During the summer of 2005 Lou and I had this fantastic trip planned that included New Orleans and exploring the Deep South. Before we even got to the part of booking flights and hotels we found out Lou was pregnant with our first child! Although we decided not to go on our Deep South trip, we planned a road trip to Shenandoah National Park staying at various campsites along the way. On the face of it this sounded like a good idea, but unfortunately we forgot about the intense humidity which made the tent into a personal mobile sauna!

Despite the mileage we covered, starting in NYC and going as far south as Tennessee and Kentucky, it was one of the most relaxing holidays we have been on. The only downside was the everyday occurrence of loading and unloading the car. However, to make up for it we often went to bed early, followed by a lazy morning enjoying the peace and tranquility of being in the great outdoors.

If you haven’t had the chance to visit Shenandoah NP and the surrounding area then I would definitely recommend a visit. I imagine it is a magical place in the autumn when the bright, bold hues of red orange and purple leaves transform the landscape into a striking colour splash!