The second day out was a pleasant rolling adventure up along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, bits of West Virginia and Maryland, and then into Pennsylvania. While most of the time was spent on interstate highways, I did take a side trip along back roads between Lexington, Virginia and Staunton, Virginia. This part is in the storied Shenandoah Valley.
Anyone who has read much Civil War history is familiar with the Shenandoah Valley. It was the breadbasket for the Army of Northern Virginia, which made it the subject of running battles starting in 1862. The final battle in 1864 involved Union General Phillip Sheridan against Confederate General Jubal Early, won by the Yanks who adopted a scortched-earth approach to end the valley's usefulness to the Rebs.
The back road drive was beautiful, coursing along a succession of small valleys with creeks running through the bottoms, and abundant cultivation of hay and corn. I was reminded of the song "Oh Shenandoah." It is a traditional folk song. The melody (but not the lyrics) was adopted by the Virginia Legislature in 2015 as the traditional state song (renamed "Our Great Virginia"). The original song appears to have come from fur trappers along the Missouri River, and Shenandoah refers to an Indian chief rather than a river or valley. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful tune and it seems to fit right in with the surroundings in the Shenandoah Valley.
Mileage: 415. Cumulative mileage: 780
