Where are Cheryl and Dennis?: Through Seven States in Three Days

October 11, 2021 – We had paid to stay at Campton campground until Tuesday without realizing it closed on Monday. But the hosts told us we could stay Monday night as the gate would be open to let service vehicles in on Tuesday. It was starting to be consistently cold this far north so it was time to get moving south. Not too far as our next destination would be Shenandoah National Park.

We spent three days traveling and crossed seven states. After leaving New Hampshire we crossed into Massachusetts were we stayed the night at a PA park, Travelers Woods Campground. It was a very pretty park and we were able to get a site right next to a babbling brook so we decided to stay two nights here. The next night we boon docked at a Casino in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania.

We knew we would not get a camp site in Shenandoah this late in the week so we had to find something outside the park. We also wanted to visit a couple of Civil War battlefields in the area. We ended up finding a campground that had availability for Friday and Saturday about 20 miles from the entrance to Shenandoah. Watermelon Campground was pricey at $50 per night but it was all we could find.

Saturday we visited Manassas National Battlefield. After the confederates captured Fort Sumter in April of 1861the first major battle of the Civil War happened at Manassas in July of 1861. Also known as the Battle of Bull Run, Manassas was a vital railroad junction that was important for both sides. Most of the troops on both sides were inexperienced volunteers with little to no battlefield experience. The union troops marched from Washington and were excited to begin the campaign to capture Richmond and end the war. Even the general public was excited and came out in their buggies to watch this event. Ultimately this battle did not end as the Union had hoped as they were defeated. A second battle happened a year later near the same site. The Second Battle of Manassas was also won by the confederates.

On the way home from Manassas we ran across two working grist mills, one of my favorite things! One was having an art show to raise money to maintain the mill. It was not running at the time but had product for sale. The second one happened to be only a mile down the road from our campground. They had just got done grinding wheat and were closing. They let us in and we were able to watch them lift one of the big grinding wheels and clean up the stone. We purchased a bag of buckwheat flour so we could make buckwheat pancakes. These are the unexpected discoveries that keep us traveling!

It was decided that we should wait to go to Shenandoah on Monday so we found Hollywood Casino in St. Charles where we could boon dock for a night. It was also near Harpers Ferry so we visited there on Sunday. We drove to the visitor center and after talking to a ranger we opted to walk the 1.6 mile trail to Historic Harpers Ferry, half of which was on a section of the Appalachian Trail. It was quit a strenuous hike but we made it and enjoy walking around the old recreated town.

Harpers Ferry is at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and is the place where the Potomac cuts through the Blue Ridge Mountains. George Washington established an armory here and during the Civil War it became a strategic location for both sides. It is also where John Brown and his followers, in 1859, attempted to seize the armory in order to arm enslaved people and spark a rebellion. The raid failed but the result was focused attention on the issue of slavery.

Where we are parked: Travelers Woods of New England Campground, Bernardston, MA - 78 sites, May 1-Oct 15, All ages, Tents Only sites: 15, 327 ft elev, Accepts Big Rigs, 3 pull thrus, 8 full hookups, electric, 58 elec-water hookups, 20/30/50 amp, 10 50 amp sites, tables, grill, water, dump, Clubs-PA-AM, laundry, firewood, internet, pet friendly, playground - $15/night with PA discount.

Where we are parked: Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs Casino, Wilkes-Barre,PA - free, All Year, RVs only, All ages, No tent, 680 ft elev, Casino, parking in lot E behind casino

Where we are parked: Watermelon Park and RV Campground, Berryville, VA - All ages, Tents, 425 ft elev, Accepts Big Rigs, electric, elec-water hookups, 20/30/50 amp, tables, grill, water, dump, firewood, pet friendly, playground, store, fish, events and festivals - $50/night

Where we are parked: Hollywood Casino at Charlestown Races, Charles Town, WV - free, All Year, RVs only, All ages, No tent, 502 ft elev, Casino