Shenandoah National Park 2012

Shenandoah National Park is on the the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, not far from Washington, D.C.  Four of us stopped there for a couple of nights on our way to North Carolina's Outer Banks.  Almost as soon as we got on the scenic Skyline Drive, Joe and only Joe saw 2 black bears.  I think the assumption was that if Joe saw these bears so quickly and so easily, then more would surely follow.  Although many hundreds of bears reside in Shenandoah, none of us but Joe saw any bears on all three days. 

We camped at the Big Meadows campground.  The white-tailed deer were fearless.  We were serenaded in the evenings by a chorus of frogs from the nearby wetlands and in the mornings by towhees, bluebirds, catbirds, and warblers.  Even Randy was awake early enough to hear them!  On our way to a wildflower walk on the Appalachian Trail with a park botanist, we found a Chestnut-sided Warbler singing his heart out at an overlook.  During the walk there were loads of spring wildflowers, due to the superabundant biodiversity of the Appalachains, which is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.  I really enjoyed seeing several ladybugs, which I hardly ever see in northeastern Illinois.  Two orchid species were a special treat: Showy Orchid and Small Yellow Ladies Slipper.  The botanist said that the orchids were blooming a couple of weeks early because of the unusually warm spring temperatures.     

Showy Orchid

Small Yellow Ladies Slipper

Besides the gorgeous scenic overlooks, another delight of the park was the waterfalls.  While we were at Dark Hollow Falls, it started pouring down rain, and it didn't matter that I had stepped in the water trying to get my waterfall pictures  -- we were all soaked from the uphill climb back to the parking lot.  

I hope you enjoy this video postcard from Shenandoah.