A four-bagger!

Evening, Campers! It's Silver Cliche' with you again tonight and tonight from... are you ready?... you're sure?... George L. Smith State Park in Georgia! Surprise!

You may have picked up in the title of tonight's post... "a four-bagger". Two reasons for that... 1.) we hit four states today. Aside from a few spots (like New England, or the four corners of Utah/Colorado/New Mexico/Arizpna) that's hard to do in a day given how we like to travel. I first opened my eyes this morning around 4:00 to the sound of rain on the trailer roof and the roof vents closing (which they do by motors which are activated automatically by the rain sensors in the vents). More on the impact that had in a bit. The other meaning of that title is 2.) a "four-bagger" is baseball slang for a home run which is precisely what we decided to make once we realized that our old nemesis for this trip -- "Mr. Rain" -- had found us again in Virginia.

I've made the trip from suburban Washington to Vero Beach in a day many times... so many times in the years before we retired that I used to have nightmares about my life on I-95. Those trips frequently included a trailer but never one the size and weight of the Airstream which places a load on both truck and driver. Although a one-day run was out of the question from near Charlottesville, a two-day run was not. We considered several spots to end day one of the dash and finally picked the one that we had planned to hit on Sunday night anyway. That is here at George L. Smith. Just to give a sense about the drive and driving in rain on any day, think back to yesterday's posts and the beautiful overlooks and Monticello in the sunshine. Now here's what today's views were on the highway in the Shenandoah Valley (add 2000' of elevation into the clouds to imagine what Skyline Drive would have been):

If you recall yesterday's post (which was posted just before I started writing this one since we had zero internet last night) I talked about the tedium of driving Skyline Drive. I'm sure the continuation of our trip along the ridge would have delivered many wonderful surprises on a good day, today was not that. The prospect of climbing back up the mountain then driving 35 MPH in rain and fog past overlooks that offered no look worth fussing over was not drawing either Mrs. C' nor I. Instead of driving in the thick of the clouds, our route included I-81 past Mrs. C's ancestral family home in Staunton, Virginia and later Blacksburg where her ancestor's grandsons (all of whom carried the family name "Black") on another branch of the family donated the land to form the town and the university which is now Virginia Tech. Of course we waved as we past. Then to I-77 through Charlotte, North Carolina; I-20 through Columbia, South Carolina and Augusta, Georgia (home of the Master's golf tournament). The we slipped onto state roads and eventually county routes and slipped into our camp site just after 5:00. That's 8+ driving hours at speed limits. A bit longer for us. 515 miles closer to home with 417 still to go tomorrow. Here's what today's jaunt looks like as Google sees it:

So, I'm sure you are asking your computer screen "Silver Cliche', tell us what wondrous sites of America you saw and what things you did in your travels today!". Well, Campers, when you drive over 500 miles with a big trailer behind, in the rain, for over 8 moving hours you do and see almost nothing. I think at one point I caught Mrs. C' counting the posts on the guardrails to see if the State of North Carolina or South Carolina puts more posts per mile. That's bored. What we did was drove, ate (while driving... thanks to the rolling snack bar we pull behind the truck) and pumped over $100 of 87 octane into the trusty Tundra (thank goodness she drinks the cheap stuff... because she drinks a lot!). One thing that we did see was unique in all of our highway driving both before and with the Airstream. Hidden right behind that alternate route marker on the map above and right about where the "2" is the "8 h 26 min" sign is where I-77 exits Virginia. The last town in Virginia is Fancy Gap. This is where the mountains end and the coastal plain begins which means there is a big elevation drop. Well, big by eastern state standards. In this transition zone along I-77 there is no fixed speed limit. Signs warn you that this is a "variable speed limit" zone. The current speed limits are posted on a series of signs that are basically large flat screen TVs (or maybe small scoreboards from NFL stadiums... or maybe it's stadia... whatever... I'm not doing that research right now). Today we were zooming along at the posted speed of 65 MPH aided by the grade which was 4 or 5% (not enough that I needed to help the 8 brakes on the rig by downshifting). The speed limit dropped by the mile from 65 to 55 then 45 and eventually 30 MPH. Yes, 30 MPH on a perfectly good interstate with gravity working in your favor. You don't believe me? Here's a pic Mrs. C' took at that spot:

Within a half mile that same view looked like this:

 Amazing. Presumably on "nice" days they leave it at 65 all the way down.

So that's it. One more night and one more driving day left in our trip. If you have been with us for the whole ride, you may recall that I called this the "places revisited" trip. We visited lots of folks, all for at least the second time and tonight marks the last place revisited since we came back here to reprise our visit from the fall of 2015. On that trip we didn't know that the attraction here is the massive cypress swamp (which starts about 25' from where I am sitting at this moment in the trailer). I'll close with the pic I took on our earlier visit and with the hope that tomorrow morning brings this type of sunshine so I can try to better this shot:

 (I call that one "Two among many"... although I was thinking of Mrs. C' when I named it, it applies to many of you, too).

