Peaceful Autumn Weekend

“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.” -- Nathaniel Hawthorne

With Nathaniel Hawthorne, I completely agree. This past weekend was full of precious autumnal sunshine, and I took full advantage of it. Whenever I can escape the cares of life for a weekend, I head for the mountains. I enjoy the beauty, the peace, the quiet, the time to read and think and pray. 

I wasn't able to rent a bike and ride down the Creeper Trail this time because every single shuttle service was full for Saturday and Sunday. This has never happened to me before; I'm not sure if I waited too late to call, or if they just can't rent the same number of bikes during this abnormal time. I was not to be deterred though. I headed straight through Damascus and on to Wytheville. I was determined to find a way to enjoy the lovely October days. 

With the help of a really neat app, I found a place to hike in Wytheville that yielded a gorgeous view at the top. If you are someone who travels a great deal and loves to hike, I have the perfect app for you. It was recommended to me by my friends in San Diego when I went to California, and I have used it several times since then. It is called All Trails. You can plug in a place you are planning on going, or just search trails nearby. The app gives you directions to trails, the distance of each trail, rates the trails, and includes reviews from other hikers. Here's a glimpse at what All Trails picked up for me in Wytheville:

I headed straight there, with a small stop at a riverside park I noticed on the way. The trail is definitely moderate, due to the climb involved, but it is also definitely worth it when you see the view from the top. At least one reviewer suggested wearing hiking boots instead of tennis shoes. That was not an option for me, but I did see the value in the suggestion. The trail is extremely rocky, and some of those rocks are loose in the ground; ankle protection might not have been a bad thing. Below are pictures from the little park I found, views along High Rocks Trail, the view from the top, and my "activity info" when I got back to my car.

Obviously, I got a real workout. It felt so good to be outside, maskless, exercising, enjoying God's gorgeous creation. Even the drive back down the mountain, windows and sunroof open, made me smile. I made my way to my hotel, cleaned up, and got ready to go eat. On an impulse, I called the restaurant first and made a reservation. I was so glad that I did. They were extremely busy, and the hostess later told me that in the fall, they often have to ask people to wait up to an hour or even turn people completely away. Now you're wondering where I ate and if it was worth it. Yes!

I ate at Log House Restaurant. It is housed in a log cabin which was built in 1776. They use period furniture and decorations. There was even a fireplace near my table which was in use because of a nip in the air. The cuisine is American and delicious. One of the draws of the restaurant besides the ambiance and the yummy food is the outside area. There is a garden with a winding walkway which visitors are encouraged to visit. In the garden are doves and bunnies -- live ones! It was a lovely, interesting place to spend some time before my dinner. I also visited the adjoining gift shop and browsed around. If you are in the Wytheville area, I recommend this restaurant, but do call ahead. I have attached a link at the bottom of this page.

Steak, corn pudding, broccoli casserole

Kentucky Derby pie -- amazing!!!

After this, full and tired, I went back to my hotel and experienced Hallmark overload. (Note -- I have had no access to cable for almost 8 months, so this was allowed.) I spent the next day in and near Wytheville but will save that for another post.

Log House Restaurant

Wytheville, Virginia

Labor Day in Lynchburg

 "Down to Gehenna, or up to the Throne, he travels the fastest who travels alone." -- Rudyard Kipling

 

-- That being the case, on Labor Day morning, I hopped in my car alone and drove two hours north to Lynchburg, Virginia, one of my favorite little towns. The drive from Greensboro is along Highway 29 which is quickly becoming one of my preferred thoroughfares. It provides pleasant views, little traffic, and a satisfying pace. 

Labor Day was a pleasant day, not too hot, plenty of sun, and hours free from the stress and strain of socially-distanced, mask-wearing, hand-washing school. I began my journey anticipating a day of planned solitude, time alone with the Lord, a walk along a gorgeous trail, and unexpected surprises.

