WE TOOK A RIDE UP TO SKYLINE DRIVE ON MONDAY - 4-15-24

When we see the sign in the above photo, we always know we are getting close to the Thornton Gap entrance. There are several entrances, but this is the one we usually take getting there. Our route took us through Sperryville. 

We followed the mail truck for a while. 

You can read about the history of Skyline Drive at this link. It also has a map showing its length, which is 105 miles north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. We drive to Big Meadows and then carry on to the next exit at Swift Run Gap near Elkton, heading towards Stanardsville.

The road going through the mountain is called Mary's Rock.  No one knows with any certainty how it got its name, who was Mary? The story that seems to be more popular than most is that of a young girl by that name, who was lost in the mountains, and was later discovered walking down from this peak with two bear cubs. Whether or not as to its truth, the 360 degree view from the top is one of the most spectacular in the park. The first overlook as you get out of the tunnel is the one we stopped at.

The tunnel is 670 feet long and was bored through solid granite in 1932. Below is an information board with a few details.

I cropped my photo above for an easier read. If you enlarge the photos it will be even easier.

Unfortunately. the character's shovel is right in the middle of the photo below.

The tunnel was partially lined with concrete in 1958, to alleviate the formation of icicles in winter and water seepage in summer - a partially successful effort.

The building of the road was put into motion by President Herbert Hoover (31st US President from 1929 to 1933). He had a fishing camp that is still in the park apparently. President Hoover was already very familiar with the area, and it was he who proposed the building of the road. There were national parks out in the western part of the United States at that time, but none here. The Government was looking to build a park somewhere in the East and Virginia advocated very strongly for it to be built in this State.

3,000,000 young men were hired by the The Civilian Conservation Corps during The Great Depression. They did jobs like plant trees, maintain trails, control mosquitos and infrastructural projects like building Skyline Drive. 

All had to be in their early 20s and unmarried, so that part of the money that they earned would also help support their families back home. They lived in the park and were paid $30 a month, $5 of which they were allowed to keep, and $25 dollars was sent home to their families.  

There is an interesting YouTube here, telling in brief about the people who were displaced. They had lived their whole lives before it was made a National Park, and subsequently removed from their land without a choice. (I did read somewhere that elderly people were allowed to stay.)

Some were happy to go but others were not.

More history of the park can be read at this link.

Here are 15 of the best things you can do in the park.

At the time of this post, there is a $30 entrance fee per vehicle, and you can read other information at this website.  We bought a lifetime pass several years ago. Wherever we go in the United States, we can use it to get into every National Park. You can read about them here. Inpart it reads:

“The National Park System encompasses 429 national park sites in the United States. They span across 84 million acres, with parks in each state and extending into the territories, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam.”

There is free entry on special days of the year.

Monday, January 16th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Saturday, April 22nd - First Day of National Park Week

Friday, August 4th - Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act

Saturday, September 23rd - National Public Lands Day

Saturday, November 11th - Veteran's Day

This post is only a very tiny view into how beautiful this area is. We have been coming here off and on, depending on where we have lived at the time, for well over 40 years.

I'm afraid these were the only deer we saw that day, two plastic ones on someone's front yard on the way home. They fooled me for a few seconds, but doggy here saved the day.

A clearer picture of doggy fix, and the telephone lines didn't bother me a bit.

Thanks for visiting everyone, and I wish you all a very happy Thursday.

SKYLINE DRIVE 5-17-22 and 9-9-21

We can reach Skyline Drive under an hour and have often taken a picnic with us.  We don't use any of the designated picnic areas (which are further inland with no view and can be quite busy). Instead, we find a wall to sit on at one of the overlooks, where we have these magnificent views.  The times we go we have, more often than not, had these places to ourselves, avoiding weekends and busy holiday times.  

We didn't take many photos on this trip.

This is one of the parking areas (overlooks). 

We are approaching Mary's Tunnel.  You can read about it here.  This website gives information on all the overlooks found on Skyline Drive.

The tunnel was constructed in 1932, is 610 feet long and 12 feet 8 inches high.  

The mountain that the tunnel goes through is actually called Mary's Rock.  It is 3514 feet high.  It is the 8th highest peak in Shenandoah National Park.

You can read a few stories of how Mary's Rock was named here.  Scroll down a little until you come to Legends of Mary's Rock.

I found the rest of the photos a few days ago. They were in draft folder from September 2021.  I couldn't see them from any other posts when I checked, so I don’t think I published them before.  The Queen Anne's Lace were seen on a walk at Big Meadows   

I won't go into detail about them today.

The bug below is a Goldenrod Soldier Beetle.  Though they feed on nectar and pollen, the goldenrod soldier beetles do not chew the flower petals or damage them. These harmless beetles neither sting nor bite.

On the other hand, the bug below is a Japanese Beetle and is a species of scarab beetle.  It is not a gardener's friend as they are very destructive and can completely defoliate plants.

This is the Oxe Eye Daisy.  I actually like this plant very much and was thinking of putting it in the garden.

The Soapwort was growing wild.  I have been leaving links in all my posts, usually on the name.  If you click on these links, they will take you to more information.  

A misty view on one of the overlooks we stopped at (this being in September of 2021 as mentioned above).

Next is a marker pointing to the Appalachian Trail.  The trail is approximately 2,178 miles long and is the longest 'marked footpath' in the United States.  If you are an adventurous hiker, this trail stretches from the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia, all the way to the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine.  

If you hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, you would pass through 14 states and take around 5 million steps.  About 500 people hike the whole trail each year.  

Virginia is home to 544 miles of the Appalachian Trail, which is more miles than any other state. 

We found part of the trail at the back of Big Meadow's Lodge and walked a couple of miles, which was great.  I remember the beautiful wildflowers in bloom, but the most memorable happening was when I saw this beautiful deer standing on the incline above us.  She was quite close, not more than 15 feet away.  I took this photo with my cell phone.  She didn't move and we slowly walked on as she continued to munch on the grasses.

Skyline Drive is 105 miles long and takes about three hours to drive along its entire length.  The speed is 35 miles per hour in most places.  It is a very winding road and there are often steep drops.   (You also have to pay attention to any wild animals, as in our time there we have seen deer and bear.  They appear as if suddenly out of nowhere crossing the road in front of us.)  The map shows you its route.

Cell coverage is not reliable throughout most areas of Shenandoah National Park. However, I read that it is generally available at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and at some west-facing overlooks. Free, public WiFi is available at Byrd Visitor Center, Big Meadows Lodge, and Skyland Resort.

We didn't get to Big Meadows Lodge on this trip.  Above is a postcard I bought, a reproduction of one of the earlier ones.  There are rustic rooms and cabins you can rent here, and we stayed two nights in the main lodge.  It was a very nice experience, and there is a gift shop where I have treated myself to souvenirs every now and again, local honey or jam, a bear ornament, greeting cards or postcards.  We were able to get down to Big Meadows to see the sun rise on that stay, and it was wonderful.  Hopefully we will be able to do this again one day.

That's all of Skyline Drive for now.