Foggy Mountain Breakdown...

Tue. Oct. 26: We awoke to the sunrise through our bedside window where we had watched the nearly full moon for the last two nights. It was 61° and windy with some sun and some clouds. We broke camp and drove back to the State Park main entrance where we left our camper and truck and rode with Jan and Lou to explore that area a bit. We enjoyed seeing the Glade Creek Grist Mill which was built from parts of three other mills in 1976 and put near the site of the original mill. We drove up to see Boley Lake, where they have canoes, kayaks and peddle boats to rent during the summer and early fall. Then we continued up the hill a bit further and took the short hike to see Island in the Sky. This rocky knob has a shelter built by the CCC and several side paths that lead to spectacular rock overlooks. We had fun climbing around on there for a while and then returned to our truck and took Highway 41 to I-77, which is mostly a toll road in West Virginia. Highway 41 was about 30 miles of rugged up and down beauty. After climbing to about 2000 feet we descended to follow a creek for a while and then cross over and follow the New River. With the autumn colors and falling leaves it was really lovely. But I-77 seemed a good choice for crossing the Appalachian Mountains. We stopped at a rest area just over the Virginia boarder to have a picnic and make reservations for camping near Washington, DC on Friday and Saturday nights. As we traveled on to the 3000 feet elevation mark, we could see wisps of fog rising in patches and reminding us why they are called the Smoky Mountains in this area. Just as we got to Fancy Gap and entered onto the Blue Ridge Parkway the fog thickened and we were totally socked in, with visibilities of a few hundred feet. There was no chance of enjoying the famous overlooks and vistas as we crept along. We pulled over at the first feature, Puckett Cabin, and talked over our options. We decided there was nothing to do but continue on and, luckily, the fog soon lifted and we were better able to enjoy the drive. Our GPS showed clearly how the Parkway truly follows right along the edge of the towering ridge, affording wonderful vistas of the valleys and mountains beyond. After picking up some groceries and buying gas at Meadows of Dan, we parked at Mabry Mill and walked around the historic area with its artifacts of 19^th century Appalachian life. The Mill itself is the most photographed feature on the Parkway. We approached our first campground at about 5:00 and agreed we would spend the night there at Rocky Knob. Rain was beginning to fall off and on again and by the time we had registered and set-up, it was getting pretty dark. We had leftover chili wraps in Jan and Lou’s van and then came to our camper to play dominoes. We quit about 10:30 and right after they left, the rain which had started and stopped many times through the evening, began to really pour down as thunder rumbled outside. We are so grateful to have our cozy camper to sleep in on this stormy evening!

Pictures will follow later when we have more time.