Big Meadows Campground, VA October 1-3, 2018
Mrs. Adventures and I love the Big Meadows Campground in the Shenandoah National Park. The park is beautiful with hiking trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail, plus waterfalls, showers, and a nice lodge just in case the weather turns bad.
Plans to visit the park had been delayed several times due to bad weather. When we finally found a break in the rain we seized the chance. At check-in, the ranger told me they had over 81 inches of rain so far this year — an all-time record. He mentioned the soggy weather really limited his hiking this year.
I thought I’d try an experiment with this mini-vacation by putting away the phone; no pictures, texting, and news for me this trip! Sorry, but I’m using generic photos this post.
After a long decision making process, we selected a secluded tent site and erected our brand new REI King 6 tent. It is enormous, especially for 2; we went the extra mile and purchased the garage addition, so we could stow some of our accessories nearby.
No trip to the Shenandoah is complete without dinner at the Big Meadows Lodge. We love the good food, the spectacular view of the valley and the large common room with an enormous fireplace. I especially enjoy the oak and chestnut paneling throughout the lodge.
For dinner, we sat outside watching the sun go down. The Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale went well with the roasted summer vegetable stew I ordered. The subtle but lingering hops of this fine pale ale stood up well but did not overpower the stew’s flavors; it was a nice pairing. Afterward, we sat by the fire and before bedtime.
The next day, we left camp early for breakfast (again at the lodge) and a waterfall hike immediately after that. The 6-mile hike started along the Appalachian Trail. Like everything in the park, the trail was soggy and grew soggier as we neared the first falls, Rose River. All streams and rivers were gorged with water and the waterfalls were roaring. Dark Hollow Falls was a sight to behold with tremendous amounts of water plummeting down the cliff. It was a great day!
Cheers!
Warren