Cold Outside, Warmth Inside

February 13, 2016 by LB

As it is where many of you live, it’s a wee bit chilly here in Southwest Virginia. The subfreezing temps with furiously whipping wind, provide the perfect excuse to stay inside, work on photography, catch up on my own blog, and with yours, too.

Sadly, the bike sits outside in the cold, waiting for the temperatures to rise.

Yesterday morning, instead of being in my office at 8:15, I had a meeting at Radford’s new locally owned coffee shop. Radford Coffee Company is located in an historic building, recently renovated by a favorite local developer, Joe Fortier.

The Company gives its profits to help in the education of over 1200 students in 14 communities along the Rio Coco, the river that is the boundary line between Nicaragua and Honduras.

The details of the renovation and the warmth inside the shop allow patrons to forget the chill for a little while.

The furniture and decorations include a curved church pew and a Whizzer Motorbike.

And on this particular day, a Radford mentoring program called CAMP was holding a fundraiser. CAMP “offers a chance for Radford’s kids to explore their community and to discover how many opportunities are out there just waiting for them”.

Soon enough, though, it was time to head to the office. With the warmth to sustain me, I stopped to take a shot of the cold, beautiful sky.

And at the end of the day? An opportunity to warm up with a little single malt scotch and time with a friend.

Stay warm, my friends.

The Stones

January 14, 2016 by LB

Did I have you fooled for a second?

My friend Amy and I spent last Friday night in an historic theatre in Pulaski County, Va. Originally built in 1911, the Pulaski Theatre has been renovated and now hosts a variety of events. We attended the Rolling Stone Tribute Show, and had an absolute blast.

Trying to snap a few shots, in a fairly dark theatre, while dancing, singing, and jumping around, was a challenge.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

Angie

You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

Satisfaction.

Supporting a local historic theatre, hearing music that you grew up with, and hanging out friends … what a fun evening!

Have any of you seen the Rolling Stones in concert?

Rockwood Manor

December 8, 2015 by LB

Every December, some friends of mine and I host a fundraiser to benefit local charities, and this year we held the event at Rockwood Manor.

Built in 1876, the home, now turned Bed and Breakfast, is simply stunning. I’d loved to have spent hours taking photos, but as I was working the fundraiser, I didn’t have as much time as I’d have liked.

The history section of the website notes that “the home was designed by architect Burkholder and built by contractor Pettijohn, who were both from Lynchburg, Va. Oversized brick with decorative slag were made on-site. The house boasts sixty-five extra-large windows, some with Jefferson-style openings that rise into the twelve-foot ceiling; seventeen fireplaces on five chimneys; ornate plaster work; and medallions. Outside over the windows is wrought iron on a tin metal box framework”

The perfect porch for sitting and sipping.

Parquet floors, made of alternating walnut and ash, add even more warmth and beauty.

The floating staircase

The Dining Room

The ceiling of the Sitting Room

Glasses waiting to be filled

Perhaps an old smoke house? I wish I’d had time to find out!

One of many historic items to be seen on the property.

Hopefully I can return at some point and learn more about the history of this treasured home.

Thank goodness the family knew it’s value and sought to restore rather than sell.

A New Milestone

July 14, 2015 by LB

It’s been two weeks since I’ve posted! Where did the time go? 🙂

Thankfully, in between closing down the old practice, opening the new, and campaigning for Delegate, I was still able to find a few moments with the camera.

This first photo is from Carson’s Courtyard, a little resting spot in downtown Radford, created with Community Development Block Grants.

On another day, I stopped by the American Legion Building. Built in 1928, the building has served as a temporary courthouse, Catholic church, daycare center, Radford Arsenal hiring office, dance hall, voter registration office, polling place, and home to Main Street Radford. The American Legion members have started a restoration drive to raise funds for this historic building.

On July 4th, I rode the motorcycle to visit a few of the communities in the 12th District.

One of three covered bridges in Giles County, the Sinking Creek Covered Bridge was built in 1916.

This next one was taken with my new Samsung Galaxy. Those of you who know me well, will realize that I have changed phones after 15 years as a Blackberry user. Not sure it was a good move yet …

The Newport Parade

was followed by the Blacksburg Parade,

and then it was back home to the City of Radford for music and fireworks.

