A three day trip to Atlanta to see my son, with a brief stop in Greenville, SC, yielded many photos and wonderful memories.
This image is of a pre-civil war era building in Greenville. Only the shell remains and it is used as an event space.
I’ll be back to tell you about it soon, and to catch up on all of your adventures.
This gorgeous meadow is in a place called Deerfield, Virginia. I’d never been here before and I was taken aback by the beauty. I cannot wait to return on the bike.
I’ve returned from a three day trip, for business and pleasure, to four different localities around Virginia. Visits with my parents, and with friends, were wonderful, and the day long meeting, productive.
I look forward to popping over to your place for a visit later in the week.
As you view these images, I am off to see my parents for some Mother’s Day / Father’s Day celebrating.
Following that, I’ll participate in a Saturday Board Meeting for the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners.
Then I’ll get to spend the evening with a long time friend and fellow photographer.
And hopefully, all of that work and play will be followed by a belated birthday celebration with my sister.
These images were taken during an evening with friends last week. Life, and all it’s gifts and challenges, has prevented this group of women from gathering lately. On Friday, we finally got to sit around the fire, enjoy delicious food and drink, and the company of folks who know you well and love you despite your, shall we call them, less attractive, traits.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone! I’ll catch up with you when I get back.
A visitor to my blog might wonder where the name Life on the Bike came from considering that I haven’t written much about riding lately. Between the campaign and starting a new business, my 2015 time on the bike was limited.
2016 will be different! And in fact it already is.
Last weekend, I took at 500 mile ride to Virginia’s capital city of Richmond to have a reunion with friends. It’s about 250 miles to get there and for efficiency in time, I took the interstate. Bikers can often be heard to say “it’s the journey, not the destination” and sometimes that is true. Every now and then though, time is of the essence, and the interstate is the way to go. I was just glad to be on the bike. It was a beautiful day and I was a happy woman.
A quick stop on Afton Mountain, Virginia’s main passage across the Blue Ridge, offered a break for water, a handful of almonds, and a beautiful view. Meanwhile, my roommates from Old Dominion University were waiting on me, so I was off and riding again in no time.
I met Jan and Angie 38 years ago, and we have maintained contact in one form or another ever since. Isn’t it amazing how friendships can endure the test of time?
Soon enough, we were sitting on the porch of this lovely Richmond home, reveling in the fact that even though it had been many years since all three of us had been together, we were completely at home with one another.
It was a very late night, filled with lots of talk, laughter, and wine and I was glad that we didn’t have to do any driving (or riding).
While opportunities for photography were limited, this curved brick wall caught my eye.
The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious, homemade brunch,
and of course, made time for pictures!
Back roads carried me home to Radford, and while I didn’t have much time to stop for photography, something about this salt and pepper shaker made me bring out the camera. You know me!
So, sometimes it is about the destination, happily so.
If you need me this weekend, just head out on the highway.
Hope the next few days offer you the chance to do something that brings you joy.
On our last full day of fun in Sarasota, we were able to take another long walk on the beach,
followed by opportunities to explore some of the downtown architecture, Farmer’s Market, restaurants, and street activity.
We also visited the Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy, where “part of the mission is to collect and preserve work of artistic and whimsical importance. Our collection is bright and colorful. The artwork will lift your spirits and, hopefully, inspire creative expression”. It was a bright, sunny day, and these images do not do justice to the colorful, metal works.
Take my word for it, our spirits were definitely lifted!
Before I knew it, the time had come to fly home. What an incredible 3 days! I’m grateful to have friends who value this tradition as much as I do!
Thanks for coming along with me on the adventure!
After enjoying the water and wildlife of Lido Beach, we toured historic Spanish Point.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Spanish Point is an “old Florida oasis”. Many people think of Florida as Disney, Orlando, and beach front condominiums, but a walk through Spanish Point reveals what Florida was like before it became a tourist/ retirement destination.
There are four main elements to the overall story of Spanish Point: Prehistory, Pioneer, Palmer and Plants, and we enjoyed a walking tour through all of those elements. An archaeological record exists on the site from approximately 5,000 years of Florida prehistory.
I loved learning about Bertha Honore Palmer. “The Chicago socialite and widow of Potter Palmer came to Sarasota to establish a winter estate. She purchased thousands of acres for cattle ranching, citrus groves, and real estate development. She named her 350-acre estate “Osprey Point” and preserved the pioneer buildings and connected them with lavish formal gardens and lawns.
She also had vision, and she used her influence to elevate the status of women. She was quoted as saying that “women have no desire to be helpless and dependent. Having full use of their faculties, they rejoice in using them”.
photo credit HistoricSpanishPoint.org
Bertha Honoree Palmer also said “Freedom and justice for all are infinitely more to be desired than a pedestal for a few”. What a progressive woman!
