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| Shenandoah National Park! |
Sunday we made our way to Shenandoah National Park. This
park is located in the mountainous area of Virginia. We arrived to the park
before the visitor’s center opened. To pass the time, we went for a short
hike
around the area. After picking up maps and postcards, we began our drive.
The drive was very slow and full of twists and turns. This
allowed me (Marc) to showcase my gravel road driving skills.
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| Hills! Hills! Hills! |
Fog began to form as our car climbed up the mountain. This was very disappointing because the fog covered up the scenery. We received a bit of good luck once we reached the highest point. The fog cleared and we were able to see the beautiful landscape. Allison and I stood on top and looked over Virginia. We were over 3,600 feet above sea level!
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| Allison reflecting on life, 3,600 feet above sea level! |
The fog returned on the ride back down. It was a slow and difficult drive. We stopped to make lunch and get some gasoline. Even through it was a windy day, Allison was still able to make some delicious rice and beans. With a full stomach and a full tank, we continued on. The remainder of the drive through Shenandoah National Park was very foggy. The drive was long and difficult. However, the view from the top made it all worth it.
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| Acorns are like snowflakes. There are a lot of them. |
From there we drove to Lexington, Virginia. As we arrived to town, storm clouds began to form. The campground attendant tried to convince us to find a hotel instead. She informed us that it was going to rain all night long. We decided to still camp. It barely sprinkled that night. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was cool, but not freezing like what we were used to camping in. We both had a great night’s sleep.
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| The sign explains it. |
The next morning we woke up and headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were very worried that it would a similar experience to Shenandoah. Unfortunately, we were correct. The Parkway was completely covered in fog. There were still some areas where the fog lifted. Like Shenandoah, the scenery was breathtaking. After a bit of exploring and picture taking, we continued on.
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| It was so foggy, we couldn't enjoy the view. |
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| I didn't know what to do with my hands. |
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| The Otter Lake waterfall |
We decided that it would be easier to take the interstate to our next destination. Our original plan was to take the Blue Ridge Parkway to it's end (in northern Georgia I believe), and camp near the end, then spend the next day traveling to Navarre, Florida. Because of the fog though, we decided to use the interstate instead and do the 13 hour drive in one day. The drive from Virginia to Florida was very long and tiring.
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| There is nothing better than Bar-B-Q |
One of the highlights along the way was lunch. We stopped off at a Barbeque restaurant in North Carolina. This was an authentic, family run establishment. The food was delicious and filling. I was able to enjoy two of my favorite things, fried okra and hush puppies! Both of us wanted to nap afterword. Unfortunately, we had to soldier on.
The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful. Due to my poor navigation skills, we ended up stuck in traffic trying to pass through Atlanta. Later, in a small Alabama town, Allison noticed a small dog wandering around the center of the road. It was around 11:00pm and we didn’t know what to do. We stopped to see if it had tags. Sadly, it did not. We managed to wave down a police officer. When we asked what to do, he responded with “Take it home, it ain’t my problem.” Sadly, we had drop the dog off in a safe neighborhood and hoped someone would find its home. FINALLY after a long day of driving we arrived in Navarre, Florida. We were greeted by my Uncle Chuck. It was great to see a familiar face. Allison, Chuck, and I spent the next hour catching up. I am really looking forward to spending the next two days with my Florida family.
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-Marc |
