Road Trip in December - Virginia

Starting out in the dark to get the most highway behind me before the end of short winter day....and it was a frosty morning in the 20s.

By the time I got out of Washington DC metro area the sun was up but wasn't making much difference in the temperature. It actually was colder as I drove down the Interstate that runs parallel to Shenandoah National Park.

What can you tell about a state as you drive through on the Interstate? I noted rivers: Potomac, Shenandoah, James. There were signs about this still being part of the Chesapeake watershed. That caused me to think about where the water starts flowing to the Mississippi rather than the Chesapeake. 

Another perspective is the rest areas. Virginia's are Colonial style and are at least 30 years old. They have been renovated inside and, when I passed through, meticulously clean (always welcome on a road trip). There was a person - security or maintenance, not sure which - at each one. It was so cold that everyone scurried about their business as quickly as they could. I took a few pictures at each stop and continued on my way.