I may write an epilog to this trip, but it won't be tomorrow night. If I get home and find there is no muse there then this might be it until we hit the road again. I'm not sure when that might be, but we'll let you know whenever it is.

Thanks for following along and sharing our adventures with us!

Later...

SC'

Mr. Jefferson will see you in his study, now.

Evening. Campers! It's Silver Cliche' with you again tonight… or the night before last since I have no internet here in the wilds of Virginia and you won't read this until Tuesday at best. Tonight's report is being filed from Sherando Lake Recreation Area near… well… I can't tell you since I don't have internet and that's the tool I use to look up facts like “what's near wherever the heck we are?”. I feel totally confident saying where we are not… that's anywhere with a cell phone tower. I can also say we are west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, east of I-81 and south of I-64. If you have an atlas, or internet access that might give you an idea.

So, I owe you some pics about Skyline Drive. We have traveled about 75 miles of it so far. As I mentioned last night, it is an impressive road built by out of work Americans during the years following the Great Depression almost 100 years ago. These folks received employment through a program initiated by Franklin Roosevelt as part of the “New Deal”. That program was called the Civilian Conservation Corps. The road is impressive for the fact that it truly follows the spine of the Blue Ridge range. How do I know this? The key indicator is the fact that overlooks alternate between the left and right sides of the road and are equally impressive. Roads that run along the side of a mountain only have overlooks on one side. A byproduct of the route along the ridge is that there isn't a straight section to the whole darn thing. I bet the longest straightaway we've been on in those 75 miles is 100 yards. The other thing it doesn't have is width and sometimes shoulders. This combination of curves, ups and downs, narrow lanes (I'm thinking the lanes are 10' wide and we are 8'6”… precision is the byword when driving Skyline Drive) and no shoulders makes for challenging driving even at the 35 MPH speed limit. What do you see on Skyline Drive? Well there' a whole lot of this….

And this….

But sometimes this…

or this...

 (remember, that's a panorama the two wall sections are actually straight... the picture shows what you would see if you stood in one spot and pivoted 180 degrees)

or even this...  

Note, that one includes the rarest of all Silver Cliche' photo features... a human being. That woman was drawn to the giant Queen Anne's Lace that were growing in the field. They had blossoms the size of dinner plates or maybe even garbage can lids. She moved on them so quickly that I'm thinking of gluing a Queen Anne's Lace to my head to cover the bald spot and attract attention to myself. It's kind of like when I tie a bone around my neck to get the dog to play with me. She graciously shared a pic with me to share with you here:

Every 10 miles or so along Skyline Drive is a major facility like Skyland where we are lunch (presumably named because it's where the sky meets the land, although by that definition everyplace is “skyland”… even Death Valley) or Big Meadows where we camped last night.

This is the third trip we've planned to follow Skyline Drive and the first we've actually executed. The first was scrubbed on account of weather. The second was scrubbed on account of having a rambunctious 10 year old added to the trip which drove a more direct schedule. Now we are here. After 30 miles of what you saw in the pics above, the novelty had worn off. After 50 miles tedium set in. After 70 miles the thought of driving off one of those overlooks started to sound pretty good. After 75 miles we concluded it was time to explore the valley below which just happened to contain Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.

So after an hour and three quarters of driving this morning we reached Monticello. I'm thrilled to report that we had the right day for it. Temps in the low 80's, dry, clear, in a word, perfect. All I could think is “if I could bottle this and take it to St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin I could make a frickin' fortune!”. I'm thinking that when people from Wisconsin come to Monticello they don't even notice the house. They just say “I didn't know weather could do this!”.

Anyway… Monticello. Like George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, Monticello is not owned by the US Government. It's owned by a private, not-for-profit organization. That makes it very different from other national landmarks and treasures you might visit that are owned by the Feds. The first thing I noticed was on the approach to the property. You may already know (although, I didn't) that Monticello means “little mountain” in Italian. I hope you're proud of yourself for knowing that… don't be so smug… it makes me feel undereducated. Naturally, the trip to get there is up hill. If the government owned this national treasure (actually, a world treasure… Monticello is a UN World Heritage Site just like that crazy dirt mount we camped near in Louisiana at the start of this trip) they would have used eminent domain to claim all sorts of adjacent property and rights-of-way to create a 4 lane highway into the parking lot. That's not how it is. The two lane, winding road from the nearest state highway is a shorter, less navigable version of Skyline Drive. The spacious 10' wide lanes on the mountain are about 9' for the last two miles into Monticello. Far from dissuading the visitor, this gave me a feeling of what it must have been like for visitors in Jefferson's day to make the trip from Charlottesville up his little mountain on a narrow winding road. Given his stature as a statesman, philosopher and scientist, this was truly a journey to the top of the mountain for those seeking enlightenment in the early 19^th century.

