traveling 2000 miles to Oregon and California in a Conestoga wagon had a far more comfortable trip than driving 10 miles on just about any road in West Virginia in a modern vehicle with excellent suspension and rubber tires.) we stayed in a very nice RV resort in the Shenandoah Valley with an interesting adjunct.  It is built on top of a cave.  Tours are given four or five time a day.  RV camping would give reduced admission to cave.  We opted out as we have seen some of the best this country has to offer.  Instead we did laundry Smile.  The day we were there the park was very quiet and they were making last minute preparations for up coming Memorial Day weekend which was already fully booked (over 100 sites).

Next day off to Shenandoah National Park.  Pretty much THE park and mountain recreation area for Washington D.C. and surrounding areas.  It is less than 80 miles from the Capitol.  We lucked out here and found an open non-reserved camp spot in the major park campground. Starting the next day the park would have been full Smile.  Stayed two nights.  Took in a couple of ranger talks, took a walk, took a hike, did some sightseeing.  That is pretty much what this park offers.  There are no ‘gotcha’ landmarks or structures.  There is a great deal of history about how the park came to be formed and how it was developed and the effects on early inhabitants of the area.  Mostly the park is vistas and trails.  There were many people doing both.  The views west into the Shenandoah Valley are great as are the views east across the northern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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Shenandoah Valley

There are lots of available hikes (The Appalachian Trail runs the length of the park) to points of interest.  One problem – the chief (only) road through the park runs along the ridge of the mountains and all trails start along this road.  Just like Auburn that means that all hikes start off down hill and the return hike is all up hill.  We did one to a falls.  It was about 1 1/2 miles down to falls (not one step was up hill) and between 3 and 4 miles back up, on the same trail Sad smile.  And the falls were not all that great – more of a cascade.

We did see wildlife.  First real contact this trip.

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This is not a telephoto pic.  Doe was just loafing under tree as we walked by about ten feet from her.

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Saw these as we headed out of park this morning.  (Know how to spot wildlife in a national park – look for cars parked in middle of road with idiots standing outside cars all staring in same direction, some will have cameras on tripods)  Mom and two cubs strolling through forest.

 

Today, out of the park and east to north central Virginia (did I mention how nice the roads are in Virginia).  Then north to Maryland (Gas and milk at Sam’s and then oil change for Carbus at a quick lube).  North again through Gettysburg (been there) and then more east to RV park in York.

Updated map of trip:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=12x4dHvzJbvb0UcaUtz2NjLNihZE



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