May 16, 2015

Yep that really is the Shenandoah National Park entrance and the start of an awesome day. We left warm and uncomfortable humidity in Front Royal and climbed into deliciously cool fresh and fragrant mountains and so started an awesome experience as we explored the Blue Ridge Mountains. This was the second bonus of heading east. We had planned to do some 'leaf peeping' of the autumn colours along this route in 2013 but the day was rained and fogged out so had to take the route at the foot of the ridge.

The ride today was awesome. The road surface, camber and gradient excellent and the ride itself spectacularly beautiful. The foliage surrounding us changed from luxuriant and dense and leaves well developed with dense ferns and undergrowth to more sparsely treed with beginnings of leaf cover only as we climbed higher but without doubt it was all beautiful to be amongst and the views were incredible either across multiple ridges and mountains or what appeared to be from the sky down onto the valleys and plains below first on one side and then the other as we traversed the ridge. Hard to stay focused ... might be just as well we didn't get here in the fall, way too much to safely look at and I suspect a lot more to share the road with as well. The traffic increased as the day wore on but not enough to be a bother and with the speed limits (56kmh on Skyline Drive and 72kmh on the Blue Ridge Parkway) it could have been a bit frustrating. We enjoyed a bite for lunch at Loft Mountain Wayside then a hot chocolate at the Otters Peaks Lodge, both a welcome respite off the bikes as my knees were complaining from being bent up for as many hours as they were .... mind you the rest of the body was just singing with the ride!

Photos were a bit of a challenge. Early in the morning the fog on the land below hadn't lifted and there was a haze present most of the day and increased through the day and I didn't bring my camera which does a panoramic shot DOH! and without it any photos just don't do the views justice. Ah well. A collection below anyway.

View from Jenkins Gap Overlook.

 

Typical of so much of the roadway / vegetation we travelled through.

A cute little tunnel.

Dark Hollow Falls. It was a workout and a half to get there and back!

A not so timid little deer early into the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

The Peaks of Otter (well one anyway) on Abbot Lake.

Bits and Bobs:

An interesting way to view the countryside ..... well from the riders seat, not so much from the side cart I suspect. In the parking lot at the Loft Mountain Wayside car-park.

Last Night's Accommodation:

 

Hampton Inn Front Royal, 9800 Winchester Road, Front Royal, VA 22630
Nice comfortable room and bed and included hot breakfast. Shame there is no restaurant on site, we really didn't feel up to heading out once we had gotten out of the shower. Nice and handy to the motorway so makes for a quick getaway when leaving.