Memorial Day Weekend – Skyline Drive (Hawksbill Gap to Point Overlook)
We spent the Memorial Day weekend in Virginia. On Saturday we drove the entire length of Skyline Drive (105 miles), from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap. In order to better showcase the photographs that I took along Skyline Drive, I have divided the drive into five areas:
Front Royal to Pass Mountain Overlook
Thornton Gap to Crescent Rock
Hawksbill Gap to Point Overlook
Bearfence to Simmons Gap
Loft Mountain Overlook to Rockfish Gap
This blog post highlights the portion of the drive identified as Hawksbill Gap to Point Overlook.
We ate lunch at the Big Meadows Wayside. The Wayside houses a full-service dining room with carryout service and offers a varied menu of regional favorites and contemporary food. Our entree choices were good; however, the hand-dipped blackberry ice cream was delicious! This was my first time eating blackberry ice cream. I hope it isn’t the last!
After lunch, we saw this Luna Moth! It was resting on the window ledge outside of the restaurant.
Hazeltop Ridge Overlook
The Point Overlook
My next Memorial Day Weekend blog post will highlight the portion of Skyline Drive that I have identified as Bearfence to Ivy Creek Overlook.
8 Responses to “Memorial Day Weekend – Skyline Drive (Hawksbill Gap to Point Overlook)”
Love all of the photos but that luna moth is my favorite. So beautiful.
I have never heard of or seen a Luna Moth. They are beautiful. Thanks for teaching this ol' gal something new. Great photos!!
Wonderful photos Linda, and very nice seeing it through your camera lens. I have never driven the whole Skyline Drive before but hope to one day. Also the restaurant you visited at Big Meadows is one we have been into many times before. I am going to have to try that ice-cream dish next time. Loved the Luna Moth too.
Beautiful pictures! The moth is so pretty! I have never seen one, so that was really cool to see.
Yep, gonna have to talk THE BOSS into driving up to Skyline Drive! I just can't get enough of these mountains.
Hi Linda, your layers of mountain colors are so clear and detailed, always my envy. The presence of that moth is a pleasant surprise, havent seen it in person!
Linda,I really enjoyed your series on Skyline Drive. Excellent photographs and narrative.I have only been on the segment from Front Royal to Thornton Gap once, and I have never been from Chester Gap to the end of the drive, but I wouldn't begin to venture a guess as to how many times I have been to Big Meadows. We usually go in at Thornton Gap and go as far south as Milam Gap or a bit further. When we go on multi-day trips during the whitetail rut in November, we stay down off of the drive near Elkton. Lodging is much more reasonable there than at the lodges and cabins in the park.I made my first trip in November of 1998 and have gone several days each year since then. I went nearly every weekend for a few summers, but then I got to seeing less deer in the meadow and photography got better at home, so I haven't went quite as much in recent times.
What a great capture of the Luna Moth! They are gorgeous!