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Published: December 17th 2010
On Tuesday, October 19, 2010, we crossed the Potomac River on US 340 en route to North Fork Resort in Front Royal VA. Front Royal was selected for its location at the northern entrance to the Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah’s scenic roadway, follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains southward for 105 miles. There it joins the Blue Ridge Parkway which stretches 469 miles to the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our plan was to migrate south as the leaves changed and to enjoy the colors of fall for the entire trip to northern GA - erroneously believing that the turning of the leaves was mostly latitude-dependent. In fact, leaf color changes are much more altitude-dependent!
I didn’t want to drag the Pilgrim along 574 miles of ridgeline and to try to navigate the scenic vistas with the trailer, so our campground locations were selected in a leapfrog fashion so we could enjoy the scenic drives without the Pilgrim in tow. From Front Royal VA, we would explore south to the park exit on US 33 near Standardsville VA. We would then leapfrog on I-81 to the southern end of Shenandoah to make loops
northerly to US 211 near Luray VA and southerly along the Blue Ridge Parkway to US 220 near Roanoke VA. Again, we would leapfrog the Pilgrim to Mount Airy NC where we would loop northerly to Roanoke and southerly to US 321 near Lenoir NC. This pattern would continue until we reached the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee NC. In theory, each stop with the Pilgrim would be 3-4 days and by the end of the journey we would have seen all the fall foliage the Blue Ridge Mountains had to offer. In theory!
The ninety minute trip to Front Royal was uneventful save some beautiful roadside coloration. We arrived at the North Fork Resort and found it to be an older Coast to Coast resort that also has an affiliation with my Passport America travel club. In the afternoon, we drove into town and stopped at the Visitor Center where we got a very interesting orientation to the area. Wednesday we headed for the Elizabeth Furnace Picnic Area to enjoy a colorful walk in the George Washington National Forest. A cabin located across a stream from the picnic area dates back to the 1830’s when pig
Elizabeth Furnace Picnic Area
George Washington National Forest - Front Royal VAiron production at Elizabeth Furnace was at its peak and the community was thriving. The cabin itself is thought to have been the furnace headquarters. After exploring for a few minutes, we drove to the Elizabeth Furnace Campground to check it out “for future reference.” A brief look convinced us to abandon North Fork Resort and to move our Front Royal base of operations to George Washington NF.
The hosts (a retired firefighter from North Carolina and his wife) gave us some options for hiking that fit our experience and stamina limitations. One of the recommended trails took us to Buzzard Rock on Thursday. On Friday (when parents are at work and children are at school), we took the drive over the northern portion of Shenandoah National Park. The ranger at the entrance station (free admission with my senior pass) told us our timing was perfect since this was supposed to be the peak color weekend. And how! The colors were phenomenal and Shenandoah is an absolute jewel! We look forward to returning for an extended visit so we can hike some of the trails. One display we found of particular interest outlines the progression of desegregation in Shenandoah
Canyon of Color
Shenandoah National Park VA (Northern Portion) National Park from a “recommendation to provide for ‘colored guests’ at Shenandoah” in 1932 to the completion of the desegregation effort in 1950 which maked Shenandoah “one of the first public facilities in Virginia to desegregate.”
On Saturday morning we walked through the ruins of the Elizabeth Furnace. These ruins themselves were much less impressive than the ruins at Catoctin Iron Furnace ruins near Cunningham Falls State Park MD but the Elizabeth Furnace trailside placards were much more informative and interesting than Catoctin. On Saturday afternoon (when parents weren’t working and children weren’t learning), we drove into Front Royal to take the walking tour of the historical downtown. The walk was enjoyable but the tour would be more interesting to locals than visitors and the buildings were nice but nothing spectacular. For most of the afternoon, traffic was backlogged like there was a free Reba concert going on. We learned that the traffic was waiting to gain entry into Shenandoah National Park. We were surely grateful we had gone to the park on Friday.
