Dry Tortugas

Our whole point in coming to the Keys was to take a day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park.  Several years ago I’d read Flashback by Nevada Barr and it wall all about Dry Tortugas (Nevada Barr has written a series of books about a park ranger, Anna Pigeon, and each one is set in a different park.  I’ve found that she mostly writes about the obscure parks that aren’t heavily visited!).  I wanted to go and when I told Mom about it, she wanted to go too.  Finding a time when we could go that wasn’t in the summer proved to be a challenge (no one in their right mind comes to the Keys in July), but then Christmas fell on a Wednesday and we were blessed with a 2 week winter break!  We’d bought the tickets and made the camping reservation back in May and today was the day!

The Dry Tortugas is a small chain of islands about 70 south/west of Key West.  Fort Jefferson was built on Garden Key just before the Civil War and the fort was used during the Civil War.  Many of the Lincoln conspirators, including Dr. Mudd who treated John Wilkes Booth when he was fleeing Washington after assassinating Lincoln.  One big downfall of Ft. Jefferson was that there was no fresh water on the island (this is why it’s call Dry Tortugas – no fresh water), they collected rainwater in cisterns, but that system had a lot of downfalls too!

In order to get to the Ferry Dock in time we had to leave our campground on Sugarloaf Key at 6:30 am!  We arrived with plenty of time to find parking & get checked in for the boat, soon we were on the boat settling in for the 2 1/2 hour ride out to the islands!

It was cloudy and windy on the way over.  We sat on the sun deck and it was nicer out there than in the cabin with the AC on!  They served breakfast on the trip out and our tour guide gave us information about the islands and some of the islands we could see from the boat.  About 1/2 way there it started to rain, but the shower didn’t last long and soon is was back to being cloudy. 

Early in the trip I pulled out my book I’d brought to read – Carl Hiaasen’s latest, Bad Monkey.  Several people around us commented on what a perfect choice that was for our trip and how they themselves love Carl Hiaasen’s books and like me, have read every one!  The Carl Hiaasen discussion turned to Nevada Barr and soon we were discussing National Parks we’ve visited!  Turns out on of the folks we were sitting by is a teacher.  Ahhh..nerdy teachers on vacation, making new friends over books and national parks!

 

First view of the fort

 

We only had 4 hours at Ft. Jefferson and it seemed like there was a lot to do.  We started with snorkeling.  The boat provided all of our snorkel gear so we grabbed masks, fins, and snorkels and headed to the beach.  Both Dad and I dressed for this by wearing our “quick dry” clothes so we could just get in the water, then get out and dry fast without having to change! The water was a bit chilly at first, but once you got used to it I thought it was very nice.  I swam the wrong way and went around the fort (this is what I get for not listening when the told us on the boat where to go!) and got separated from Dad.   When I finally doubled back and found him he was on his way back in from the reef and was cold & tired so was heading back to the beach.  He pointed me in the right direction to see it for myself and I kept swimming!  When I found the coral I was getting tired and there wasn’t a whole lot to see – some corals, some fish – the water was murky (it has been clear everywhere else) and ocean was rougher out there and I kept getting water in my snorkel so I decided it was time to go in. 

After snorkeling/swimming we went back to the boat to get lunch – they set up a buffet with sandwiches, veggies, chips, fruit and cookies.  We were able to fix a plate and take it to a picnic table on the dock. It was a good quick lunch so we could continue exploring the island. 

We were lucky in that we were allowed to visit Bush Key.  Bush Key is right next to Garden Key (where the fort is) and is connected by land bridge, only the land bridge just appeared last year!  Prior to the land bridge showing up you would have had to kayak or swim the channel.  Also, the island is closed to visitors most of the year because of nest turtles and birds. There was a 1 mile nature trail along the shore of the key and it was a nice walk, even if I was fighting the sand/shell fragments in my shoes.  We could see another Key – I can’t remember the name of it, but it was closed because of nesting frigate birds. 

