Shenandoah National Park

 

My day started early and beautifully with the Moon still out as the Sun was coming up!

 

 

I love this National Park.  This is the 3rd time I have been here!

 

Such amazing views of the Shenandoah Valley

 

Still a lot of Fall color in the park

 

Kermie and the Red Cat are enjoying their day here!

 

This is a gorgeous lodge in the center of the park.

 

I found these pods very interesting.  I don't have any idea what they are!

 

I like the red and black bug hiding.

 

More interesting pods.

 

The Appalachian Trail runs along the entire 100 miles of Shenandoah National Park.  It crosses Skyline Drive many times here.

 

 

Great day.  I am happy here.

 

I only saw one bear today in the park, but he was deep in the brush, and by the time I got my camera, he was gone!  But, there were lots of other critters!

 

There were a lot of these caterpillars.

 

 

A cricket.

 

Some sweet deer.

 

Don't know what these red bugs are, but I like them!

 

This is an easy trail near the north end Visitor Center (it would HAVE to be easy for me to do it).  It was such a pretty day to be outside and breathing in fresh air and all the delicious smells of the wilderness.  I enjoyed the hike.

 

 

There's a little bit of an incline that had me huffing and puffing, but not too much uphill.

 

This is a cemetery on the trail way.  Being that this wasn't always a National Park, and was privately-owned property, there are several cemeteries in the park.  This one was the Fox family.  (I was NOT the one who left the Confederate flag.)

 

Pretty folliage.

 

We found this great stick and used it for hiking in the park. We hated to part with it, but not wanting to remove anything from this National Park (take nothing, and leave only your footprints), we left it on a wall for someone else to use and enjoy.

 

 

My amazing day concluded with a spectacular sunset over Harrisonburg, Virginia.