America’s national parks are the nation’s crown jewels. They are full of beautiful natural scenery, have historical and cultural significance, provide recreation and enjoyment for millions of visitors every year, and they are a natural legacy that we pass from one generation to the next. They are spectacular. And sadly, I have only visited one in my life.
A few years ago, I went hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, now that I think about it, I’ve been to the park twice: once staying on the west side of the park in Gatlinburg, TN, and another time on the east side in Cherokee, NC. It’s a beautiful place, and it’s the most visited national park in the country. But I wanted to see more, to visit other parks, and hike on other trails. That’s what I was thinking when I decided to change my travel plans in the Northeast and instead visit Shenandoah National Park.
Shenandoah is a wild wooded wonderland that sits just 75 miles from the urban sprawl of Washington, DC. It’s a place with dozens of overlooks, several waterfalls, and plenty of hiking trails to choose from. I was looking forward to diving in and exploring a few of the more than 200,000 acres that make up Shenandoah National Park.
When I arrived, a rainstorm had just moved through the area. Everything was wet, but the sun was making an effort to break through the cloud cover. It was late in the afternoon, too late to hike, so I decided to prepare for my visit to the park by scoping out the terrain and talking to a park ranger.
The first thing I did was purchase a lifetime National Parks Pass. There aren’t a lot of things that are great about growing old, but for just $80, senior citizens (like me) can get a lifetime pass to all of the national parks and federal lands, so that’s pretty great. The park ranger that sold me the pass encouraged me to get my money’s worth out of it, and I told her that’s exactly what I intended to do.
Next, I drove further into the park and stopped at the Dickey Ridge Visitor’s Center. There, I met Colin Wainwright, a friendly park ranger manning the information desk. I wanted to know the best places to hike, as well as information on where I was likely to encounter black bears. I brought my cameras and wanted to photograph black bears in the wild.
Colin asked a few questions about my hiking ability and what I hoped to see, then recommended I hike Lewis Spring Falls Trail, part of the Appalachian Trail, in the Big Meadows area. The trail features an up-close experience with 81-foot-tall Lewis Falls. Colin said that the water was really roaring over the falls due to the heavier-then-normal rainfall the area had received recently. I decided to take his advice.
When it came to photographing black bears, Colin wasn’t too optimistic. He said that the bears try to stay away from humans, and sightings were haphazard, meaning he really couldn’t recommend a place I was likely to see one.
I thanked Colin, then went into the retail store at the visitor’s center to see what they had to offer. The store carries all types of items, from shirts and hats to coffee mugs and shot glasses, with the Shenandoah National Park name and logo on them. They also sell posters (which I really liked) and books about the park. I bought an overpriced T-shirt but didn’t feel bad about overpaying since a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the park and the services provided there.
Late afternoon was turning to evening, so I left the park to grab some dinner and get a good nights sleep prior to my day of hiking.
The next day dawned bright and sunny. The initial weather forecast called for rain, but the morning sun suggested otherwise. I looked forward to a good day of hiking. I made my way to the Big Meadows area of the park (around mile marker 51) and decided to grab lunch before hitting the trail. By the time I got to the beautiful Big Meadow Lodge, clouds had moved in and the sky was threatening. I hoped that if I gave it some time, the clouds would clear, and the weather would be good enough to hike.
Big Meadows Lodge is a large post and beam building that includes several lodge rooms, the Spottswood Dining Room, the New Market Taproom, as well as a terrace for lounging and enjoying the scenery. I went into the Spottswood Dining Room and ordered a Big Meadows Cobb Salad. Since I was soon to hike, I didn’t want anything too heavy. The salad was surprisingly good, featuring field greens, bacon, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, roasted corn, pecans, hard boiled eggs, and avocado.
When I finished, I drove the short distance to Big Meadows Amphitheater, where the trailhead for the Lewis Spring Falls Trail is located. On the way there, rain began to pelt the windshield, tentatively at first, then more insistently. Colin had warned me that we were likely to get rain, and he cautioned me not to get caught in a downpour. I had hoped he was wrong, but it appeared his prediction was coming true.
My schedule only allowed for two days in the park, and I didn’t want to waste one sitting around waiting for the rain to stop, so I decided to drive the length of the park on Skyline Dr., a 105-mile- long scenic road that runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains and cuts through the center of Shenandoah.
As I drove, the rain was on-again, off-again. When it eased, I’d stop to take photos at some of the dozens of overlooks on Skyline Dr. Many of the overlooks feature spectacular vistas of the river and valley below, as well as other mountains in the distance.
While I was visiting the park store at Dickey Ridge, I saw a CD audio tour of the park designed to be played while driving on Skyline Dr. As I drove, I regretted not buying the CD. With every turn of the road, I wondered about the history of the area or the significance of certain landmarks.
The drive on Skyline Drive turned out to be a more tiring endeavor than I anticipated. The speed limit along the road fluctuates between 25 and 35 miles per hour, which makes for a long day driving a total of 210 miles. By the time I was done, I was ready for a beer and some hot food.
Back in Front Royal, I visited Vibrissa Beer & Kitchen a trendy microbrewery in the downtown district. I ordered a Polo Lager, a malty amber beer, and set out to look over the menu. I was in the mood for bar food, so I ordered eight wings tossed in buffalo sauce, with blue cheese on the side. Although the wings I got were tossed in barbeque sauce rather than buffalo, they were still very good. The wings were meaty, and the sauce was good and tangy.
Back at my room, I turned in early, preparing for a good hike the next day. I fell asleep quickly, but thunderstorms woke me around midnight. I love a good thunderstorm, so I enjoyed it best I could, hoping that the storm would get all rained out, and the next day would be sunny.
The next day was not sunny. Although it wasn’t raining when I woke up, the sky was threatening and rain was forecast throughout the day. It was my last day in the area, and I badly wanted to go hiking. I didn’t feel like sitting in my hotel room waiting for the rain to pass, so I decided to leave Front Royal and head to Tennessee a day early. My hope was that I could get in some hiking once I reached my destination.
My trip to Shenandoah National Park didn’t turn out the way I had hoped, but I was grateful to have seen the park, to have driven from one end to the other (twice), and to have gotten a t-shirt to commemorate my visit. I vowed to return some sunny day in the future. And I also committed myself to do as the park ranger recommended and get my money’s worth out of my lifetime park pass.
Until next time…
