Eastward, Ho! Part 2
St. Louis, MO to Shenandoah National Park, VA
After 4 days of real showers and private bathrooms in St. Louis, we decided to resume our journey. For the record, I slept in the van every night on the streets of St. Louis while Amy Jo crashed in our daughters apartment. No way I’m leaving that investment unattended at night in an urban environment.
We rolled across the Mississippi River through southern Illinois and Indiana into Louisville, KY for a tour at Louisville Distilling Co., maker of Angel’s Envy bourbon. This is a bourbon I hadn’t tried previously and was pleasantly surprised with the depth of both their bourbon and rye whiskies.
We proceeded to our Harvest Host campsite for the night, Country Boy Brewing in Georgetown, KY. Huge brewery, good beer and trivia night to boot!
Coincidentally, we were a mile away from the Toyota Plant in Georgetown. We tried to get in a tour the following day, but it was booked solid. Spent an hour or so in the vistors center. Very cool! Turned out to be a rainy day, so we decided to push on to West Virginia via backroads to our Harvest Host campsite at Caring Acres Farm in Lewisburg, WV. Our host was great, even having firewood set out for us at our campsite. Unfortunately, it rained pretty hard so the fire would have to wait. I bought a couple of New York Strip steaks and would highly recommend them. Awesome views from the farm!
We made a stop at Golf Park Coffee in Lynchburg, VA. We also took a nice hike on the Lynchburg Riverwalk Trail.
Woodridge Farm Brewery in Lovingston, VA would be our Harvest Host destination for the night. I have to say that this one has been our best thus far. Working farm, awesome beer, food trucks, live music, golf driving range and much more!
Quick note on the dog; when we got there, she wouldn’t give us the time of day. Later in the evening when I was grilling a steak, guess who shows up? And again first thing the next morning!
We moved up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked the Humpback Rocks Loop Trail. Ran into a couple from Ireland thru hiking the Applachian Trail.
We stayed at Caihailian Vineyards in Roseville, VA and received a 1 hour cram course in winemaking.
We entered Shenandoah National Park and hiked the Jones Run Loop trail. Lots of waterfalls and a few surprises! Also hiked to Ivy Creek afterward.
We had no camping plans for the night, so we headed for Elkton, VA to see what we could find………..
Great beer and better live music! We ended up staying overnight in the parking lot, which was great until the train came through at 3 am!
Back in the park the next day, we hiked Dark Hollow Falls, Rose River Falls and Lewis Spring Falls.
Next stop, Luray, VA. Some campsites aren’t as nice as others. I do like the price, though.
One more day in the park. Our hiking options were somewhat limited due a Search & Rescue operation in the northern part of the park. We hiked the Compton Peak trail and the Lands Run Falls trail before leaving.
We exited the park through Front Royal, VA and headed to our Harvest Host campsite, Backroom Brewery. This brewery is part of an herb farm and they incorporate many of the herbs in their beers. The beer and the food were awesome!
Coming up next; Shenandoah NP, VA to Rangeley, ME. Stay tuned!