When we’re on the road for months at a time, Mark and I find ourselves unconsciously dividing the trip into phases. I think some travelers plan a trip with a destination in mind and plot stops along the way. Our approach is more about heading in a certain direction and exploring that area. We find ourselves zigzagging a lot, as we travel, versus plotting a course in a straight line.
The first month of this trip was primarily devoted to exploring the Carolinas. The phase we are currently in is to immerse ourselves in the Allegheny Mountains.
The Alleghenies are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range and are found in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. It comes as no surprise that some of the most picturesque places we’ve chosen to visit, in those four states, are in the Alleghenies.
Douthat State Park, in Virginia, is one of Virginia’s original parks, formed in 1936, and is on the national register of historic places. It features some of Virginia’s most outstanding scenery and wonderful hiking/biking trails.
Swallow Falls State Park, in Maryland, is home to an ancient Hemlock forest and Maryland’s highest vertical drop waterfall. The Youghiogheny River also flows through the park. Youghiogheny is an Indian word that means “river that flows the wrong way.” It is the only river in the state that flows north to Pittsburgh. In 1918, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs camped together here at the falls!
We loved our visits to these two parks and are presently in a private park, in West Virginia’s Alleghenies, called Avalon resort. It’s beautiful and mountainous here, too, without quite as much history; but there is a laundry room and swimming pool!
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