Vacation pictures, Hoye-Crest MD (3)

These are from Hoye-Crest, MD and the road leading up to it. Hoye-Crest is the highest point in Maryland. We had some false leads on the map getting there and ended up in a field. But then we found it. You pull off the highway 219 just after leaving Maryland and you see a wooden sign the size of a license plate nailed to a tree that says "Highest Point in Maryland." Ditch the car, walk uphill over rocks for a mile and a half, wonder why you ever thought of this, and get to an excellent view. Oh, and trails marked "moderate" mean moderate for people who routinely hike. It's a good thing the other summits had parking and access roads, or this would have been our only stop. But for all that, it was gorgeous. We had a picnic lunch on the summit, and coming down was a lot easier than going up. Then we went on to Blackwater Falls.

Vacation pictures, Hoye-Crest MD (2)

Vacation pictures, Hoye-Crest MD

Vacation pictures, Blackwater Falls WV (2)

This is Blackwater Falls. We stopped here right after Hoye-Crest. There was probably more to the park, but we were so tired that just the falls made us happy. The water actually is a red-brown-black color from the tannic acid the pine needles make.

Vacation pictures, Blackwater Falls WV

Vacation pictures, Seneca Rocks WV

Seneca Rocks we found by mistake on our way to Spruce Knob. There were actually people climbing on it. I also had a view of it from the highway, but I was too busy trying not to fly off into the gorge to notice. That was a steep, steep highway. We had lunch on a balcony to stop and look at the rocks before going on to Spruce Knob.

Vacation pictures, Spruce Knob WV (4)

So, this is Spruce Knob, WV. We went on Thursday. It was hard to pick just this many pictures, because it was just so gorgeous up there. And really, really hard to get to. We drove up a 12-mile access road that looked like goats would hesitate to use. But it was all worth it at the top.