 

I got back to the fort before Mom and Dad did so I walked around the fort a bit on the moat wall.  You could go all the way around the fort on the moat wall, but that wasn’t going to be that interesting.  When Mom and Dad came back we went into the Fort – back to the gift shop and then Dad and I explored the Fort.  The fort was pretty cool! We walked around the top and checked out the rooms inside and walked over to Dr. Mudd’s cell. 

By this time it was time to get back on the boat to go back to Key West.  I went to change out of my soggy clothes – I had mostly dried but was still clammy, probably because of the humidity. My feet were not happy though – spending the day walking around with sand & shell fragments in my wet Tevas lead to some hotspots, no blisters, but not very comfortable.  Mom had secured us seats on the sun deck facing the sunset for the ride back, and the sun actually came out!  I slipped off my shoes to let them dry (the sun had come out for real!)  and propped my bare feet up on my backpack and settled in to get lost in Carl Hiaasen’s crazy world of corruption, eco-terrorism and crazy hijinxs (Bad Monkey really is perfect for this trip – it’s set in the Keys! I didn’t realize that at first, I just decided to read it now because it was set in Florida and I hadn’t read it yet). 

The first part of the trip back was rough – they’d told us it would only be rough going out, but they were wrong.  It was kinda like riding a roller coaster – the boat would go up and then come crashing down (it was a catamaran so that might have impacted how it was going over the waves).  I tried to get everyone around me to hold their hands up like on a roller coaster but no one was really interested.  It made the trip back more fun!

We arrived back in Key West just in time to totally miss the only nice sunset of our visit!

Folks crammed into Mallory Square and surrounding piers to watch the sunset:

Sunset from our boat as we turned into the harbor (and away from the sun!)

  Oh well, we had dinner on our mind!  We’d decided we were going to eat at Blue Heaven, a restaurant that Mom had found and that our blog “friends” the Gadius’ had visited when they were here.  It was 16 blocks (I think) from where we’d parking but parking is a challenge in Key West and we’d already paid for the day so we hoofed it.  The restaurant was neat – they had a lovely outdoor patio with big lush trees, flowers, neat lighting and  live entertainment.  Unfortunately that area had a 30-45 minute wait.  But they had immediate seating inside.  We opted for inside.  The atmosphere wasn’t quite the same, but the food was quite good!  We even got a little live entertainment:

This guy was ride his tricked out bike up and down the street blaring music!  We’d seen him a few blocks before the restaurant and he was playing "“Respect” by Aretha Franklin, by the time he made it back to Blue Heaven it was “Brick House”. 

After dinner we walked back to the car via Duval Street, definitely an interesting way to spend the evening! We saw Darth Vader playing the light-up banjo!  I wanted a picture but I didn’t have cash for a tip handy!  I saw a sticker on a bike that said “Key West: Where the weird go pro.” Very accurate! Mom had forgotten to take a pill at the restaurant so needed some water.  Dad and I again had to “take one for the team” and purchase dessert so we could get a cup of water!  This time it was a slice of Key Line Pie!  It was quite good!

Soon we were back at the KOA and headed to bed after a long, fun day!

Bahia Honda State Park

After a leisurely Christmas Breakfast (2nd breakfast for me!) we drove up The Overseas Highway about 20 miles to Bahia Honda State Park.  This is one of the bigger and nicer Florida State Parks in the Keys.  They have several sandy beaches, a few trails, and you can go kayaking, snorkeling etc. 

We had a nice picnic lunch at one of the beaches, then we hiked up the old Bahia Honda Bridge.  Way back in the 20s/30s the only way to get to the Keys was by train.  The train tracks were destroyed by the Cat 5 Hurricane of 1935 and that’s when they started building the road.  The Bahia Honda bridge is mostly intact, however it is no longer part of the road and now you can climb up a little ways and get a bird’s eye view of the park!  That’s right, there is a opportunity for elevation gain in Florida!  The view from the top was neat (much better than yesterday’s view of the tops of the mangroves!), and the sun had even come out! 

 

 

 

An island in the sun!

 

The old part of the bridge!

