Who We Are

We sold our home in June, 2007, and spent the next 7 1/2 years traveling full time in a Cross Roads Fifth Wheel. (We had been traveling during our summers for several years before going full time.) We loved the full-time lifestyle! Each summer we spent a month or two volunteering in State Parks, first in Indiana at McCormick's Creek State Park, near our family, then in later years as the grandchildren got older, at the Bluewater Lake State Park in New Mexico. We spent 6 months each winter at Cactus Gardens RV Resort in Yuma, AZ, where I worked mornings in the park office. The remaining months were spent on the road, seeing this great country of ours. Our favorite places are our National Parks. Anita loved photography and the freedom of digital photography, taking sometimes hundreds of photos in a day. We hiked as much as our legs will allow. We also really enjoyed square and round dancing as we travel across country, and meeting all the wonderful people who dance and/or travel.

But as in all things, there comes a time for change, and we decided it was time to create roots once more. In the fall of 2014, we purchased a home in Cactus Gardens, and in the spring of 2015, sold the 5th wheel. Anita also retired in the spring. We will continue to travel each summer, but for a shorter period of time. We hope to continue blogging about those trips, but it will obviously be on a more limited basis than in the past.

Please explore our past posts if you are interested in traveling this great country. You'll find an index in the left column. We hope you enjoy our blog, and appreciate all comments

Monday, August 27, 2012

Shenandoah National Park – Skyline Drive

whole_park The main feature of the Shenandoah National Park is the Skyline Drive stretching 105 miles from the northern end to southern end of the park. 

When we made plans to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway end to end this summer, we noticed that the Skyline Drive takes off where the Blue Ridge Parkway ends, so we decided to extend our drive through the park.

When making plans for a location you haven’t visited, you tend to have preconceived ideas of what you will find there to explore.  In my mind while planning, I envisioned the Blue Ridge Parkway as being very scenic, but not necessarily containing historical locations with interpretative centers and displays.  On the other hand, I expected the Skyline to be more historical than scenic.

I had really romanticized the Shenandoah Valley itself.  We saw nothing different driving through Shenandoah Valley itself than you would see driving any road through farmland.

With the establishment of the park in December 1935, the core of the park's development was completed by the beginning of WWII and, to a great extent, the mountains were released to nature.

No doubt about it, the Skyline Drive was scenic, but had we gone just for that drive, I would have been disappointed.  There were no historical displays to speak of except at the two Visitor Centers.  In fact, Shenandoah National Park consists of a relatively small area on each side of the Skyline Drive, and hiking trails are about all it has to offer besides the drive.

On the other hand, as you already know if you follow our blog (Blue Ridge Parkway Posts) the Blue Ridge Parkway was literally filled with historical stops.  Just shows how off our misconceptions can be.

We took a day and a half to drive the Skyline.  It was hard to get crisp looking pictures because of the ever present haze, but there are some that I like.  Those can be viewed by clicking on the collage below.

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1 comment:

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

I think you got some beautiful photos here. Some of those taken on hiking trails make the walk look very inviting. Love the butterfly photo, too.