The Guptill house, built in 1901 and originally rented to winter boarders, is now furnished to reflect the Florida pioneer era.
Mary’s Chapel was built in 1901 in memory of a young woman who died while staying at the winter resort. Mary’s parents provided the funding for the Chapel, and it’s six stained glass windows.
Those six stained glass windows were salvaged when the Chapel was reconstructed in 1986.
This Gumbo Limbo tree is known as the “tourist tree” because the bark is red and peeling like a sunburn.
Visitors to Spanish Point can “explore 30 historical, environmental, and archaeological acres at this irreplaceable outdoor museum on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey, Florida”. I urge you to visit if you are in the Sarasota area.
After all the walking and exploring, it was time for a cold beer, and where better to have one than in a Tiki Hut.
Mother Nature and the local birding wildlife offered a beautiful end of the day show!
Nest Post: Siesta Beach and the Museum of Art & Whimsy
We Interrupt the posts about 3 Days in Florida to remember an incredible time.
One year ago, a group of intrepid WordPress Bloggers met in Washington, DC.
Oh, what a time we had! And although most of us had never met in person, within moments we knew we were sisters of the heart.
The next day, we were joined by three more WP Bloggers, and the happiness grew.
And later that day, we met with another!
Oh what a time we had!
Stories were told, adventures were shared, laughter bubbled up and out, and love was abundant.
We traveled around in the big red truck,
and when we said goodbye at the train station in Lynchburg, the rain was a perfect metaphor.
Tears as we said goodbye, but many, many more tears of joy!
(Edit: this post was supposed to publish on the one year anniversary of the gathering, which will be April 3rd. Sigh … ALSO, the last photo was taken by either Pauline or Boomdee, yet it has my watermark. I apologize for both errors)
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Boomdeeada – Blogging About Life, Art, & Other Bits
Gardening Nirvana – Sharing My Life In and Out of the Garden
The Contented Crafter – A blog containing random thoughts, bits of life, creations from my art room and tales of a cat named Orlando and a puppy named Siddy
Arlingwords – Gardens, Food, and Local Pleasures
Visual Venturing – Because Everyone Likes Pictures
Displaced Beachbums – Exploring Washington, DC and Beyond
For the past 3 years, I’ve had the good fortune to travel to Florida in March. The snow and cold temperatures are left behind, and I am greeted by springtime on the gulf coast. Tons of color, cooling breezes, gorgeous horizons, and dear friends. The trip is never long enough, but 3 full days offers a welcome break from the routine.
I’m even getting comfortable with flying. Yes, as odd as it seems, the woman who rides a motorcycle has a tendency to be a bit nervous on a plane.
The first day in Florida found us enjoying delicious food at Columbia Restaurant, followed by a bit of shopping and walking.
The next morning, after coffee, yogurt, and fresh fruit by the pool (aka hot tub), we were walking Lido Beach.
The camera was rarely out of my hand!!
And thank goodness for that!
This little guy was hunkered down in a footprint.
And this guy seemed to be saying “what are you looking at?”
After a couple hours of walking, it was time to find lunch and to explore some local history.
Next Post: Spanish Point
On the way home from a weekend in Greensboro, NC, I made a quick stop at Pilot Mountain State Park.
I’d driven by this natural landmark hundreds of times, but had never stopped. Despite the chilly temps and overcast sky, it was a nice way to recognize the Spring Equinox.
“Rising abruptly more than 2,000 feet, Pilot Mountain has been a navigational landmark for centuries”.
Pilot Mountain is capped by two prominent pinnacles. Big Pinnacle, with walls of bare rock and a rounded top covered by vegetation, rises 1,400 feet above the valley floor, the knob jutting skyward more than 200 feet from its base.
The mountain is a remnant of the ancient Sauratown Mountains. To the native Saura Indians, the earliest known inhabitants of the region, Pilot Mountain was known as Jomeokee, the “Great Guide” or “Pilot.” It guided both Native Americans and early European hunters along a north-south path through the area.
The Redbuds are blooming! Visit these links if you’d like to see more images of the beautiful purple / pink blooms that are some of the first signs of spring.
The views were limited, yet still enchanting, on such an overcast day.
The park offers miles of trails, camping, and climbing, and since it’s only an hour and a half from home, I’m thinking it will make for an excellent destination for a spring bike ride.
Happy Spring Equinox!
Two weekends in a row spent traveling, bracketing full days in the office, leaves very little time for catching up with life, chores, and WordPress. I miss checking in on all of you and hearing about the interesting things that you are up to, and I’m hopeful that I’ll find some time this week to visit.
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 