After our walk to the top we explored the park a bit and found another beach and walked down it.  The sand part was very narrow and full of seaweed and other debris – some natural, some not so much.  I waded into the ocean a little bit – the waves were medium – enough to get my shorts wet, but not so much that I got totally soaked! The water was a bit chilly until you got used to it, but since the sun was shinning and the clouds had parted, I had to get wet!  I didn’t go fully swimming because I didn’t have a chance of clothes and I didn’t want to be wet the rest of the day! Of course I had to pay the price the rest of the day with sand in my shoes. ugh.  The beach is only fun for the first 5 minutes.

After the beach Dad and I got our bikes and rode the Overseas Highway back to the campground.  This was something that sounded more fun than it actually was.  In some spots there is a dedicated bike path (they are working on making a bike path the whole way), but in others you are riding right on the side of the road.  In a fairly narrow shoulder.  With cars wizzing by at 55 mph (or more).  The bridges were neat to ride over – you could see a lot and you got some elevation gain, and the shoulder was much wider on the bridges.  There was a section on Cudjoe Key and the Key right before it where the bike path is away from the road and had vegetation around it and views of the Florida Bay, that part was nice. 

Dad says when you ride a bike you see more and that was true today.  We saw White Herons, a Key Deer (they are endangered – the look just like regular deer only they are small), some baby osprey heads, lots of pelicans, a dead raccoon, and lots and lots of trash tossed everywhere.  Sometimes seeing more is good, sometimes, not so good. 

Soon after got back it started to rain!  It had been cloudy all day with showers predicted, but it actually produced rain!  It was coming down hard there for a little while!  I think it has stopped now so I need to go head over to Mom and Dad’s RV for our “traditional” Christmas Dinner – fettuccine alfredo! 

Tomorrow is Dry Tortugas!

The Keys

This morning we were up early to get on the road (well, early by my parents standards – 9 am!).   We left the campground together but we didn’t travel together, I needed fuel and I was planning to take Card Sound Road for the 1st part of the drive. 

Getting fuel proved to be challenging.  The gas station I wanted to go to was on the wrong side of the road and I turned into the neighborhood and had to drive around to get back to it, then I had to drive around again to get back to Rt 1 South, so I got the tour of Greater Homestead and I did find the only two nice drivers in Miami-Dade County so that was good – the both let me cut in front of them! 

Soon I was on my way south, headed to the Overseas Highway!  I saw a sign that said “Card Sound Bridge, next left” so I got into the left lane and kept going.  The next left turn was in Key Largo!  It did say “Card Sound Road”, but at that point it was too late.  Not sure what happened, but I guess I’ll take Card Sound on the way back. 

The Overseas Highway is pretty neat! You drive right next to the ocean & Florida Bay! There’s water everywhere and lots of bridges!  There are tons of little towns – lots of “Shell Shops” and other touristy junk as well as regular services – fuel, groceries, etc.  I was very surprised at how big Marathon was.  In my head I’d pictured it as a tiny little town with a Mom & Pop gas station.  Turns out it’s huge! 

There are a number of Florida State Parks in the Keys and I stopped at Long Key State Park for lunch & a walk.  It was a great “1 hour” stop, not enough stuff to do there much longer.  I was able to the pull RV right up to within 50 feet or so of the Atlantic Ocean!  I made lunch and took it to the picnic table that was right by where I’d parked!  It was sunny & hot! 

 

After I ate I decided to go back to the nature trail, however, the parking area for that was about 3/4 of a mile away and I wasn’t sure how parking was over there so I took the bike off and rode over!  Turns out there was a lot of parking!  Oh well! I got to ride  my bike! The trail wasn’t that interesting.  The 1st part was in the mangroves and that was kinda neat – it was shady and cool and the roots of the mangroves were cool looking.  Then it came out and was exposed and hot.  There were some nice views of the ocean!

 

At the end there was a boardwalk leading back to the parking area (or at the beginning, depending on which way you walk), and there was an observation tower so of course I climbed up.   Here’s what I could see:

Great view! heh! Oh well, it was the only way to get in floors on my fitbit! 

