Shenandoah NP, again

After Hurricane Earl blew by, we were supposed to get high winds and only 75 for temp. With the high winds we decided to head back to the Shenandoah NP - we could clearly see the mountains from the campground. Drove back to the mid-entrance (Boyd Visitor Center) wanted to walk along the Big Meadows - too many people - drove the rest of the way south to the end. It actually was freezing up there! Being a holiday weekend - so many people camping in the park - all campgrounds were full. Some people got a pass to leave their car in overlook sections and hike down the Appalachian Trail, spending the night where ever they choose, then hiking back out. Ahhhhh - would be nice to do, but I am not young anymore. And, I don't think I would relax with bears hanging around.

The north and south districts are totally different in vegatation and views. We both said we liked the north for the foliage, but the south for the views. There were more historical markers and information in the southern district. Goal was to hike on the Appalachian Trail, in this picture you see the AT which marks the trail heads and a small band above the AT with imprinted data that tells you how far distance to such-and-so point. Each side gives distance, depending on where you want to hike. Along the trail you will see a band of yellow swatch of paint on a tree to mark the trail. The second tree to the right has this mark. Well, we did hike the trail, picked a trail that said you will get to a waterfall (seems to be our niche) but after walking 2 miles, DOWNHILL, decided to head back since we had to hike back UP. Sweat! Even though the temp was about 68 - sheese. But, I am so glad we did this. Was neat to see and hear things in the forest.

We drove out of the park, drove back to the 500,000 book store we went to the other day (Green Valley Book Fair) and browsed for a couple of hours, returning back to Front Royal by 7:30pm. With the high wind all day, we found some of our outdoor 'stuff' was blown across to other sites. We decided we are done sight-seeing from this campsite - will just relax the next couple of days and then move on to somewhere ? Wednesday. Haven't decided yet.

Cedar Creek National Battlefield and Belle Grove

Friday we decided to go to Cedar Creek National Battlefield and to Belle Grove plantation which is about 10 miles from here. Hurricane Earl was definitely in the east - you should have seen the cloud formations! No rain forecasted - but supposed to be hot so off we went. Belle Grove Plantation is a home built in 1785, designed by Thomas Jefferson, and the wife of the owner was the sister of James Madison, the 4th president. Again, no pictures on the inside, but was amazing to see and hear the history and how people lived. Notice how this home is so huge - and only 2 bedrooms. And one level - notice the steps going up high? Alot of furniture is still from the Hite's (that's the original family). Across the road is the Cedar Creek National Battlefield Historic Park. I had never heard of this battle in the Civil War and found out it only became a national park in 2002. Cedar Creek and Belle Grove are connected because during the battle, Major General Ramseur of the South was mortally wounded and brought here to die. At his bedside was Northern Lt. George Armstrong Custer (the same of the tragic Battle of Little Big Horn - Custer's last stand). Others who fought in this battle were William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes -future presidents! This battle was a turning point in the Civil War because the North (Union) were not doing so well, being defeated by the South (Confederates) and Abraham Lincoln was campaigning for re-election, also the Shenandoah Valley was key to provisioning the South. This battle happened in October, two weeks before election of a president. Most of the battles of the Civil War were fought here in the Shenandoah Valley, some towns had 4 battles during the 4 1/2 years. Talk about devastating your town and economy and all the lives lost. Anyhow, General Sheridan got his troops to rally and won this battle for Lincoln, the North became optomistic that Lincoln could finally end this war, re-elected him and end slavery forever. You have to use your imagination to see this battle. Even the visitor center didn't have any interpreting - just some guns/bullets/uniforms/books. Not enough money to do anything right now. "But come on back in October when we fight this battle all over again - over 4,000 people come to do this!" Ahhh, no thanks, but didn't tell him that.


Having learned that the majority of the battles of the Civil War were fought in the Shenandoah Valley - it is so fertile, many rivers beside the Shenandoah, major thoroughfare between North and South - it makes sense that everywhere we go you see "Viriginia Civil War Trails" signs and historical placques everywhere. And most battles are reinacted every year! Big business even now!

No Earl, but hot!

We stuck it out at the RV yesterday, watching the waves of clouds come in from Hurricane Earl. It did get to 100, too hot for us. No rain, did get some wind. Tomorrow is supposed to be very windy from the back side of Earl going up the coast. Strange thing is today the sky is very, very overcast, Earl is due east of us out in the ocean. Can't see the Shenandoah from the RV like you can on all other days, too hazy. We thought the campground would get pretty busy when in fact it is very desolate here. The worker-bee guy Ed who is next to us said that this Earl probably scared away alot of folks, although this weekend is supposed to be wonderful - temps in the 70's. Yeah!

Today we were going to go back to the Shenandoah but since you can't see the mountains from the campground like normal, we figured we couldn't see looking down from the top of Skyline Drive. So, instead we probably will go to Cedar Creek National Battlefield and Belle Grove Plantation about 10 miles from here. We have steered clear of battlefields, but for some reason - I haven't researched it - this battle has made a National park. So, we'll go.

Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia

We hung around the RV Tuesday, just trying to stay cool. It was 96 before the day was out, funny - we delayed this trip to avoid hot weather and it keeps getting hotter! Yesterday it was 100. We needed to go do something yesterday, so we drove 60 miles south down Interstate 81 to Staunton VA to the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia. This museum houses authentic homes from the English, Irish, Scottish and German people from the early 1600's and 1700's. Then you stepped into "New World" American settlements - frontier homes/farms from 1740, 1820, and 1850's. This picture is the 1820 farm. They (museum founders) went to the old world countries, dismantled the homes, brought them to VA and reassembled them just as it stood. For the American frontier homes - these came from places in Virginia - again actual homes/farms dismantled and then reassembled here. Quite impressive. And brought all the interior with them - furniture, fireplace cooking utensils, clothing, etc. The staff was working on a West African site and similar slave quarter home from a plantation was to be finished by the end of the month. The last piece was American Indian and they have it in their plans.

