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2018 Smokies and Appalachians
  • PeggyBob
  • PeggyBob

2018 Smokies and Appalachians

A 12-day adventure by PeggyBob. Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 12, 2018
  • PeggyBob2018 Smokies and AppalachiansTraveler

    Mothers Day in NY

    May 12, 2018 in the United States 🌧 50 °F

    Mother's Day. We spent the day with Mom, starting with a breakfast out with all the moms! Great to hang with the family in New York and see how all the nieces and nephews are growing up. Mad Libs, nerf darts, burgers and dogs, birthday cake, piano jams, and making slime by mixing glue with shaving cream...

    The kids enjoyed hanging out in the camper. It really is one excellent fort!    Read more

  • PeggyBob2018 Smokies and AppalachiansTraveler

    Allentown and Memories

    May 13, 2018 in the United States 🌫 52 °F

    Headed out through Pennsylvania this morning, probably going to camp somewhere along the Shenandoah River in Virginia - maybe near Luray.

    When we were passing Allentown, Bob looked briefly for Jordan Park Apartments, where he lived when he was little. He remembers that they lived right near the highway, so he peeked around as we passed, but didn't see any familiar landmarks.

    He said that, as a five-year-old, he went off from Allentown to walk to the Gobi Desert to find dinosaur bones. He remembers that he wanted to go west, but the highway was in his way. So he headed east, figuring he'd end up where he wanted to go eventually. He knew that the world was round at the time - he says, "musta had a globe". I was more impressed that he knew which way was west!

    His mom packed him a sandwich to take along. 

    I'll tell you the end of the story later...    Read more

  • PeggyBob2018 Smokies and AppalachiansTraveler

    South Fork Shenandoah and Hail

    May 13, 2018 in the United States ☀️ 79 °F

    Moody Boat Launch campsites. The lovely Shenandoah River winds in tight squiggles here in Virginia, and so do the roads. Pretty. So green. Some wildflowers, including lavender and white rocket, daisy fleabane, and blue flag iris. Something smells good too - maybe honeysuckle?

    Rain held off ... until the moment we arrived at the campsite. LOL.

    This free site (Forest Service) is on the south fork of the Shenandoah near a canoe launch. There are multiple potential places to camp, with some fire pits, between the trees near the riverbank. You can't drive into these sites. Have to park along the gravel road (only steps away really).  There's room for 3-6 vehicles, and more room in the turnaround. We picked a spot in the turnaround - bc it was level and higher above the river. Severe thunderstorm warnings (of course - doesn't that always go with camping?) and the river does flood (warning sign along the road) so we wanted to be on high ground.

    Shortly after we parked, the rain really let loose. Thunder, lightning, wind... and hail! Started off cute little pebbles of ice bouncing off the roof, sounding like popcorn.

    The golf-ball-size hail was not so cute.

    Bob lowered the roof to protect the tenting in the poptop. Worked like a charm because as soon as he did, it stopped hailing. Ha!

    Later in the evening, after we ate our supper of macn cheese and baked beans, the rain stopped and Bob caught a few fish - a smallmouth and this red breast sunfish. The sunfish is a new one for roughfish, and at 8 inches, a new record for him as well :)

    o Shenandoah, i long to see you, a-and hear your rolling river. o Shenandoah, i long to see you. A-way, I'm bound a-way, 'cross the wide Missouri."

    This song keeps going through my head. Such a beautiful place to camp, right next to the river.  We read that the weekends often bring party-ers, but it's quiet today, because we're the only ones here! Well, that is... except for the lovely toad that greeted me when I stepped outside the camper to use the facilities.    Read more

  • PeggyBob2018 Smokies and AppalachiansTraveler
    Counting scales on a minnow.

    James River Arcadia Boat Launch

    May 14, 2018 in the United States ☁️ 68 °F

    The river is high and muddy this morning so fishing here, or anywhere on this branch of the Shenandoah, won't be possible. Headed out to check the James River.

    Parking area for this canoe launch has very steep grade down to water. Would not be fun with a heavy canoe! Sweet-smelling flowers along the path. Train track along the river. Saw a train pulling a long line of coal cars. Saw a Louisiana Waterthrush hop-stepping along the shoreline, busily gathering stuff for a nest. The water wasn't all muddied up like the Shenandoah, but it was moving too fast for fishing so we're moving on... 

    The next launch area on the James had a pool with minnows in it so Bob switched to microfishing and he got one! We took lots of pics, then he counted scales to help with identification. What species was it? It's a mystery to be solved later... (Not trying to create a cliffhanger; we won't know until Bob studies the photos).

    To count scales on a minnow, you need a skinny pointer (fine-point tweezers Tim gave Bob recently) and a steady hand (which Bob already has).  Also, you need a good reason haha because it's no fun.

    UPDATE: He thinks it's a Bull Chubb    Read more

  • PeggyBob2018 Smokies and AppalachiansTraveler

    The Pines Campground

    May 14, 2018 in the United States ☁️ 81 °F

    Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
    There are different wildflowers here than at the last site: lupines and wild geraniums, buttercups and some kind of bellflower. Also, the wild dogwoods are in bloom -- so pretty scattered among this rich green assortment of trees.

    Virginia uses "not recommended" instead of "prohibited" on road signs, as in "tractor trailers not recommended on Rt 649". I like it. I'm going to make it a point to use it myself.

    We are camping at a free National Forest campground here - The Pines. Sites are well-placed and have a fire ring and table. Nice place. At 4 pm, there are already several campers here, even though it's only Tuesday. Just to be safe, we left our chairs and water jugs to save our spot while we went fishing.

    The Pines is aptly named. Full of tall, tall, straight pine trees, mixed with oaks and maple, hickory, walnut, and other deciduous trees. Weirdly, ALL the trees are tall and straight. It is kind of like our CT forests, except for the tall-tall-straightness factor. Must have been planted by loggers?

    it's a very nice site. Some no-see-ums. Quiet. You can heat a stream running somewhere, and birds singing. A little out of to the way, and since there aren't many sites, fills up quick on weekends.

    Another storm is threatening LOL.    Read more

  • PeggyBob2018 Smokies and AppalachiansTraveler

    Lupines and Ovenbird

    May 15, 2018 in the United States ☁️ 63 °F

    Woke to my Lucky Charms alarm (Bob's cereal hitting the bowl) and an ovenbird singing it's emphatic "teacher teacher teacher" song. Although Bob insists it doesn't sound like 'teacher' at all.

    Hoping to canoe the New River and fish this morning, if the water isn't too fast and the weather holds. Took the picture of lupines on the way out. They seem more petite than the ones I've seen in New England. Different variety?Read more

  • Trip end
    May 23, 2018