We visited the park in the late fall when the weather was getting cold. Most of the fall foliage seekers had already visited, which was good for us as it allowed us to get a site in the busy campgrounds. We did not know much about battery maintenance, so the deep cells gave out the first night since they had not gotten any distilled water in a while. We ebiked, fully bundled, everywhere, and ran the generator right up until quiet hours to get heat. Looking back, we were pretty stupid. I guess that is how you learn. Our apologies to the folks camping around us who had to tolerate the gen. It was all worth it though. We got the Purple Hills shot of a lifetime one evening when we hiked out on a ridge for sunset. There is a beautiful lodge with a fun rathskeller bar in the basement, perfect for the cold nights. The hikes to the falls were superb.

  • Loft Mountain (10/20/2019) - What a difference a year makes.  This time last October we left a consulting gig in Pennsylvania to take Betty west…
  • Big Meadows (10/20/2019) - The ranger warned us about the impending weather.  He recommended we leave before the front came through.  He said that once we…
  • The Sounds of Shenandoah (10/20/2019) - There are dozens of hikes along Skyline Drive, but without a car they were out of our reach. Surprisingly, bicycles…
  • Rapidan Camp (10/20/2019) - It was a “Those Were the Days” Friday on our last full day at Big Meadows. Rangers run seven tours…