I always like to stop about 10 miles outside of Lynchburg at an antique mall in Rustburg, Virginia. It sits at an intersection right on Highway 29 and is convenient entering and exiting. The name of the establishment is Circle A Antiques, and it is filled with the wares of many antique owners. The walkways inside meander through various rooms, between stacked shelves and display cases, and up a rickety staircase to additional hidden treasures on the second floor. The owner allowed me to take pictures to share here, which I have done below. I was thrilled on this visit to find an old hymnal, something I have been searching Amazon for and was happier to purchase from this store. If you love to spend time wandering among old books, toys, games, lunchboxes, dishware, and jewelry, Circle A Antiques is the place for you!

After an enjoyable 45 minutes at Circle A, I continued on my way to Lynchburg. My destination this time was the trail that goes along beside the James River and across to Percival Island. It is a lovely walk through the woods, along the river, and across bridges. I find it relaxing and rejuvenating at the the same time. Getting to the area is a very simple process involving an exit off of 29 and a couple of turns. Parking is safe and plentiful.

There are several restaurants very near the trail area, but I chose to bring my own lunch this time. I ate and read my book on a bench before beginning my walk. There were people going and coming, many on bikes which got me curious. I saw a shop across the street called Bikes Unlimited and looked it up online. Sure enough, they rent bicycles! That is already on my list for my next visit. It always takes me too long too walk the entire trail and back; on a bike I will be able to go to the end before turning around!

After my reading - lunch, I started my walk. The trail is paved and wide, which is a good thing with so many bikers taking advantage of the pretty day. It is flat and easy to walk. There are some smaller dirt paths which jut off to the side and end up closer to the river if that is something that interests you. I usually choose to walk the dirt paths on my way back for a change of scenery. Below are my views of and from the trail.

After walking about 4 miles, I was ready for my drive back to Greensboro. I returned home in time to make dinner for Kathryn and Saber and enjoy an evening with them. Lynchburg is really so close and easy to get to!

 I had such a lovely day. I am already planning to return, possibly for the weekend. There are a couple of hotels overlooking the river quite close by. I can't wait to rent a bike and ride the entire trail. I have been to one of the nearby restaurants in the past and would love to revisit that one and try one of the others which are sprinkled around the old-town area beside the river. 

Laura

“For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather; to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands." -- Christina Rossetti

My sister was five years younger than I. For many years that seemed like a huge gap. She was the baby of the family, and I was often jealous of her, though I still loved her deeply. She was precocious for sure. She was a one-of-a kind individual, and we never knew what she would be into next.

When she was little and just beginning to talk, she was like our free home-entertainment system. Someone in the family would just say a word, and then she would start talking. Sometimes it made sense, sometimes it didn't. It didn't matter. She could talk forever about that one word, or at least until we threw out a new word. As she grew older, she was able to sing a song that went with any word or situation that drew her attention. This was sometimes entertaining and sometimes, like on long car trips, very irritating. Another special gift she possessed was the ability to come up with an applicable movie/tv quote at a second's notice. This particular gift brought me hours of entertainment!

Naptime when she was young could often be a time of surprise and apprehension for my parents. Once she woke up from her nap with a comb rolled up in her long, fine hair all the way to her scalp. It took my mom forever to cut out each tooth of the comb without also cutting too much of Laura's hair. Another time she woke up with a metal washer on her finger. As she slept, her finger had swollen, and my parents could not remove the washer. As they discussed what should be done, my dad kept saying that they'd have to cut it off. Laura, thinking he meant her finger, would scream hysterically. They tried soap and water, lotion, oil. all to no avail. Upon someone's advice, they finally took her, crying maniacally, to the dentist! The dentist used his drill and cut the washer (not her finger) off quickly and carefully. Crisis averted. Naptime was always an adventure for Laura.

