I had a perfect 👌 road trip figured out until things changed. ☔🔥

The rain got stronger in the forecast and the drought worse in West Viriginia 💦 — there is a fire ban in the Monongahela National Forest, making me think maybe I don’t want to camp in 40 degrees weather in October without a rip roaring fire 🔥 even with the heater and some cold beer and something good cooking in the camp oven 🍻. Then I was thinking about starting vacation in Allegheny National Forest and taking US 219 maybe on Tuesday to Canaan Heights (even if it means a night or two camping without a fire) but that’s a long trip out of the way, although both Maryland High Point and Mount Davis (Highest Point in PA) are on that way. Some of the neat old coal towns are along that way too, always fun to poke around after hoping off US 219. ⛏

But I want to get down to West Virignia by Monday at the latest, as I want to drive down to the New River Gorge on Tuesday. 🌉 So ain’t going to work necessarily well. So option 2 would be to first camp at County Bridge Campground in Pennsylvania, take Interstate 99 and US 220 and camp at Camp Run which is in the George Washington National Forest, which has had a little more rain and there is no campfire ban there.🔥🌧

But then it looks like Monday will be fairly wet, and I was a bit concerned about flooding on the road to Camp Run, as the campground is a ways above a Flood Control dam. Plus no radio or cellphone reception down there — so if I’m  But now I don’t think it’s going to be quite as wet, so that’s the route I’ll take. Worse comes to worse, I might get stuck there a few extra days, but it’s unlikely. 🏕 It’s probably the shortest route, then on Monday or Tuesday, I’ll drive to New River Gorge, stay there one or probably two nights, then head back north. And heck, I might take US 219 and end my vacation in the Allegheny National Forest — and hit Mount Davis and Hoye Crest up that way.

I don’t know,  I think I will choose the Allegheny National Forest option to start out the week.🌲🌲 I’ve been there a lot but not in the autumn for a number of years. Then I could decide either to go to West Virginia via the US 219 or head north to New York. There might be very good color in Allegany and Cattaragaus County this week, and beautiful weather to boot. Small game hunting opportunities too. I wouldn’t mind a nice autumn hike back to Zoar Valley, Allegany State Park, Little Rock City, Letchworth State Park, and maybe even the Finger Lakes.