Overnight it rained hard and we awoke in the clouds again this morning in the carpark of the lodge. At 7am I went inside looking to buy a coffee and was pointed to a free coffee stand in the corner. Nice!

Our drive was cloudy for most of the morning and we were both tired and felt like we’d had enough of beautiful views and hikes.

We kept on driving until we got to ravens roost which was a stunning overlook. A hand glider was getting ready to launch himself off a cliff. I was terrified watching him. He stood there for ages, the strong winds putting him off balance every so often. It wouldn’t take much for things to go wrong and have him to tumble over the edge.

Mike and I stood there, poised with our cameras, not wanting to miss a thing. Then finally he launched, like a bird, soaring up into the sky. I almost cried, he looked so beautiful, graceful like a large eagle.

After that excitement we headed on down the Blueridge parkway and suddenly it ended! We’d done it. But wait, there’s more…

The Skyline drive through the Shenandoah starts where the Blueridge parkway stops. Feeling like a break and a shower, we headed into Waynesboro to a very expensive campground. But we were able to get our laundry done.

The lady at reception was very negative about northerners, calling them damn Yankees. It kind of reminds me of the rivalry between Aucklanders and the rest of NZ. Apparently the northerners ( Yankees) look down on people from the South which I have noticed in some TV programs.

Northerners apparently think southerners are slow and incestuous, but we found them all to be so friendly and nice. And I understand why they speak so slow with a drawl. It’s cos it’s so damned hot down there it’s best not to do anything fast!

We’re not sure where exactly we go from here, but we’re heading towards the Niagara Falls.