From there we found a bookstore that says it has 500,000 books. And do they! Unbelievable. We were on sensory overload when we walked in, and then I discovered that alot of the authors were recognizable but the books weren't. I think these were overstocks, titles that never made it big time, etc. And cheap. Every catagory you could imagine. I found 4 books, Dave found 1 for a total of $19.46. Was worth stopping and browsing for a couple of hours.

Today, again we watch for Hurricane Earl - Virginia is in a state of emergency and I don't know how that will affect me grocery shopping. Supposed to be passing through tonight, but a quick passing. Hopefully with Earl passing on, the Shenandoah will clear up and we will drive back up there again and get clearer pictures. I want to get a picture of the Appalachian Trail as it criss crosses the Skyline Drive. Maybe I'll see a bear again?!

Shenandoah NP and a Bear!

It has been so hot here - yesterday 96 and should be the same today. We are closely watching Earl to see how bad we will get impacted. Sunday we drove to Winchester and to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Was so disappointed and wasn't sure why until driving back Dave said - that a display of oppulance. Sure, the Wood and Glass family that settled in Winchester about 1730 were successful, but sheese. The Glen Burnie house is the home that the last ancestor - Glass - refurbished from some of his money. The house was built in 1738 and it is quite impressive. The gardens were beautiful. The last of the Glass family got his friend to build miniture doll houses - and that's in the museum. Even had a visiting Elvis display from the Smithonian there. Unbelievable.


Yesterday we drove down the road to Strasburg, a town that was founded in early 1700's also, and they have a museum that houses artifacts back to 1710. Now that museum was very impressive. From there we drove to the Shenandoah National Park with the intent of driving from the north entrance to the mid entrance and hopefully getting home by 3pm. The Skyline drive is 105 miles long, we drove 56 of it. Took us over 5 hours just to drive this, then another hour to get home. I got my fix of the park - it is lovely, you ride the Blue Ridge Parkway along the tops of the mountains, have overlooks about every 2 miles, very scenic. And we came across a bear in the road. When we got to one of the visitor's center I asked if that bear was a baby. They said no, more than likely it was over 1 year old at which time the mother tells it to hit the road, you are on your own. We found out that there are over 500 bears in the park, but I don't think I want to get any closer than this!

Today we sit tight, just too darn hot, will play catch up, etc.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

My back was better so we headed to Harpers Ferry to see that national park. I had read a sentance or 2 about it in school, knowing that some guy named John Brown tried to get slaves and supporters to join him and start an insurrection to stop slavery. He didn't succeed, was caught and hanged by the government. Robert E Lee was head of the US Marines who seized Brown and his supports. Yeah, same Robert E Lee who became general of the Confederate Army. George Custer was part of this Marine Corp also. This skirmish was the start of the Civil War because people started to really question the slavery issue. Was very impressed with: what the town of Harpers Ferry looks like - still most of the old buildings from the 1780's still there - this picture shows John Brown's fort (fire enginehouse) where he held out with his supporters and was captured by the Marines and some of the old buildings; the floods that have taken a toll on the town; Meriweather Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition came through in 1803 to get outfitted with rifles, etc. for the trip out west; George Washington owned much property around this area - purchasing it when he was 16 - the man was rich!; the first school - Storer - was founded for the education of blacks, and continued for almost 100 years. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad converges here and is the main leg to move supplies from one side of the Shenandoah Valley to the Ohio Valley; Harpers Ferry was the first national armory in the country. Also, there were over 80 battles of the Civil War fought in this 50 mile radius of this town.

The Appalachian Trail goes right through here and we were standing almost at the middle point of the trail which extends between Maine and Georgia. With my back not 100% I couldn't hike to the visitor's center for the Trail, only hiked about 1/2 mile of it and said I have been there, done that (sort of). Saw a number of hikers going north and south on this trail. We saw people tubing down the Potomac River, and the tubers eventually crossed to where the Shenadoah River joins the Potomac under the railroad tressle. Pretty cool.

Back Break Move

Didn't do much yesterday other than move the RV to another spot. No, didn't get to the river as I wanted to, those are booked up until the 3rd. Instead, we moved 'up' to where the manager of the resort has his RV and where the worker-bees have their RVs. We are on a slight hill, overlooking all the craziness of where we were, and backed up into the hill. The management said we will see deer, raccoons, rabbits, and bear! And best, we will be in shade from 1pm on. So, when we take off sightseeing, at least we know the RV is in relative coolness for most of the afternoon and the cats will be okay. Worker-bees are those people who come to work at the park in exchange for free camping, this is done throughout most of the US - there are ads all the time for help like this. Wouldn't want that - the gentlemen next door puts in 10 hours a day, 4 days a week, then has 3 days off of which he drives back to West Virginia (home) to relax. No thanks.

The 'Back Break' of the title refers to me. I hurt my back somehow Tuesday, could barely walk Wednesday and in so much pain! and yesterday was a tidge better, thanks to eating tons of medicine. I looked 30 years older, leaning to one side, taking small baby steps. Today I am able to walk not leaning, and we will go to Harper's Ferry (a Civil War sight) and then to the visitor's center of the National Park.