It doesn’t happen often but we took a plane ride to Virginia where all of Pauls siblings except Susan got together in Luray. Very cool caves. Paul and I got there a day early so we did some exploring of the area where we found the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory. You got to watch the workers making and processing the chips. Boy do they use a lot of salt. Then you got as many small bags as you wanted to taste. They had all the usuals, and then they had Dill Pickle flavor (tasted just like a dill pickle). My favorite was the no salt ones. All the chips were Kettle type. We ended up buying a huge bag of bbq and plain and a bunch of bags of mixed flavors for our family picnic tomorrow.

Then we found a Cooters with all the memorabilia from Dukes of Hazard. We even went back for an afternoon of a small band doing blue grass music.

We stubbled on another site of the Civil War. I am always surprised with what beautiful areas once were a site that Americans were fight amongst theirselves to preserve their beliefs.

We were right near the Shenandoah National Park but we forgot our pass so we had to explore around it. We had been before so not a big deal. We stumbled upon a very interesting site. A weird little town with a garden for all sorts of things. The lady tending the garden was also building a fire, Paul immediately found a spot and settled down. It was right along a really nice stream.

We had lots of nieces and nephews and their families join us. I think we had 25 all together.

We took a tour of the Luray Caverns as a family

Lizzy Mabry Mill   Mile Post 176 in Virginia, One of the most picturesque places on the Parkway. Mabry’s original sawmill and blacksmith shop still stand.  The National Park has done an amazing job in preserving this treasure.  We saw a blacksmith working his craft, corn being ground and hand weaving.  The Mill was very picturesque and picnics were welcomed.

                                  Mabry Mill

The beginning of our road trip during the fall.  We entered the Shenandoah NP at the North Entrance Station under cloudy skies.  The Skyline Drive was our goal thru this park which is 105 miles and will connect us to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Our first night was very rainy and windy.  The park has several campgrounds and are very well kept with nice showers.  We had to move around some to find cell service to make it through the evening of rain.  When we have no connections we rely on cell service so we can work and play indoors.

A very cool outcropping of rocks, If I was younger I would have tried to get to the top

At the same stop there was a small waterfall and a portion of tracks that have been refurbished and you can get a sense of long ago days.

Waterfalls are always my go to.  I will hike miles just to see running water.  Most of the falls on this trip were pretty close to the roads.  This one was after a nice little uphill trek.  There was plenty of water to fill the streams and falls as it has rained most days that we were in Shenandoah NP.

Our last night was very rainy so we finished the drive and found our way to a local town with Walmart and Starbucks and spent the afternoon and evening with plenty of internet.  It was very windy and rainy.

If you read my blog from Kentucky  in April you read about my sandwich story!  Today I have another.

Turkey, Lettuce & Tomato

Hunger was taking over again and we were far from a McDonalds, besides I won’t stop there.  Paul found another country store with a sign that said “Sandwiches”  This time they had a real area, the lady was again tired and middle aged (definitely not Togos) who took our order and this time she had wheat bread!  The bread had a little texture,  but the lettuce was iceberg and the turkey came right out of the Oscar Meyer package!   I asked for cheese and the choices were, Yellow!

The chips were good!

Southern hospitality, Blueridge Parkway, sweet tea, holler,  and bluegrass.  Thats what I think about and we were able to enjoy most of that while staying at the Stony Fork Forest Service campground near Wytheville, VA.

Enjoying a walk

Sunday we took a drive along the Big  Walker Mountain Scenic Byway and stopped at the Big Walker Lookout thinking we were just going to look at the view of 5 states and stumbled upon a 7 piece bluegrass band.  Tune Town Old Time String Band were just strummin on the front porch!

Toon Town

One of the guys in the band does Auctioneering and auctioned a Big Mountain hat out and for $14 Paul was the proud owner of the hat!

Paul gets into the band!

Bluegrass music on the porch is definitely something I think of when I think of these southern states, what a great afternoon.

Big Mountain Lookout

100 feet into the air and you can see 5 states!  We didn’t make the climb because it is an attraction and they charge a fee, besides the view was pretty amazing from their deck.

