We left Washington DC on Sunday 10th May which was Mothers Day here in the US. Lovely morning of breakfast in bed and sweet cards and thoughtful gifts. Then back to Motherhood with a bang as I had to jog ½ mile in sweltering heat in my flip flops to beg for another Junior Ranger Badge from the National Mall as Charlie had lost his and we surprisingly couldn’t find anywhere convenient to park Frankie in the city!! (You won’t be surprised to hear it turned up 2 months later in the pocket of a pair of shorts that hadn’t made it to the washing pile in a while – maybe we’ll give the spare one to Jacob for his collection?).
Anyway that done we drove out and back into Virginia. We got to just outside Shenandoah National Park that night and found a campsite in Front Royal. A very old and tired campsite, with a couple of cabins complete with some scary looking hill billy types – but an incredible view over the Shenandoah Valley. Nothing exciting happened apart from me discovering a tick burrowing it’s way into my leg!! That began several weeks of near hysteria from the children anytime we went near grass in case they too fell victim to one of these near deadly creatures!!!
Monday we woke up super early, well by our definition anyway – please remember we haven’t been to work for a year. Actually scrap that thought as we were hoping to still have at least a few friends when we eventually come home!! We drove into Shenandoah National Park. It’s a long thin park that stretches 105 miles with the Skyline Drive the only road in it. It has countless overlooks, parking for trails and 3 main areas – we hoped to visit all of them. First stop was the Visitor Centre, where we joined a Ranger Program about skunks. Very interesting if slightly smelly. Will took great delight in telling everyone about the time he and Pappy were chased down then sprayed by what must have been a rabid skunk, when he was 2 years old and how it took all sorts of strange concoctions to get rid of the smell from the pram!! (In case you were wondering tomato juice was what did it eventually).
We got to Mathews Arm Campground – parked up and went off on a 6 mile hike through a lovely green green forest. Apparently spring comes to the lower valley here weeks before it reaches the top so the blossom was out, the birds were singing, and tiny blue butterflies were everywhere – it felt like the opening scene of a Disney movie!
Back uphill through some rocky paths and we got to some falls where we sat awhile. Just on our way back towards the campground and suddenly in a clearing something made me look into the trees where I spotted a bear stood very still watching us. Probably 50m away, dead still, ears up, staring at us. This was the first time we have come across a bear when we weren’t out looking for one and when he surprised us. I quietly pointed him out to the others. We stood very still looking at him while he looked at us and then we slowly backed away round the corner – then walked very fast!! Scary but fantastically exhilarating. The campsite had no power so we had an early night which was great!! Might try that when we get home – just turn the power off at 9pm and hope that sends everyone off to bed….
The following morning we left the Mathews Arm Campground and headed south to the Big Meadows Campground. Saw a load of exhibits at the second Visitor Centre and yet again marveled at the incredible contribution the CCC made to the park. The trails, lodges, visitor centres etc were all built by them – which seems to be the case at nearly all of the National Parks we have visited. What an incredible achievement and legacy they left!! The kids talked us into buying a National Park Memory Game which we played that night. Good god what torture!! I hated absolutely every minute of it. John and the kids have played a couple of times since but once was definitely enough for me – come back Uno all is forgiven!!
We walked down to the showers first thing the next morning and suddenly spotted a deer in the trees just beside us. Next to her was a tiny little fawn, which couldn’t have been more than 2’ tall. Most exciting of all the doe was nursing the little fawn. It was absolutely charming. We stood and watched a for a while until they spotted us. They stood absolutely still then the doe obviously decided she wasn’t all that happy about us. So she walked off across the campsite road into another clearing. But the fawn didn’t follow her. It stood there and cried out, the most pathetic and heart wrenching little call, at which point the doe sprinted back across the road. Luckily nothing was driving on the road at the time or she would have been flattened. Then she nudged the fawn and the two of them slowly walked across the road again – the doe was so little that it’s legs weren’t co-ordinated properly and they kept buckling under it. Still makes me smile thinking about it. Unfortunately as we were on our way to the showers we had no camera or phone on us with which to get a picture.
We did a very short 2 mile hike that day. However, it was a very steep rock face scramble. Just the sort of hiking the kids love. They sprint off ahead of us while we hoist ourselves up onto ledges and they stand above us saying “do you need any help mum?”. Annoying but actually very sweet. Will especially comes into his own in situations like that and just is so keen to help and chivvy us all along – bless him. It was worth it anyway for the 360 degree views from the top.
We had lunch in a picnic area at South River Falls then hiked 3 miles down to the waterfall and back up again. Such a beautiful place. We so love walking with the kids and watching them chat away to each other. It also seems to be a great chance for them to open up to us. (Must remember that when they are spotty teenagers who don’t want to talk to us – drag them out for a walk – although of course I guess by then they won’t want to go for a walk with us – boo hoo.) Obviously those are the rare lovely moments that are always punctuated with general moaning about being hungry, tired, how far is it, etc. etc.
We drove down to another new campsite at Loft mountain Campground. Think this one was our favourite in the park. Lovely; high up above the road (climbed 600’ to get to it). The boys collected wood for a fire and we had s’mores. Proper lovely camping.
Thursday we did a 6.5 mile hike. Downhill for first half so obviously uphill for the second. But worth it as we walked through a beautiful forest (eyes pealed for bears now) along a river and past 3 waterfalls. Part of it was on the Appalachian trail; which the boys decided they will hike together when they are older. We asked if we could come along and they said we could meet them at the end if we like – charming.
We were all totally exhausted and looking forward to a nice cup of tea. As we pulled into the campsite John suddenly screamed out “An English number plate!!” He was right. In front of us was a Land Rover Defender 110 with an English number plate. We started waving frantically at the poor couple inside who must have thought us insane. Bill and Rosemary, from Kent, have been on the road for 2 ½ years through South and North America. 10 years ago they did Africa in ‘Moby’ too! What an inspiring couple and totally lovely to boot!! They looked longingly at our ‘huge’ van and John looked longingly at their off road ability. They joined us for a cup of English tea and we shared stories!! They also sat very patiently through the children showing them their project books, which was sweet.
We had an incredible time in Shenandoah, topped off by meeting Bill and Rosemary. John and the kids have kept up a pretty constant refrain since then about going to Africa and maybe trading Frankie in for something smaller…. Next stop for now though was Pennsylvania then up towards New York…
Wickenswanderings 