In the City...

Saturday, May 9th - Sat up in my tent at sun-up, and it was cold and still drizzling! I tightened the zipper on my sleeping bag, pulled up my Gator blanket and slept for two more hours! I packed up my stuff and took my first hot shower in two days (which cost $2 at the little camp store up the hill). It was time to drive down into the city.

I took my time to navigate the remaining fifty-something miles to Front Royal and the end of Skyline Drive. At that point, I had officially driven the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, over the course of six days. With mixed feelings, I turned on to the ramp for I-66. I needed to head back to civilization, but I was finally enjoying my time in the hills. Oh well…

My path took me up the mountains, down the mountains, and, sometimes, through the mountains!:


For some reason, the National Park Service has a campground in Greenbelt, Maryland – 12 miles outside of DC. It was only 3 miles from the Greenbelt Metro Station, and it was $16 a night. Seemed like a decent way to transition from the mountains to the city.

The campground is nothing special – it certainly didn’t offer the same kind of view that Lewis Mountain did – but it is a decent place to spend a few days at dirt cheap rates.

During the evening, I hopped the Metro to meet up with TJ and Leah and Colleen somewhere in Columbia Heights. We stopped in some little dive bar and hung out for a few hours. It was strange seeing Gainesville people here, and really strange trying to get re-oriented from the top of a mountain to the middle of a major city! I caught the last train out, and flopped in my tent at about 4:30 in the morning.

I’m finally in DC. Time to be productive…