This post is part of a blog series about my 10-day road trip across the southern United States. To start at the beginning, click here!
Today was the first national park on our list. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible. We had to drive three more hours first to get there–it was pouring when we woke up and there was a ton of traffic through DC, so we took our time getting on the road. Some of the traffic had cleared up by the time we left, but the rain had caused flash flooding on the side roads that diverted all traffic to the highways.
Eventually we got to the park, and we were completely fogged in. I know it’s pretty typical to get a lot of fog there, but we couldn’t see 20 feet in front of the car, forget about the views. The scenic drive was a bit of a wash. At the visitor’s center, the ranger joked that there’s actually just a big power plant in the valley, but it’s always hidden by fog so they trick visitors into coming to “see” it.
The highlight was seeing a momma bear and cubs!
We hiked Rose River Falls trail. It was about a four-mile loop, and I added another small portion to run up to see Dark Hollow Falls. I detailed the whole hike in my post about hiking with pets in Shenandoah National Park.
We spent the night at the nearby Knight’s Inn.
What We Listened To: Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land
Miles Driven: 210
Miles hiked: 5
Stayed at: Knight’s Inn Verona Staunton
To follow us on to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, continue here:
