Washington DC & Blue Ridge Mountains 2009

Disaster...fog at Bristol airport eventualy resulted in flight to Paris being cancelled. Spent most of the rest of the day trying to rebook flights without luck. Resigned to the fact that the holiday would have to be called off. Tried one more time and managed to get a flight to Paris on Sunday and onward to Washington on Monday.
Came home !!!

Spent the morning revising the itinary. Managed to fit everything in, but some longer driving stints. Bought new suitcase as baggage handlers wrecked mine and it didn't even reach the plane!!

Left Bristol on time, no fog in sight!!! Arrived in Paris (CDG), massive airport. Got taxi to hotel, stroppy French woman taxi driver took us to the wrong hotel!!! Had to get courtesy coach back to airport and catch train to correct hotel. Waste of €15 taxi fare!! Booked into hotel and walked to find something to eat. Everywhere shut just as we got to them. Walked back to hotel and couldn't get into the room. Three trips to reception later they finaly had to come up and let us in. Sleep zzzzzzzz

Up at 6.15, caught train into airport. Flight to Washington on time, can things be going to plan !! Arrived in Washington DC Dulles airport,through immigration and then off to get the car. Drove to Front Royal, found hotel which is quite nice.It,s about 3pm Eastern time, and we are ready for bed. Went out for McDonalds and a quick drive to see the Shenandoah River. Back to hotel, bed at 7pm (1am in the morning Paris tme) it's been a long day, but we are finaly in Virginia.

Slept for 12 hours !!!  Had a quick look around Front Royal (by car) and then straight on the Skyline Parkway above the Shenandoah Valley. The scenery is stunning, mountains and forest for as far as you can see.  White Tailed Deer roam free. Many view points to stop and admire. No sign of any Bears...yet !!  The ridge runs for 105 miles and about 3000 ft high. Some flouries of snow hit us along the top. Came off the ridge to Luray Caverns. Very spectacular with over 1 1/2 miles of underground caverns, a fantastic sight. Alice bought her Black Bear Cuddly toy that she has been saving for. Back onto Skyline Drive for another 10 miles, then off to find the Emerald mine at Elkton, couldn't find it so back onto the Skyline Drive to the end (105 mile post) to Waynesboro. Found hotel, first Ameican steak and off to bed early.

Had a quick look around downtown Waynesboro, but most of the shops were closed. Started down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stunning scenery again and vey cold high in the mountains. Headed deep into the mountain range and then diverted off to Lexington.An older more traditional town with some nice shops.visited Natural Bridge Zoo, one of Alices choices. In the evening went to Natural Bridge where the had a music and light show, not overly impressed. Returning in the morning to see it in daylight.

Back to Natuaral Bridge this morning. Followed a trail through the bridge and up to a picturesque water fall. Visited a Monacon Village before returning back under the bridge. A quick visit to a wax works museum and then back onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Spectacular views at every turn. Stopped for lunch at a parkway lodge overlooking a lake. Continued down the parkway taking a detour up Raonoke Mountain. Stopped at Roanoake for the night. Good hotel with pool. Had a nice swim and then out for Pizza.

Drove nearly 300 miles down the Blue Ridge Parkway today. Fantastic scenary on the way. Stopped at Fancy Gap for coffee and a couple of other coffee stops on the way.Crossed into North Carolina. About 40 miles morth of Asheville thick fog came down and the they closed the parkway. Had to go back about 10 miles to take a detour. Got into Asheville about 7pm in a very heavy thunder and lightning storm. Found hotel and then out for a Chinese buffet, really nice meal. Back to hotel as tornado warning given.

Drove to Bryson City early this morning to catch the Smokey Mountain Railroad train.A 4 1/2 hour train ride along the Tuckasege River and into the Smokey Mountains. A really good trip with a stop over at Nantana Outdor leisure Centre. Watched canoists and rafters go down the river. Back to the station and a trip around the model train display. As you would expect in America it was huge. Returned back up the Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee, the Indian settlement.Passed the highest point on the Parkway 6,225 ft into the mist, and on back to Asheville hotel. Quick freshen up and out for one of he biggest and best steaks ever.

A bright sunny day, up early and off to Grandfather Mountain. An hour and half later and we are there, what a fantastic place. You drive a couple of miles up the mountain to the visitor centre, first stop, coffee.  A small animal sanctuary is amazing with really cute and cuddly bear just sat waiting for people to feed him. A rescued Eagle some Otters and Dear all in natural surroundings. Then a short ride up the mountain to the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The views are the best yet from this highest point in the Blue Ridge mountains, with a bright clear blue sunny sky you can see for miles. Walking over the bridge is a little scary as it swings a couple of feet each way, once over a short scramble takes you to the summit of Grandfather Mountain.  Back down the mountain a little way, parked up and walked a short trail up through the woods back under the swinging bridge.  A short stop back at the visitor centre and then on the road heading East towards Chesapeake.  At about 5.30 we stopped at Burlington, about halfway to Chesapeake and had American Pancakes for tea.

Up early again to continue our journey to the coast. Heading for Chesapeake, but missed it, so carried on to Virginia Beach. Found a Best Western hotel with pool and a room on the top floor right on the beach looking out to sea. Had a stoll along the boardwalk but it goes on for miles, so went back for the car. Had a look around the marina, then back to the hotel for a swim. Pool very hot.Nice Italian restaurant in the hotel so got stuffed on pasta.

