Cash Lake Loop, National Wildlife Refuge Center, 11/28/20

Found the trailhead for a 3.1-mile hike recommended by our newest hiking book Hiking Maryland and Delaware, only to find the first section of the loop closed off due to hunting in the area. 

Still managed a 2.2-mile loop via Laurel and Valley trails to Goose Pond and Cash Lake, a stroll really rather than a hike! 

So as not to interfere with wildlife research, Leave No Trace is taken seriously and no picnicking is allowed along the trails.  No problem; we ate lunch in the car :) 

Cash Lake

 As you can see from the pictures, it was a gorgeous sunny fall day, with the sun already dipping west in early afternoon. 

Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah National Park, 10/2/20

First hike since arriving on east coast on September 8. 

 On the way home from a night of camping with my son Kenli and his family, 

we stopped for a short hike opposite the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center.

The 1.2-mile trail passes the Fox Farm Cemetery (picture above) on the way to an old homestead. 

Albuquerque, NM, to Columbia, MD Roadtrip, 8/28 to 9/8/2020

This blog entry is not about a hike but 

marks the high points of our move from New Mexico to Maryland.

A month before leaving:  

Painful yet heart warming: saying goodbye to our many friends.

A great thank you to the constant encouragement and packing help from all.

At a CohousingABQ goodbye picnic, one of our friends, Penina, 

accompanied by her guitar, surprised us all with a song that she wrote 

to the tune of Woody Guthrie's Roll on Columbia. 

And also saying goodbye to the house Jim and I shared since 2007.
Not easy to see our belongings all packed up and driven off, 
leaving us behind in an empty house.  

First stop: 

Tucumcari, NM.  Our last night in NM.  
De rigeur, a typical New Mexican meal of chili rellenos, refried beans, corn chips, salsa and, of course, sopapillas with honey. Take out meal eaten in our room given Covid-19 restrictions.

Day 2:

Driving thru the north western tip of Texas into Oklahoma, along vintage route 66. 

Planned the trip from one EV charging station to the next. Above, charging the car by a feed-fertilizer-tires-batteries supply company in Shamrock, TX. 

View from our room's dining corner at the Gold Inn motel. 

Day 4 and 5:

Driving into Arkansas and stopping at Hot Springs National Park, 
where we spend a day exploring the town and park, 
and relaxing at a wonderfully funky motel.

Day 6:

Followed Interstate 40 from Albuquerque to Asheville, NC. 

Stressful driving to say the least; dodging long haul trucks all the way.  

Above, driving along I-40 in the Cookeville, TN, area. 

Days 7, 8 and 9: 

Visiting with Jim's sister in Asheville, NC. Visited the Biltmore gardens, hiked to waterfalls at Dupont State Park, and spent time doing absolutely nothing at our Airbnb rental, a gem of a cottage surrounded by flower gardens and farm animals. 

Day 10: 

Taking a break from driving at the Peak of Otters National Park Lodge 
along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Day 12: 

Crossing the Potomac by ferry from Virginia into Maryland.

Arrived!  

What a welcome we found! 

A poster drawn by all four granddaughters and a welcome basket with goodies 
(and Covid-19 essentials) to keep us going for a bit in an empty apartment.