Happy Rededication For SNP

Saturday June 25, 2011

Happy 75th Rededication SNP

I had never driven the complete Skyline Drive in one continuous trip so on a partially rainy Sunday June 19, 2011 I started at the northern terminus, mile 0 and spent a good part of the  day driving to the southern terminus at mile 105.    A southbound thru-drive with  a zero-hour at the Dickey's Ridge Visitor Center.   I usually like to see the park from my hiking boots and not my car seat but it was worth doing this drive at least once.    It provided a type of gestault feel for the totality of the park and a little bit of an insight into how a vast majority of visitors experience the park.

 

Dickey's Ridge Visitor Center where I spent some time in the store, looking at visitor displays and watching an interpretive show in the small theatre.

The tunnel just south of Thorton Gap.

The iconic view point not far south of the tunnel.

Old Rag from a viewpoint on the drive just north of Pinnacles.    I took my time for this trip.   Ambling along in the car stopping at many viewpoints and taking the time to cruise through every picnic ground or camp ground I came to.    I think it took between 5 and 6 hours.

One of many interpretive signs along the way.

Skyland and the highest point on the drive.

An example of one of the more verbose interpretive signs.    History is never very kind to losers of wars but while crushed by the empire like north the rebels of the south seemed to often overcome impossible odds with the use of superior military skills.

Two more of the many wonderful interpretive signs.

The  southern terminus.

I thought about returning on the drive but wanted  to get home before midnight so I returned on roads that traveled up the Shenandoah River valley just to the west of the Shenandoah National Park.