2018 Spring Vacation - Shenandoah National Park and a Change in Plans

In planning our drive around the state of Virginia, one of the places I most looked forward to seeing was Shenandoah National Park which extends along the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We had planned to drive the entire length of the park from the south to the north along Skyline Drive which extends 105 miles. The views along the drive are said to be spectacular, and I was also hoping to do a couple of hikes as well.

So we were very disappointed when we awoke to a rainy, foggy day.

When we got to the park, the temperature in the mountains was in the upper 20s, freezing rain was falling, and the fog was quite intense. A sign near the entrance warned of winter driving conditions.

We had reservations at the Skyland Resort in the middle of the park, so even though we wouldn't be able to hike or see much, we drove on.

Here is what it looked like.

Out past Kai is supposed to be a spectacular view of the valley below, but we could see nothing.

As we drove a few more miles down the road, a park ranger stopped us and told us that they were closing the road. There was black ice ahead and a couple of accidents had already occurred. There would not be any more cars allowed in.

And so we had to turn around, and our day in Shenandoah came to an abrupt end.

We left the park and was able to cancel our room reservation.

We decided to go to our next destination of Annapolis Maryland a day early.

On the way, we stopped at Chancellorsville, where a major battle had taken place in the Civil War. At the visitor center, we saw a short film and learned about the bloody battle. Due to General Robert E. Lee's audacious battle planning, the under-manned Confederate troops emerged victorious here, but hampered by the great number of casualties suffered including the loss of General Stonewall Jackson, the South would never fare as well in the remainder of the war.

The rest of the drive to Annapolis was exceedingly long due to heavy traffic through the Washington D.C. area.

We arrived in Annapolis near 6 pm. Kai and I went to the swimming pool, and then we all went to a seafood restaurant for dinner. The dinner was good but the lava cake for dessert was especially good.

It didn't completely make up for the disappointment of the day, but man, that lava cake sure was good!