After my walk I rode back to the van and waded into the ocean!  It was super warm!  I was *very* tempted go get my bathing suit on and go for a real swim, but I also wanted to get on down the road, so I didn’t give into temptation!

It only took about an hour to go the rest of the way to Sugarloaf Key where the KOA is that we are staying at.  After I got into my site and got the electricity hooked up and all we drove into Key West – we were still 20 miles north. 

Key West is a neat town.  It’s a little like Bar Harbor, only weirder.  The 1st thing we did was locate the Ferry Terminal where we will board the boat to go to Dry Tortugas on Thursday.   Then we attempted to go to the “Southernmost Point in the US” Buoy so I could get my picture taken in front of it, but the line was a mile long so we abandoned that idea.   We eventually found a parking spot and started walking down Duvall Street.  I’d wanted to go to the Art Festival at Mallory Square for sunset but a thick blanket of clouds had rolled in and there wasn’t going to be a sunset, not only that but there were a TON of people everywhere and it didn’t seem like it would be that much fun. 

Mom was looking for a restroom & the only public restroom was in Mallory Square which was 15-20 blocks away.  Dad spotted an ice cream store – we decided that they probably had a bathroom, but that it was for customers only.  Dad and I “took one for the team” by ordering some ice cream so we’d be customers!  I had Key Lime (of course…I’m in Key West!) and it was pretty good! 

We got to meet some of the resident chickens..

We also drove past Hemingway’s House and several other Key West Landmarks!

We wandered Duvall Street window shopping until we knew our meter had run out and then we headed back to the buoy to see if the crowds had dispersed.  They hadn’t. 

So I stood where I could see the buoy and waited until there was no one standing in front of it and took a picture of it. Maybe I’ll photoshop myself in!  LOL!

Looking south from the Southernmost point of the US – see how cloudy it is! 

I think this sign is cooler than the buoy…   Mostly because Rt 1 is so much a part of my daily life and to be on it here, so far from home and see it’s beginning it pretty cool!

We also saw this on the road just as we arrived in Key West…

VA plates too!

Biscayne National Park

When we planned this trip back in April we planned an “OS” day in (“OS” stands for “oh shit” – it’s a back up day for when things don’t quite go as planned.  In this case we were concerned that there could be a snowstorm or something that made it hard for me to get down here in time) and that day was today.  We used the morning to run some errands and fix my leaky kitchen sink (a blender seal works great to seal the drain!). 

This afternoon we went to check out Biscayne National Park.  99% of the park is underwater.  You have to scuba dive or snorkel to see it…and you have to out on a boat to get to the snorkeling area.  There was no snorkeling today – I didn’t hear why.   I know that the water slide near our campground is closed now because it’s winter.  Never mind that it was 85* today, it’s still winter so the slide is closed.  I wonder if that’s why they didn’t have snorkeling in Biscayne – it’s winter.  There wasn’t much to do at Biscayne – the Visitor Center, watch the movie and walk the short nature trail.  I did take a picture of the water – all the good stuff is out there…

 

A little blue heron – that’s the type of bird, it’s not a baby!

After Biscayne we went to check out Robert Is Here Fruit Stand.  Amy told me about it at dinner the other night.  Apparently this kid named, Robert, was trying to sell fruit on the corner and no one knew he was there so he made a sign “Robert is Here” and the name stuck!   It’s quite an establishment!  They sell all kinds of fruit – normal, exotic, you name it!  They also have veggies, jams, jelllies, a million types of honey (and they had tastes of all of them – you had to dodge bees to get the honey out.   I tasted a few, they were all very different from each other and I didn’t really like any of them!  Definitely an experience and I may have to stop again on my way to and/or from Flamingo next weekend!

This picture is hard to see because the sun was all wrong, but it’s extra funny because it has my dad it in and my dad’s name is Robert!

Back at the campground we were waiting for our “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” Curry to cook in the crock pot so we went for a bike ride around the lake – there’s a city park right next to our campground with a small network of bike trails. Dad had brought Mom’s bike and she actually rode with us!  I’d ridden around the lake this morning (I took the bike off the van to take the trash to the dumpster and then discovered that the trash cans were only a few feet away!  I decided I needed to explore!)