Front Royal is unique in that it was home to two awardees of the Congressional Medal of Honor from the Vietnam War. Many of
Hometown Hero
Veterans Memorial - Front Royal VA you know the story of Marine PFC Rudy Billiot from Houma LA whom I credit with saving my life during an ambush and whom was killed shortly thereafter. Marine Corporal Larry E. Smedley was born on March 4, 1949 (the day before Rudy’s birth) and, even though he was in a different outfit than Rudy and I, was killed in action on the same day as Rudy (December 21, 1967). At some point in his youth, Smedley’s family moved to Orlando FL – a stone’s throw from my aunt’s residence in Sanford. Of course, with a first name of Larry…! It’s a very interesting world.
Interstate 81 replaced and parallels VA 11 so we chose the old highway to make our way south to Stoney Creek Resort in Greenville VA on Sunday morning. As we neared Mount Jackson VA, an informational sign indicated a covered bridge. On with the brakes and turn right with the wheel. We discovered the Meem's Bottom Covered Bridge. As I neared the bridge, I realized that there was no parking area, that the bridge was, indeed, still functional and that there was no way the Pilgrim would fit under that roof! Fortunately, a wide
farm driveway was nearby for me to utilize to turn around. Lesson of caution learned. The bridge was built in 1892 and has just a whole bunch of character. A fly fisherman was testing his skill under the bridge as we explored and photographed.
Greenville VA is a small village near Staunton, and the Stoney Creek Resort is mostly filled with seasonal campers. The “season” was over the day we arrived, Sunday, October 24, 2010. The section of the campground near the office complex is winterized and has several year-round residents – several of whom are employees and owners. The spaces are large and shaded and everybody we met there was friendly and helpful. We ended up staying there for nine nights. Overcast skies and drizzle accompanied most of our stay at Stoney Creek. While my computer was getting a much-needed tune-up and upgrade, we explored the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Museum in Staunton. I was as surprised and intrigued with the “non-Presidential” life of Wilson as I was with that of Herbert Hoover. We took the walking tour of the historic downtown and found a real jewel. SunTrust Bank is now located in the former National Valley
Cabin of Orelena Hawks Puckett
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway Near Fancy Gap VA Bank in downtown Staunton. The marble and glass are spectacular and the carved moldings are elegant. Couple the beauty with the displays of banking equipment from days past and the friendliness of the bank staff, and the National Valley Bank is a must see if in Staunton.
The weather was somewhat uncooperative as we drove the southern portion of the Shenandoah National Park and the northern portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We did, however, have a great evening on Halloween for a haunted hayride and a walk through the haunted house produced yearly by the folks at Stoney Creek Resort. We were told the haunted house originally was developed purely for the enjoyment of the campground residents; however, it had gained such a reputation in the community it has now been opened to the public for a fee. The hayride and haunted house are free to the campers. This haunting adventure (hayride and house) was the best overall Halloween experience I have ever had as an adult. Well done!
On Tuesday, November 2, we headed south on I-81 and I-77 for the Mayberry Campground in Mount Airy NC. Could it be? It is! Mount Airy is the
Plantation Life During Slavery
Booker T. Washington (Birthplace) National Monument - Hardy VA birthplace and childhood home of Andy Griffith and the template (if not the actual mold) for the Mayberry of TV fame. On Wednesday, we drove the short distance to Fancy Gap VA and took the Blue Ridge Parkway north to Roanoke VA. The day was overcast with intermittent drizzle, and many of the leaves had fallen; however, there were a multitude of discoveries that made the trip worthwhile. The cabin of “Aunt” Orelena Hawks Puckett who began her career as a midwife at age 50 (after bearing 24 children of her own) and delivered the last of over 1000 children in 1939 – the year of her death - at the age of 103. Next we stopped at the Round Meadow Overlook and took the short walk to Round Meadow Creek. Then we stopped at Mabry Mill. Although the complex was closed for the season, walking around “the most photographed feature on the Blue Ridge Parkway” was interesting. Further upstream we found the Rakes Mill Pond where Jarman Rakes marketed his mill by allowing his customers to fish for brook trout in his pond while they waited for their grist. Even the colorful leaves sporadically decorated our way, framed an
Wally, have you seen Barney?
Mayberry USA - Mount Airy NC old barn or provided a backdrop for a split-rail fence.
