Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Long Weekend, Part 2

We hiked much of the day on Saturday, climbing to the highest point on the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah, to the peaks of Big Stony Man and Little Stony Man, and along some rocky paths that used to be part of the Appalachian Trail. Despite the cold and wet weather, the day was wonderful. We made plans for indoor activities on Sunday because more inclement weather was scheduled to arrive. In addition to cruising along the Skyline Drive, we descended into the depths of Luray Caverns. 

En route home on Monday, we visited Polyface Farms, featured in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. The farm was a delight: we cavorted with chickens, rabbits, and cows, were challenged by the guard goose, watched pigs rooting in the mud from a safe distance, and bought lots of Polyface products. 




   







Monday, October 8, 2012

Long Weekend, Part 1

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Shenandoah National Park. Last year, we missed the peak of fall color by arriving one week after an early snowfall took down most of the leaves. This year, we took advantage of the long Columbus Day holiday weekend and spent Saturday and Sunday in the park. Saturday was windy and chilly, and rain threatened us much of the day. Sunday was a washout, but we took a long foggy drive along Skyline Drive. Below you will find photos of some of our discoveries.