Out of Hanover Pennsylvania heading for Front Royale and the start of the Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Park. Getting there was a work of art with the GPS having me head to Washington DC (southeast) and I wanting to head west. I finally just shut the GPS down and reverted to the old standby, the bloody map.
The weather for the day started out overcast and wet and stayed this way into Virginia. Once on the Skyline Drive you had to contend with fog and rain. Stopped at the first campsite on the route, which just about sits at 3000 feet. The same bugs I left in Muncy have moved in mass to this one particular site only!!!!
And Starbucks Coffee is only minutes away. Heavy dew from the night before but since I am back to sleeping in the Goatmobile, life is good. After spending the last week or so sleeping in a bed, eating food that is digestible, taking showers nightly it is good to get back to the Spartan life style of energy bars, bananas and peeling hard-boiled eggs on the road.
First night was at Mathews Arm, 2nd at Lewis Mountain and the third at Loft Mountain. Total mileage between the 3 is around 80 miles. Believe me I have never in this whole trip putted around, covered so little miles as I have in the last 3 days. Could it be that it is only costing me $7.50 per night and after leaving my last bar of soap in Hanover, the next 15 days I could be just a bit ripe when I pull into Hawaii next month.
The Skyline drive is worth every mile of travel. Did climb down the trail to Dark Hollow Falls. I should have known better then to even think that the falls would have any water flowing at this time of the year. Spring when the snow melts would be the time to view the falls. Anyway down you go, get to the bottom, take picture, and the comely National Park Ranger informs you to think of climbing a 44 story building going back up. Being in the shape of a slug riding in a vehicle for the last 4.5 months, no problem! No comment as to when I finally reached the top.
From Skyline Drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway was just a coffee cup away. Fog was the biggest problem as I headed south but as I was in the leisure cruise mod, getting to the next campsite was no worries. Campsite for the night was the Roanoke Mountain just off the parkway. Another $8.00 night and within 4 miles is the YMCA where a shower is to be had for a $1.00 including a towel.
Leaving Roanoke the next morning heading south. First off hitting fog and rain and more fog. Finally stopped off at a National Park Station and the good word was that I could expect fog and rain for the next 4=5 days and wouldn’t clear up until I reached the Great Smokey Mountains National Park 200 miles south. The speed limit on the Blue Ridge Parkway was 45 mph with the fog as an added factor, your speed dropped down to 25-35 mph. It was at this point I decided that I had had enough so with reluctance turned north. Found a campsite for the night and would wait for morning before deciding where I would head next.
Well its by-god West Virginia and a step back 20 years in time. I believe the whole state lives in a time capsule that keeps everyone and things in a 1950 time frame. If you want to get away from it all, West Virginia is where it’s at plus being in the middle of the Bible belt. After spending a night at a state park it was north to view the New River Gorge Bridge just off route 19. The site is run by the National Park Service, so all of your questions are at a fingertip away. Once you climb down to the viewing platform you realize that it’s also going to be an incredible spot to be once the change of colors happen to the trees that line the gorge.
Back on Rt 19 going north then catch 39 East until you get to the Cranberry Recreation Area within the Monongahela National Forest. Gravel roads but numerous campsites and just about empty for this time of year. And getting close to being bug free, but not quite………And for $5.00 per night, other sites within the area are even down to $2.50. Generally most sites have a long drop, trash bins, potable water (maybe), and picnic table. Tomorrow we continue east with a visit to the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area and the Pearl Buck (Goggle) Museum.
Tomorrow it is and the first stop is the Cranberry Glades, a ½ mile walk along a boardwalk with information kiosk at various stops. Next stop was at the visitor center where the first cuppa of the day was to be had. Leaving the visitors center we head north on Route 150 which takes us through some of the most brilliant colors I’ve seen to date for the changing of the leaves. Just maybe West Virginia is a bit ahead of everyone else with the foliage coloring. Get on Route 219 to Pearl Buck museum, no cameras inside but it was interesting to see where she was born and I believe lived until the age of 3 yrs before moving back to China
North is was on Rt 219 to Rt 33 and finally Route 32 to Blackwater State Park; remember now we are still in West Virginia. It was a long day but the colors of the foliage were just spectacular all of the way. Another 2 weeks and you would not want to leave for the kaleidoscope of colors that the leaves will bring out.
Rain it did for the night along with the No-see-ums; how any bug so small can cause such grief! Next morn its north to Pennsylvania for another stay with folks in Hanover. Next day it was back to Gettysburg, purchased an audio CD that takes you on an auto tour of the battlefield. There are a total of 15 stops you make with the CD and it covers the battle from start to finish. A must if you ever get to the area and do it during the week, forget weekends and summer as its busy, busy, busy.
Hanover then to Muncy, Pennsylvania where the Goatmobile will be left for the winter.
Norm
The Greynomad
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