Laura seemed to get every sickness that came around. When she was four, she was ill with a terrible case of pneumonia. She was in the hospital for a long time, and for part of that time she hung perilously close to death. My parents were with her 24 hours a day, so my brother and I stayed with friends. It was an awful time for all of us. I was worried about my little sister, and I missed my mom dreadfully. It was the only time I remember losing my temper at school. (That was strange because I was known for losing my temper often at home.) It was a joyful time when she was at last well enough to come home, and our lives returned to normal. This bout with pneumonia left her very susceptible to future illnesses, and we were always hyper-aware of her picking up germs somewhere.

Laura, like most people, was a person of paradoxes. She was terrified of anyone dressed up as a character, like Santa Claus, Disney characters, or Chuck E. Cheese. This terror followed her even into middle school. I remember once when Laura visited me while I was in college. A group of us went to Chuck E. Cheese's for our after-cafeteria-dinner meal, and 8th grade Laura went along. Even at that age, she refused to go anywhere near that mouse! On the other hand, Laura's bravery was often quite evident. At 10 years old, she decided to get her ears pierced and jumped heroically into the chair; I was 15 and meekly followed along, petrified the entire time and close to passing out. I would never have gone through with it without her leading. Her amazing courage was also evident in her ability to perform wonderfully and with no outward fear at a very early age. She played piano for our uncle's wedding when she was only 11 years old, played in church every Sunday from middle school on, and was the star of every recital she was ever in.

The two of us shared a room for many years. Her messy nature did not always go well with my compulsively neat nature. I would get so frustrated when I would come in the room after school and find drawers halfway open and clothes or toys out of place. She also made herself at home with my stuff when I was at school. I still remember the broken Brady Bunch record and all the books that she wrote in, using her made-up cursive letters. On the other hand, I also remember having someone to snuggle up to in bed, someone to whisper with in the night, someone to read books to. Some of Laura's favorites were Mr. Pine's Mixed-Up Signs, The Fire Cat, and A Present for the Princess. The most special thing was having someone who shared the same experiences I had. We didn't just share a room;  we shared life.

Laura was always a source of joy, laughter, love, and entertainment. From her ability to recite certain television or movie passages to her amazing talent on the piano, she always seemed to be in performance mode. She loved making others laugh and loved laughing along with them. There was a softer side to her too. She never forgot a birthday or an anniversary and always put people before tasks. She could light up a room with her smile. My sister, though five years younger than I, was someone I have set my heart on emulating. She was and always will be my dearest friend.

Peaceful Weekend In Western North Carolina

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” -- John Lubbock

I recently took Kathryn and Saber on a much-needed, much-deserved long weekend away -- away from sewing masks until the middle of the night, away from standing on tired feet for hours on end helping customers and then cutting out masks, away from hours and hours of hard work and an unending attempt to power through this difficult financial time that our whole world is locked in. I chose as our destination the mountains, rivers and lakes of western North Carolina. We stayed in Flat Rock but visited Saluda and Hendersonville during our sojourn there.

Our hotel was Mill House Lodge in Flat Rock. (link below) The lodge was a collection of older buildings nestled around a lovely lawn and shimmering lake. The buildings, though older, were picturesque and well-maintained. Our room was on the second floor and had a balcony which faced the lake. We had a small suite with a sofa bed for me and a separate bedroom for them. We also had a fully-equipped kitchen and a table that was great for holding the puzzle we worked on over the weekend. Beside the lake sat some picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, a deck area, and canoes and pedal boats free for all to use. The lodge also had a pool with a cabana-type area and adequate seating around the pool. The whole place was the epitome of "peace" to me. I would go out on the balcony early each morning and just soak in the quiet and the essence of mountain air.  It rained a good deal while we were there, but even the rain could not detract from the utter peacefulness of this place.

