From April 3 through April 7 in George Washington National Forest at Elizabeth Furnace Campground

We had intended to camp at Matthew Arms along Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. We ended up in the George Washington National Forest and we could not have been more surprised and delighted. Here’s why…

Literal Connections ~ Pumps, Tubing, and a Tankless Hot Water Heater

The sites were roomy and well spaced and while the flush toilets and showers were not open, we still had access to your good old fashioned pit toilet.

We had time to test our hot water heater and shower house. Good thing too because there was a major hurdle we had to leapfrog.

While these photos may show how easy and seemless our venture has been ~ there’s literally been a few failed connections. Once the switch of our tankless water heater system was flipped on, we soon discovered the pump shuts off at 45 psi. To our humorous dismay, the plumbing had not been vetted by our design team, so to avoid exploding joints we had to manually engage the power system. So anyone strolling by was witness to our powered by my partner shower commands of … okay, okay, OKAY TURN it OFF … to eventual sounds of …Ahhh that feels so nice!

Community Connections ~ Feeling Inspired by Casual Acquaintances ~

The RIVIAN is a magnet that attracts the curious well wishers as well at automobile aficionados. Our first morning we were greeted by a former campground host, Tim. We came to discover much about this remarkable man including the story behind his Ruth mug, which he held close to his heart as he relaxed after taking a sip of his coffee. Ruth and Tim were travelers and camping adventurers from one of their last trips to Australia to the time they spent working in Yellowstone for several months. As many of you know by now, one of the reasons we are on this venture is to pay tribute to our dear friend who did not survive Pancreatic Cancer. Ruth, Tim’s beloved wife, also lost her battle with this relentless disease five years ago. Talk about an instant connection ~ he also hiked the AT almost 25 years ago ~ just one more reason to be in awe of this man’s stamina. Later in the week we met his family which included two charming and attentive grandchildren, who enjoyed making musical requests and even playing along with Rob on his mandolin.

We also met a couple from Evergreen, CO on a pilgrimage to Stockbridge, MA They were on week nine of their cross country adventure. We are so inspired to continue on our own quest after spending quality time with these folks.

Historical Connections ~ from a “Puddingstone” monument in Gettysburg to forging pig iron in the forest ~

The “Puddingstone” monument honors the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment and is the official stone of the Commonwealth. Seeing this historical connection to our hometown city, Boston, made us a little homesick for our own split rock puddingstone in South Walpole.

Gettysburg Battle records show that the grandson of Paul Revere, Colonel Paul Joseph Revere, was mortally wounded along the ridge where the monument stands today and died two days later on July 4th. The choice of this stone was purposeful and meaningful to the surviving men of the regiment who transported it from Roxbury, MA. Some of these soldiers played on these boulders as children including young Paul Joseph Revere.

Seeing these monuments brings strong feelings of pride in the careful way they honor these fallen soldiers. They continue to bring people together. In nature we found surprising connections in nature to industry at Elizabeth Furnace Campground, we continue to be amazed at each new accidental discovery.

Pig Iron and the Elizabeth Furnace

Until next time, with a recap of our visits to Durham and Rolesville, NC. I’m signing off for today.

Keeping the rubber side down, Julie and Rob