We left Wilkes-Barre, PA at about 8:40 am. The outside temperature was 19 degrees and I thought that after the previous days HEAVY rains, I-81 would be a skating rink and believed that a later departure would be required. Actually, the roads were dry! The remainder of Pennsylvania was uneventful then we crossed into West Virginia. I had looked at the maps and expected to go through Maryland and was surprised we were in WV. I guess I didn't pay close enough attention. Our trip through West Virginia was only about 30 miles then crossed the border into Virginia.  

This part of the trip will be remembered by the stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains . The bright green pastures are a welcome sight after months of snowy white landscape and brown trees

We made one "tourist" stop at a Virginia Civil War Museum which was very well done and reasonably interesting. The displays were informative and they had many relics from the Battle of New Market which took place at the location of the museum. I didn't think it was worth the $17 though...

The clock was approaching 6:30 pm and we decided to start looking for either a campsite or a motel room. We decided on a campsite, and pulled into the Dixie Cave Campground. This was our first camping experience in the Maine Redneck and Gypsy Parade to the West Coast and I knew 'ole Jan was going to pay for the shabby packing job. You know, start organized, then when I get toward the end just start throwing shit in and stuffing holes where I can. That will be remedied at our next stop. We made a quick trip to Walmart to pick up last minute things and prepared our campsite just at dark .  

Getting settled in and comfortable really was not too bad. While the going to bed temperatures were cool, the blankets, pillows, foam pad and sleeping bag were very comfortable. I woke up numerous times, and must have gotten some sleep, but if you are like me, you're not sure. Dolly said she was very warm overnight and only had one problem...she had noticed a drop of water that hit her nose just before we climbed out of our nest. Condensation. The entire inside of the cap/topper (cap for Mainers - topper for South Dakotans) was coated with moisture. We looked at the thermometer as we were making coffee and it read 30 degrees. Warmer weather and more ventilation will take care of the overnight condensation. I hope. Next stop somewhere in Tennessee.