A few days later, the campaign office was buzzing with the sound of volunteers and staffers working the phone bank.

So thankfully, despite the pace of life, I’m still finding moments to pull the bike over and enjoy the view.

Next Stop: Your Blogs!

Inside Keswick: The Pampering Continues

March 1, 2015 by LB

When you left us last, Jan and I were enjoying a bottle of champagne and yummy chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room by the incredibly attentive and caring staff of Keswick Hall. Restored and refreshed after our snowy ride to the resort, we set out to explore.

When I made the reservations, I did not realize that the Hall was originally a private residence. “The seventeen-room Villa Crawford, the north wing of Keswick Hall, with it’s original fireplaces, ornate ceiling molding, and grand staircase, was built in 1912”.

“Designed to resemble an Italian villa, the 8000 sq ft, two-story, stucco clad, slate roofed home originally cost $100,000”.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner in Fossett’s Restaurant,

and then wandered down to Treble, the wine cellar named after Thomas Jefferson’s use of the word:

“I have lived temperately….I double the doctor’s recommendation of a glass and a half of wine each day and even treble it with a friend.” – Thomas Jefferson

“The cellar features a glass entrance door framed with handmade wrought-iron gates and lanterns reminiscent of old-world European wine cellars that were kept– like prison cells or bank vaults– under lock and key. Two adjoining rooms offer both informal and more formal dining. You’re also surrounded by 600-700 labels, at least 5,000 bottles in all” (http://www.readthehook.com/89940/stellar-cellar-treble-it-over-keswick)

Treble is a wine lovers paradise,

and a photographers challenge.

Our nightcap in the Villa Crawford Bar, the original family dining room, was happily interrupted by the engagement announcement of one of the employees. We felt a part of the family and joined in on the celebration.

The staff of Keswick completely pampered us and their kindness and care added so much to the experience.

How’s this for a view while eating breakfast? Those of you who checked out Monochromia yesterday may recognize the two chairs off in the distance.

Here they are again from another angle.

The weekend was coming to an end and it was almost time to begin the journey home. In a couple days, I hope you’ll join me for one final post about Keswick.

Keswick Hall

February 28, 2015 by LB

The destination was Keswick Hall, a 100 year old resort just outside of Charlottesville, VA. The purpose was a long planned reunion with a dear friend from college. Jan has been a big part of my life through the years, and was instrumental in my recovery from the motorcycle accident.

The drive to get there? Near whiteout conditions (cell phone image)

I left early in the morning, hoping to beat the snow but instead spent almost 5 hours driving through it (the drive would normally take 2 1/2). It was certainly not the deepest or the worst, but driving through any snowstorm is challenging.

You know me though. I am nothing if not up for an adventure, and oh, how glad I am that we didn’t reschedule this 24 hour getaway to Keswick Hall.

“Built in 1912 as a gorgeous Italianate-style estate, the property was converted to a country club in 1948, and restored in the early 1990s as part of the world-class hotel that now graces a most beautiful piece of Virginia countryside”.

Keswick, at least for us, is one of those once in a lifetime type places to visit.

An historic home, beautifully renovated, Keswick is a place where “guests feel as though they are visiting a grand country estate rather than a hotel”.

Our plan was to take a tour of 4 of the 30 wineries in the Charlottesville area, but once we arrived in safety, we decided to nestle in.

What an incredible place in which to ride out a snowstorm!

In the next post, I’ll share some indoor images of Keswick Hall.

Cheers to a fabulous reunion!

Pittsburgh: Come Walk with Me

October 29, 2014 by LB

During our six mile walk around Pittsburgh, in addition to enjoying the bridges and rivers, we were impressed with the mix of old and new, the historic and the modern. We stopped for a light lunch, and of course I had to taste a Pittsburgh pilsner, but otherwise we didn’t shop. We just looked, and walked, and marveled and exclaimed. It was a perfect day to explore.

Ruth pointed out that the leaves of the Honey Locust tree, which we saw all along the streets, are the colors of the sports teams of Pittsburgh.

The Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail complex, designed in 1883 by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson, and built between 1884-1888, is a beautiful historic building right in the middle of Pittsburgh’s downtown business district.

