Great shots of my boys

With a cell phone (camera) always handy, I take lots of pictures of my pets. Here recently I got some shots I'm particularly fond of.  They're worth sharing.

A basket of Cash

Ty the rock climber

Oliver's focused

Coopers Rock

Coopers Rock State Forest is a 12,747-acre recreational area in West Virginia. Its overlook offers spectacular views of the Cheat River Gorge, 1200 feet below. The place gets its name from a fugitive who hid out there (he was a cooper by trade). Much of Coopers Rock was developed by the Civilian Conservations Corps (CCC).

Entrance sign

Go left to get to the overlook

Spring house built by CCC

Ty and I went to Coopers Rock on a beautiful fall day. It took us about two hours to get there. Traveling west is usually pleasant, even on the interstates. I stopped a few times along the way to let Ty pee and stretch his legs. I got refreshments. We arrived about midday. My first stop was the visitor's center.

Main overlook

Cheat River Gorge

Ty at the overlook

Etched in stone

Sweeping across the gorge

1200 feet above the gorge

The iconic West Virginia swing

Almost Heaven West Virginia

Underneath the overlook, there is a network of massive sandstone cliffs, boulder fields, narrow crevices, and small cave-like rock shelters. Not sure what trail I was on (they weren't well marked), but we explored one of the "rock cities." We had the area to ourselves.

That's a big rock!

Layers of stone

A cave

Geology over time

Me and Ty

Looks like some kind of animal

Mossy

The most scenic area in Coopers Rock National Forest may have been the reservoir. I was disappointed that my foot pain prohibited me from hiking the Underlook and Raven Rock trails. I tried, but determined if wouldn't be good for my feet, especially my right foot. I might have fallen. So, I looked for a a hike that would be more permissible with my Plantar fasciitis. The Reservoir loop fit the bill. It was a 0.7 mile loop that encircled the reservoir. We met a botanist along the way.

Quiet and secluded 

2 to 3 acre reservoir

Just about every place along the loop offered spectacular views of the reservoir. Between the trees, grasses, water, and reflections, the colors were an absolute treat for the eyes. In another week or so, the reservoir would be even more breath-taking. I allowed Ty a quick dip into the water. He appreciated it.

So much vegetation

The resident fish

Vibrant colors

The dock

Up-close with a leaf

Reservoir Loop Trail

Ty at the reservoir

Skyline Drive

I don't think I'd ever driven Skyline Drive, even parts of it. Skyline Drive runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia).  Mom and I entered the park at the North Entrance (from Front Royal) and exited via Route 33 towards Harrisonburg. We covered 65.5 miles of the 105-mile scenic roadway. It was an incredible drive, aptly named, as it seems as if you are driving along the sky, looking down at the mountains. Pictures can't do it justice. I want to return in a few weeks to see the park in peak fall colors. The leaves were only starting to change at the higher elevations of the park.

Established 1935

We traveled 65.5 miles.

Jewell Hollow 

Crescent Rock Overlook

Blue Ridge Mountains

Rocky overlook

Mom enjoying the park

Established in 1935, Shenandoah National Park encompasses over 200,000 acres. It is mostly forested and has over 60 mountain peaks that rise above 3,000 feet. In Scotland, they would be called Munros. Elevation ranges from 535 feet near the North Entrance of the park, to 4,051 feet at Hawksbill Mountain. The park features 75 scenic overlooks. Mom probably thought I stopped at all of them. While there is much to explore deeper into the park, the scenic drive is something everyone can enjoy, including Mom.

Buck Hollow Overlook

Nature's Masterpiece

Pinnacles

73 scenic overlooks

The Point

Shenandoah National Park is known for its wildlife. It is home to more than 50 mammal species, including hundreds of black bears. Bird species number about 200, and there are many species of reptiles, amphibians, and fish that inhabit the park. I saw deer grazing alongside the road twice. There were a couple of turkeys that insisted on loitering in the middle of the road. One of the dead trees at one of the overlooks looked like a pig. Does that count? I'm sure you need to explore deeper into the park to see much wildlife, though random spottings do occur.

Wildlife in the visitor's center

Looks like a pig

Crescent Rock Overlook

Grandeur

Selfie at the park

Dead tree

Franklin Cliffs

Tree covered

National Park stamps - Oct 01 2026

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a foundational role in building the physical infrastructure of Shenandoah National Park (1933-1942). Over 6,500 young men lived in 10 to 12 CCC camps across the park. They constructed the famous 105-mile Skyline drive, built the stone walls and overlooks, and planted over 100,000 trees and shrubs. There wouldn't be a park without the CCC. The CCC was part of FDR's "New Deal" to provide jobs to unemployed young men during the Depression.

About the CCC camps

If the walls could talk

The Iron Mike stature honors the young men in the CCC.