Shenandoah National Park in Virginia was next on my list to see. As the weather was getting colder and October was prime time to see this park I decided it was time to head south. Virginia was still several states away so I needed a few days to get there.
My original plan was to drive across Canada to see the beautiful fall colours which the eastern seaboard is known for. In the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island the leaves were all a burnt orange colour rather than stunning oranges and reds. Locals said this was due to the salt in all the hurricane winds and rain. I was hoping to see some stunning colours as I headed into the USA,
Maine and New Hampshire
Entered the USA at Calais, Maine. I always get nervous crossing the border into the USA, not sure why as I am a law abiding person. I had no problems. From here I drove the coastal Hwy 1 to Augusta.
Mainly to avoid the toll roads as last time I was in the eastern USA I was not aware of all toll roads and got hit big time with the fees. As a Canadian the exchange rate is something I have to consider in my budget. I decided I did not want to pay tolls this time round.
The next day I drove the scenic Hwy 9 across New Hampshire. With another rainy day and being later in the fall season I only saw remnants of the spectacular fall colours. Decided to bypass heading north into Vermont as I was told it was too late there as well.
Massachusetts & Connecticut
I travelled through Massachusetts along Hwy 91 and then through Connecticut on Hwy 84. I chose to drive straight through these two states due to the time of year and the rainy weather. These are main thoroughfares so I was in busy traffic the whole day.
The speed limits were high so everyone was driving very fast, people tailgating and drivers not signaling to change lanes. This made for a bit of a stressful drive but the beautiful scenery made up for it. The sunshine came out and finally some gorgeous fall leaf colours.
Waterbury was a beautiful scenic town. The stark white buildings with the orange and yellow leafed trees place around them was picture perfect except I was on the highway with no place to pull off. I can see the stunning pictures in my mind but I guess everything does not have to be documented by a camera.
Gettyburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania
After crossing from Connecticut I stopped off at Pennsylvania Visitor Center rest stop for the night. Chatted with another traveller heading to Myrtle Beach, which is on my list to see but not this year as I was heading more inland. Next day I drove through Pennsylvania also Hwy 209, which was another scenic byway but once again I was a little late in the season for the true fall colours.
I knew next to nothing about the civil war so decided it was time to get a history lesson and stopped off to explore Gettysburg. I learned that the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War. The Union victory ended General Robert E. Lee’s second and most ambitious invasion of the North. The Civil War’s bloodiest battle was in Gettysburg and was also the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln’s immortal “Gettysburg Address”. I enjoyed brushing up on my Civil War knowledge.
I stayed at the Maryland Mason-Dixon rest stop for the night. The Mason-Dixon Line symbolizes the border between the north and south in the Civil war. Pennsylvania was free and Maryland owned slaves; another history lesson for me.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
I reached Shenandoah National Park which is located in the centre of Virginia high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is only 75 miles from Washington DC.
According to National Park website, “Shenandoah National Park is cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows. With over 200,000 acres of protected lands that are haven to deer, songbirds, and black bear, there’s so much to explore”. I must admit, I truly enjoyed the stunning vistas and even saw some deer on my road trip through this beautiful park.
I entered at Front Royal which is the north most entrance and begins at mile 0 of Skyline drive. You can enter or exit the park from 3 other entrances along the way. The Skyline drive runs 105 miles north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skyline drive is open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week and the entrance fee for a vehicle is USD $30.00 (CAN $40.00).
It takes about 3 hours to drive the length but I wanted to enjoy my time in the park so chose to do it over two days. If I was a hiker I would probably have spent several days in the park. I would highly recommend everyone to drive through this absolutely stunning park.
Where to stay in the National Park?
Car camping was not allowed along the road, in the overlooks or in picnic grounds. You can park a car if you have a permit to hike. As I am not a hiker I decided to pay for a camping spot at Mathew’s Arm campsite about halfway along the Skyline drive.
The info I had said the price was only USD $15.00 so I figured that was an affordable price and would stay an extra night if it was a really great place. When I got there it was actually USD $30.00. Oops there goes my budget. The campsite was okay but nothing spectacular and had no cell service so I only stayed the one night.
My road trip through these 6 eastern states over the last 5 days was eventful and enjoyable. Onward now to Nashville, Tennessee.
Where I stayed on my 5 day roadtrip through the 6 states.
- Oct 24 Augusta, Maine Walmart
- Oct 25 Sanborton, Maine rest stop
- Oct 26 Pennsylvania state line rest stop
- Oct 27 Maryland Mason-Dixon rest stop
- Oct 28 Mathew’s Arm paid site in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia