Day One - May 20, Shenandoah National Park

One of the wonderful things about Pandora radio is its serendipitous nature. I’m often surprised by its ability to generate the right song for the right moment. Never was that more true than this morning. I turned on Pandora in Excalibur (you’ll have to view the video at the link below to understand what Excalibur is), and the song that started playing as I pulled out of our drive and began my corner-to-corner odyssey around America was “Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound,” by Tom Paxton. I know where I’m bound, physically. Psychologically, I’m not so sure. So the song was perfectly appropriate for the moment, brightening my spirits a bit after I had just finished a very tearful parting with my wife, Trish (my tears, not hers). I won’t see Trish again for 40 days.  Coincidentally, 40 days is the same number of days Jesus wandered in the desert and fasted, if I remember my Bible stories correctly. Some people would say there are no coincidences. I don’t know.

So day one started with a great song and lots of clouds and rain as I scooted through Pennsylvania down I-81, through the narrow neck of Maryland and a slice of West Virginia. The sun popped out a little as I arrived in Virginia, prompting me to exit the interstate and cruise at a slower pace down Highway 11, which was blissfully free of traffic. I passed the Wayside Inn, which touts itself as the oldest continuously operating inn in America. I’ve eaten there a couple of times and have no reason to doubt its claim. I took my time through Strasburg and Tom’s Brook and Woodstock.  The area is rich in Civil War lore and famous battlefields.  I stopped in Edinburg briefly for a fishing report from Harry Murray, a renowned fly fisherman in these parts. Unfortunately, the fishing report wasn’t great. Northern Virginia rivers are experiencing the same high water conditions as Pennsylvania, so a pontoon boat float down the Shenandoah River isn’t going to happen this week. However, Harry offered some hope for the streams in Shenandoah National Park, which are where I was headed anyway. So off I went, passing through Luray and easing Excalibur up the west slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains to Skyline Drive. Here’s a picture I took from the Pass Run Overlook when I arrived:

By the time I backed into a campsite in the Mathew Arm campground mid-afternoon, I was starting to feel like my journey had officially begun. Before I busied myself starting a campfire and getting my fishing gear organized for tomorrow’s hike, I sat down to contemplate the site for a while, and was soon rewarded with the strange sound of a very large owl flying through my campground at close range. I can’t describe the sound of his beating wings except to say it was haunting, in a good way. The sudden appearance and sound of the owl constituted one of those unexpected events one hopes for on a trip like this. I finished up the evening by the fire with a piece of rhubarb pie - one of the last treats from home I’ll get to enjoy for many weeks. I tried to check my e-mail. No connection! I think that was a good thing.  So I don’t know when this blog post will actually be published. I’ll have to get back in range. No hurry.

Check out this video, which contains my bon voyage message to you all. You’ll discover the true identity of Excalibur, and you’ll find out something about Camelot, Guinevere and Elaine as well.   Here's the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMU2_ZQouj0