I left Charlotte around noon on Monday. I decided to stay west and head up to the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway. This is a fantastic ride right on the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Even getting to the parkway was fun. Spectacular views and very curvey (fun) roads. Don't the mountains actually look blue?
When it started to get dark I decided to stop driving and find a place to stay. After driving for an hour and a half down the mountain along curvey roads with no place, car or person in site I finally found civilization in Charlottesville, VA home of UVA. I was able to get a place right in town and headed out for some food and a Guinness. I found a place that had both in addition to open mic night for aspiring young musicians.      Since I was meeting a college friend and a grade school friend in D.C. later that evening I decided to continue heading North in West VA.
I entered the Shenandoah National Park and drove all the way through it on Sky Line Drive. Again this was just an awesome drive. I basically had the whole park to myself as it was 15 degrees out and most of the park services were closed. I was also happy to use my National Park Pass to get in for free.
Great views and the wild life was out searching for food. It was almost as if they knew snow was expected the next day and food would be hard to come by.
Oh, believe it or not I actually got pulled over by a park ranger. Lucky for me he didn't have his radar on so I got off with just a warning. He said it was pretty clear I was exceeding the park speed limit of 35mph. I might have been exceeding the speed limit by about 40mph...give or take 2-3mph.
I got into D.C. and was able to catch up with a friend from college for dinner and drinks. I then stayed with my friend from 4th grade Matt and his girlfriend Catherine.
Basically I'm being chased up the coast by a nasty snow storm. Next stop is Dan and Joann's place in Delaware and also the home of all my stuff. A perfect place to get snowed in. |
