May 2024
Luray RV Resort
Luray, VA

I booked a week at Luray RV Resort to explore the Shenandoah Valley and National Park. Bordered on two sides by the Shenandoah River, there are hundreds of RV sites here and I was assigned back-in site 632. There are also tiny home cabins, glamping tents, and an Airstream village for those that don't have an RV with them. Although this resort is expensive, it is loaded with brand new amenities, some of which cater to a niche audience such as the RC Car Track and the BMX Bike Track. The pool and waterpark are not open for the season as of the first week of May. It looks really nice so I'm sure it's big fun when open. The dog park was also very nice. Site 632 is gravel & grass with a picnic table and fire pit. There is space behind my site so I wish they had extended the gravel another few feet so I could park my truck properly in front of my trailer. Also, for some reason my sewer pipe was over a foot tall and cumbersome to use. Golf carts are available for rent at $60 per day on the weekends and $50 per day during the week. Hard pass, that's way too much especially considering how much the site rental is for a week. A bag of Ice from the camp store is $5.25 The Resort was sparsely populated during my stay so I would encourage the proprietors to lower the rates and fill this place up. Just a thought.
  Luray RV Resort Site Map

May 2024
Shenandoah National Park

The Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia is 105 miles long and can be easily navigated by automobile along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains via Skyline Drive. I broke my visit to the National Park into two days and covered about 67 miles of Skyline Drive. Day One I entered the park at the North Entrance in Front Royal VA. I exited day one at the Thornton Gap Entrance which was just 14 miles from Luray RV Resort. Day two I reentered at Thornton Gap heading south to the Swift Run Gap Entrance East of Elkton. Skyline Drive within the National Park has Four Entrances, 75 Overlooks, 518 miles of Hiking Trails, Two Visitor Centers, Four Campgrounds, Three Lodging Facilities, and Five Food Service outlets. Shenandoah National Park is one of the few national parks that allow pets on trails but unfortunately, I had a hip issue during this trip so Barron and I were not able to enjoy any hiking. This park is very large and I must admit after some time here the overlooks tend to run together but from a driving only tour to complex hiking, there is something here for everyone. The Spottswood Dining Room at The Big Meadows Lodge was fantastic.
Shenandoah National Park Website

May 2024
The Town of Luray

Luray Virginia is a fascinating town in the Shenandoah Valley founded in 1812. The town is best known for Luray Caverns, the largest and most popular caverns in the East. Tours of the caverns are offered throughout the day every day of the year. The facility also has a Garden Maze, a Car & Carriage Museum, Rope Adventure Park, and much more. Historic Downtown Luray is packed with independent Restaurants, Boutique shopping, numerous bars, and The Hawksbill Brewing Company. This area is incredibly well preserved and a treat to visit. I also found 2 separate confederate monuments in the downtown area. Just south of town is The White House built in 1760 by a Mennonite settler named Martin Kauffman II. The 14 acre property is on the Shenandoah River less than a half mile from the campground. The historic home is a two-story, three-bay Rhenish stone house covered with stucco. With a number of things to do in town and it's close proximity to the center of the Shenandoah National Park, Luray is fantastic and I will return!
Luray Caverns

May 2024
Appomattox Court House, VA

In 1865, the Confederate Army under General Robert E. Lee was outnumbered, low on supplies, and decided to abandon the Confederate capital of Richmond Virginia. Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant caught Lee's troops in the town of Appomattox Court House Virginia some 90 miles to the west of Richmond. After days of fighting and negotiations, General Lee surrendered to General Grant in the parlor of the McLean House essentially bringing an end to the Civil War. Exact replicas of Lee's Desk and Grant's desk are on display in the McLean House today with the originals being displayed at the Smithsonian. Some of the village buildings are original with other building being restored leaving Appomattox Court House looking much as it did in 1865. The Confederate Cemetery, about 500 yards west of the Appomattox Court House Village entrance, is the final resting place of 18 Confederate and one Union soldier killed on April 18 and 19 in the final fighting Appomattox Court House. Although the facility is part of the National Park Service, it is free and can be toured completely in little over an hour. Dogs welcomed on a leash but not allowed inside the buildings.
Appomattox Court House Website

May 2024
Thousand Trails Lynchburg

I booked 4 nights at Thousand Trails Lynchburg as part of my membership with no additional cost. This campground is quiet, peaceful, and wooded, while being close to many historical places in the Lynchburg area including Appomattox Court House. There are a great many listed amenities most in need of maintenance and/or upgrade. The pool was not open for the season as of the second week of May. Some of the roads are washing but there were trucks delivering and spreading gravel each of my four days here so it was great to see the effort to repair the roads. There are not many Starlink friendly sites here so I never set it up and found my Verizon Hot Spot to be sufficient. Most of the supplies you may need can be found in Rustburg less than 6 miles from the campground. This is a beautiful property with a very friendly staff and with some maintenance and upgrades it could be a place I would like to return to.
TT Lynchburg Sitemap