Finally, I’ve done what I’ve promised myself for years -- spent a proper amount of time in the Shenandoah National Park. Like so many who live in Washington, I’ve driven the Skyline Drive, stopped and gazed at the exhilarating panorama of those layered Blue Ridge mountains, hiked those wonderful trails. But my acquaintance with this wilderness oasis on our doorstep has been either part of a trip further afield, or it’s meant making the dawn-dash out there, having a great outdoors day, with a weary drive home.

But this place demands more than a fleeting visit. And now, having done it, I can say without equivocation that you will love it! To fully appreciate this treasure of nature, to soak up its drama, calm and beauty, you really need to stay overnight. There’s nothing like getting up at first light, going outside to hear the full pitch of the dawn chorus, and sliding your bare feet through the dew-laden grass outside your cabin, room or tent. Then put your boots on and get that short hike in before breakfast and before the day-visitors start arriving.

Later, as they reluctantly get into the car to head back to the city, you can head in for a short siesta. Refreshed and ready to start the “day” again, find that never very far away boulder, or fallen tree, take a seat and watch the sun go down over some of America’s most magnificent scenery. A short stroll on winding footpaths, with the evening breeze rustling the trees, gets you to happy-hour, dinner, and conversation with strangers brought together by a happy bond -- that of having discovered the 24-hour joys of the Shenandoah from late March through November. Better still, get in a three-night stay and you will return home feeling as renewed and refreshed as having been on vacation for a week.

Getting back to a slower time
An essential element of this renewal is that the Park Service, in conjunction with Aramark (the company that provides the lodgings, catering) has gone out of its way to take overnight guests back to a slower time when life was not governed by communications. None of the overnight accommodations have phones, most have no television, and there is no wi-fi. And it’s tough to find a spot where a mobile connection can be made. While this may seem like horrorsville to some, to many others it’s a sheer delight. What a pleasure not to be surrounded by people gabbing away about how they’ve just arrived, it’s beautiful, they’re on a great hike, they’re in the middle of dinner and Virginia wine is surprisingly good, the stars are pretty, and all that sort of stuff that some just feel obsessively compelled to relate while experiencing it.

Once settled in the Park, it’s up to you to set the pace. Much of what you’re surrounded by can be taken advantage of under your own steam. This is an ultimate destination for those who are never happier than being on their own -- hiking, taking photographs, observing wildlife, scoping the night skies, or simply doing nothing, except soaking up nature at her very best. For others, there is an unobtrusive array of organized activities for all ages and levels of physical ability.

NPS Activities
Almost every day there’s a talk (often incorporating a short walk) by a Park Ranger about the history of the park, the volcanic eruptions that created the magnificent mountains, and the fauna, particularly the deer, birds of prey and the bears, that are the true inhabitants of the park. Many weekends have special events scheduled. Several are devoted to developing culinary skills, coupled with wine appreciation. In July there’s a photographic trek in search of the park’s colorful butterfly colony. This month (May) wild-flowers take center stage - with rangers revealing the blooming places of jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geranium, wood anemone, trillium, lady’s slipper, orchids, and many other flora, native to the woods and meadows of the Shenandoah.

A main feature is the regularly scheduled guided walks. These are the ideal way for those who have never hiked to be introduced to the ways and pleasures of the trail. They’re also great for the seasoned trail-hitter because the blindfolds get taken off as the guides point out the special aspects of history, geology, wildlife and nature that often go unspotted in unfamiliar territory. And if you’d love to discover those trails less traveled but are a bit nervous about doing it on your own, private guided hikes, for one person to groups, from a few hours to three day back-packing adventures, are easily arranged.

There are also special interest two-day packages that teach the basics of rock-climbing, rappelling, canoeing and spelunking. A particularly useful deal for that young teenager you’ve got in tow, whom you fear will drive you nuts when deprived of the ability to text. The excitement of bouncing down a cliff face, or crawling through a cave, will make them forget that hi-tech world they’ve left behind.

I balanced my stay at the Skyland Resort (which happily belies its name as there is no spa, golf-course, gym or general glitz) with a heady mix of outdoor pursuits, sightseeing and not doing much of anything. By arriving in the early afternoon, I had plenty of time for a short walk to explore the immediate woody surroundings, observe a family of deer quietly grazing in a glade, and take in an hour on the balcony absorbing all the silent “sounds” emanating from the vast valley beyond my room.

When distant lights started taking over from the glow of the setting sun, I dressed for dinner. In other words, I swopped shorts and boots for jeans and sandals. The uphill walk to the tap-room bar took just enough effort to make that first cocktail seem like a deserved reward. For those who don’t want to drive, and for whom the foot-path to food and drink might take too much out of them, the resort offers a shuttle service. Just use one of the nearby house phones to summon a lift, or make arrangements in reception ahead of time. As for the food, the menus, in the bar and dining-room, offered a good variety of high standard cuisine, featuring local produce and regional dishes.

The next morning I strolled half a mile to the stables and got in the saddle for the first time in 20 years. The one hour horse-ride reminded me that the back of a sturdy steed is a wonderful way to observe nature. Longer rides are also offered and you’re welcome to take your own horse into the Park, by prior arrangement, to roam the more than 150 mile horse trails. That afternoon a thick mist shrouded the Shenandoah’s fabulous views. My first inclination was to curl up with a book. But then I realized that the weather gave me an excuse to leave the park and do something else I’d never done: visit Luray Caverns. Frankly I’ve always been put off by the cost of admission. Now $19 is a hefty fee, but these glorious cathedrals of nature are worth every dime. I had no concept of how stupendously awesome this underground city of stalactites and stalagmites would be. The colors - from rich red to the palest champagne - were quite breathtaking. As for the shapes and contours and exquisite detail, this natural art must be some of the finest ever exposed.

The next day, the mist was still swirling eerily, but not enough to get in the way of a hike. Because it was spring and the streams were cascading, I followed the Whiteoak Canyon path, which after a gradual descent bursts onto a steep rocky trail that leads to six picturesque, pounding waterfalls.

Later that afternoon I again decided against not doing very much to drive the 10 miles to the Visitors’ Center, overlooking Big Meadows. I wasn’t totally convinced that this was a good idea. But I’d been told it was well worth sacrificing the outdoor time which turned out to be good advice. Pivotal to the center is the exhibition that tells the history of the park. Not the prettiest of stories, when you learn that 465 extremely unhappy families were pushed out of their Blue Ridge homesteads, to make way for the park’s boundaries. But what enormous thanks we give them now. There is no doubt that had the federal-forces of the 1930s not prevailed, ugly urban sprawl would now be blighting these mountains of many moods. The displaced population paid the price so future generations of city-dwellers had somewhere to escape to.

In 1936, at the opening ceremony, President Franklin D. Roosevelt predicted how vacations spent in the park would affect people: “...they will forget the rush and strain...for a short time the days will be good for their hearts and for their souls.”

A telling statement that’s stood the test of time.

If You Go
Drive: just over 90 miles, just under two hours.

Stay in the Park : from late March through Nov; midweek rates from $79 to $131; weekends and the Fall color season slightly more; some good “package deals” available; wide range of accommodations, on three lodging sites from suites & rooms, to cabins either fully furnished or with bare essentials; plus five campgrounds.