Front Royal is about 65 miles west of Washington.  Since none of our group has been there for several years, we decided to take a drive into the District and get the feel of things.  We have an appointment for a tour at the White House on Wednesday, and want to be sure that we know where to park and how to get to the entrance on time.  Late arrivals do not get to make the tour.

We drove into the District, went to the Lincoln Memorial, and took pictures of the Jefferson Monument.

And, below a panoramic photograph of Thomas Jefferson

We hadn't planned to drive into Washington today, and since we were still tired fron the trip, decided to return to Front Royal.

We awoke early, checked out and continued our journey, driving for two hours or so before stopping for breakfast.  After breakfast, we continued our travel until arriving at our destination in Front Royal, Virginia at approximately 4:00 PM, our scheduled check-in time.

The unit which our friends had reserved was described as a two bedroom, 2 bath chalet which would accommodate six people with some degree of privacy.  It was small but quite nice, and since we would not be spending much awake time there, was more than satisfactory for our needs.

Observation After Arriving in Front Royal Virginia

We had made no particular plans to visit any attractions along the route between Port Charlotte and Front Royal, beginning our trip with only the arrival in Front Royal in mind.  We passed signs touting the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, several wineries, the Natural Bridge  and other attractions which, if traveling alone, we might have been inclined to investigate. 

Instead of traveling north along Interstate 81, we might hav chosen to drive up the more scenic route of the Royal Parkway which has it's northern terminus at Front Royal.

In a way, we made this trip similar to the way we lead our lives, concentrating on the beginning and now as we grow older, realize the we missed much on the journey. When traveling with a group, the choices to do certain things are rather restricted. The group does what the consensus wants, and when the consensus is silent, nothing happens. 

I had not really considered this when we made the plans some months ago,  I'm not sorry for the decision, but thankful for the lesson.