Have you been longing for great views while on your Sunday Drive? Check this one out.
Welcome to Shenandoah National Park, a lovely stretch of Appalachia in the heart of Virginia. For those familiar with the song about Shenandoah, that refers to the name of an Indian Chief and the Missouri River, and has nothing to do with this area despite its use as an interim state song. First established in late 1935 and dedicated in July of 1936, this long yet relatively narrow stretch of land meanders its way in the hills to the east of the Shenandoah River. Communities are scattered mostly to the west of the park along the river itself, while found along the east side is a vastness of nature.
If you're a visitor to Shenandoah National Park, you'll almost certainly want to take a trip along Skyline Drive. This is the main highway of over 100 miles that runs through the park. Do make sure to bring some electrolyte fluids with you, as there will be quite a few elevation changes along the way. Skyline Drive tops out at 3,680 feet in elevation near the Skyland lodge and restaurant; quite the change from the northern entrance at around 700 feet. Dozens of overlooks adorn this route and occur every mile or so on average, along with several hiking opportunities along its many trails, including the country's famous Appalachian Trail which runs through the park along the majority of the highway.
If you bought that National Parks pass, you'll be using it to access Shenandoah. If you're looking to do the entire route, the entrance and exit points are from the north at Front Royal near Interstate 66, and from the south in Waynesboro at Interstate 64. The southern end also serves as the northern terminus for the Blue Ridge Parkway, which continues the views without additional cost to those who enter. There are also a few entry points if you don't want to do the entire highway, using US Route 211 near Luray and the park's headquarters, as well as US Route 33 near Elkton. One tunnel at around a 12 foot height is near US 211, so you may need to plan ahead if camping with your RV.
So should your Internal Compass tell you to take a nice drive through nature, consider Shenandoah National Park for your next adventure.
The continuation of the previous course is upon us.
Welcome back to Sertoma Field for today's disc golf match involving the back nine. We've already covered Sertoma Field in a previous introspective. If you are a nine-hole player, you'll need to do a sort of "modified nine" because holes 9 and 10 are deep within the course, away from the parking lot. We suggest playing holes 1-5 first, but then going up and around to hole 11, hopping over to 14, and then finishing up 17 and 18 for a "modified nine". If the wooded hill seems too daunting, replace hole 5 with hole 12 and simply double back before heading to 14, as it's a shorter hole. Use the map to figure out what's best for you.
Once again, the "spicy" red goals were used where available, and yellow where they weren't. We saw him dominate the front nine, but was she able to pull it back while battling through her slight injury?
Course Result:
His Holes: 3
Halved: 4
Her Holes: 2
Course Record: Him 7 - 2 - 3 Her
Holes Record: Him 37 - 27 Her
The back nine found him taking a bit of a lead on holes 11 and 12. A very unlucky roll on hole 14 would have been great for him if the yellow goals were being played, but alas, it was the red ones, so she was able to make a dent. A par on 16 for him put the match away, though she was able to pull one back on the 18 after a couple missed putts. Once again 18 was par for this section, though the strokes were a little closer, that being 33-34 in his favor.
Looks like he was able to take another, but she may be able to win one when back to full health. We'll find out next time, so until then, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So it is also true in the RV world.
Needless to say, the summer workamping opportunity is no more, so it's time to hit the road once again. The good news is, as we had some plans for short trips in the area, we're now able to extend those and actually enjoy ourselves. Being in this part of the country is still necessary for at least a little bit, as we have other motives for being here, but once those are complete, who knows where we'll go. That's the beauty of the RV lifestyle.
Where does the Internal Compass take us next? Keep tuning in to find out.
Welcome back to Freedom Rolling's Brew Review, as we sample three different beers from across this great nation and give our take on what they have to offer. As with all of the Brew Reviews, please ensure that these, or any beers, are enjoyed in accordance with local laws wherever you may be.
Take a trip with us to the Three Notch'd Brewing Company in Charlottesville, Virginia for their 40 Mile IPA. Brought to you in a wonderful golden color, the immediate scent and first sip of this particular brew is the American-grown hops we've all come to know and love with the West Coast version of this style. The amount of hops isn't as heavy as some other IPAs, whether single, double, or imperial, as this beer is given a refreshing balance to relax the palette between sips. This was recommended to us by a local connoisseur, and we can understand why it's so popular, as it's one of the better IPAs we have had in the Brew Review series.