Staying in the park which is near the Jefferson National Forest gave us a couple opportunities for some nature.  We took a 1 mile hike right in the park and disturbed a momma wild turkey and her brood!  I tried to get a photo but was so stunned when she rared up from behind a log only about 15 feet from the trail that I didn’t get my camera out in time!

What is this?

I did have time to take a photo of this?  What is it?

One morning I was enjoying the quiet when a little squirrel, (yes it is a squirrel – I googled the difference between a squirrel and a chipmunk!)  anyway he was very brave and really wanted to get a tidbit from the drip tray of the barbeque.

I tried to make some noise so he would leave and he just retreated into the tree and waited! Yes, he did return.

We have seen our share of Interstates in the past 5 years and I love when we see flowers!

Along I77 in North Carolina

I also get a good sunset once in awhile

Near Columbus, Ohio

After a trip to the local CVS to pick up some bug stuff!  I spent $43 on repellent, a personal protection device that I am not sure will really work, spray for the inside of the rig and then some cream to heal the wounds.  I return to the RV park and everyone is ready to head out.  We pull out of the park and hook up the cars.  We are ready to go!  Guess what?  After $43 and lots of complaining and pain I show Paul my arm and ask “do you think this is poison oak, I do?”  Yep, I don’t even have any mosquito bites (maybe a couple) I have a pretty good case of poison oak or that is what it looks like.  I have only had it once and that was a small patch the size of a quarter when I was 18!  Paul is the one that gets this stuff.  Now the question is how did I get it and he didn’t?  He gets it thinking about it.  At least now I can relax about the bugs!  Yuck!!

Our next stop is Intercourse Pennyslvania and it is a bit too far for us to make from Kitty Hawk in one day so we are going to overnight somewhere.  Pat & Kip have never overnighted in a Walmart Parking lot!  Boy are they in for a treat.  Kip found us a Walmart near Fredericksburg which is about 1/2 way to Intercourse.  We arrive about 6 pm, get parked, get the BBQ out and cook up some steaks.  Yeah, we are saving $60 on our accomodations so we get steak.

Everything went fine until about 5 am when bus loads of people and cars start showing up and parking near us.  About 6:30 a megaphone starts but we can’t understand.  I finally get up about 7 and we are boxed in and there is a marathon going on in the street infront of the Walmart!

Kip assesses the situation.  I go do some grocery shopping and when I return, we are unhooking the cars to make room and pulling up stakes and getting on the road.  They are closing the road about 8:30 and getting out is only going to get more difficult until about 1 pm!

We made it and are on our way north!

We planned to meet Jim & Linda about noon for lunch and then we were to head into the mountains to Natural Bridge a cavern that collasped eons ago and today you can visit for a mear $16!  We arrive, buy our tickets and proceed down the 300 steps to the trail that leads to the bridge and waterfalls. On our way we heard there would be scattered thunder storms and lightening in the area but it was dry until we got down about 100 steps and the thunder comes and the clouds don’t look good!  Linda does not like lightening storms so she requests we return to the lobby and wait until the storm passes.  We turn and walk up the 100 steps to a small landing with a roof and here comes the rain! 

Waiting undercover

We were stranded for about 20 minutes with lots of thunder, lightening and rain until there was a small break that allowed us to get to the building with the gift shop and snack bar.  After about an hour we were able to make our way to the bridge.

Natural Bridge

The bridge is only a very short distance from the bottom of the steps but there is this 50′ waterfall a short 3/4 mile hike into the canyon.  I have not done any exercise since hurting my shoulder but I really want to get some so I choose to hike to this falls!

liars Falls

I guess in Virginia this is 50′.  I love waterfalls and the hike was good but this was not really all that impressive although we did not get rained on as many others did.  Even though this was not the best attraction we have been to it was still a great place to take a walk and enjoy nature – all of nature, even the rain!

Our day and visit ended with an awesome dinner and of course more WINE!  Tomorrow we leave for Maryland and more friends.