For something different, we booked Thanksgiving weekend 2011 at Skyland Resort, a lodge located along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The nearest identifiable town is Luray, Virginia. This was the end of the season at the lodge, but we had a great time in unseasonably warm and sunny weather, getting in several hikes and some photography in this area of rugged tree-covered mountain ridges.

Besides enjoying food and live music at the lodge, we also enjoyed several short but occasionally strenuous hikes on nearby trails and explored a portion of Skyline Drive, taking photographs at some of the overlooks along the drive.

We had enough fun to decide to repeat a visit in 2012!