The Road Home

So, of course the government decided to open for business the exact day that we left Washington, DC... go figure.  We had a fun ride home through Virginia, enjoying all the pretty Fall colors along through the Shenandoah Valley.  There were numerous caves to tour, and thanks to the Trip Adviser app (I love that one!), we chose the Shenandoah Caverns.  And what do you know, the first thing that was pointed out on the tour was what were commonly called the "Bacon Formations" - you know this put a smile on the boys faces, even ZB was excited to see bacon growing from the walls!

The caverns were full of beautiful rock formations and the guide was so friendly.  This happened to be a very kid-friendly cave as well, especially with the multi-colored lights they were using, and the old-fashioned gated elevator, it had a fun vintage feel.

The gift shop had an adjoining museum of vintage animated window displays - ZB was enthralled and it was really a chore to convince her to leave!

Down the road, we saw a sign for Rt 11 Potato Chips.  This was a short but really neat stop!  You could peer in the windows and watch the entire chip making process from cooking all the way to packaging and shipping.  I have never heard of this brand, but the woman at the counter said they are sold at Food Lion and Whole Foods to name a few.

 Of course there were samples, some were still warm from the fryer...

We left with a couple choice flavors that were freshly cooked, yummy!  There were lots more attractions along this stretch of interstate we wish we had time to stop at, but those will have to wait until next time.  We spied this guy at a rest stop - anyone know what it is?  They were common in the area, a rest stop worker told us, though they must not get as far as North Carolina, or at least I haven't noticed them before:

We're glad to be home safe and sound, unpacking all our Big City souvenirs and rehashing the fun trip.  Thanks for joining us on our little adventure!
- Julie