Packing it in for the night
Today was a shorter day, just as we had planned for it to be. We used up around half a tank of gas driving the entire length of Skyline Drive. Driving through the Shenandoah on the winding and sweeping curves of Skyline made for a fun day.Shortly after we got on the Blue Ridge Parkway it just felt like rain. The temperature dropped a few degrees and you could just smell the rain in air. We pulled off when we got to the next overlook to stow the socks that had been drying on the back of the bike in a mesh bag from the morning. Good thing too. A few miles further it started to rain. Not just any rain, but the type of rain that instantly saturates the road and runs off in sheets.The gear we were wearing kept us dry... Except our gloves. We didn't switch to our waterproof ones before the rain started, and we didn't have any warning with the wall of water we rode into.Not a big deal though. I can handle wet hands, but soaked core is another thing altogether.After riding a bit more we decided to find someplace to camp. Pulling out the trusty Zumo we looked up some campgrounds and chose something in the Jefferson National Forest.But it wasn't there.No blaming the Zumo either... It was the campground list that I came up with.Next up was a KOA. This one did exist.Never having been at a KOA it was somewhat surprising as a dragon came by in a golf cart followed by a tractor-load of kids dressed in medieval garb. They are having a renaissance month now!We set things up in a secluded corner of the site and made dinner with some spaghetti and sauce we picked up at a gas station on the way over. Quite yummy.Then we went to the ice cream social. (!) And karaoke. (!!) Not something that we expect at a campground. Oh wait. It's a KampGround (tm).People out here are friendly folks. We chatted with an older couple from Indiana for a bit. They are a week into a three week trip visiting family and friends around here. That's what I want to do when I retire.Now it's just raining and we're holed up in our tent waiting for the weather to blow over again. I'm hoping to not have to put away a wet tent. But the sound of the rain on the tent for now is really soothing and making me sleepy.