Reporting from Hungry Mother State Park in ToRnADo Alley

Thursday through Saturday

Hungry Mother State Park

Back on the road again.

Whoo Hoo!

Here’s Winnona leaving the farm

which of course

has a brand new furnace

FINALLY.  J

And leaving our hidden valley....

We pulled into the Hungry Mother State Park

outside of Marion Virginia

on Thursday late afternoon

and got set up in Site #3 in Campground B.

No reservations necessary at this time of year. 

But it was getting dark when we went to choose a site

and we didn’t notice

the one spot left on the creek

until the next morning

when we went to register. 

Not worth it to move we decided.

So we’re a row back from the water
but still plenty close.

 

It’s one of the most beautiful state parks in Virginia

but sure has a sad sounding name.

Legend (Mind you I said LEGEND) has it

that when the Native Americans destroyed several

settlements on the New River south of the park,

Molly Marley and her small child were among the survivors

taken to the raiders’ base north of the park.

They eventually escaped,

wandering through the wilderness eating berries.

Molly finally collapsed, and her child wandered down a creek

until the child found help.

The only words the child could utter were

"Hungry Mother."

The search party arrived at the foot of the mountain

where Molly collapsed to find the child's mother dead.

Today that mountain is Molly’s Knob,

and the stream is Hungry Mother Creek.

Much of the land for Hungry Mother

was donated by local landowners

to develop a new state park in Smyth County

on Hungry Mother Creek.

The park is one of six original

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

parks in Virginia that opened in June 1936.

The log buildings and stone work are just wonderful.

We’re having fabulous luck with the weather. 

It didn’t start raining until after dark on Thursday.

On Friday we got out for a hike in the morning

on the Stone Lick Trail

before the rain started again.

Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera

and David took only pictures of the lichen and mosses

he saw on the ground. 

You can let me know if you want to see those.  

J

Just after we got back

and were getting ready to prepare breakfast for lunch J, 

it began to rain again.  

Once we'd eaten, David decided
he probably should finish the taxes

so he wouldn’t have it hanging over his head at the rally.

The rain  stopped after an hour or so

but he was deep in it by then

 

so I took a hike up to the lodge

which was also built in the 30’s

by the Civilian Conservation Corps and sleeps 15. 

Great for a week-end with friends around the huge stone fireplace

or perhaps a smallish family reunion.

 

Then I walked  around CCC Cabin Road

to Cabin #4

where we had stayed several times in the past

with our daughter and a friend she brought with her.

 

Rain started again after dark and although weather.com

says rain all day today, we haven’t seen any. 

Cloudy but the temperature is perfect. 

We went for a 4.5 mile run around most of the 6 mile Lake Trail

this morning and walked the rest. 

Another beautiful hike!

There were quite a few wildflowers just beginning to bloom

spring beauty, trillium, black cohash,

rue anemone, spice bush and others

Sadly, I have no pictures of those since I

 don’t run with a camera. 

I did go back to the

trail’s end/beginning and get

shots of the trail head and the end of our walk out.

 

We’ve loved being here and wish we could have stayed at

least ten days so we could do one trail a day AND

have time to kayak in the lake.

But the rally beckons.

I have 3 favorite State Parks in Virginia.   

1^st is False Cape. 

Right on the ocean

but only available to backpackers

It is actually very nice to be in a park

with NO motor vehicles at all.

The 2^nd two, Hungry Mother and First Landing ,

I would recommend for RVs

although I don’t think either park takes rigs over 35’.

 

This was a serious consideration for us

in choosing our Winnebago Brave. 

She’s big enough

for us to live in

but small enough

to go to the National and State Parks we love. 

.   

Check these parks out when you are in Virginia.

Even if you can’t camp there, they are great to visit.

But if you are 35’ or less, I cannot recommend

camping at Hungry Mother highly enough to you.  

$25 a night for water and electric in a gorgeous setting. 

Dump station easily available.

Off tomorrow to River Plantation in Tennessee and the RV Dreams Rally!!

Hope you’ll be there too!!!

PS Just as I was hurrying to finish composing

this (sitting in my lounge chair

on the patio)
 with the thunder  

BOOMING 

but before I could post it,

the rain started again

and within 5 minutes

a policeman came to tell us

there was a

tornado

warning (not watch, warning).

 So off we went to the bathhouse.  

So much for my good weather statement above

All that was nearly 6 hours ago. 

Everything has turned out fine.

And we are very thankful!