I’m entering Shenandoah National Park on a Saturday. I’m nervous about lines and traffic. I head east in Front Royal, VA. I arrive at the North Entrance Station and there is a line of five cars. A minute later they open a second station and I move over to it. Yay! No wait. I take the obligatory selfie in front of the entrance sign:
I’m still feeling a bit sad about my race this morning and my ankle is pretty sore from the twist and fall. I opt to start driving home today instead of staying another day in West Virginia. I’m hoping the views and short walks around Shenandoah make me happy.
As I start the drive heading up to Skyline Drive there are several cyclists coming down the hill on road and tribikes. They are hauling – whizzing by my car. They are going downhill and still pedaling.
The triathletes are in their aero bars and I’m scared for them. Mind you, that was me 15 years ago on my bike in Rocky Mountain National Park and I smile to myself. I have such great memories of rides in RMNP.
It’s a good sign when I enter the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center parking lot and spot a New Hampshire license. I’m always looking for a sign and a car visiting here from my home state is a sign. Seeing a NH plate makes me smile despite limping from my car to look around.
One of the aspects I love seeing while visiting National Parks is how people talk to each other and share stories to complete strangers. You just don’t see that in your regular life. I normally wouldn’t talk to some just because they have a New Hampshire plate but I thought I might ask them where in New Hampshire they live if I see them get in or out of their car.
I see families talking to other families on the grass overlooking the view west from the visitor center. Everyone is happy to be here and taking in the view. And they are talking to each other! I go into the visitor center and learn about the monarch butterfly.
After a 40 minute visit and walk about, I drive south and arrive at the halfway mark. Now I see normal cyclists who are looking around, taking in the view and not hellbent on speed. I’m going slower than every car and pull over frequently to let cars pass. I turn a corner and there is a young deer peacefully eating grass by the side of the road. I’m scared for it and try to shoo it away from the road but I’m ignored. As I continue on I flash my headlights to cars heading to me.
I stop at Elkwallow Wayside at Mile 24.1 for food. There is a long line so I walk into the gift shop instead.
I almost buy a sticker at the store that said Bike SNP thinking it would motivate me to come back and bike Skyline Drive one day. Instead I buy a mug and a boonie to remember this trip.
I decide to turn right and leave the park at the exit to Luray.
As I drive down a few switchbacks to get back to the highway I feel like this road is similar to Blue Ridge Parkway when I visited it two years ago. Mark and I traveled around Stuarts Draft, VA after the UROC race. It has a similar feel to being above it all and taking a switchback back to the valley.
It’s just beautiful on this drive and I reflect that I am so glad I did this trip. What’s so interesting about this park is it’s not busy. I don’t know if it is because kids are all back in school and it’s just not busy on a Saturday.
I love Virginia and this park road between two valleys is fun to drive. The green valleys is the distance look so peaceful.
What the National Parks do for me is they give me perspective and a beautiful landscape for reflection. I have such great memories of visiting national parks as a teen and in my 40s.
In 10 months I have visited 8 parks and 2 Historic Sites:
Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Saguaro, Glacier National Park, Harpers Ferry and now Shenandoah National Park. I visited two National Historic Sites in Arkansas: Little Rock Central High School and Fort Smith. I visited Banff National Park in Canada.
I like making plans and experiencing these beautiful, majestic parks.
National Parks remind me that there is so much to see and experience. That our world is so beautiful. And acknowledge that I do not have unlimited time. National Parks remind me to keep going, keep seeking and keep making plans.
My thoughts as I drive back to Tennessee:
I am going to follow through with every plan and make BIG Plans.
I’m going to book my trip to Philadelphia and run the marathon.
I’m going to Monument Valley to run a race I’ve always wanted to do.
I’m going to make my life fantastic.
Visiting Shenandoah National Park did make me happier. Driving through the park and getting home late Saturday was the right decision.