Camping Shenandoah

Last weekend some coworkers and I drove down to Shenandoah National Park to try to catch the last of the leaves turning. We stayed at Big Meadows Campground because it was the only one still open in the beginning of November. There definitely were a lot of leaves...

They just weren't where we wanted them

We only stayed one night but still managed to get a couple of decent-length hikes in. It was my first time being on the Appalachian Trail which was fun. There were a whole series of waterfalls and swimming holes and I can't wait to go back in the Spring or Summer to take full advantage of them!

Very pretty colors on the hills below us

Black was the unofficial dress code

This was much less exciting than it sounds. "Cave" is a surname, not an adjective.

We managed to find a relatively remote campsite although we were still too close for comfort to a rowdy group with floodlights. On the plus side, the deer in that area do not seem to care about people whatsoever and would practically come up to your tent. Pretty cool.

It was super freezing but we did manage to get a fire started against all odds (I'm not exactly a master fire starter).

Gathering firewood

We decided to try a camping dessert one of my coworkers found on Pinterest. It basically consists of stuffing an ice cream cone with a bunch of good stuff, covering it in foil and sticking it in the embers for a few minutes. To give you an idea, here is a picture from the recipe

Our version

Nailed it!

On the way home we stopped for a bite to eat at "Burgers 'N Things." I am a fan.

It was really nice to get out of the city for awhile and away from any internet/cell reception. We had been trying to plan the trip for several weeks and I'm so glad we were able to go before the park closes for Winter. Can't wait to go back in the Spring!

These berries were so bright I really wanted to try one. But I reconsidered.

You do you