Shooting down to Charleston, South Carolina, we go to the Cooper River Brewing Company for their orange-infused blonde ale. The first scent makes the oranges very clear, as the entire fruit is used in the creation. However, the lack of a foam head coupled with the fruit would make someone think it was a cider. Aside from the overpowering taste of oranges, there really isn't much of anything else to this particular brew. Although it isn't so bad for a foray into outdoor grilling, there are plenty of other better choices to enjoy.
We head back to Charlottesville and the Three Notch'd Brewing Company for another one of their IPAs, this time the "Minute Man". This particular brew a little more of an orange-ish color, along with the scent of hops, you also smell what seems to be the zest of an orange. Upon first sip, the flavor of the orange, which seems more like the powdered drink style than the juice, seems to overpower the taste of hops that you would expect from an India Pale Ale. Hops lovers will find themselves disappointed, but the drinker that is just starting to get themselves into this style will find it to be an appropriate education, as they'll be eased into the familiar after-taste of the hops so they know what to expect when experiencing other IPAs.
So until the next time we review more beers in the country, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
Welcome to the heart of the city of Greenville, South Carolina, home of the Greenville Zoo. First started in the 1950's after a blessing from the Greenville City Council to replace a smaller location, the Greenville Zoo has become a destination for children in the greater Upcountry South Carolina area with a few dozen different species within this menagerie of 14 acres.
Greenville has your typical walk-around zoo, with free municipal parking offered to its patrons, and a large enough lot to fit a good number of people looking to attend. Visitors are encouraged to book tickets online, as they can also tell when the various schools are taking a field trip to this location. Tickets at the door are also available if looking to visit at the spur of the moment. Large numbers of children can sometimes be seen as a distraction when looking to enjoy what they have to offer, but they all seem to have fun, which is the most important part of the zoo experience.
At the end of the day, Greenville Zoo offered a fairly low value for the price being paid. After half an hour of walking the property, we were left with a feeling of "That's it?!", making the experience underwhelming. Sure, we were looking for a "Tell Me About It Tuesday" event that had absolutely no markings whatsoever, and we understand the zoo had recently lost one of their prized exhibits, but we were disappointed in our visit. It might be fun in a pinch for a youth group, but there are better choices for menageries even in this area, and Greenville Zoo is not a place where we would return, nor recommend to the zoo enthusiast looking for a valuable experience.
There's nothing wrong with Following your Internal Compass to places such as this, but do be careful where you seek to visit, as it may not be what you expect.
Is Appalachia calling your name? Check it out!
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a popular destination for tourists between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee. The Great Smoky Mountains are so aptly named after the natives saw the immense amount of smoke-like fog coming from the mountain range, and the name stuck. Many communities had settled with what are today's boundaries, resulting in controversial land purchases around the time of the Great Depression to create the park. Today, visitors are able to drive, hike, and camp within the park as weather permits.
The Great Smoky Mountains, although being a national park, does not honor the National Parks pass used in several other locations across the country. Similar to Mount Rushmore, it is dependent upon parking fees to fund the location while allowing visitors to drive through at no additional cost to them. One can enter along US Highway 441 from either Cherokee, North Carolina to the south, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee to the north. The Newfound Gap at nearly a mile high in elevation serves as the midpoint of the highway through the park, as well as the border between the two states. Stop to experience the wonderful views of the Great Smoky Mountains. While along the route, perhaps make a stop to view the elk from a distance. When at the southern end, you can also find the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
One of the features of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the BARK Ranger program, where your pup can become a sworn ambassador of the park. Completing this program is fairly simple, as you'll do a sort of scavenger hunt along one of the two pet-friendly trails near the visitors' centers of the park. Take a number of pictures of your dog along the way, and submit to the ranger on duty. They will help your dog to take the oath of BARK (Bagging waste, Always leashing, Respecting wildlife, and Knowing where to go), and receive a certificate with his or her paw print. As of the writing of this, Miles the Chug Terrier has become an official BARK Ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We are proud of his accomplishment.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to the southern Appalachians, be sure to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Once again, time to head to the park!
