Day 1: Chicago to Charlottesville, VA

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, I took an afternoon flight to Charlottesville, VA, arriving just before 5:00pm. After picking up my rental car from Enterprise, I made the drive to Luray, a small town near the entrance to Shenandoah National Park.

I checked into the Luray Caverns Motel-East, which turned out to be a great base for the weekend. Conveniently located along the main road through town, it was close to grocery stores and the famous Luray Caverns, while still being just a short drive from the park entrance. It was also affordable, costing $349.65 for three nights in April 2022. My room was quiet and clean, and the bed was comfortable.

After checking in, I drove over to Walmart to pick up supplies for the weekend, then headed back to the motel and went straight to bed to rest up for the next day’s hikes.