We planned only a couple of excursions since the point of the trip was for the two hard workers to get some relaxation. Our first planned adventure was to go tubing on the Green River. I set it up with Living Waters Tubing. (link below) There are several tubing companies on the river, all in close proximity to each other. After reading the reviews, I chose Living Waters because they were highly recommended due to their kindness and customer interaction. We found those recommendations to be accurate. We did a 2 hour trip and loved all 120 minutes of it. Saber is not a swimmer, and Living Waters provided him with a life jacket. The Green River is not a lazy river and has several class 1 and 2 rapids along the way. I was a little worried about how Saber would handle it (as was his mother far away in Afghanistan) and insisted he wear the life-saving device. He handled the rapids and the river remarkably well and was ecstatic about the entire ride. He exclaimed that it was one of the best days he's had since he's been in the United States! I personally enjoyed the mindless floating parts better than the rock-riddled rapids, but those areas weren't too scary or anything. 

Our other excursion was not quite as exciting and was actually a little of a let-down to me. We went "gem mining" at Elijah Mountain Gem Mines. I realize were weren't actually gem mining and have participated in other rock-sifting situations before. I knew what to expect as far as that went. Elijah Mountain Gem Mining itself was a little disappointing. The build-up online was a little inflated. It was just a place on the side of the road near other buildings and houses. They had goats, a small store, and a little trail down to a brook out back. That was it. We did "find" some pretty rocks and plan to do some polishing up soon. What I found to be more fun was the Rudnick Nature Trail we found not too far from our gem mining location. This trail is maintained my UNC Asheville and meandered through trees, meadows, and near a creek. We walked about a mile in and then had to turn around when I kind of tore my finger open on a thorn. (It wasn't too bad, but those of you who know me know about my issue with blood. I had to get back to the car! No jeering from the sidelines; the fear of blood is real and scary!!!)

One of Kathryn's favorite parts of the trip was visiting several little shops. The two best were less than 1/2 a mile from our lodge. Her favorite of those two (and her favorite of the whole trip) was Dogwood. It was small but held the work of several artists, some fair trade merchandise, and many interesting items. Nearby was also The Wrinkled Egg. It was larger and a little more touristy. I got a couple of journals on sale there. We also visited some shops in Hendersonville. The problem there was that because of COVID, most of the downtown shops and restaurants are keeping shorter hours. We got there around 5 and barely had time to visit the stores. We went to Mast General Store and a couple other little places before everything shut down for the night. In Saluda we visited Thompson's Store which I found to be delightful. It was one of those old places where you can purchase your nails by the pound, your vegetables from a neighbor's garden, and grab some ice-cream on the way out. We also did a quick tour of the Saluda Train Museum. Saluda is famous for having the steepest gauge railroad line in US history.

We also did some eating on this trip. The Flat Rock Village Bakery was a short walk away, and I took full advantage of that place. It was awesome. Make sure you get there early because they sell out fast. We also ate at the Campfire Grill in Flat Rock, as well as the Flat Rock Wood Room where I ate on my last trip. In Hendersonville we ate at Mezzaluna because it was about the only thing open. My favorite meal was in Saluda. We ate at The Purple Onion, and it was delicious. Eating in their outdoor area made it even more enjoyable. The meal was made even better by the lovely surroundings.

The 3 above are from Campfire Grill.

These two are from The Purple Onion. The first was scrumptious crab dip. We dug in immediately as we were starving after tubing. It looked as good as it tasted, take my word for it.

One example of a pastry from the bakery. This was a almond fig pinwheel. It was good, but the chocolate bearclaw (not pictured because of speedy consumption while walking) was amazing!

Overall, this was a wonderful trip. Saber and I even got to see a quirky weird truck on the drive back. (Kathryn was, of course, asleep.) We had fun. We relaxed. We took a boat ride and laid by the pool. We watched mindless television. We shared enjoyable times that will now become enjoyable memories that we can look back on together. We rested but were not idle. I highly recommend it!

A look at the strange truck on the interstate coming home. The top of the cab and hood were covered with small plastic toys!

Links:
Mill House Lodge, Flat Rock

Living Waters Tubing, Saluda

Dogwood, Flat Rock

The Wrinkled Egg, Flat Rock

Village Bakery, Flat Rock

Purple Onion, Saluda