The other aspect of Monticello being in private hands that was striking was the fact that our National Parks Senior Pass didn't work there. “That'll be $26 per head, please.” Gulp “Thank you”. Maybe we should have waited until they made it into an IMAX experience and saved $11 each. Oh well, we were there already. From the parking lot its a short walk to the visitors center. From there shuttle buses take the groups of 25 the last half mile to the very top of the hill where the home is situated. It was worth it. Jefferson chose a beautiful little mountain top on which to situation his masterpiece. It isn't the tallest peak in the area, but it is high enough and far enough removed from other hills to offer inspiring views. Then one sees the house itself. Here is the first view we got as we exited the bus. One can imagine that a visitor who had ascended the mountain might have had a similar first view over 200 years ago:

Although the tour is described as “self guided”, the house is smaller than it looks on currency and the groups of 25 are generally herded through each room on the first floor. At each stop a docent tells the story of how the room was used (they ate in the dining room!). No photography is allowed in side the house. The second floor is only open for a few tours a day to those paying a surcharge (cha-ching!). My interest was in seeing the place and the exterior, and Mrs. C's interest was in getting back on the road. We skipped the extras. Here is the shot I came for. Its taken from the lawn on the opposite side of the home from where the initial shot was taken. To get this view, one must pass through the home (or around it) to the grassy area outside the major living space on the first floor which is the parlor located in the middle of the home on the side you see below. Jefferson's private space (library, study and bedroom) are on the right side. The family spaces (e.g: dining room) are on the left. The green louvered box on the corner is repeated at all four corners and contains a semi-outdoor room which must have been a blessing in the hot Virginia summers when shade and moving air would have been essential for comfort:

The hilltop location affords inspiring views as I mentioned above. Here is one taken from the area outside Jefferson's private wing:

It was well worth the trip. In addition to statesman, philosopher and scientist, I can suggest you add “architect” to Jefferson's list of talents. The house feels innovative even today over 200 years since it's construction. Little touches abound (e.g.: his bed in an alcove between two rooms, closets that had light shafts and ventilation, triple sash windows that could open tall enough to become doors when the weather was suitable) but its the flow of rooms and the way each was suited to its specific task that would have made this a tremendously livable home.

After our tour we had lunch of our own creation in the trailer in the Monticello parking lot. We called it “dining with the Jeffersons” although it was more “Movin' on Up” than “Declaration of Independence”. It was another 45 minute drive to the campground and we were camped for the day by 2:30 on a beautiful early summer day.

Tomorrow we press farther south.

Later…

SC'

A Cliche' in his natural habitat

Evening, Campers! It's Silver Cliche' here with you again tonight. This report is being made from Big Meadows Campground about a mile off Skyling Drive in Shenandoah Natinal Park near Stanley, Virginia.

So, after 10 nights of visiting friends and family (and a healthy thanks for hosting us goes out to Mr. & Mrs. Buff in Buffalo, my mom and dad in Pennsylvania and our oldest daughter and her clan in Maryland... I hope you're all saying "we'd love to have that giant silver thing in our driveway again" and not "what were we thinking????") we are on the road again. Frankly, we are not used to so much good friendship and continuous good food when we travel. It's taken a toll on us... or at least our waistlines. We are now back to simple fare and having only each other, the roads of America and Romeo the wonder puggle for companionship.

Tonight we have nothing but what the trailer provides (onboard water, propane and two batteries) and a sketchy internet connection from some Verizon Wireless tower that's probably 10 miles away and overloaded with Saturday night visitors to the  Shenandoah region. I have some pics to share with you, but I'll post them the next time I have a reliable internet connection. As I shared last night, this morning included a full restocking and trailer prep to get back on the road, so,we have plenty of food to choose from. The weather is delightful and we are on the last leg of our trip home.

Having lived in the Washington area for 18 years, it's easy for me to forget the history and charm of the distant suburbs. That's where today's route took us. We pulled out of the campground at about 11:45 road-ready. We the option of South then taking the Capital Beltway (yes... that "Beltway") and heading into Virginia. Those of you who've experienced the Beltway would join me in asking "are you insane?". We opted for the slightly longer drive through West Virginia and down the Shenandoah  Valley.

