Aug 16: The Cradle of The Civil War 5

"Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah River..."

Well... I've strummed this tune and sang these words countless times since 1971 (not always while stone cold sober I might say, and not always in A Major (as stipulated by Mr Deutschendorf Jr). And the area scarcely touches West Virginia. But no matter; here I am, deep in it anyway.

It should be an easy day today. I depart Waynesboro, where the outside temperature is already over 80. In short order, I'm through the South Entrance Station at Rockfish Gap, where the friendly man in the 'Ranger Smith' hat takes my $20, gives me some brochures and advice, and sends me on my way on Skyline Drive. There won't be too many photos today. I encourage anyone even remotely interested to Google 'Skyline Drive'.

I wend and wind my way up into elevation and am soon able to see the views. I'm cautious though, as there's more than 80 Overlook sites, all with excellent, paved, highway pull-offs, and I do not intend to pull into all of them. After all, the views are always the same, aren't they? Only different. The speed limit is 35 mph, but not all motorists adhere to that. I mostly do. The road is beautifully paved and the curves canted. 90% of the 105 miles is curves, and I love it! The Appalachian Trail is nearby, and criss-crosses the highway frequently. There are cyclists on the road, no doubt building up their mountain climbing muscles for the next Tour de France.

The highway climbs and descends as it traverses the crest (mostly) of the Blue Ridge. We are in the Shenandoah National Park and most of the views are to the west, down into the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. There's a lot about this drive that reminds me of the Dandenong Range near my hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

I am mostly on the move and the only wildlife I encounter are some deer grazing on the roadside, who look up to see who's interrupting them, but don't move away as I drive past. There are quite a few cars and RVs (caravans) on the road and the main servicing and picnic/camping areas and RV parks look to be popular. The park has a lot of trails, as well as the main one I've already mentioned. About 500 miles, I believe.

The temperature drops to around 77 deg at the 3,700-ft elevation where I do stop to check on the view. Although beautifully surfaced, the road is narrow, and I'm unnerved by the many Outlook pull-offs on my left that are on blind corners where--in order to get to them--you have to dart across the oncoming lane before someone comes flying around and collects you.

It's an exhilarating and stimulating drive, and I enjoy every beautifully banked curve. I'm just a little sad when I descend at Front Range and look for the signs to Brunswick, the closest place to Harpers Ferry that I can find a Holiday Inn. Tomorrow, back to the Civil War.Baca lagi