On our way back to the campground, we made a slight detour and stopped at the Booker T. Washington (Birthplace) National Monument near Hardy VA. Washington was an interesting man. Born into slavery in 1856, he was 9 years old when the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted and readily could remember his slavery experience; however, he was young enough to pursue an education. Washington was the guiding force behind Tuskegee Institute and became known as the nation’s foremost black educator. He was controversial in that he openly promoted black/white economic cooperation with social separation as a way to garner support from powerful whites. It is now known that he secretly funded and supported anti-segregationist activities. Our stop here enhanced our visit to the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond Grove MO last June. Someday we’ll see Tuskegee Institute.
Thursday morning we donned our tourist hats (to keep dry from the seemingly never-ending drizzle) and headed for the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy NC. This small museum has many artifacts from the hometown hero’s long career and includes memorabilia from other “Andy Griffith Show” cast members. Unfortunately, photography
Along the Tail of the Dragon
Great Smoky Mountains National Park TN & NC inside the museum is prohibited and the content is of moderate interest to the casual fan. Recommended for all who enjoyed watching the Mayberry antics if you are in town for some other reason. Some other reason might be downtown Mount Airy. The community has done a great job of maintaining the Mayberry atmosphere of nostalgic 1960ish small-town America. Most store names in the TV series are spin-offs or are taken directly from Mount Airy.
From Friday, November 5 to Wednesday, November 24 we stayed in eleven different locations for no more than three days. The general focus was visiting friends in Franklin NC, Dandridge TN and Loganville GA. In Franklin NC we visited with the “campground neighbors” we had met in College Park MD. At the Pines RV Park in Franklin NC, I met a Vietnam veteran Army helicopter crew chief from a small town, Kirkland IL, about five miles from where I was raised and two of his compadres. After Franklin, we stopped in Pigeon Forge TN for a few days to explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Gatlinburg TN. While camping in Pigeon Forge, we drove to Seiverville to see the Harrisburg Covered Bridge
Beef Brisket de Rodney
Cookout At Our Friends Home - Dandridge TN and to walk around the historic downtown area. At the courthoust, we discovered that Sevier County is the hometown of Dolly Parton.
In Dandridge TN, we visited with Kay’s “adopted” daughter and family where we were treated to some mighty fine smoked brisket and were told about the “Tail of the Dragon” scenic byway. Next, it was back to Pigeon Forge for two nights to park the Pilgrim and give us a full day to drive the “dragon” with its 318 curves in a mere 11 miles. In Loganville, GA we met with one of the Army helicopter pilots I had met in Franklin and discussed the VA PTSD treatment program I plan to undergo during my winter in FL. From the Atlanta area, we made a leisurely trip to Sanford FL to spend Thanksgiving with my sole-surviving aunt and some of her family.
During those 19 nights, we stayed in a wide variety of campgrounds from very nice and a good value to substantially overpriced for what was offered. Although overcast and drizzle was the weather report for most days, the weather was not bad enough to prevent any of the activities of interest. For example, in
spite of the fact that the day we drove the “dragon” the clouds were low-hanging such that there was only a minimal view from the vista points, we still had a good time and look forward to a return visit in better weather. The day we drove from Mount Airy NC to Franklin NC we were going to take the Blue Ridge Parkway, but the forecast was for mountain snow so we aborted those plans and stayed on the freeway. Good thing, because the Parkway was closed all day because of the snow.
We had done very little planning from Front Royal VA to Sanford FL other than to drive the scenic routes in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains and to enjoy the fall foliage along the way. If the road had little dots alongside it in the Rand-McNally, it was fair game for exploration. Along the way we did find some unexpected gems including the Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton GA. I’m looking forward to seeing my Aunt Lena and her family over the Holidays and to beginning my PTSD treatment in early 2011. The weekly sessions will keep us on a short leash from Gainesville FL,
Shenandoah Valley From Buzzard Rock
George Washington National Forest - Front Royal VA but we plan to watch a space shuttle launch and attend one of the more affordable races at Daytona International Speedway in February. As activities of interest warrant, I’ll post updates. Here’s to a safe and happy Holiday to all.
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