Photo above courtesy of Karen Riddle

By Bob Tagert

For our spring road trip, we decided to sort of roll the dice. With no dice available, we decided to flip a coin. The first spin of the nickel had heads north and tails south. It came up south. The next spin came up west, so we needed to pick a point south west. This would put us near one of our favorite destinations…Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. We decided to enter the park at the Thornton Gap entrance and take Skyline Drive north to Front Royal.

April is a good time to visit Shenandoah National Park, especially for those seeking to avoid the crowds and enjoy the beauty of spring, including wildflowers and the forest coming back to life. On our trip there were few vehicles and the temperature was only a few degrees cooler than at the base. Deciduous trees are not fully leafed out in April so wildlife viewing opportunities can be better, as it is easier to spot animals. Some facilities are open in April but most, like Big Meadow, don’t open until May.

The typical spring season is from the middle of March through the end of May, with average temperatures ranging from 35 degrees in March to 55 degrees in May. We were lucky, the sky was clear and the temperatures were in the low 50’s.

Even though the fall and all of the leaf colors are the most popular time to visit, spring is a time of renewal and new beginnings. Leaves begin to show up on trees that have been bare all winter and pops of color can be seen among the brown leaf litter as wildflowers spring forth with the warmer weather. Wildlife that have been tucked away during the colder months begin to reappear, and a wide array of migratory bird species take refuge in Shenandoah during their long trip north.

The emergence of wildflowers is a special time along Skyline Drive. With over 862 species found with the park boundaries, there are plenty of reasons to come see the show for yourself. There are also many hiking trails throughout the park so you can take a short hike or make it a full afternoon of hiking the beautiful mountains.

To fortify us for Skyline Drive, we first stopped at the Black Twig Restaurant in Sperryville for a cocktail and a snack. The Twig is a very nice and comfortable restaurant with great cocktails. The people are friendly and the food is always good and reasonably priced.

We made one more stop in Sperryville before heading to Thornton Gap, and that was at The Corner Store, where we bought provisions. With two hearty sandwiches, a big bag of Route 11 chips, two Park Ranger cookies and a nice Pinot Grigio, we were ready to go.

With the sun out and the day warming, we grabbed a picnic table at the first turn out that had tables in the sunshine and enjoyed our lunch before we really got into the drive.

Although the countryside was still a bit brown, the views were amazing as the sky was clear with abundant sunshine. Looking east we saw the Piedmont Region of Virginia including a few towns. On the other side of the road and looking west was the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, a few small towns and the magnificent Shenandoah River meandering its way throughout the valley. By the time mid-April arrives so will more color to the landscape.

It wouldn’t be a trip on Skyline if Lani didn’t have her photo taken at “her tree”. We have a few photos of her over the years in the archives. I think the locals actually have a name for it and I don’t recall which turn out it is on but its pretty prominent from the road so you can’t miss it. Be sure to get a picture of yourself as well.

Although we headed north at Thornton Gap, if you take a short ride south you will come to Mary’s Rock Tunnel. Located at mile marker 32.2 on Skyline Drive, it is a vehicular tunnel in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is the only vehicular tunnel in the park. Constructed in 1932 by workers employed with the Civilian Conservation Corps. The tunnel workers took three months to drill and blast through the east slopes of Mary’s Rock. The two-lane tunnel is 670 feet long and only 12ft 8in high, so recreational vehicles and taller trucks need to check their height restrictions before traveling through it. I still remember that tunnel from when my dad took us back in 1957. It is a great treat for kids.

Soon we were at the northern end of Skyline Drive and the town of Front Royal. We made a stop for a beverage and the purchase of apple fritters and a pint of the absolute best baked beans we have ever had to go at the famous Apple House near Linden. The Apple House is a must stop for everyone. It is a very eclectic place with everything you need with a few that you don’t mixed in. The food at Apple House is old school and concentrates mostly on BBQ but the fritters and their also famous Apple Cider donuts are must haves.

Leaving Linden and taking the back roads home we made our last stop in The Plains at the Bistro @ The Porch. This is a gem of a place that offers a bit more sophisticated cuisine than the Apple House but still a casual place to eat and drink.

Due to time constraints, we didn’t get a chance to stop at any of the wineries or other shops and roadside stands that dot the hillsides on the way to the park. We suggest that if you stop at The Black Twig, you may want to head down the road toward The River District and the newly renovated Market Place in Sperryville. The newest addition to the dining scene in Rappahannock County, New Iberia Kitchen, is housed in the Market Place along with a bakery, coffee shop and a variety of art galleries and boutique stores.

Get out there and enjoy some springtime weather and the serenity of the park and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.