Shenandoah & the Blackberry Festival

7-26-14 - Skyland

Shenandoah National Park is only one hour away and this year we booked just one night of camping in the Big Meadows Campground.  When we arrived, the park was having their annual Blackberry Festival, which included pulled pork with blackberry relish, blackberry ice cream and local cloggers!  Now, that's what I call a festival!

Just arrived at the Blackberry Festival!

After bumping into Ranger Kelly, who used to be our neighbor at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, we found our campsite, set-up, and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon in the fresh mountain air.

 

"Oo, a rock!  Can I eat that?"

At nightfall, Nathan and I finished one round of cribbage when it started to rain.  Then it started to pour, then thunder and lightning...all night.  At precisely 4:41am, the whole campground was jolted awake by the loudest, simultaneous thunderclap and lightning strike I've ever heard.  There was a faint electronic sound as if a car down the street had short-circuited, but then everything was OK.  Luckily, we all survived.

In the morning it kept raining, so we packed up our wet gear and went home.  We had some pretty amazing views along the way:

It's pretty awesome to live so close to such a spectacular park!