Dodging Dorian

We have been planning a trip to Shenandoah National Park for some time. Hurricane Dorian started to form the few days before Labor Day weekend but we decided to go anyhow and drive back if the flight home was cancelled.

The cabin was very remote (exactly as described) and we were able to relax with old fashioned Nintendo video games, crafting and cooking on the grill while enjoying the birds and occasional deer that wandered by...

The hot tub was amazing!

Shenandoah National Park is about 2 hrs drive from DC. It’s known for bears (we didn’t see one though :(), spectacular views of the Blue Ridge mountains and Skyline Drive - a scenic road that goes through the whole park and provides over 70 outlooks along the way...Our first day was incredibly foggy so we didn’t see much of the views but walking in the woods and experiencing some Fall was really nice after the Florida heat:)

The next day we visited the amazing Luray Caverns - the biggest in the Eastern States. Inside, there’s a lake that is clear it looks exactly like a mirror!

And a formation that looks like a shaggy dog (I was missing Professor a lot that day:))

When we got back to Shenandoah, the visibility was perfect and we took in some of those famous views. We also hiked the popular Dark Hollows Falls...

But Big Meadows was my favorite - I’ve never seen so many wildflowers!

And then our flight home was cancelled...:(

After a bit of debate, we decided to make a road trip out of it and set out to see Congaree National Park, SC the next day. Congaree preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the US. The park also has one of the highest concentrations of ‘champion trees’ in the world, with the tallest known examples of 15 species! We took the 2.4 mile boardwalk trail...

The trees are beautiful and we also saw a gorgeous barred owl!

And then we arrived home to no hurricane damage feeling refreshed and reenergized:)

I saw a great quote while I was away...

“Wilderness to the people of America is a spiritual necessity, an antidote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium” - Sigurd Olsen

So true. And now I can check off two more from the 61 designated National Parks in the US. Happy Labor Day!