We departed South Carolina promptly at 7:00 am this morning on the heels of an even earlier breakfast at the hotel.  For me the repast was oatmeal and an English muffin slathered in butter and Jiffy peanut butter. My partner opted for more traditional fare of scrambled eggs, sausage patties and an English muffin.

The highway connection from the hotel to Interstate 95 was exceedingly convenient. We were en route and in full gear within moments of leaving the hotel parking lot. Everything about our stay in Lumberton, SC had been ideal. The positivity was reflected in the drive that followed.

Passing northward through North Carolina and Virginia (pointing directly through Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York to Ottawa), it is soon evident that one traverses a stunning mountain range and picturesque valley. It is the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley. In springtime the vistas are delightful, a warming pulse in an erstwhile chilly season. Perhaps because today was a Sunday we seemed to escape the usual congestion of vehicular and commercial traffic through the Shenandoah Valley.

Getting here to Harrisonburg, Virginia from Interstate 95 across Interstate 64 to Interstate 81 one encounters names such as Myrtle Beach, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Richmond. The atmosphere is fraught with colonial history. We favourably recalled our stay years ago at the Jefferson Hotel and our afternoon amble about the neighbourhood on a magnificent autumn day.

Because we arrived at the hotel desk so early in the afternoon today, we were obliged to linger in the lobby lounge for a  while before our suite was ready. A group of elderly women was congregated nearby, snacking and drinking. We never did determine what they were about.

This evening is dinner at the Ridge Room, the hotel’s rooftop bar and lounge.  It’s a spot we’ve regularly frequented. Another day of focus has been accomplished. Our pathway to home gradually decreases.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountain range. The Shenandoah Valley is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains.