2025 Road Trip - Fort Chiswell RV Park, Max Meadows, VA

We’ve hit the road on our first big adventure with Coddiwomple (our trusty pickup), Cat (our cozy RV), and Rita, our ever-faithful travel companion. We rolled out of Belton on May 15, and we’re excited to share the journey—one stop at a time.

This blog will mostly fall into the Mile Marks – Feeding Our Wanderlust category, as entries will be organized by the places we stay in our home on wheels. However, I’ll also be sharing stories about the amazing people we meet, the beautiful places we explore, and, of course, the delicious food we find, cook, and enjoy. I hope you come along for the ride.

After days of navigating the constant motion of Washington, D.C.—its traffic, sirens, and crowded sidewalks—we slipped out of the city and into a quieter rhythm. As we crossed into Virginia, the landscape began to open up. Highways curved gently through rolling hills, and city skylines gave way to dense green forests and wide-open skies. The air felt lighter, the road less urgent.

We couldn’t help but admire the breathtaking layers of the landscape as we drove. Closest to us, the hillside rolled out in a vibrant, crisp green, dotted with grazing cattle like we see in magazines or on postcards. Just beyond, a mountain range rose up, its slopes dressed in a patchwork of spring greens—some bright and fresh, others deeper and shaded—showcasing the season’s full palette. In the distance, a soft mist hovered, gently blurring the boundary between the treetops and the sky, where blue stretched into white, and clouds floated like cottton.

One of the unexpected delights of this leg of our journey was discovering Virginia’s rest areas. These weren’t the typical quick-stop roadside pull-offs. Instead, they felt like intentional spaces to breathe. Spacious, impeccably clean, and beautifully maintained, each one offered shaded picnic tables scattered across grassy hillsides beneath tall trees. We found ourselves lingering longer than usual—stretching our legs, enjoying a snack, and taking in the serene views. It was the kind of pause that reminds you the journey itself is part of the destination.

As the road carried us farther into the Blue Ridge Mountains, we felt the noise of the city fall away behind us, replaced by birdsong, rustling leaves, and the soft hum of tires on pavement winding through nature. Virginia was welcoming us in her own quiet, gracious way.

Fort Chiswell RV Park is right off Interstate 81 in Max Meadows, VA.

Knowing we needed a break between DC and Pigeon Forge, we chose this site, right off our route, hoping for a quiet spot with clean laundry and bath house faciities, and we were not disappointed.

The park boasts full hookups with pull-through sites for easy in and out, has a heated swimming pool and immaculate bath and laundry facilities. Booking and checking in was a breeze.

The park is nestled between two Virginia hillsides and many of the spots offer cool shade.

We made a quick dinner from our camper freezer - fish, air-fried okra and baked potato, wishing we had time to explore: Virginia Tech is right down the road, as is West Wind Farm Vineyard and Winery and New River Trail, a 57-mile trail that parallels the New River and an abandoned railroad right-of-way that we really wanted to hike along.

The name Fort Chiswell comes from a frontier fort built in 1758 as an oupost during the French and Indian War.

Famous Fact about Max Meadows, population just over 500: James William Archer, born in 1932 in Max Meadows, VA, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played two seasons for the Kansas City Athletics. He threw left-handed and batted right.

Even though we made a quick stop here, if we are in the area, we will definitely be back for a longer stay.

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