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Tonight we go to our first baseball game at Camden Yards.  Baltimore Orioles against the Toronto Blue Jays.   We have arrived in Maryland and picked up a rental Astro Van.  The Roemer crew goes wild - the first normal car in over two weeks.  One child yells from the back, " Hey, now we can do drive throughs."  Phil feels like a race car driver.  Somehow getting in a car lifted all our spirits! 

We arrive at Camden Yards 2 1/2 hours early.   The ballpark is beautiful.   We arrive, eat dinner and go to our seats.  The game starts at 7:35 and the temperature is 105 degrees.  Wait it gets better.                                                                                   Fredricksberg,   VA  gas:  $ 1.10/ gallon

We've already seen lots of Virginia.  We headed out through Northern Virginia and out to the Skyline Drive which is suppose to be one of the prettiest in the nation.   First we stopped at Luray Caverns.   This is a huge underground Cavern owned by a private family in the form of a corporation.  They actually damaged some of the caverns in an effort to make them accessible for large tour groups and charge a lot for one!   They also have an antique car collection adjacent to the caverns.     Skyline Drive is down the summit of the Shennendoah Forest on the west side of Virginia.  It is gorgeous but a lot was fogged in while we where there.   We stopped at a great Lodge built for the National Park around the 1940's.   Very quaint and an excellent dinner menu!

We drove further into the Valley through what looked like a Norman Rockwell postcard.   The farmlands in this area are just like a postcard.  The sun was setting and there were many two story houses with the big front porches or the brick houses.   Lots of farm land and small towns.  We were heading for Verona and it was getting really dark - 2 hours to travel 65  miles.  The good old KOA signs are pointing us out into the middle of nowhere.  I'm thinking it almost 10 PM and well there is a Ramada if this doesn't work out.  We keep following the signs,  out of town town a long curvy road and walla a camp with 80 or more RVers!   By day this place is great,  river, bandstand for Saturday nights, huge gameroom and   and two pools - one for wading.  See below for a great summer day!    
                                     

                                                           CAMDEN YARDS

I tried to lighten this picture but at 110 degrees it just gets fuzzy.  This is behind the ballfield.  The warehouse is home to restaurants, offices and stores.

We all have to thank Mike for getting us tickets for our 5 games.   Go A's!

Here is the Roemer crew anxious waiting for their first game in weeks.  We miss baseball.   It nice to go to a game and not have to bring sweatshirts.  

The Orioles play a great game.  Mike Bordick made some great plays at short stop.   Cal Ripken played and got a clutch hit in the 9th.  The score is tied 3-3.

Game time temp 105 degrees!

Yes it is still almost 100 degrees, and the game goes into the 10th inning.  What were over 37,000 people doing sitting in 100 degree heat?  It was packed and a enthusiastic crowd.  

So a little after 11 PM,  the Blue Jays defeated the Orioles 4-3.   So ends our night of baseball.

Oh yes wait.   Will Clark is alive and well and playing in Baltimore and tonite ...  bench warming!

                                                    VIRGINIA OUTBACK

  Here is one of the stalagmites and stalactites in the 64 acres of the Luray Caverns.   Madeline had to go to the bathroom half way through the tour(1 hour total).  The young guide(in a blue Luray blazer)  walked with authority over to their call box and called for help. 

Soon after another young man appeared and whisked Madeline and Mom out of the depths of the caverns.  Whenever we would come to a tour group he would say "Out of the way,  stay to the right please."    We made it to the bathroom!   They were very professional!

This is one of the cars in Antique Car Museum.  There were 50 cars.  This is a 1927 Mercedes Benz.  It is a Four Place Sports Tourer Model SS.
It has 220 hp and goes up to 110 mph.  It was one of the fastest and heaviest sports and motor car of its time.

This picture is especially for Darryl.  It reminded us of him test driving his corvette!!  Go Darryl go!

This  a parlor in the Big Meadows Lodge.   We had a great dinner in the dining room.    Large stone fireplace on one side and a panoramic view of the valley on the other side.   This parlor had games and  those rocking chairs are in front of another panoramic window of the valley.    Basic accommodations with a TV room and taproom downstairs.

This is the sunset from one of the 20 or so overlooks on the Skyline Drive which is part of the National Park service.  It is a little foggy but it was still gorgeous.  As we drove down into the valley the night sky stayed red for more than an hour over those Virginia farms.

  Here are 6 rafters(minus Dad)  going down the Middle River.  Later Phil took another trip with just  Patrick,  Michelle and Will.  The river was slow and a little dirty at times.   Patrick and Dad actually saw a snake in the river on their trip down.  

Today was the first time we didn't' have to use air conditioning as the temperatures were in the 80's.

At the end of the run is this great waterfall.  It creates a rapid for the innertubes to shoot down.   We spent several hours going down this shoot! 

This is Michelle on her turn.

When Phil rafted down the river,  he decided to engineer a faster rapid.  He and the children built dams to funnel the water.  Here is a Roemer train doing a test run, Michelle, Patrick and Dad!


This was the perfect night.  We stayed until almost sunset.   One glass of wine for Mom and h'orduerves and pop for everyone else!

  A lot of the campgrounds we have seen a mix of groups - retired friends out exploring, families and full time members.  This camp had the highest ratio of families so far.