The spring is one of my favorite times of the year, even more so now that I have been discovering the country, and remembering that there are four seasons throughout the year (thanks Los Angeles). I was particularly happy to be able to explore Shenandoah National Park in the spring. I had tried to hit it when I was in the area during February, but the roads were closed to everyone besides snowmobilers due to ice storms. At the time I thought it was a drag, but I now realize it brought me back at a time when the flowers were blooming, the bees were buzzing, and life was returning to the wilderness after a winters sleep.
Shenandoah National Park lies along the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The main attraction of the park is “Skyline Drive”, a 105 mi road that runs alongside the ridge of the mountains. There are over 500 miles of trails throughout the park, including 100 from the Appalachian Trail. Multiple waterfalls run along the hiking trails giving more reasons to explore the inner reaches of the park.
My favorite part is simply the flowers and bugs. I could spend days walking along the vistas, listening for the buzz of an insect landing on a flower and searching for it, and the perfect picture. Interestingly, I picked up my first and only hitchhiker here. It was an older lady, must have been at least 70, hiking with her dog. It looked like it was going rain, and they had at least a mile of hiking left, so I happily gave them a lift. It was interesting. I have read about hitchhiking in books such as “On The Road” for years, but have had it indoctrinated into me that I should never give someone a ride. Well, I’m still alive.
Closest Supercharger Mt Jackson 32 mi
227 Conicville Rd, Mt Jackson, VA 22842
Shenandoah National Park