Welcome to Walhalla, South Carolina, home of Sertoma Field for today's disc golf match. Sertoma Field is a free to enter public park, and is northwest of Clemson University in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This is probably the most well-kept course that we've visited thus far, and is home to not only many casual players, but several tournaments throughout the year. It is a full 18-hole course with concrete tee pads and both traditional and "spicy" goals, the latter of which is meant to be a shorter par used for hole-in-one contests. There is a map available, but it's so well marked that you probably won't need it.
This first match saw us playing the red "spicy" goals where available, and the traditional yellow goals when there was only one. Same equipment, no pup. She was nursing a slight injury that hampered play a little bit, but not enough to not play at all. How did it go?
Course Result:
His Holes: 5
Halved: 2
Her Holes: 2
Course Record: Him 6 - 2 - 3 Her
Holes Record: Him 34 - 25 Her
Right away is a potentially scary moment for the beginning player in having to go over a water hazard. Both made it just fine, and the first two holes were halved. He pulled a par on the third to take the lead, after which holes were traded. Some tree luck, or lack thereof, was seen by each player leading to another trade in holes. He then pulled away on holes 8 and 9. On what is a "par 18" for the "spicy" goals, the final shot count was 31-36 in his favor.
This match may be in the books, but the course is not, so be on the lookout for the back nine. Until then, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
Looking for some fun times in the outdoors while in Upcountry South Carolina? Try these on for size.
Welcome to Oconee County, situated in the northwest corner of South Carolina. This place is named after the Oconee Bell, a flower that is found in this area, but very rare to find anywhere else in the world. It is so rare that botanists who first discovered the Oconee Bell didn't even find it again until nearly a century later! Couple this with the fact that it only blooms during the spring, and much of the plant life was placed underwater by the creation of the twin lakes in the area, this is certainly a one-of-a-kind spectacle. A celebration of this flower's bloom takes place at the annual Oconee BellFest during March at Devil's Fork State Park along Lake Jocassee. This park also has a nature trail along which people are able to see the Oconee Bell, along with many other different species of plant life.
While around Oconee and the neighboring counties, why not take a peek around at the various waterfalls? Many adorn the area, but if you want to be able to see all of them, get out your favorite watercraft, because some are only accessible by boat. For an easier walk, try Twin Falls in Pickens County. Although the trail will go high along the river, the end view is worth it. Maybe try the Whitewater Falls, the lower and upper being separated by a state border. The aforementioned BellFest may be a good time, as Lake Jocassee has a number of waterfalls around it.
If the city life is more of your cup of tea, why not take a trip over to the city of Greenville? Park the vehicle for a couple of hours while taking a stroll down Main Street, with all its fine shops. Maybe head over to Falls Park and walk the suspension bridge to see another of the waterfalls that adorn the area, this one being along the Reedy River. Plenty of museums and other attractions are also available downtown, so be sure to take a trip over to those and see what they have to offer.
So if your Internal Compass takes you to South Carolina, although many will love visiting the low country, don't forget about the upcountry and its beauty.
Well, once again, Freedom Rolling has a soul. Ghost of Johnny Olson, tell the people what we bought!
Yes, based upon the issues we had previously, coupled with the lack of reliable inventory, we have purchased a 2024 Ram 2500 Diesel with a much more powerful 6.7L engine. We'd like to thank our sponsor, "Bob", for his generous support in this particular endeavor, and although he is no longer able to read this, his contribution will go a long way towards the well-being of Freedom Rolling for years to come.
So people are probably wondering, what happened that caused this to occur? Well, it's an interesting story. While we were out exploring one of the region's fine locations, the 2006 decided to start shaking while heading out. Fast forward to an incredibly busy interstate highway, and it shakes a bit more at highway speeds. Then comes up a piece of metal, and it takes out our driveshaft, and the transmission followed. Luckily we were able to get out of the way of traffic without causing any further accidents or injuries. Transporting it to the next state for repairs because the present state didn't have any good locations in the direction we were going, neither of which being where we were living at the time, is a way of life for the full-time RVer. Needless to say, too much damage was done that we could not fix the vehicle.
Unlike the last time we acquired a new soul, because of the multitude of changes in states, we are starting a new trip with this one. We didn't move the heart anywhere else, as we're still where we were previously. However with this new soul, we're looking forward to not only Following our Internal Compass, but also being able to pull our heart a bit easier with the more powerful engine.
Well, it's official: Freedom Rolling has no soul.
More to come in the coming weeks.
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