A bit of a lie-in today as weather not so good. Checked out of hotel and went to a Pancake and Waffle house for breakfast. Back in the car we headed North to the Chesapeke Bay Bridge and tunnels, stopping off at Fort Story Military Reservation to visit the Cape Henry Lighthouse. Had to have a full search and inspection of the car before being allowed in, but it was worth it to see miles along the coast from the top of the lighthouse. Back on the road and over the very impressive Chesapeke Bay Bridge and tunnels system spanning about 15 miles over the Chesapeke Bay to the Eastern shore line. Just as we were coming down off the bridge we saw a school of dolphins in the bay. The Eastern shoreline is very flat and quite featureless so we decided to drive right up to Annapolis, stopping at Mc Donalds for lunch and Dunkin Donuts for afternoon tea !! Arrived at Annapis early evening, booked into a hotel and had a quick look around downtown Annapolis before finding a Southern Style restaurant in a windmill for our evening meal.

Spent the day in Annapolis. Weather not good today, heavy rain. Found a large mall to while away a few hours. In the afternoon went into downtown Annapolis. Very pretty area with a full street of shops, unusual for America. Looked around the quay and had a coffee in one of the oldest buildings in the town. The state building was very impressive.Toured around the area by car for a while, good meal in Applebys and back to the hotel for the night.

Left Annapolis this morning and heading for washington DC.Stopping at a place called Fairfax, just outside DC right on the site of a large mal, Fi and Alice very happy, more shopping !! Had a lookaround the mal, then back to the hotel for a rest and a swim. Early night tonight ready for a busy day sightseeing in the capitol tomorrow.

A bright sunny day for our trip into the capitol. Drove a few miles to the Orange Metro line at Vienna and cought the train to the centre. First stop, The White House. It,s even more impressive than on tv. Walked all arond the White House perimiter getting lots of pictures from each side. A short walk East takes us to the Washington monument. A very tall spire shaped monument with lift and viewing platform at the top, unfortunatly all the tickets had been sold for the day. A further walk to the WW1 war memorial at one end of the reflecting lake. An impressive monument with 50 columns representing the 50 states at that time. Also many water features and fountains add life and movement to this sombre monument. We then walk down beside the refleting lake to probably the most well known and most impressive monument, The Lincoln Memorial, with its many steps rising from the lake and with a gant statue of Lincoln himself sat inside the monument. We spent a little time sat on the steps looking up The National Mall, over the reflecting pool, to the Washington monument and on to The US Capitol building in the distance. So that we could see more of this great city we took an Orange Trolley Bus tour, taking in such sights as The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, The museum's, The Old Post Office, The US Court Hose and The Grand Union Station. We jumped off the trolley at the US Capitol building, where we had viewed fist from the Washington Monument. This is a very impressive building and one where you can't get too close. A stoll back down the Mall, stopping for coffee in the National Galary of Art Sculpture Garden. Next a visit to the National Museum of Natural History. Thousands of exibits from full size dinosaur replicas to every stuffed animal you could think of. A large display of gems and crystals and a large underwater section on life in the oceans of the world. We think this is where part of A Night at the Museum was filmed. Next, we cross the Mall to the Air and Space Museum where many full sized planes are on display both on the floor and hanging from the roof. A visit to the cockpit of a Boeing 747 and the bridge of an aircraft carrier were most interesting. A large section on space exploration with traing modules of lunar landing craft and a visit to a life size mock up of the space station. Leaving here at 7.30, closing time we walk back along the Mall to the Washington Monument, picking up a free concert on the way. By the thime we get to the monument, it's getting dark and the Capitol Building looks outstanding flooflit against the night sky. The Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial are also floodlit now and it was worth waiting to see these sights at night. We headed back to the White House to see this lit up and then back to the Metro station, not before stopping off at McDonalds on Pensylvania Avenue.What a fantastic day, probably the best yet, lots to see and do, and the weather was fantastic too.

Another great day in Washington DC. First we head towards downtown to The Pentagon. One of the largest office buildings in the world, but access is impossible from tiht security since 9/11. Then its on down to Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington. A spectacular setting on the banks of the Potomac River. A museum and a tour around the mansion house is available. The wait for the house was about 2 hours so we gave it a miss. Instead we walked the grounds, down to the private river landing pier. Washington was buried in the grounds and a reath laying service took place just outside his mausalium. It was then back up to Arlington to visit the world famous Arlington cemetry.There are over 300,000 graves here, both military and private. We visited the grave of President John F Kennedy, his wife, Jackie Onanis and his two daughters. The military graves are laid out in very precice lines. From Arlington we crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge to Washington Harbour area. This is a new area of bars and restaurents right beside the river. Back to the hotel for a quick swim and spa before going out for an Italian meal in the mall.

Had a lie in today. Checked out the hotel and had a final look around the shopping mall. Left for Dulles International Airport in plenty of time incase of traffic jams or we got lost. Arrived at the airport at 2pm having dropped the hire car off. Checked in and took a funny bus thing to the departure longe. Just to top the holiday off, there was a Dunkin Donuts there so we had to buy some. Flight to Amsterdam left on time, watched "Yes Man" and "Transporter III", tried to get some sleep but not very comfortable, managed a couple of hours. Arrived in Amsterdam early and straight through to departures for flight to Bristol. Again all on time, picked up car, drove home and went to sleep !!!!! It's good to be home, but a fantastic holiday.