History and Mystery
Our last night on the Parkway….Peaks of Otter. We settle in and take a short hike around the lake coming across an Ordinary. Back in the day, an Ordinary was a Bed and Breakfast. As I wander, I am aware of how embedded American history is on every foot path. Thomas Jefferson once wrote the Peaks of Otter are thought to be of a greater height than any others in the country. Of course this later turned out not to be the case, but not before Virginia had sent stones from the peak to be part of the the Washington Monument.
Thomas Jefferson came upon another wonder, a natural bridge. I truly was expecting a rock bridge that I have seen in many places in the country, but this bridge just has to be seen. No photos or paintings do this justice. It is 215 feet high! Native Americans called it the bridge to God. It is a side trip off the Parkway. I have difficulty finding it at first because it is beyond the facade of a Colonial building… kind of Disneyesque walking in and they charge $20 entrance fee as it has been privately owned since Thomas Jefferson bought it from King George III. (In two weeks it becomes a state park and entry fees will be $5.) But once on the trail it is spectacularly beautiful. There is also an accurately depicted Monacan village to explore.
The last few miles of the Parkway and it really isn’t over, we just move on to the Shenandoah Skyline Drive. The further north we move into Virginia, fall is making an announcement that it is indeed on its way. We land at Loft Mountain and find ourselves an idyllic site just 150 yards from the Appalachian Trail. Sitka is not wanting to hike again. I do manage to get him to do a 4 mile round trip on the trail. I want to at least say I hiked the Appalachian Trail. Spectacular views! I’m trying to figure out if it is the windy, twisty turns on the road that are making Sitka not feel right or something he ate. He did manage to scrounge up a new rawhide in the campsite, rawhides make him sick, but the damage was already done. Truth be told, our ride time in the mountains makes him look really uneasy.
After some communication with a friend I haven’t seen in years, the decision is made to come down off the mountain. The only way to hook up with Laurie is to make my way into Maryland if I am to see her before her son’s wedding in Bethesda and before she returns to India. Of course, we always talk about me going to visit her in India. She lives in an Ashram!
I overnight at Lake Anna Winery before moving on to Maryland. The winery began on a business trip to France, when the owners noticed the climate and soil conditions were similar to those on their Spotsylvania farm. They came home and a vineyard was born… with a lot of hard work. I am stocking up on wine for when the family rolls in for our Christmas celebration!
Laurie meets up with me at Tuckahoe State Park. I cross the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay. Now I am back in the land of water! And Sitka is on much straighter road and is looking much better!
I have to say that letting Google Maps lead the way has been an incredible decision. It has led me down the most beautiful country roads and byways I don’t think I could have found myself. The true benefit is it has skirted me around Washington D.C.! I have not been on one interstate or through any huge cities the entire trip. Roanoke is the largest city we have to navigate through.
We head to the coast. I didn’t expect to be in Delaware, but my route can easily take me to Rehoboth and then down the coast on 1A to Assateague Island to meet up with wild ponies.
Rehoboth is a beach town Gerard and I seriously talked about moving to instead of Cape Coral. Unfortunately, the closest Delta Airline city to get me back to grand babies is D.C. or Philly, 2.5 hour drive or more. Fort Myers is 30 minutes. It is all fortuitous, because here I am SoFlo heat has me out wandering cooler places (pun intended)…. Onward.
The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. ~Jacques Yves Cousteau
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