Part 1 of this post describes getting there and getting home, along with some organizational photos and pictures of RV travel.
Virginia State Parks Road Trip Map
This map is so amazing, it deserves to be repeated on both posts. I did some Google and Pinterest searching to find out which were the top State Parks in Virginia to visit, and what you see here is what consistently came up in my research. When I plotted these places on a map, they made a pretty straight line across the state, creating the perfect road trip itinerary!
Day 1 - First Landing State Park (Day 3 Total)
Our day got off to a slow start. Setting the bar low for day 1 of adventure! Waking and seeing the RV park in the daylight was cute. We stayed at Anvil Campground in Williamsburg, VA.
We spent the day at First Landing State Park. I joined Mensa in 2018 and haven't had a chance to do a whole lot locally, but have been really enjoying all of the creative online interaction during this pandemic. I met Kelley playing Jackbox, and we realized she's only 20 minutes from our first stop, so we planned to meet up! Well, as adventures go, the best plans are bound to require shifts, and the parking lot was full when they arrived! They parked at the other end of the park, a 6.1 mile bike ride through the woods away! So off we went.
We enjoyed this adventure, riding through the woods, over roots and around mud. I was really impressed by how well marked the trails were. This was our first VA State Park, and I’m happy to report, the trails were equally well marked at every park we visited.
In our goal for our friend to not be kept waiting too long, we didn't stop as we normally would to take photos along the way. That's ok. I found some on Google for the photo album. We spent time chatting in the shade by the boat ramp, then they gave us a ride back to the start of the trail in the back of their pickup truck! We checked out the beach on Chesapeake Bay, and headed back for the night.
Day 2 - York River State Park and Colonial Williamsburg (Day 4 Total)
Having our bikes with us has been one of the best parts of the trip so far. But the bike rack was struggling to keep up with the miles and bumps, so we started the day with some repair. The gentleman who came to fix it was this really awesome 85 year young guy! He made a sucky situation kind of cool with his interesting stories and personality.
We ran a few errands, then spent some time walking around Colonial Williamsburg. The historical sites were still closed, but we got to see the shops, and I'm glad we did.
In the evening, we got to explore York River State Park. The park ranger who answered the phone was extremely helpful, giving us all of the information we needed for a successful adventure! We rode/walked our bikes down to Fossil beach, which, incredibly, reminded us of one of the beaches we loved on the Olympic Peninsula last summer in WA! He explained that some of the bike trails were wide because they were old colonial roads. So glad we got to hear that piece of history!
Because of our late start, we shifted reservations and stayed in Williamsburg for a 3rd night with more driving planned for the next day instead. That means we were back in time for a little fire and s'mores!! What a sweet ending to a sweet day!
Day 3 - Pocahontas State Park & High Bridge Trail State Park (Day 6 Total)
Yesterday we began our journey further west in Virginia. We started at Pocahontas State Park, which we're told is the biggest in the state! We did a lovely hike in the woods. It was just really hot. Then we took a short walk to check out the spillway.
Our next stop is one I've been looking forward to since I started planning this trip. High Bridge Trail is an old railroad trail, which means it's flat, yay! 😆 But also, it's almost a half a mile long and it just an incredible site to see and even more incredible to ride across.
It's an out and back trail, and we rode 5 miles to downtown Farmville. I imagine it's cute when it's open, but everything was closed! So we headed back.
Things we learned:
1. Don't be afraid to use the generator. It was sunset when we left, so we stopped in a Walmart parking lot to have dinner. We've done that a few other times for lunch and dinner. We will need to keep propane full, but it's worth it.
2. The waste removal hose was too short. We bought another at Walmart the day before. Emptying this is called 'black water'. Do that first then the 'gray water' from the sink and shower rinses it out. Learning these names normalized the process a bit, bc before that we were calling it 'the poop hose'. 🤦♀️
3. People at campsites are typically nice and friendly. They make it look easy and will share their tips w you. .
Day 4 - Natural Bridge State Park & Smith Mountain Lake State Park (Day 5 Total)
We started the day at Natural Bridge State Park. We absolutely loved it. Not only was the Natural Bridge a stunning site to behold, the entire trail was breathtakingly beautiful! The trail followed a creek the entire way, filled with little rapids and waterfalls. The boys always love throwing rocks into water. They have done this every time we travel anywhere where rocks and water are in close proximity.
Our next stop was Smith Mountain Lake State Park. We had read about the Turtle Island Trail, so we went straight there. We thought we may paddleboard, but it was late in the day and drizzly when we arrived. So we put on our water hiking shoes and headed out. Lucky us, by the time we reached the water, the weather completely cleared up for a gorgeous golden hour and sunset!
On our hike, we found a little beach where we explored and of course, threw rocks. This evolved to wading, which evolved to throwing larger rocks with bigger splashes, until eventually the three of us were soaked and swimming in our clothes!* I absolutely love a good spontaneous adventure!
I think that's part of the appeal of a trip like this. You know you'll be safe because you trust the park trail system, but you also don't know what exactly you'll find!
*Note to trip planners: this beach is absolutely not meant for swimming and park beaches remained closed while we were there. But we were the only ones on the trail this evening and we felt safe, so we swam at our own risk. .
Day 5 - Grayson Highlands State Park (Day 7 Total)
We started the day late, again, this time because when we put our quarters in the dryer the night before, we forgot to press start, and couldn't get more quarters until the am, and then the clothes didn't dry all the way and needed a bit more time. We did really enjoy those previous 2 nights at the KOA in Lynchburg. It reminded us of camp.
We headed out for Hungry Mother State Park, where we used our paddleboards and rented a canoe/kayak. It was cool and breezy and beautiful. I even hopped in for a few minutes and the water was refreshingly cool without being freezing.
We stopped to get some provisions at WalMart and some tots and slushy drinks from Sonic across the street, then headed over to Grayson Highlands State Park. We got there pretty late, but with enough daylight to see the wild horses! The first 2 just walked right up to us! I would have loved to spend more time with them, but we had to head back before the stars came out. As it was, we were using flashlights to guide our way. The downhill hike out was a breeze, though! .
We stayed at the campgroud in the park, and I'm so glad we did. We've never been camping before. (Florida is pretty hot and buggy) This campground gave us a taste of what it's like, and I'm so glad we had this experience! There was no cel service or wifi, you couldn't see in front of you without a flashlight, and you could see a sky full of stars! It was even cold out and we needed sweatshirts! Do we have to go home? I'm not ready yet! I might need to move home closer to mountains one day.
Day 6 - Natural Tunnel State Park and Virginia Creeper Trail (Day 8 Total)
This morning's adventure started w a drive out to Natural Tunnel State Park. We took the chair lift down to see the tunnel, then back up to check out the view from the top! The photos really make it difficult to show just how large it is. I feel like you'd need a drone!
Our afternoon treat was a bike ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail through the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests and adjacent to the Appalachian Trail. There are several bike companies in the town of Damascus that will take you and your bikes to the top of the mountain for a 17 mile downhill ride! It was early in the evening by the time we got up there, and between the wind, the shade, and the mountains, we probably should have brought jackets! .
This is a rail to trail, and we crossed 32 trestles as we rode along with the creek. Of course, there was more rock skipping and throwing as well!
We arrived back into town 2 minutes before the ice cream shop closed, just in time for a refreshing treat! So sad that this was our last day of adventure, but grateful for the discoveries and joy we found, family time together, as well as our luck with the weather this trip. I'm only comforted knowing I can start to plan my return to the mountains as soon as possible! .
