Shenandoah

We went off the grid - no cell phone, no internet, no GPS, no TV - and stayed in a rustic cabin at Skyland Resort, built in the 1890s.

Shenandoah is famous for its beautiful views of the Appalachian Mountains, its wildflowers, and its water falls. We hiked up to Stony Man (via the Appalachian Trail) before sunset, and then attended a Ranger Program that evening near our cabin about the various animals you can find in the park. That includes black bears and bobcats. The next morning, we woke up and hiked down to Dark Hollow Falls.

The park has about 50 different day hikes to chose from, ranging in distance and difficulty. Since we were stopping here for one night after several days in Washington, D.C., we opted for two short, easy hikes. Stony Man was a 1.6 mile hike up a mountain near our lodge. At the top, you get a great view of the Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain. Dark Hollow Falls is one of the more popular hikes in the park, at just 1.4 miles. You follow a stream down a steep decline to the bottom of a waterfall, and then head back up.

We ate dinner at our lodge while enjoying a band playing music ranging from bluegrass to popular songs we could sing along with by artists such as Tom Petty. It was a quick, but relaxing visit.