The P&LERR (Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad) terminal building, or the Landmarks Building, was constructed in 1900. This historic landmark, once a busy passenger station and hub of the P&LERR railroad, has been renovated and in now contains shops, restaurants, and is a wedding venue.

The interior was being set up for a wedding but we were allowed to take a quick look. The low light made for difficult spur of the moment photography, but wow! Isn’t it a beautiful room?

The Union Trust Building was erected in 1915–16 by industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The Flemish-Gothic structure’s original purpose was to serve as a shopping arcade. Known as the Union Arcade, it featured 240 shops and galleries. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This beautiful movie palace was a major theatre in Pittsburgh, opened originally as the Grand Theatre in 1918. Renamed Warner Theatre in 1930, it was used as a cinema through the 1980s, deteriorating all the while. The auditorium was demolished, and a two story shopping center named Warner Center was built on the site. The beautiful doors and a portion of the huge lobby have been retained.

The clubhouse of the Harvard, Yale, and Princeton Club of Allegheny is a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1894, the building originally contained 12 three-room apartments and served as workers’ row housing. Pittsburgh architect and club member Edward B. Lee (Harvard Class of 1899) was commissioned to transform the space into a private club, and after extensive renovation was re-opened in 1930. The courtyard reminded us of one that might be found in New Orleans, and had a quaint feel in the middle of the big city.

The Buhl Building is a historic commercial building in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Built in 1913, the building is faced with multi-colored terra cotta tiles. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The yellow honey locust trees look even better against those blue and cream tiles, don’t they?

Isn’t this pedestrian walk way, with water feature and lovely purple lights, wonderful? We came across this as we were walking near the Rachel Carson bridge (I think), but I was not able to find any information online about it.

One PNC Plaza is a high-rise office building located in the Central Business District. Constructed in 1972, and 30 stories high, it currently features the world’s largest green wall.

I sure hope you enjoyed this walking tour of downtown Pittsburgh. The information for this post was taken from Wikipedia and from a variety of Pittsburgh websites.

Next and final Pittsburgh post: Inclines and other sites in this fun city.

Little House in Shiloh

February 20, 2014 by LB

I’ve driven by these old cabins many times

and I’ve stopped to take photos before

but this time, the character of these old structures spoke to me.

and against the backdrop of snow, I couldn’t help but think of days gone by.

The Boars Head Inn

January 27, 2014 by LB

The Boars Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA, an historic hotel in the Blue Ridge Mountains, sits on the site of Terrell’s Ordinary, a modest inn where, during the 1700s, westward travelers stayed the night (these comments, and some of the next are taken from the Boars Head website).

By the 1960s, the Ordinary was but a memory and in its place was the quintessential Virginia Inn.

The heart of The Boar’s Head was built from the timbers of an abandoned gristmill along the banks of the Hardware River, which dated back to 1834.

I’m lucky enough to attend a quarterly Board Meeting for my Nurse Practitioner organization at the Boars Head, but this time, I met my parents and one of my sisters and stayed as an overnight guest as well.

Situated on over 570 acres, the Inn features beautifully renovated rooms, afternoon canapes in the tea room, and five course dining in the Old Mill Room (which showcases beams from that 150 year old grist mill).

We were still experiencing frigid temps while there, yet the geese on the frozen pond seemed to have adapted pretty well.

The sunrise reflecting off yet another frozen pond was an incredible way to start the day. I’m not sure when I’ve seen colors like this.

I spent several hours learning the new camera yesterday, but that was after my time at the Boars Head Inn. I look forward to applying some of what I have learned on my next trip back to Charlottesville.

Consider stopping in for a visit if you are near Charlottesville. You will not be disappointed!

Morning on Main Street

November 21, 2013 by LB

The sun was shining brightly on these historic buildings.

They just don’t make ’em like this anymore.

Ahh … the upside to early morning dental work!

Life on the Bike and other Fab Things

Whether it's one simple yet somehow perfect day or a dreamed about journey finally realized, I never want to forget the joy of the moment or how fortunate I am!

Category Archives: Historic Buildings

Cold Outside, Warmth Inside

The Stones

Rockwood Manor

A New Milestone

Inside Keswick: The Pampering Continues

Keswick Hall

Pittsburgh: Come Walk with Me

Little House in Shiloh

The Boars Head Inn

Morning on Main Street

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