View from our ‘again porch’ in Shenandoah River State Park
One week in on our journey to comply with 70 levels. After leaving NJ we drove for about 4 1/2 hours. Doug was fairly decided that we wanted to at the least get out of the Northeast Hall earlier than we might cease for the night time. He even tried to inform me that we wanted the go away the state earlier than we might take a potty break… That didn’t occur. Truthfully, I don’t even assume we had formally left our dwelling county earlier than I used to be complaining that I wanted to go. However we did the truth is make it previous Washington DC and throughout the northern portion of Virginia earlier than we referred to as it an evening. So the place did we go? The Shenandoah River Valley.
We stayed within the Shenandoah Valley on the Shenandoah River State Park in Bentonville, Virginia. This place was excellent. At the start, it was hotter than the climate we left in NJ. So for two folks looking for hotter days, this labored. Actually the day earlier than we left, the each of us have been out salting and plowing roads. Right here, there was barely any snow on the bottom and the temperature was above freezing. I’m not going to say that we have been heat but, or that it was even remotely near 70 levels, however it was undoubtedly higher. Temps have been within the 40’s and the solar was shining brilliant after we began our first official day. Heat sufficient to take a pleasant hike down alongside the river with our canine Lagertha and discover the world.
On prime of the marginally hotter climate, Virginia has carried out a wonderful job making their state park a vacation spot for the RV group. Our web site was giant with a stupendous view of the mountains throughout. The bathhouse was clear with showers and a laundry room. We had water and electrical on the web site, with a dump station completely situated as you exited the tenting space, and it was all fairly priced.
Proper now we do our street tripping in a fifth wheel camper. Nevertheless it wasn’t that way back that each one our street journeys have been carried out in our day by day driver, largely our Suburban, however typically in a small sedan. State Parks are an distinctive possibility for this sort of traveler as lots of them supply primitive websites for tent tenting, or cabins for the much less outdoorsy. The bathhouses are cleaned and maintained by the park rangers frequently. And, like I stated earlier than, the worth is mostly proper.
Entrance to the Shenandoah Nationwide Park was a ten minute drive down the street. Right here you can find the northern begin of Skyline Drive, a stupendous byway that really permits you the chance to journey the ridgeline of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 105 miles of mountain prime driving with breathtaking views of the valley’s beneath. The street continues and finally turns into Virginia’s portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We didn’t drive the whole factor, however we did go for about an hour stopping at many of the scenic overlooks alongside the best way.
In a brief driving distance there are a number of caverns (Skyline, Luray, Shenandoah, Grand and Infinite – simply to call a FEW!) within the space, all providing guided excursions for roughly $30 per individual. We’ve carried out a number of cavern excursions up to now with Jayden when he was youthful. They’re actually enchanting, and typically it’s onerous to understand that this panorama is slightly below our toes. Strolling via a few of them you may really feel like you’re on a far-off planet. However on this journey via the world we opted to skip them in favor of getting misplaced down nation roads to see what else the world needed to supply.
Luray Virginia didn’t disappoint. In our pursuit of getting misplaced we stumbled upon Cooter’s Place. Now, I do know the tv present Dukes of Hazzard went off the air again in 1985, however the present maintains a good following of followers. Right here at Cooter’s Place in Luray Virginia you may tour the museum of all issues Dukes of Hazzard at no cost. They’ve a reproduction of Cooter’s Storage with the unmistakable Common Lee and several other different of the long-lasting automobiles from the present. There’s a eating space for some eats, and you’ll peruse an array of merchandise. Their webpage boasts a live performance by Cooter himself each Saturday, however it was a Monday after we have been there so no backstage passes for us this time.
We awakened Tuesday morning to a balmy 17 levels.. Which meant it was time for us to maneuver on. We had solely spent 2 nights right here within the mountains, however it was now approach too chilly for us, and we have now approach too many different locations to go to and folks to see! That is actually an space that we plan to return to in a hotter month to make the most of some extra climbing and fishing of this prestigious panorama. Hold following our journey right here, and on our YouTube channel to take a look at a number of the cool video footage of the place we are and what we’re doing!