Days 3, 4, 5

Washington DC – Harpers Ferry, WV – Shenandoah National Park, VA – Lake Clayton, VA

Miles: 400-730

Soundtrack: Peter&Hannah´s Northeast and Appalachian Mix (Thanks!); Gina&Pablo Colombian Popurrí (Gracias chicos!)

Day 3. 

                                                                       Adiós Kyle!

We left DC bound for our first camping stop. But first we made a stop at Harpers Ferry, a small town right where Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet. It is a beautiful spot, with brick buildings on the hillside overlooking the river's confluence. This town has a very interesting story. It is most famous for it's role during the American Civil War years. Rick Garland, (historian, musicologist, singer, etc.) gave us a four-hour tour explaining everything we needed to know about those years.

Harpers Ferry

In the middle of the tour it started to drizzle and then to rain. We left Harpers Ferry with hopes that the grass would be greener up in the mountains, but of course it was worse than we had prepared for.

Camping. It all sounds so romantic. Being close to nature, having quality time with your family. But when reality strikes, it strikes hard. We began preparing for this camping trip months ago. With every item we purchased and every piece of clothing we packed we imagined ourselves cooking in our all-efficient Bio-lite wooden stove, overlooking the Appalachians in a sunny, beautiful day. We never thought of rain, cold, and more rain! The drizzle we encountered at Harpers Ferry was by now a soft but incessant rain. Apparently it was tropical storm Andrea heading up north.

That evening, after stocking up on groceries, we entered the Appalachian Sky Drive were a park ranger greeted with a suspicious grim. When we asked if there were any spots left for camping he just said “Oh, sure. Today’s been pretty slow”. Meaning “Nobody has shown up cause who would ever like to camp with this weather?” Well, us… After a 45 min drive through fog and rain we arrived to Matthews Camping Grounds.  We set the tent as fast as possible, had a granola bar for dinner and went to bed.

Day 4. The next day was far from better. The rain was still constant and the weather chilly. Sebas wanted to try our new wooden stove but surely enough all the wood available was soaked. Luckily we had brought with us a pack of wooden chips. Sebas lit the stove inside the tent - no, we didn’t burn it down, but after the food was warm enough to eat we were completly smoked and teary. (Later I found a small hole was burnt in floor from which - I insist!- ants crawl into the tent) 

                                                Oh! My blue kettle was useful after all!

At that moment we could either stay inside the tent for two days waiting for the rain to stop or we could move. Just when we were getting lazy enough to make a decision, a ranger stopped by and asked us to move spots because someone had made a reservation for ours. The decision was taken for us and so we packed and headed south until there was no sign of the tropical storm. We arrive around 7pm to Lake Clayton. 

Day 5. Lake Clayton is an important meeting point for the surrounding towns and Day 5 was the Summer festival. Perfect weather, by the way. Music, swimming, and most of all, lots of eating.

Lake Clayton's Summer Festival

Ayn Rand´s Fountainhead if anybody's wondering...

"If you can eat it, we can fry it!" is apparently the food truck's theme. We didn't want to stay behind. Especially Sebas, since he is a big deep-fried everything fan.

                                                  Oh yeah. Deep-fried Oreo

Next stop... Smoky Mountain.