Tomorrow we drive the Overseas Highway to Key West!

FLORIDA!!!!

After yesterday’s traffic hell I knew I wanted to get an early start on today’s 500 miles.  Luckily staying at Wal-Mart is perfect for early starts!  I woke up at 4:40 and my alarm was set for 4:51 – this is what time I get up for school so my body was ready to be awake then.  I quickly got ready to and was on the road by 6am!  I was almost to Florida by the time the sun came up!

Thankfully today’s traffic was NOTHING like yesterdays!  All the people who were stuck in South Carolina have dispersed into Florida and the roads were wide open!  Florida is HUGE and flat and rather boring. 

I stopped for fuel, lunch and a Wal-Mart run around Melbourne and continued to the Florida Turnpike.  I was heading to Homestead and the road needed was right off the FL Turnpike!  Google Maps made it look so easy.  I got off 95 at exit 86 and switched the turnpike, which runs parellel.

The State of Florida however, has made as many exits as possible be “no cash, SunPass only”.  My exit was one of them.  I don’t have a SunPass.  Nor could I obtain one on short notice (in the travel plaza 50 miles before I wanted to use it!).  I weighed my options – A) blow through the exit and pay up when FL sends me the paperwork or B) re-route myself to avoid the turnpike.   I opted to re-route.  The website seemed unclear on the difference between “failure to pay toll” and “oops, I don’t have a SunPass” and I decided not to risk it.  So I got off the turnpike and got back over to 95.  I should never have left 95 in the 1st place!  (There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write! LOL!)

I got back on 95 at Ft. Lauderdale.  Mile 20.  95 in this area resembles a Nascar race.  5 lanes in each direction.  And no one was ever in the lane they wanted to or needed to be in so there was lots of criss crossing and zooming across 5 lanes of traffic.  Speed limit is 55, but that’s merely a minimum suggested speed.  And the road builders were kind enough to install some curves.  I don’t think there had been any curves since sometime in Georgia.   It was a wild and crazy 20 miles. 

It was also never ending.  I knew that after mile marker 1, there was nothing, the land ran out and there was only ocean.  Yet even as the mile markers got into the single digits there were still" “what’s ahead” signs! It was just before exit 5 I think that the city of Miami itself appeared!  I was headed right into downtown Miami! I knew I was getting onto Rt 1, but I was a bit worried…I was picturing RT 1 in New Jersey and how scary that is!  Even at exit 1 there was a sign that said “95 S to Key Biscayne”.  I was really thinking we’d land in the ocean – or at least see it! Soon though the speed limit slowed and signs for Rt 1 appeared – I-95 ends at Route 1 (yes, the same Route 1 that runs through DC and Woodbridge!  Rt 1 goes from Key West to the Canadian Border in Maine!).  Rt 1 was very narrow with low hanging trees – I’m glad I wasn’t in something bigger!  There was a lot of traffic but soon I was at my turn and pulled into the campground right after Mom and Dad did!

I didn’t really explore the campground yet, we ate dinner and I’d planned on heading to bed early but did some chores and tried to fix the sink and now it’s getting late. 

It’s quite weird being here in December, it’s nothing like home.  It was 90* today, the sun was still shinning close to 6pm (at home it’s dark before 5 these days) and I’m in the RV, therefore it must be July right?  But no, there’s football on TV, and at the football game, it’s snowing! 

South of the Border

Since I got a rare 2 week Christmas Break this year we decided to plan an RV trip!  This was our chance to get to Dry Tortguas!  We made the reservations back in April and even then we were a little late – barely securing campsites in the Keys! 

I’d been worried about this was going to work with winterizing & un-winterizing & re-winterizing, as well as the threat of a snow storm showing up on my travel days.  So far I’ve been lucky in that respect – it was 60* in DC yesterday and didn’t go below freezing last night so I was able to fill  my fresh tank before I left home and un-winterize at the 1st rest stop today!  Here’s hoping for the same luck on the return! 

