Shenandoah and Manassas

We spent 4 days and 3 nights at Shenandoah National Park--we really enjoyed this park!  It is long (over 100 miles) and narrow and the Appalachian Trail runs down almost the entire park.  We camped at Matthews Arm Campground at mile 21.  It had very few campers which was nice.  The first full day we were there we did 3 hikes.  It was fun for us to actually do a little hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  We got back to our campground about 7 p.m. and a man came over to tell us that a bear had been in our campsite earlier--just reminding us to put all food away.  That got our attention! We were so hungry after the hikes and fixed chicken quesadillas. We didn't sleep very soundly that night.  In fact, about sunrise we did hear the bear very near our tent.  He just wandered back into the woods.  Next morning we did find some prints in the mud.   After a delicious breakfast of omelettes, we headed out for a hike to Mary's Rock.  We had an early dinner (spaghetti and salad) and headed to a lookout to watch the sunset.  As we were leaving the campground I looked over and there was a bear!  Sorry I didn't get a better picture of him--but he was really big and fat.  I was really excited to see a bear on our visit to the park.  Shenandoah has the largest concentration of Black Bears, so it would have been disappointing not to see one.  After watching the sunset, we headed back to camp to enjoy a fire.  Oh...the stars are just amazing in the park!

We met some couples who were very inspiring to us.  One couple was in their 80's.  They live in Seattle and have been traveling for a year!  They were on the hike up to Hawksbill.  Another couple was in our campground and they are in their 70's...camping in a tent, too.  They have made their home on a boat for 22 years and have done a lot of hiking.  They did an 18 mile hike in Shenandoah--in one day!  They have also hiked the Colorado Trail (over 500 miles).  So I hope and pray Don and I are still enjoying these trips for at least the next 20 years or so!!!!

Our first hike in Shenandoah!

At the top of  Upper Hawksbill

I'm so excited to be on the AT!!!  These white blazes mark the Trail.

Our home in the woods.

On our hike to Mary's Rock

A beautiful caterpillar--he was about 3 inches long! 

Here's the bear!

Sunset over the Appalachian Mountains

Skyline Drive--75 overlooks--this is one of the few straight areas in the road!

 This morning we broke camp pretty early and drove to Manassas, Virginia, the site of the first battle of the Civil War (Bull Run).  It was so interesting.  We went to the museum, watched a movie about the battle and then went on a Ranger-led talk around the field where the battle happened.  Once again, it was very moving. 

A map of the Battle at Manassas (Bull Run).  Lights show the movement of the troops.  Very interesting!

And to think that the population of the US was just a fraction then of what it is today...

The Battlefield

So...since our campground didn't have showers, we were really happy to check into a hotel tonight and get cleaned up :-) !

Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania!

We have covered some miles since leaving Acadia.  Rain kept us from doing more hikes and seeing more of that park!  I hope we can go back again sometime.  We drove down into Massachusetts and found a campsite on the beach.  It was nice listening to the ocean as we slept....then it turned to rain!  The next day we headed to the Catskill Mountains in New York.  We drove through Woodstock...a very interesting hippie town.  Our next campsite was at Woodland Valley State Park--way, way in the boonies.  Our campsite was right next to a running stream and very pretty.  We enjoyed a nice campfire and a good night's sleep listening to the water.  The next morning we are off to another state...Pennyslvania. It was a beautiful drive as we left the Catskills.  We spent the night in Caledonia State Park just west of Gettysburg.  A few miles of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park.  We saw a few hikers and they looked like they had been on the trail for a while!  I had hoped we could do a few miles of the trail....but weather interfered.  We planned to stay 2 nights in Caledonia, but a severe storm was headed in so we broke camp and drove in to Gettysburg.

Gettysburg is so interesting.  I was not prepared for how it would feel driving through and looking out over fields where thousands and thousands of Americans died.   It was emotional.  Don and I were surprised at how huge the area was that has been preserved as open space where the battles happened.  When we were driving the route through the battlefields and viewing all the monuments, we could see the storm coming in from the west (where we were camping).   All of the sudden the winds blew in and rain came in sheets!  We took shelter in the Visitor Center where they had a very good movie and informative museum.  It rained on and off all afternoon.  Sooooo glad we broke camp and everything stayed dry!

Below you will see a picture of a small portion of the Cyclorama titled the Battle of Gettysburg painted by Paul Philippoteaux and completed in 1883.  It is 377 x 42 feet!  It is in a circular building and is amazing!  It took 6 years and millions of dollars to restore and was then placed in Gettysburg.  In front of the painting are actual rocks, cannons, and other items which just blend into the painting itself. 


Tonight we are in York.  Tomorrow we head to Lancaster County.  When Lee graduated from Philadelphia Biblical College, we all came up here for that event.  We ate at an Amish restaurant called Good and Plenty, and it was SO good.  We are going back there tomorrow!

Here are a few more pics....

