Last night (Friday/Saturday March 31/April 1), I canceled the mirror-making class at American University and decided to make my way up to Big Meadows along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, rather than to Savage Farm or Mickey Gordon or to Crockett. Reason? Three or four potential advantages came to mind:

• Higher altitude, thus less atmosphere to see through
• If it had been shielded, then there would be a lot less light pollution and skyglow from neighboring communities than any of the other places
• It has a much wider horizon, something like Crockett Park (and unlike Savage or MG)
• Since I have for several years maintained a section of one of the blue-blazed trails in the SNP, I have a pass which allows me free entrance to the park (normally $10) (sorry, not transferable)

• Seeing and transparency were good; I did not bother to make calculations on limiting visual magnitude, but the Beehive was a very obvious naked-eye object even with my bad eyesight, and the stars in Coma Berenices were easily visible. Much better than anything I recall at any of the other locations, ever. The altitude at Big Meadows is approx. 3500 ft, give or take 100 or so, if I remember correctly.
• The obnoxious light next to the filling station has, yes indeed, been shielded. Hurrah! Unfortunately, the obnoxious Pepsi machine right next to it is NOT shielded, and it casts its rays all over the meadow. You wouldn't think that would be a problem, but it has a translucent front with lights inside.  However, it would be easy to rig up a tarpaulin or some black garbage bags over this to solve this problem, along with a note explaining to all and sundry the purpose. I attempted to unplug the sucker, but the outlet is in an electrical box right behind the machine, and all my leverage with various pieces of wood was unsuccessful at budging the machine more than an inch, so I was unable to find the leverage to unplug it. I thought about cutting the wire, but decided that would be very unwise for a number of reasons.  I think the soda machine must weigh over 1000 lbs. I did surprise a very cute mouse, however, who was (I think) living in said electrical box. I did not have materials to cover the front of the machine with. A park ranger came and investigated my car with a very bright flashlight as I was trying to see if I could unplug the machine. I explained the problem, and he said he would prefer that I not unplug the machine anyway. (It had a sign saying "Out of order" but the light was still on -- go figure.)
• Other than the occasional driver who decided to cast the rays of his headlights onto the field, and the aforementioned Pepsi machine, there was indeed MUCH less light pollution or sky glow than I recall at any other nearby location, even including Sky Meadows. A small light dome from Luray, but very little. But those headlights can be a nightmare, especially when camping season begins in earnest (last night was the first night of operation for Big Meadows campground) -- at least until the small belt of trees next to the Drive begins to grow their leaves. The belt of trees was planted, or allowed to grow, I assume, so that motorists would not be able to drive their cars onto Big Meadows proper and scare all the cute little deer and so on. [On the way, as I looked out over the horizon at "overlooks" on the Skyline Drive, I noticed a lot of haze to the north along the Blue Ridge, brilliantly illuminated from below by developers, car lots, gas stations and so on. Question to those who went to Savage: was that a problem? After all, Savage Farm is right on the Blue Ridge, about 100-300 yards from the Appalachian Trail, although at a much lower altitude than Big Meadows.]
• The horizon was very good. Not quite as wonderful as at Crockett, but very close to it, especially to the south. And no blasted airport light. I have seen Omega Centauri twice from Crockett in the late spring, but I have my doubts whether it would ever be visible from Big Meadows, even though BM is a bit farther south, because the bowl of the Meadows has a "lip" that comes up a few degrees from horizontal in that direction.
• Nobody was at the gate collecting money by the time I got there (about a quarter to 9), so I didn't get to show my pass anyway. That happens a lot if you get there late at Thornton Gap. But the north entrance gate at Front Royal has a mechanical fee-collector. Or it did last time I went by there.

• This is one heck of a long drive. Getting to the entrance to the park is one thing (about 30-40 minutes farther than Crockett from DC);  but then, on the Skyline Drive at a maximum legal speed of 25 mph (and maximum safe speed, if you want to live to a ripe old age and not hit Bambi or any of his sisters, cousins, or offspring, who love to hang out along the drive in the early morning and evening), it takes about another 40-45 minutes to reach Big Meadows.
• You cannot just pitch a tent on Big Meadows the way you can at Savage. I imagine nobody will say anything if you get tired and take a nap next to your scope and stuff, (nobody's ever said boo to me about it, so far) but camping on Big Meadows or anywhere in SNP within eyesight of a trail or road, except in a campground, is not allowed. Back-country camping is permitted, but you need to fill out a permit. Good news: the back-country camping permit is free. Bad news: you then have to find a site that is out of sight, or they can cite you. (And I bet I spelled that right, too.) Good news: finding your own campsight in the woods is actually a lot more fun, IMHO, than a regular campsight where you have to cope with hordes of folks who have not a clue as to what they are doing and who keep their mantle lanterns on all night, playing loud music until you complain and who build huge useless bonfires, causing smoke to get in your eyes. Plus, the regular campsites are about $20 to $25 a night,  plus a service fee.
• There is no way to prevent people with really bright white flashlights or high-beam headlights from coming near enough to rob you of your visual purple. On the other hand, if you publicize what you are doing at the campground and explain that they MUST turn their flashlights off or use a brown paper bag over it -- or offer some cheap red surveyor's tape -- you could easily get a number of interested parties to come by and look at stars for as long as you like. I've done that before up there.
• No camaraderie with other ATM'ers or amateur astronomers, unless you bring them along.
• It can get REEALLLY cold up there. I had Sorel boots with felt liners, 2 pairs of thick thermal socks inside that, long johns (not cotton), jeans, a thermal worker's one-piece overall (like a snowmobile suit), thermal hunting gloves, wool shirt, sweater, warm jacket, scarf, sheepskin Russian/Canadian hat, and I still got cold. There is virtually no way I could have worn more. But I forgot the chemical hand/feetwarmers.
• Since the drive was long and I had to work Friday, I was pretty tired when I got there. Jupiter and Saturn and M42 were already down. Found a number of  galaxies in Leo, Coma, and Virgo. Took a nap from about 1 to 4, when the cold woke me again, and I saw the summer Milky Way and the beauties of the constellations, globular clusters, star clouds, open clusters and such near the galactic center; looked at those until the sun began washing everything out. Cute waning crescent moon. Napped again. When I awoke again, the sun was up, just me and about 15 deer watching me haul everything back to the car.

One other advantage, for me at least: I happen to have a lot of family connections with Skyland and SNP. My great-great-great uncle was George Freeman Pollock, who set up the resort known as Skyland about 1890; both of my parents stayed at the resort a number of summers when they were little in the '20's and early '30's. Pollock was instrumental in getting the park established. (He died shortly before I was born; records reveal that he was compensated about $5,000 or so for his property when they established the park; others got much, much less.) Another uncle, Wally Dwyer, a really funny and nice old guy, was the postmaster at Skyland for a number of years. My sister got special permission to be married, a few years ago, at Skyland in the original cabin that belonged to Uncle George's wife before THEY got married. My late aunt spent her honeymoon at Skyland before it became a National Park. When I was young, my parents used to take me and my siblings on hikes up Old Rag and other popular trails every spring and summer. It's a wonderful place, and deserves appreciation.

All in all, and especially given the clouds we are having tonight, I think I made the right decision in going there last night. Anybody interested in coming along in the future?