I knew 95 was going to be an issue with traffic so I got on the road early – 6:30 this morning I was off!  I figured as soon as I got past Fredericksburg it would be smooth sailing…and I was somewhat correct.  I made great time getting to NC and across about 1/2 of it…around noon however, I started hitting traffic.  Little spurts of stopped traffic – a mile here, 2 miles there…slow, but not stopped in places.  This continued the rest of the day and got worse the further along I went. There was an accident just before Lumberton, NC and that ate up an hour.  Part of the trouble is that 95 is 2 lanes (in each direction) from 295 south of Richmond to the Georgia border!  One slow moving truck, RV or a lot of cars on the road and bam! huge back ups.   It took 5 hours each for NC and SC – both states are just under 200 miles long! Early on I noticed that most of the cars on the road had either FL plates or plates from northern state – VA and everything north, including Quebec and Ontario.  I knew that we were all headed to the same place and it was gonna take all of us forever to get there.   Thankfully, whomever built the road in Georgia was smart enough to build 3 lanes! Rumor has it it’s 3 lanes the rest of the way.  Thank you!!!!  Hopefully that will help. 

I stopped for fuel in the middle of North Carolina.  I wasn’t especially in need but I wasn’t sure I’d make it to South of the Border and there was a Pilot and I get a 3c/gallon discount at Pilot/Flying J so I decided to just seize the fuel.  Even though I stop at truck stops I usually use the car lanes as opposed to the trucker lanes.  The trucker lanes work differently and my little RV would be laughed at by the big truckers!  However, this Pilot had the auto diesel with the truck lanes in a trucker style pump.  When it was my turn I put in my credit card & my loyalty card and then it asked for my “unit number”?  I was able to skip that since I’m not part of a fleet, then it wanted to know if I wanted “tractor fuel” or “reefer fuel”?  Hmmm…neither?  I wanted ultra-low sulphur highway diesel. What exactly was “tractor fuel”?  or “reefer fuel?”  I’m thinking farm equipment and Bob Marley here… I was actually going to go for the “reefer” because I was thinking tractors on a farm might run on Off road diesel or some other concoction.  Finally I went in and asked.  Turns out I needed “tractor fuel”.   And, in actuality they are the exact same fuel (yes, ultra low sulpher highway diesel).  The “reefer fuel” is for the big trucks refrigeration units – to run the generators. I’m guessing that this “tractor” means the part that pulls the trailer, which is the part that needs fuel – tractor-trailer trucks! Not green & yellow John Deeres.  I didn’t ask her why there was a difference, but tonight my Dad explained it – there’s a different tax on the different types of fuel – not sure what that means to me as the RV driver, but that’s why there was a choice. 

I did finally stop at South of the Border in South Carolina!  It was just as tacky and dated and cheesy as I’d expected!  The one dispointment was that there really wasn’t anyplace to walk around – I’d been hoping to move around a bit and get in some steps, and that didn’t happen.  I did browse the “Mexico Shop West” and picked up a small neon bumper sticker to go on my table for 5c! I spent all of 20 mins there – 10 of those minutes were in the van eating a snack!  It was good to see it and check it off and now I can say I’ve been!

The real highlight of the day was meeting up with my friends Russell and Amy when I arrived in Pooler, GA!  We’d been in communication all afternoon about the traffic and such and they were waiting at Carey Hillards when I arrived!  Our resteraunt choice was perfect – great food (a Savannah local chain) and perfect location, just a few feet from the Wal-Mart I’m staying at.  I pulled in about 7 and picked a choice spot – there were already 5 RVs here when I got here – 4 more have shown up since and rushed off to dinner.  We had a great conversation about public radio and road geek stuff and yummy food! 

 

It’s getting late – well past my bedtime – and the Wal-Mart is starting to quiet down – here’s hoping I get a decent nights sleep and can be on the road at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning to beat the crowds!  500 miles to Homestead!

