The plan for our 2-night stay in Luray, VA, was to take a leisurely road trip along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and, possibly, take in the famous Luray Caverns. But I learned that Jett is not a spelunker (her response when asked if she would like to tour the caverns was “No freaking way!”). As for Skyline Drive, the rain interfered. I went alone while Jett was napping, driving through rain and fog and thinking that this was probably going to be a huge waste of time and fuel. The park rangers at the entrance (whom I could barely see through the thick fog and mist) were not encouraging. They said that I would probably be in fog for the entire 34-mile segment that I was driving.
But I got lucky. Though fog enveloped me much of the time, there were enough sunny breaks to make it worthwhile. I got some dramatic photos.
Shenandoah NP, looking SW
Shenandoah NP, roadside flora
Shenandoah NP, looking SW
I also cashed in on my advanced age and got the $10 card that gives me lifetime entry into any national park. That will save a couple of bucks when we get to the Grand Canyon. It’s great to be old.
Yeah.
Our home on this hop has been The Country Waye, our first KOA campground. I got the Good Sam discount, but it was still pricey: $48.51 per night. But very nice. It has beautiful landscaping and many level gravel pull-thru sites. Every site has a picnic table and firepit and – this really catapulted it to the top of the dogs’ list of favorite places – a huge fenced-in dog run. Grace, when let off the leash, set a new land speed record for canines as she raced from one end to the other. I think she would have done well at Wonderland, if she could keep up that pace for a quarter mile.
Being a Wisconsin boy, I also appreciated the herd of dairy cows next door. Jett was less enthusiastic about the bovine odor.
Next up: a 210-mile jaunt to the southwest tip of Virginia, then on to Knoxville for RV repairs.
Settled in at The Country Waye
The cows, heading to the barn for milking