WEEKEND AT SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK

Last weekend, Andrew and I loaded up the car and headed to Shenandoah National Park.  It’s only a couple hours west of DC but couldn’t be more different.  Trees!  Quiet!  Cool(er)!  It’s up in the Blue Ridge “Mountains.”  (I think quotes are appropriate since the elevation is about 3,000 feet.)  Skyline Drive runs the ridgeline for the length of the park – about 100 miles – and offers lots of views to the east and west.  We stayed in a little cabin for a couple of nights, and did lots of hiking both days.  Several segments of our hikes were on the Appalachian Trail, so I guess technically we hiked the AT… but we saw several folks loaded up with legit backpacking gear who were actually hiking it.  We saw tons of critters, including deer and wild turkeys, and the forest was blooming with wildflowers and mountain laurel.  We had a picnic table outside of our cabin that made for a great happy hour spot, and there was music in the evenings at the on-site restaurant.  It was a great weekend and the slightly cooler temperature was a welcome reprieve from the heat in DC.  I predict I will spend much of this summer - and much of my time in Belize - flushed and sweaty.  It's a lovely combo.

Checking another national park off our "been there" list.

A lovely vista from one of our hikes.

On the Appalachian Trail!

Looking over the Shenandoah valley on a morning walk.

Big Meadow, an area in the middle of the park.

Happy hour at the cabin.

Sunset over the Shenandoah valley.

Friday was the last day of my 6-week course for the consular position I’ll have in Belize.  Next up in my training program is a 6-month intensive Spanish course that I’ll be in until Christmas.  I'm a bit anxious to see how this plays out since I know from my brief stints of Spanish immersion over the past few years that I will likely be exhausted at the end of every day from doing nothing other than using my brain.  Thinking is hard!  Wish me luck.