Alright, so its 2021 and we finally got the van out and running – a little late but life intervened. For starters, we just finished a quick 4 day tour of places we had been before. That kept the logistics down, the confidence up and we could focus on enjoying ourselves and relaxing rather than planning and prepping. It was one of the more chilled drives we have done.
We started off at Savage River, more specifically the Elk Run portion of the park. Its about the closest boondocking place from the house and hence an easy step-off point. It is however not a very interesting place in itself. The sites are on the bottom of a very steep valley with small creek running close by. Its pleasant enough for an evening /night but there really is nothing to do, no hikes, views etc. During the summer, its alright, but early/late in the season, it gets pretty dark down there. But the dog loves to run and chase frisbees, little traffic and very few other campers. Its a decent place.
We headed south toward Monongahela National Forest – one of my personal favorites. Its only really down there where I feel that the forest is vast. We were very lucky to land back at Island Campground, a perfect spot for an evening. The creek is pleasant, there is a simple, flat in-out hiking trail and despite the road, it gets quiet at night. Quite a few anglers there going for trout but overall its one of my favorite places.
Saturday night is tricky to find open places and we decided to use Harvest Host again for a booked stay. We had excellent experience with them twice and found a farm (not a vineyard) in VA. Mill Gap Farms is located in an incredibly gorgeous location and the hosts were gracious, fun and hospitable. Tesla and the local dog got on “alright” and overall, it was a great evening / morning.
We headed Sunday toward Loft Campground in Shenandoah National Park. We tend to always head up the Shenandoah – while slightly repetitive, its just gorgeous down there and we love the hikes. It was fairly hot and we managed a single 2 1/2 mile hike with fairly steep profile and a little waterfall at the bottom.
Loft campground is “alright”, certainly not my favorite. Its crowded, feels worn out and there really isnt much to do, the AT runs near it somewhere but I was looking for an open place to exercise the dog somewhere. Pleasant enough.
Monday morning, quite a bit of fog, then rain, we just slowly cruised home and cleaned up.