A Full Spelunking day

Long day, fun day - and I'm tired!

Started off about 7am - earlier for Am with Molly. Had pancakes for breakfast, some fruit, and then on our way to Luray Caverns. Huge, with thousands of formations, this probably was the most ornate cavern I've ever seen. They now have guides along your way, and the tour is done via a small mp3 player and headphones. There are two versions of the story told at each stop along the way, adults and children. Of course I listened to both! A really recommended stop, and they had a car museum that was interesting as well. After viewing both the cavern and the auto museum, we stopped at Wallmart, picked up some additions to our lunch menu, and went back to the campground for a small feast. The girls + guy helped clean up, then played some cards. Finally, they went on the Endless Cavern tour - sans adults. They had a young college age man to lead them - and enjoyed his commentary.

Soon we had to return our guest to his home, and tried to let his parents how much we enjoyed his polite and courteous ways.

Later, a dinner to clean out leftovers in RoadAbode, to get ready to be travelling again - destination Maryland.

Then into the twilight, we started a campfire, and enjoyed some S'mores, and the overhead stars. We all faded fast, and I'm alone as the one still awake. My time to sleep has come!

Harrisonburg, VA

Great Sleeping Weather! Today! We all awoke by 7:30am or so. Breakfast was egg, sausage and cheese on english muffins. We cleaned up, dressed and headed out for services at First Presbyterian of Harrisonburg. We were a little early, so took an exploratory run past our friends home - whom we are having dinner with this evening. Once back at curch, it was a wonderful service, with a good message for father's on Father's Day, following Psalm 127 . A mix of young and old were at services, but like most congregations, were slow to greet the outsiders. Worship music was moving, and brought a sense of God's presence. After services, we scooted over to Walmart to pick up a few items we needed, and a few we did not, then to KFC to pickup lunch. We brought our poultry goodness back to camp, and enjoyed it under our canopy. After cleaning up, we all enjoyed some time to read books we brought along. I even got in a little nap! We headed to our friends aagain in Harrisonburg. Enjoyed a great meal of Pizza, then sat and chatted about old news, and new - both in Virginia, and home. Felt bad that they had just gotten back from a retreat, and were quite tired. But glad to see they look more relaxed, and comfortable in these surroundings. This beautiful place suits them! Thankful that they belong to a strong congregation.

Before it seemed possible, it was time to head back, and we gathered up belongings, and their son, to spend the night and then tomorrow with us. As I type, the girls and he are enjoying a "moviefest" in RoadAbode, as I sit beneath a star-filled sky, enjoying the night air. Another glorious day! Pictures of the church, and the movie watchers below.

Our Annual Trip RoadTrip started Friday Night - this time starting out heading toward Skyline Drive in Virginia, and ending up in Crisfield, Maryland by the end of next week.

We thought we'd try a different approach to departure this year. We decided to leave late Friday night (about 8pm) and try boondocking at a rest stop in Maryland. It actually worked well, except for two things. One, they decided to close route 95 in Delaware for about a half-an-hour Friday night. At least RoadAbode made the wait comfy. Two, I chose to stop for the night in Maryland at Chesapeake House Rest stop - instead of Maryland House. If I would have waited and drove on for another 30 minutes, we would've had less road noise from 95, and better amenities at the rest stop. Live and learn.

As it was, it put us in a great position Saturday. 7am we pulled out from Chesapeake house and headed toward our first destination point, Skyline Drive. Only stops we made along the way were for gas at a Sheetz, and at a Virginia Information Center for maps (for the collector in the family - she didn't have a Virginia one yet). It rained off and on along the way, with a visibility-blocking downpour along a portion of Route 66. However, by the time we hit Front Royal and the entrance station to Skyline Drive, (Which was free this weekend - Thanks Ken Salazar!) the skies were starting to clear. We stopped in at the welcome center at Dickey Ridge, and enjoyed our first "Blue Ridge: vistas. We also enjoyed learning about black bear from one of the rangers, including some great personal antidotes.

We continued on, stopping at a few scenic vistas. The plan was to stop for lunch at Elkwallow picnic grounds- and glad we did. Coming to the turn in at Elkwallow the smell that hit our noses was not a passing motorcycle like I thought, but my brakes. Seems coming down, either I was hitting the brakes too much, or the caliper stuck on the driver front. As I pulled in, a cloud of smoke came up on my side, and as I pulled in to spot that fit RoadAbode and RoadToad, it plumed up a good bit. I hopped out, popped the hood, and made sure we weren't burning any fluids. But the only place smoke came from was around the driver side front tire. We ate, and let the brakes cool down. It started to rain a little also, and that helped cool things down as well.

We started out again after about an hour or so, and had no other difficulties, going down the mountain, or getting off Skyline Drive at Thornton Gap - to head toward Endless Caverns. I did downshift on a few long, winding downhills though this time - relied less on the brakes.

The rest of the ride to Endless Caverns RV resort was uneventful, and the route was easy.

Once there, we were greeted most welcomingly. First time ever - we were taken by golf cart to view and select our site beforehand. Was kind of an nice touch. (And I was not in a rush to setup - we got there by 2:30pm/3pm) The Resort is not quite a resort yet - but getting there. The pool looks beautiful, but is not done. the Gameroom is huge, but still being built. The tilework in the showerhouse is better than a home, but the building is being rehabbed. The best part is the sites are large, level, and the hardscaping around them is beautiful. This will be a beautiful resort once they get everything done. But the neatest part is the cave tour. After setting up, and talking to the nice couple next door for a bit, we strolled down to the office to take in a tour of Endless Cavern. I've alwayes loved Crystal Cave, but for size and types of formations, Endless Caverns "Wowed" me more. The "Crystal Room" at the end of the tour - with it's light show timed to music, was the top hilight of the tour, with dept, aand sheer amount of stalagties on the ceiling. Beautiful.

A full day, and now that everyone's showers are done, time to sleep and be ready for tomorrow's adventures!

Below - a few pictures from the RoadTrip so far:

Waiting out Traffic in Delaware

Morning Walk at the Chesapeake Rest Stop














The route of Skyline Drive

Panaramic View from Dickey Station

Cute Bear cub! Part of the exibits at Dickey Station

A "waterfall" formation at Endless Caverns