We headed north on I-270 passing the Monocacy National Battlefield. We lived only a few miles from there for 5 years. The battle there took place on July 9, 1864 -- a year and a week after Gettysburg. It was part of a plan by the Confederates to attack Washington from the north and cause the Union Army to pull troops from elsewhere to defend the capital. The South also wanted to disrupt the presidential election of 1864 (and you thought 2016 was the first time a foreign power tried to use a sneak attack to alter a US election!). America's first railway - the Baltimore and Ohio -- had a major junction at Monacacy which had a Union garrison to defend it. 15,000 Confederates moved north up the Shenandoah Valley, turned east and moved through Frederick, Maryland then turned south to attack the garrison which had been reinforced to a total strength of 6,500 Union troops in anticipation of the battle. Beyond Monocacy, the Confederates saw a clear path to Washington to the south. By then end of the day there were nearly 2,000 soldiers killed or wounded. By the carnage standards of the Civil War this was a modest battle. By any other measure it was an appalling waste of life. The South technically won the battle since their larger numbers overwhelmed the Union and they owned the ground when the sun set. However, the Union efforts were successful at delaying the advance... just successful enough that the Union had time to move troops in the path of the Confederate advance and defeated the same Confederate troops three days later sending them across the Potomac to Virginia. That's the kind of history that the ring 30-50 miles from the US Capitol dome contains.

We reversed the path that the Confederates took to reach Monocacy. On the way we passed Frederick, Maryland; Burkitsville, Maryland (site of the "Blair Witch Project"... ok, not historic, but memorable to some); and Sharpsburg, Maryland site of the greatest carnage in a single day in American military history, the Battle of Antietam. Then we crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. History drips from this little town including a seminal event in the run up to the Civil War... the raid on the US Arsenal there which was led by John Brown. We've crossed the Potomac there many times. Today as I looked from the bridge into the water below I realized that the River is turbulent, cold and not very deep. It never occurred to me until today what a fine metaphor it makes for the larger city on its banks 50 miles downstream.

The trip down the Shenandoah Valley was smooth and easy. Small towns with old brick buildings  interrupt the landscape which itself is a mix of ancient farms set on beautiful rolling land and more recent homes and businesses that suggest life slightly above the poverty line. After about an hour and three quarters we entered Shenandoah National Park at the northern end of Skyline Drive. Our National Parks Senior Pass saved us from paying the $25 that the young schmucks were shelling out! " Who ya callin' old and slow now, punk?!"  Skyline Drive, and much of the Park is the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps  from the "New Deal" in the 1930's. We've seen their work all over the country. The road rises from less than 1,000 feet above sea level to nearly 4,000. It bobs up and down along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has more overlooks than an all girl marching band on parade past the dorm of a boys school. I'll have pics tomorrow... of the overlooks, not the marching band. We ate  lunch at the restaurant at "Skyland" in the park then headed on to our campsite at Big Meadows.

Tomorrow we may stick to our plan of following Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, or we may divert to see Monticello which is not far off the path. Stay tuned and I'll give you an update in the next report.

Until then...

SC'

I need a new calendar... or memory

Evening, Campers! It's Silver Cliche' here with you again and still parked at Little Bennett Regional Park Campground in Clarksville, Maryland. No, we didn't suffer a breakdown that has disabled our planned progress. When I wrote the other night that I was taking a few days off and would rejoin you tonight from the next stop on our journey I was thinking that our plan was to shove off on Friday. I was wrong. Our plan has always been to leave tomorrow. However, a commitment made is on that must be honored, so here I am writing tonight.

While here in Maryland we've been visiting our daughter and three grands. I've had the honor of walking a princess to school any morning I want... a soon-to-be-eight-years-old princess who is wrapping up the second grade. We've also had the honor of doing chores and home improvement projects since our daughter is planning selling the house they are in. We'll be sad to leave and so will our daughter and granddaughter. The teenage boys will probably look up from their screens in a day or three and say "did Mimi and Grand Dad leave?".

This gives me a chance to talk a bit about trip prep. We've been off our usual travel schedule for 10 days now. Although we've repositioned twice, we spent 4 nights in Buffalo, 1 in Pennsylvania and 5 (including tonight) here in Maryland. In each case we were visiting people, not camping and sightseeing. When we visit we don't shop to fill the fridge, we don't use what we already have on board and after about four days our morning routine includes asking "what is it that's stinking up the fridge?". So by now after 10 days of socializing it's time to restock.

The morning routine will include an early trip to our daughter's house so she and Mrs. C' can hit the big annual volunteer firefighters flea market. I'll do the last of the Mr. Fix-it chores on the list then head to the grocery store for supplies. It's a full recharge on fruit, vegetables, cold cuts, bread, dairy... the works. I'll head back to the campground (it's about 10 or 15 minutes drive), load the supplies on, do a bit of cleaning up, secure everything for travel, top off the water tank, hitch the trailer to the truck, stop at "ye olde dump station" and return to our daughter's house. By lunch time we should be rolling. 

Tomorrow night's stop is Big Meadows Campground on Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Forest near Stanley, Virginia. For the next several days we'll pick our way slowly southward along Skyline Drive then it's North Carolina cousin the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Blue Ridge Mountains and eventually into Cherokee, North Carolina.

Until tomorrow!

SC'