The following article was writter by Washington Post writer Nancy Trejos
Whoever thought that stew would hit the spot in the middle of July? Especially blistering hot deer stew that burned my tongue at the first bite.
But it did. I savored every spoonful of the thick, flavorful concoction that Roy Stanley and his wife, known to all as Momma, served at Campsite 44 in southwest Virginia’s Grayson Highlands State Park.
Believe it or not, I needed something to warm me up. I’d spent the night before at Campsite 21, not far from the Stanleys. The overnight temperature had dipped below 60 degrees, and I’d inadvertently left my sleeping bag in a friend’s trunk back in Washington. All I had to shield me from the howling winds was a tent and a ski jacket. I shivered all night.
But why was I complaining? I had, after all, left behind a heat wave that had put to the test every bottle of waterproof mascara I own. Tired of showing up sweaty at work every day, I’d decided to escape to the mountains.
My original plan was to climb to the top of Virginia’s Mount Rogers. At 5,729 feet, it’s the highest peak in the state and a good 5 to 10 degrees cooler than just about everywhere else. Then a park ranger told me that the only way to get to the summit was to hike 4 1/2 miles up, then 4 1/2 miles down. I worried that I’d overheat, just like my Volkswagen Beetle on the six-hour drive in nearly 100-degree heat.
Read thisentire article herefrom The Washington Post Lifestyle section.
Magnificant scenery at Grayson Highlands State Park
Grayson Highlands Wild Ponies
Learn more about Grayson Highlands State Park – click here.
This mountain park is next to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in the Jefferson National Forest. Grayson Highlands State Park was originally named Mount Rogers State Park and was established in 1965. Pets are allowed in the park but not allowed inside public facilities including the bathhouses, visitor center and office.
Park Size:4,822 acres. Various elevation: Entrance – 3,698 feet; Visitor Center – 4,953 feet; Little Pinnacle – 5,089 feet.
Drive Time:Northern Va., 6.5 hours; Richmond, 5.5 hours; Tidewater, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, 7.5 hours; Roanoke, 2.5 hours; Winston-Salem, 2 hours; Charlotte, 3 hours; Raleigh, 4 hours
Grayson Highlands State Park, 829 Grayson Highland Lane, Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363; phone: (276) 579-7092; email:graysonhighlands.
Click hereto view park events, festivals, workshops and interpretive programs.