From Shenandoah to the Sea
Unending Discovery in the Commonwealth of Virginia
I bought a map and it changed everything.
Just starting west toward home, after a quick visit to Gettysburg National Military Park and after attending a conference nearby, I stopped at a rest stop in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Walking toward the shop exit, a U.S. map sat beguilingly on its shelf and beckoned me over. I resisted and walked past it. It batted its eyelashes. I walked past a second time. It blew me a kiss. I snatched it up and took it to the cashier. It smiled knowingly. I was helpless under its allure.
I. Just. Love. Maps.
But, I didn’t really need this one. I was heading back home to California taking the same route I’d driven to get here. I had all the handy dandy navigation apps on my phone. I didn’t really need a U.S. map.
But, there was no going back. Seated outside in the parking lot, I took the map and opened it up big. There was my position in Pennsylvania. And, over there, not too far away, was the Atlantic Ocean!
Hmmm…
How long was it to the Atlantic from where I sat? It looked like Virginia Beach would be the best destination point. How far away was that? Five hours? Just five hours? If I drove to Virginia Beach and stuck my toes in the Atlantic, that would be my very first cross country road trip. And, solo, too.
Decision made.
Off I went, heading east rather than west. Hmmm…wait a minute. Are there any National Parks nearby? I parked again. I took out the map. Sure enough, Shenandoah National Park was right there, practically on the way. I had never really known of a National Park in Virginia, coming from a state with “biggies” like Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, among many others. (I’ve noticed as a native Californian that we tend to think our state holds the greatest and most beautiful...everything. We are embarrassingly myopic.)
So I detoured (that might be good etched into my gravestone… “so I detoured”…my poor kids - “What would happen if we turned this way I wonder?” “Mom! We just want to go home!”) toward Shenandoah.
Every year, I try to purchase a National Parks pass ($80) to support the parks and to maintain my optimistic view that I will visit many of them during the year. I want to visit them all.
In addition to the officially-designated parks, there’s so many other places to visit, monuments and recreation areas and military history parks and national seashores and lakes and historical parks and a whole host of other wonders within the National Park Service…that’s a lot to look forward to, if you think about it.
Off I went to find Shenandoah.
Pelting rain made visibility challenging but it stopped as I neared the park’s northernmost entrance when all became lush and green and sparkling around me.
I entered the park, showing my pass. Do any of you get giddy when entering a National Park? I can feel it even now writing about it - I become very happy and excited and I feel like the park rangers are my friends and I love them. There’s still a part of me that wants to be one, a park ranger, ever since that first visit to Sequoia National Park a long time ago and the bears…Another story another day…
I knew less than nothing about the park but learned at the Visitor’s Center (don’t you love National Park Visitor Centers?) that Shenandoah National Park follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the scenic Skyline Drive north to south for 105 miles. There are 75 scenic overlooks along Skyline Drive with sweeping views of the Shenandoah Valley.
And, 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail falls within the bounds of the park, tracing the ridge of the Blue Ridge mountains and often following the same route as Skyline Drive. I want to through-hike that 2,181 mile footpath one day from Georgia to Maine. Yes, a lot to look forward to!
It was an easy decision to drive the full-length of the park. Seventy-five overlooks? Who can resist that?
I drove leisurely down Skyline Drive, stopping whenever the impulse struck or the beauty overtook. The overlooks were made just for this…
As I drove the length of the Park, stopping regularly, I made some friends along the way. They were all gracious enough to allow me to practice some portraiture in this inspiring place and to post their photos:
It’s wonderful to remember the joy of each of these couples and their openheartedness toward me…Part of that, I’m sure, had to do with the common experience we were sharing within one of our country’s true and precious gems.
Unwittingly, I was driving the park at exactly the right time of day. The shadows grew long and Golden Hour arrived in splendour.
By the time I exited the southern end of the park at Rockfish Gap, the sun had well set. It was time to find a place to sleep for the night before venturing further east to the Atlantic.
I chose Charlottesville twenty-five miles away. Picking up a few brochures at the motel, I learned that Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello was right here and so was James Monroe’s Highland. Our third and fifth presidents were actual neighbors and they lived not far at all from where I was! But, it was heartbreakingly not the trip to visit them. The Atlantic was the goal and no more detours. But, still knowing these great historical landmarks were so close hurt. It hurt bad.
Shoring up my sorrows, I headed out on I-64 the next morning ready to see the sea.
I passed through Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and mailed off some postcards to family. Continuing on, I saw a sign for West Point and then another for Colonial Williamsburg! How I have long longed to visit this, the colonial capital of our country and “the world’s largest U.S. History Museum” where the re-enactments of life and society at the birth of our nation are world-reknown! Ugh…I couldn’t stop to explore.
To discover then not explore…that is a hard thing indeed.
Resisting this historical temptation, I pressed on…
And, almost immediately I saw a sign for the Colonial National Historical Park - Jamestown. Jamestown! Remember? Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607! And, it was right here! And, I couldn’t visit! Aaaarrrggghhh!
I continued on and passed Hampton and nearby Newport News and then I caught my first-ever view of the Chesapeake Bay. It was thrilling, driving over these historic waters…As I crossed the bridge, passing Norfolk, Virginia and its naval and shipping complexes, I remembered my last time in Virginia when I was still in high school, much further up along the Potomac, touring George Washington’s Mt. Vernon after a trip to Washington, D.C. That was a fascinating trip with lots of myths about our first president corrected and also some good truths cemented.
I wonder…how many of our presidents lived in Virginia?
And, then, there she was…Virginia Beach. White sand, clear blue ocean. The perfect parking spot opened up for me, right next to a little memorial garden that led to the beach.
I marveled.
I sat down in the sand. I watched a woman older than I boogy boarding and longed to do the same. She inspired me so in her freedom…
And, I saw a dolphin!
And made some more friends…
Now, that was an epic detour!
And, then, I turned around and headed west. (And detoured to Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky on the way back! It was just right there!)
For the month of July, I’ll be celebrating the United States of America with themes and stories rooted in this great country. Please join me!
And if you’ve ever taken an epic detour which changed you somehow, helped you discover something, have an unexpected adventure, or experience a newness in some way, please share in the comments!
I love that the thoughts coming up for you are of the directions you have travelled and that you would have done the same thing! Yes, it was a treasure hunt setup for sure! And, Christy, I also love that it made you dream of future travel with me! I love formative "maybe" dreams. A possibility is birthed! For sure I will be exploring more of Virginia and would love to do some of that with you - maybe you can join me for part of the Appalachian Trail!
Oh, that was beautiful! Thank you for sharing your detour and the pictures! I would have done the same thing. I’ve traveled more north to south in our gorgeous country, but would love to experience more East and west. Maybe we can travel together someday and stop at the places you had to miss this time. Hugs and blessings!