Fall Camping at Big Meadows

I’d hoped to get out to Shenandoah last weekend but the sudden freezing temps threw me for a loop and I had to winterize.  Luckily this year it only took about an hour to get all the tasks done, this is down from it taking close to 5 *weeks*  last year! LOL!  This weekend, however, ended up being a much better weekend for fall camping!  This was also going to be the 1st time I really camped with the RV winterized.  I’ve slept in while it was winterized at my parents house and taken it on day trips, but never spent the night “out” with it winterized.

One the best parts of having an RV and driving it to school is that I’m not only “home” but also “on vacation” as soon as I walk to the van!  Friday was one of the longest days ever, I think we need to consider making Nov 1 a national holiday, and the moment that I stepped into the RV was pure bliss!  A tall drink and a snack and the prospect of heading to the mountains and life was perfect! 

Traffic wasn’t so bad and soon I found myself at the exit to take the scenic route through Marshall to Sperryville.  As I rolled through the countryside and saw the brilliant fall colors and the mountain rising up in the distance all the stress of the week started flying out the window with the breeze! It took about 2 hours to go from my classroom to Big Meadows, but it was as if they were in 2 entirely different worlds!

I’d been a bit worried about the campground filling up, but I didn’t need too, it was about 1/2 full!  The Rangers were assigning sites so I had to stand in line and wait as she answered every question under the sun for the two parties in front of me.   When I finally got up there I learned that the sites I’d stayed in before and liked were occupied but, since I was only staying Friday night, I could have a site “on the rim”!  There’s a line of sites that are right on the edge and have limited views of the mountains – better right now because there aren’t any leaves at the high elevations! I took it! 

My site happened to be almost on top of the site next to me and a bit secluded from the other sites.  I felt bad for intruding on their space, and really bad for pulling and immediately turning on my generator to heat up dinner.  It was only for 10 minutes and when I turned my generator off I noticed that theirs was on!  I had a nice chat with them – they were a couple in a pull-behind from The Outer Banks.  They were headed to see her family in Russellville, KY.  I’m pretty sure we used to take day trips to Russellville, KY from my grandparents place in Scottsville, KY.  Small world! 

From my picnic table I had a great view of the mountains changing color as the sun set!  I couldn’t see the actual sun set, just the evidence of it! My "Rim Site” also had cell phone signal!  That was very exciting!  I knew that I could get a great signal if I walked up to the picnic area, but I didn’t expect that there was anywhere in the campground that had a signal!  The only catch with the site was that it wasn’t very level.  I debated turning the fridge off (it was low in the back and I can’t even begin to fix that.  Not only that but getting it level is such a frustrating proposition and I’m not entirely convinced it’s necessary), but I really wanted to see if the fridge would stay on – it’s been having some issues running on LP but it’s not fitting a pattern that makes sense.  I decided that if I was uncomfortable sleeping I’d turn the fridge off and I wasn’t so I left the fridge on, hope it didn’t do damage!

By the time I finished dinner and meeting the neighbors the sun had set and it was quickly getting dark.  I headed out to get in a walk before it was too dark.  I love walking through the campground and checking out everyone’s tents, RVs and other gear!  On my way in I’d noticed another Sprinter Van camper – a Roadtrek 19ft Short Sprinter - so I walked that direction and as luck would have it, the owners were outside (they are 2 people living in a teeny tiny van, of course they were outside! LOL!).  They were both really nice, avid hikers, backpackers and campers,  they’d been through several Volkswagon van campers long before they got their Roadtrek.  We chatted about good hikes, RV troubles, and RV solutions!  I never got their names but they were from Michigan.  By the time I continued on my way it was totally dark.  I looked at my phone – it was 7:00.  Winter Camping Problem Number 1: it gets dark hours before bedtime and we haven’t even changed the clocks yet!

I continued walking even though it was dark, what else was I going to do?  It was really dark though and my eyes couldn’t adjust to the dark because there were so many flashlights, propane lights and car lights interfering, so I went back to the RV to deal with Winter Camping Problem Number 2: doing the dishes.  I hadn’t thought of this until I had a dirty soup bowl from dinner.  Luckily SNP has Utility sinks in the bathrooms for just this purpose.  I grabbed the dishes and my headlamp and headed out.  I had to walk all the way across the campground to find a Utility sink but when I did I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had hot water!  I got the dishes clean and headed back to the RV.  It was 7:45.  So much for doing the dishes as an “evening activity”. 

