Monday 14 - 15 April
We leave our cute and chintzty little cottage and get back on the road but just a quick trip to Waynesboro today as a base for a pit stop for the bike - just the necessary oil and filter change.

Wednesday 16 April
The start of the Shenandoah National Park today and the 105 miles of the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Valley. Our accommodation for the next two nights will be the Lewis Mountain Cabins which are the first lodgings on the Skyline heading north. We are enjoying the view that much that we miss our turnoff for Lewis Mountain but stop at the next station - Big Meadow Lodge - just to check on facilities and to confirm where we are heading. As we pull into the car park we notice a couple with their Triumph Rocket III, loaded to the hilt with luggage and camping gear. Of course, as bikers do, we head over to see where they are from, where they heading etc. After introductions we find out that Julie and Steve are from Oxford in England and have been in the US since November, bought the Rocket in California, have done pretty much the same route as us (with additional trips to the Grand Canyon, Vegas, San Deigo) - were at Daytona Speedway the same day as us to watch the 200 - will be heading to DC after the Skyline - are planning to go to New Zealand after being back in the UK for about three months and..........Julie's surname is DIXON. They are at Big Meadow to camp the night and were at Lewis Mountain the night before so we arrange for them to come to our cabin later where we can swap more stories over a beer. We head off and check into to cabin #8 at Lewis Mountain Lodge and not long after, we hear the recognisable sound of the Rocket heading towards the cabin and sure enough Julie and Steve are already here but to tell us that the camping at Big Meadow is not very good and they have decided that instead of back-tracking they must really head further north as they have plans for shipping the bike to France, before heading back to the UK, and therefore have to be in New York for a certain time. We are all really sorry that we didn't have more time but Julie and Steve invite us to Oxford to stay with them when we are in the UK and of course visa versa for when they are in NZ. Oh, and by the way, Julie and Steve stayed in cabin #8 at Lewis Mountain the night before. Just a whole load of coincidences and, if we hadn't have missed our turn for Lewis Mountain, we would never have met.

Our cabin is definitely back to nature and dinner will be whatever we can buy at the campstore and cook on the fire behind the cabin. But first we take a hike on part of the Appalachian Trail to the Bearfence Rock Scramble to see the sunset (as recommended by the Store Manager) and it definitely was worthwhile. Spectacular views, a brilliant sunset and we can now say we have hiked at least part of the Appalachian Trail. Back to the cabin to start the fire to cook dinner - bacon, beans and beer have never tasted so good!

Thursday 17 April
A pretty lazy morning, just taking in the piece and quiet of the great outdoors but a little more strenuous in the afternoon with a 1.9 mile hike to Pocosin Mission - the runins of an Episcopal mission on the Appalchian Trail.