Road trips offer experiences that can go far beyond a carefully planned vacation. Last year’s trip to the Upper Peninsula led us to places we never would have considered. Ahh, the open road and its possibilities.

This summer was no different. Dave and I had never visited Acadia National Park—and now that we reside in the Mid-Atlantic, the trip seemed totally doable. We’d drive no more than 4 to 6 hours and include a mini-destination each day to explore. Twenty hours to Maine, in semi-spontaneous mode.

The first leg of the journey went pretty much as planned, and Natural Bridge State Park more than delivered.

*Hand-printed Wallpaper Panel by Jean-Julien Deltil, for Jean Zuber et Cie, Mulhouse, France, Virginia,1833. Purchased with funds provided by Lora M. Robins.*

Originally a sacred site for the Native American Monacans, this 215-foot-high natural arch has a storied past. Legend has it that George Washington carved his initials into the limestone as a young man. Thomas Jefferson, who purchased the land in 1774 for 20 shillings from King George III, called it "the most Sublime of nature’s works.” Prior to the Civil War, it rivaled Niagara Falls as a major tourist destination. Its beauty inspired author Herman Melville to include it in his epic tale of Moby-Dick:

“But soon the fore part of him slowly rose from the water; for an instant his whole marbleized body formed a high arch, like Virginia’s Natural Bridge...”

The land remained privately owned for around 250 years. In 1998, the bridge was listed as a National Historic Landmark, and in 2016, the Natural Bridge and surrounding parklands became a state park.

Dave and I took the popular Cedar Trail, an easy 2.1-mile trail that runs from the visitor center to directly under the arch and ends at Lace Falls. The 137 stairs we encountered also got our hearts pumping and our legs stretched.

We chose Harrisonburg, VA for the night—good old pet-friendly Hampton Inn. Unfortunately, I screwed up the reservation and ended up renegotiating amid a slew of milling seniors—slowly but surely gathering in the lobby. This place was definitely BOOKED for a reunion of sorts. Hey—happily, there’s more than one Hampton Inn in Harrisonburg.

A not-so-subliminal message from the road.

Next stop, Harper’s Ferry, WV.