Campsite in Caledonia, PA

Beautiful flowing creek

Gettysburg

One of the many, many monuments to the men who died in Gettysburg

Cyclorama

Here comes the storm.  I love these fences.

Now we know exactly how the tent poles that are in Don's office were used!  They have been handed down from generation to generation and were given to Don.  Don's great-great grandfather P.R. Smith fought in the Civil War and survived.

This is the actual stretcher that was used to carry Stonewall Jackson from the battlefield.

Soldiers' Cemetary

So many guns on display.  The one we have is at Lee's home.

I loved all the people dressed in period clothing throughout Gettysburg.

Amazing Acadia!

Acadia National Park--Beautiful!  We spent yesterday exploring a little on the way to Blackwoods Campground--hoping to get a campsite and we did.  We set up camp and drove to the Jordan Pond area and hiked around the "pond" which was really a lake.  It was about a 3.4 mile hike.  Then we headed to
Cadillac Mountain for sunset.  Very nice!  Back at camp we fixed some tacos, enjoyed the campfire and headed to bed.  We woke up early this morning ready to see more of the park.  Issac is sending rain our way so we have to get as much done as we can.

Until today the most difficult hike we had done was in Zion in Utah.  Today we headed up Precipice Trail which we later found out is the most difficult hike in the park.  It was a challenge--but it felt great to do it!

We drove around more of the Park and it started raining so we nixed any other hikes and just enjoyed the rain and the drive.  We came back to Bar Harbor very hungry!  I had a lobster roll--yummy and Don had the most delicious Reuben sandwich ever.  Then we enjoyed a scoop of delicious Bar Harbor ice cream.

Since it is raining, we are in a little hotel tonight.  It is supposed to rain all day tomorrow, too.  Although our time in Acadia was cut short, we did have a great time.  Maybe we'll come back some day!

On Jordan Pond

This boardwalk went on and on around Jordan Pond...Don estimates 7-10 football field lengths!

Our campsite at Acadia

I saw this web way up in the trees and the sun was hitting it just right!

This is at the first of the Precipice Trail.

Can you see me up among the boulders?  The climb took alot of climbing, stretching and careful steps.

We not only went over boulders...but under them!

And to think I stopped to take pictures!

This part was pretty intense...we did have a small rail along the edge for a kind of foot-stopper.

So here we are nearly at the top...

We understand a lady did die on this trail just a few weeks ago.

At the top of the mountain was a little pond...what a beautiful frog!!!

A BEAUTIFUL view from the top!

One of the many cairns marking the way of the trail.

This the beautiful and rugged Maine coast!

We're in Bar Harbor

We have seen and done so much since the last post...I want to get caught up!  After Bon Echo Park we passed through Toronto--too big--drove on to Quebec City--oh and on the way Don found Costco.  Of course, we had to stop!  We didn't know that everything would be in French once we got into Quebec--every sign, every book, every newspaper...everything!  The countryside is beautiful--every home is very neat and tidy.  In Quebec City we found a very nice little hotel inside the walls.  Quebec City is the only walled city in North America and it is a beautiful and interesting place. 
Next was New Brunswick...we drove to Fundy National Park and got a wonderful campsite.  Fundy Bay is very interesting because the tide is amazing.  At low tide it drops as much as 50 feet!  After a hike on Coppermine Trail, we went to Hopewell Rocks where you can kayak at high tide and walk on the ocean floor at low tide.  At dinner we fixed some sucre mais (sweet corn) that we had bought at a road side booth.  It was delicious--SO sweet and tender.  After a to Dickson Falls we broke camp and headed south.  We camped along the way and walked along a beach at low tide.  I found 5 sand dollars!
At this point we did something very unplanned...we took a ferry to Grand Manan Island.  It was a 90 minute ride.  I had read about it and wanted to go mainly to go on a whale watching trip.  We were very thankful that we could get a campsite at Hole in the Wall Campground.  Some of the campsites are literally right on the cliffside, but they were all taken.  I got on a boat at the last minute and off I went to look for whales.  We saw huge (40-60 feet long) Humpbacks and some fin whales blowing off  in the distance.  It was really fun.  We were out for 4 1/2 hours.  The next morning we hiked to the Hole in the Wall (formed along the cliffs by the water) and got back on the ferry to the mainland.
Now we are in Bar Harbor.  Yesterday we were blessed with a beautiful double rainbow.  We walked around the shops and had dinner.  After 5 nights of camping, a motel was nice!  Rain is expected this week which will, unfortunately, shorten our visit to Acadia Natl Park.  I am anxious to get into the park!
Here are a few pictures

Sure do miss these grandkids!

Camping with wine and wifi--not too rough!

Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

Hopewell Rocks Flower Pots formations

At high tide the water would be WAY over Don's head!

Our tent in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick

Are we PACKED IN or what?

Dickson Falls

Looking for shells and sand dollars

Humpback Whale Tail!

Sunrise over Grand Manan Island

Hole in the Wall, Grand Manan

Rainbow over Acadia National Park