9/2/2011
We were invited to the wedding of one of Laura’s old college friend’s in Front Royal, Virginia. Would it be humanly possible to just go to the wedding and not transform it into a Schultz-infused three-day vacation? I think we all know the answer to that question.
For most of the trip we were technically within the Shenandoah Valley, but Front Royal is only a few minutes from the north entrance to the Shenandoah National Park. Everyone was very glad when we finally got there after I forced them to listen to The Red Badge of Courage 6-hour book on tape to get us in the mood for all those exciting Civil War battlefields we were going to see.
The Shenandoah National Park is one of the largest national parks, so naturally we saw very little of it. Apparently, we were in the bad section, since the park ranger guy kept recommending sites 40 and 50 miles away. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful place. We picnicked on a nice overlook. (Does it count as a picnic if you are eating McDonald’s? By the way, someone had clearly had a McDonald’s picnic at some point before us, because there were the remains of a half-eaten hamburger on the ground. We saw a lot of bugs, but not one was on the burger.)
After our “picnic” the boys started playing and were unprepared for the subtle inclines to the countryside. They kept falling over and couldn’t quite figure out why. They thought it was hilarious, anyway.
We spent the bulk of our time doing one of the easy hikes through the wilderness. Easy becomes a relative term when carting two toddlers and a baby, but we survived.
After our hike we checked into the Scottish Inn (What makes it Scottish? We don’t know) where Philip had fun throwing batteries into the toilet and I had fun fishing them out. Afterwards we met up with one of Laura’s friends who was also in town for the wedding. I tricked everyone into returning to the National Park because we paid $15 for a 7-day pass. We went to one of the overlooks as the sun was setting over the Shenandoah River.
Oh, Shenandoah! I longed to see you. Then I did.
That night we got up close and personal with the awfulness of the Scottish Inn. I tried to give Daniel and Philip a bath, but the bath wouldn’t fill. I improvised and managed to get rid of the Shenandoah dirt. Later, when I looked at their feet after walking on the hotel carpet their feet were completely black. They were much filthier than after a day in the woods. Very gross. Our room was also haunted. Several times in the middle of the night the TV randomly turned on. It seemed to have something to do with the air conditioning turning off, which makes a lot of sense.
The next morning we went to the wedding – a first for our kids. Philip, who is usually very scared around strangers, wouldn’t get off the dance floor at the reception. Right before we left the DJ made everyone dance the Virginia Reel, because we were in Virginia, obviously. I found that very exotic, but I got the impression some of the local people were slightly embarrassed. Funny how that is, isn’t it?
From Laura:
Yes, listening to the Red Badge of Courage for six hours causes one to fall asleep. Oh, am I driving? Oops. I much preferred listening the Star Wars: Clone Wars cd. Very funny, by the way, but I don't think it is meant to be.
Oh yes, the Shenandoah National Park was huge, and very pretty. The weather was cool, but not too cold. We went on a 1.2 mile hike, and wanted to die after about 10 minutes. Can I just mention that I haven't hiked much since having the baby? It was, however, like all the other parks that we have visited. All the trees start looking the same after a while. Plus, carrying Kathleen and sometimes Daniel at the same time was rather strenuous. You did get the impression that you were out in the middle of nowhere. I felt sorry for my friend whom we dragged back to the forrest. We are very boring people, I know.
The Scottish Inn? The most horrible place in which we have stayed? It was GROSS!!! I guess you get what you pay for. I still think that every hotel room in the world should cost $30. This drives my husband crazy. Hotels are a rip off. It is ridiculous that you should have to pay *more* for a comfortable bed with clean sheets and a bathroom with hot water. I don't think I'm asking too much. Sorry. And the tv kept coming on during the night, somehow linked to the air conditioning. THAT was fun.
The wedding was great, although we ended up staying longer than planned, and it threw off our schedule. And as you know, we have a very rigid schedule to follow. So someone was champing at the bit to leave as soon as possible. "We are still at the ceremony, dear. The reception hasn't even started."
Oh, and getting up the following morning at 7am? NOT HAPPENING.
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