Shenandoah Valley, Skyline Drive, VA

On Wednesday, on our way to view another battlefield, we decided to take the Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Forest. The northern entrance is in Front Royal.
Views to the west of George Washington National Forest and the Massanutten Mountain


and of the curving Shenandoah River

and to the east (Blue Ridge Mountains)

All of the views were incredible!
We passed a meadow of thistles, with butterflies galore!



And drove through a 600 foot tunnel (good thing we did not have the RV...it is 12‘4” and the tunnel height was 12’8”).

We stopped for a picnic lunch before taking a 4 mile round trip hike to see Rapidan Camp. This was the presidential summer retreat built by President Hoover. His presidential successor, President Roosevelt did not like it, so built Camp David. The boy scouts leased the property for a few years, it fell into disrepair and then was refurbished, making it a museum and destination hike. There is a van that comes a few times a week, but fills up fast. Fortunately it was full, forcing us to hike, which gave us a unique opportunity!
It was a rustic path, taking us 900 feet down in two miles.... yep that meant two miles uphill on the way back!

On the way down, we met a deer, (and also another one on the way back!)

saw some colorful "fungi",

and crossed the stream two different places!!



There were numerous buildings at the time, but there are only three now; the Brown House, which was the president’s house, set up as it was in his time (no pic allowed inside). It was basic, outside single-sided walls with exposed studs with no insulation inside.

The Prime Minister’s House, because Prime Minister McDonald, from the British Isle, would visit on a regular basis, now a museum,

and the Creel Cabin, housing Hoover’s personal assistant and his personal doctor. It is now used as the volunteer rangers’ home.

There was an outside kitchen where everyone present at the camp dined,

and a stream where Hoover fished and caught many good sized trout.

He even had a trout pond built!

This was certainly an unexpected site. The hike took about 2 hours 45 minutes including time at the site. With only three places to get off the Skyine Drive, we decided to get off after 65 miles (the end was another 40 miles) and headed home on a scenic road, seeing up close the farms and scenery we saw from the Skyline Drive.

Needless to say, we did not make it to our original destination, but had such a great time, getting fun exercise, and getting out into nature!!