Today we finished what we started by completing the SkyLine Drive, which we had been pushed off last week by weather. It was a perfect day, cool and cloudy. A tiny bit of fog early in the morning just for effect. The views of the valley floors are wonderful. We started the 35 mph speed limit going, you know, 35 mph but a funny thing happened between mile marker 105 and mile marker 33 (or so).... Hey, it wasn't just us ok..

There was very light traffic and we made several stops (slow-down vacation mode in full effect, ahhhh). A guy from Germany was very excited about our bikes. His English was not that great but he was very excited (his wife stayed in the car..) I tell you, there is something about travelling on bikes that is magical.

The visitor center at the Big Meadows did a great job explaining the park history and as is try in a lot of the national parks, they also explain the controversies involved in booting peple off their land or doing stupid things (like Custer's last stand). It was actually very informative and balanced. Once again, the CCC "Boys" kicked butt and created an amazing thing for basically food, outhouses, and a snug tent to crash in at the end of the grueling days. The interviews with the surviving CCC Boys showed the huge impact the time they spent doing something hard and lasting had on the rest of their lives. Very inspiring stuff. Once again, the rewards of hard meaningful hard work.

The controversy of course had to do with all the people that were displaced. Some were allowed to live out the rest of their lives on the land, and they were all paid for their land, but in many cases, money had little meaning when it came to walking away from their meager but valuable lives living in this beautiful little piece of heaven. Lots of stories here.

We left the Drive where we left it before and instead of heading west to what we (or I) feared was Hummer Central, we headed back west over the next set of mountains on (again) extremely narrow crooked smooth paved roads (with no painted stripes thank you very much). These corners are so tight that on a few of those turns, I could have sworn I caught a brief glimpse of my own brakelight.

In Virginia we saw some guys with stripes doing road work. We have seen signs that corrections is a big business down here. For a poor town down here, those jobs would be good jobs.

Virginia seems to be doing just fine. Cattle graze and once again big open fields are surrounded by big freshly painted fences. We started to see small towns with diners again (no stops today), and lots of signs indicating not only Civil War events but also Revolutionary War events. A few beautifully restored log cabins were on display. Cars were getting smaller and newer and yards were getting tidier with flowers and gardens here and there, and then (cue Bambi vs Godzilla (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPFxBzlFe94). Yes you guessed it. West Virginia was back!!! (Or as someone last week told us, West By God Virginia).

I can't explain it but within 2 blocks of crossing into WV, the junk cars and trashy front lawns were back. The diners were gone replaced by chain fast food. I know I am insulting someone from WV here, but it was amazing that we both noticed the difference in such a short distance. Taxes? Education? Politics? Business incentives (West Virginia has more big businesses it seems?) Anyway, my apologies to anyone offended but I would love to figure out why the 2 states are so different. just a couple hundred feet away. Go home you snooty New Englander...

Anyway, our plan was to make a break for Maryland (and observe the next border crossing) but as fate would have it, a huge hotel (with nobody staying there, blinked it's dim neon light at us, luring us in with the promise of a good deal (again). So when we checked in my first thought was that classic movie with Jack Nicholson, you know, isolated hotel, wait for it, wait for it, axe, door, "here's Johnny", got it. We are literally the only ones in this motel with at least 50 rooms. It isn't that cheap but they do have Wi-Fi, hey and no noisy neighbors right.. We will see how well we sleep tonight..

Good night.........