It was very nice outside and I had a great view of the lights of Luray and no one behind me, and there were no bugs so I decided to throw the back doors of the van open and enjoy the crisp evening air and the view from the coziness of my bed!  I decided that the LED overhead lights were too harsh so I kept my headlamp on.  It was just like “real” camping…aside from the big giant comfy pillow and the ultra leather covered memory foam mattress! LOL!  I checked a few things on my phone and then read my book until it was bed time. 

I was nice and cozy all night in my sleeping bag!  It only went down to 45* which was perfect! I woke up around 6:15, which for me, is sleeping in since I’m usually up by 5:15, but the sun wasn’t going to rise until 7:45! Another problem with Winter Camping, although this will be fixed, for a little while anyway, with the time change. I finally started moving around 7:15 and by 7:45 I was enjoying breakfast at the picnic table watching the sun rise!  I couldn’t see the actual sun rise – my van was blocking it – but I watched as the light grew stronger and brighter! 

A little before 9 I headed out of the campground, stopping at a bathhouse to fill up on water in hydration pack and in some bottles to put in the black tank (it wasn’t going below freezing, I wasn’t using antifreeze when water is free, I’d just have to fill the tank so I could dump it.) After getting water I stopped at the Wayside and got some SNP stickers for the table and headed to the trailhead.  There was hardly anyone in the park.  It was very quiet and peaceful. 

By 9:45 I was parked in the Stony Man overlook and heading north on the AT toward the Corbin Cabin Cutoff Trail.  Dad and I had hiked this same loop about 10 years ago and it kicked my butt! It’s about a mile and half down hill followed by a mile and a half uphill – about 1,300 ft of elevation change., then you walk about a mile on the AT which is rolling ridge line (32 floors according to my fitbit). The whole hike about 4 miles total and I added an extra mile by starting and ending in the overlook rather than trailhead parking area. When Dad and I did this hike it was an all day thing and I remember the uphill being painful and I was near tears on the AT portion because my feet hurt and I was so tired.  Today I did the hike in about 3 hours and it wasn’t a big deal at all!  It seemed easy! :-) 

Back at the RV after the hike I changed my clothes and ran the generator to heat up lunch. I was a bit worried about destroying the peace and quiet in the overlook by firing up my generator but I did it anyway.  It wasn’t long though until a group of about 10 motorcycle riders roared into the overlook making a lot more noise than my generator! 

After lunch it was time to begin thinking about the other things I needed to accomplish this weekend – the grocery shopping, the cooking, the chores, prepping for parent conferences…   It was so nice driving along Skyline Drive enjoying the fall colors and the fresh air I decided not to head into Sperryville but to take Skyline Drive all the way to Front Royal.  The first few miles of the North District were very nice – plenty of color and few cars.  Soon I came to a whole bunch of cars stopped in the road, with people out of their cars aiming cameras into the woods.  Bear Jam.  I did get to see both bears – mama and cub – before they lumbered off into the woods! The closer I got to Front Royal the more people I encountered.  The overlooks were full, the trailheads had cars overflowing out of them parked on Skyline Drive, there was no parking at the Elkwallow Wayside or the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center.  I’ve never seen so many people in the park.  It was crazy.  There was at least one other bear jam – and yes I got to see that bear too! A small cub who seemed to be all alone.  There was another spot where a bunch of cars were stopped and there was a Ranger directing traffic, I believe there was a bear in the woods, but I couldn’t see.  As I headed out of the park there was a HUGE line of cars between the Entrance Station and 340, probably taking more than an hour just to get in. 

As I blew past them all I was grateful I’d timed my visit the way I did! Very few people were coming in last night and this morning on my hike I saw 2 people and one dog and then I was heading out by the time most people were heading in!  This will probably be one of the last weekends for the big crowds, winter will arrive soon and that usually means all the people go away!

Overall it was a perfect 24 hour vacation! Can’t wait to do it again!