Karen And Sylvan's American Road Trip

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(Thursday 8/2/07) With goodbyes said we headed off for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah National Park. Even with the haze, a combination of humidity and pollution from the North East we were told, the views are amazing. A ranger told us they only have about 10 clear days during the summer. The Park offers accommodations and excellent, reasonable restaurants. You really need at least a week to do this drive justice. We were surprised at how little traffic there was. We saw more motorcycles than cars. The drive took longer than anticipated so needing to check in at the Bent Mountain Lodge we reluctantly left the parkway and took a faster highway route. We called ahead and they advised us to eat in Roanoke as there was nothing near the lodge. They weren't kidding. The lodge is located at the end of a dirt road high on a hill overlooking the parkway. I'm not sure we would have found it without the GPS even though it was still daylight. It's a beautiful place to visit with horses, dogs and cats but I don't think I could live there with no Henry's to walk to. It's at least 20 miles from the city of Roanoke. If you ever travel this way I would definitely recommend a stay at the Bent Mountain Lodge I wish we could have stayed longer.

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Photos

The Inn
Horses out back