I know, I know … snow can be an inconvenience, and yes, even dangerous.
Still, I just can’t help but love it!
It brings out the child in all of us (and boy, did it bring out the child in me and my friends last night – but that’s another story!).
The beauty of snow is almost overwhelming.
I’m sure you are thinking “why would she take pictures of an incinerator?”
As you can see, even an incinerator looks good in the morning sun. Actually it was the tall grasses, shining in the light that caught my eye.
I pass this old incinerator every morning. I know it is no longer used and that it was built in 1949. That’s about all I know.
I’ll have to see what else I can find about it!
This was my view while sitting at a stop light on a beautiful but chilly 32 degree January morning. A quick U turn and I was out of the truck and snapping away. The chill led to a bit of a shaky hand, but I still loved the light on the bell tower of Radford University’s new College of Business and Education building.
If you’ve read even a couple of my posts, you know that I frequently tout SWVA as a beautiful and fun place to live. Now, it’s not just me who is spreading the word! Thanks to my friend Brandon for sharing this article from Mens Health Magazine entitled 13 Places to Visit in 2013.
The world’s an endlessly vast place for exploration. And the more you travel, the more ground you realize you have yet to cover. With that in mind, here are a baker’s dozen of places—close, far, known, and relatively obscure—that you should visit in the coming year.
Guess what #12 is?
12. Southwest Virginia (woo hoo!)
It’s hard to beat the Blue Ridge mountains for watching the leaves change in the fall. The 12,000 acre Primland resort offers postcard views along with a wide range of activities, like tree climbing, geocaching, clay shooting hunting, and mountain biking. Drive south along to the crooked road music trail (stops include the Carter Family Fold, the home of Johnny Cash’s in-laws) to Abingdon, a scenic town with vineyards, breweries, theaters, and the 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail. Also of note, the Star Museum, which showcases an extensive rotating collection of movie memorabilia including a smoking jacket worn by Clark Gable.
When to go: October, to watch the leaves change.
http://news.menshealth.com/13-places-to-visit-in-2013/2012/12/27/
As you can see by the pictures, you don’t have to wait until October! It’s beautiful all year long.
Be sure to let me know when you’ll be visiting!!
I’m always grateful for time with friends … even more so when that time is spent in an early 20th Century farmhouse in Elk Creek, Virginia. Seven women, the cares of family, work and life left at home, gathered for a weekend in Grayson County.
Grayson County is in far Southwest Virginia and is the home to the Mt Rogers Recreation Area and the highest point in Virginia (5728 ft). The twisty, hilly road to our weekend getaway took us through the mountains and by thousands of acres of Christmas Tree Farms and pumpkin patches.
Our farmhouse (Shepherd’s Retreat ) was actually a Sears Home, built in 1909. Sears was one of the largest companies to sell mail order homes. “Entire homes would arrive by railroad, from pre-cut lumber, to carved staircases, down to the nails and varnish. Families picked out their houses according to their needs, tastes, and pocketbooks. Sears provided all the materials and instructions, and for many years the financing, for homeowners to build their own houses. Sears’s Modern Homes stand today as living monuments to the fine, enduring, and solid quality of Sears craftsmanship” (http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/history.htm).
While only an hour and a half from home, and 12 miles from the nearest gas station / small store, it was almost a step back in time. No cell phone, no internet, essentially no TV and definitely no college football!
The lack of technology was not a problem for this group of women. With no restaurants any where near by, delicious meals were prepared in a kitchen filled with light and the sounds of friendship.
Card games were played, and songs were sung. At times, the house echoed with laughter, talk and dancing; at other times, peace and quiet reigned as books were read, walks were taken and naps were indulged in.
The beauty of our surroundings had me reaching for my camera time and again.
(Ruth Babylon, the real photographer, took the last picture)
Frosty mornings ….
… led to gentle, warm sunny afternoons ….
… and gorgeous sunsets.
As the weekend came to an end, we felt grateful to share such treasured friendships. We were recharged and ready to get back to life outside the farmhouse. And isn’t that what friendship and freedom from the distractions of technology should do?
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.
An idea that started in 2003, the 300 mile route now includes ten counties, three cities, ten towns, five regional planning districts, four state agencies, two tourism organizations, and a large number of music venues. http://thecrookedroad.org/
The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum is a major venue along The Crooked Road and hosts the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival.
The Blue Ridge Folklife Festival has been an annual event for almost 40 years and is held on the campus of Ferrum College every fall http://www.blueridgefolklifefestival.org/. For various reasons, even though I have lived in the Appalachian Region for over 15 years, I was a first timer this year.
The Appalachian Region, as defined in ARC’s authorizing legislation, is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. Forty two percent of the area is rural, compared with twenty percent of the national population http://www.arc.gov/appalachian_region/TheAppalachianRegion.asp.
The folks who have long lived in Southwest Virginia are used to hearing the assumptions, misconceptions and distortions of life in Appalachia. Geographic isolation from more populated areas and poverty have led to the persistence of some of the stereotypes. Despite progress, Appalachia still does not enjoy the same economic vitality as the rest of the nation. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the region still battles economic distress, with concentrated areas of poverty, unemployment, poor access to healthcare, and educational disparities. But oh the beauty …
The region is rich in heritage and tradition and the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival celebrates it. Coordinated by The Blue Ridge Institute & Museum, “the festival features artisans, foods, and activities not found at typical craft shows, fairs, and festivals” http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/index.htm.
I encourage you to check out the links in this blog to learn more about the heritage, music and beauty of the region and if you’ve never visited this neck of the woods, I encourage you to do so. I think you’ll like what you see! http://www.visitappalachia.com/
It was quite the rainy morning, forcing me to change my plan to ride the bike. Of course, the rain was gone only twenty minutes down the road, and I did not see a drop the rest of the day.
Shooting Creek Road, which runs through the counties of Floyd and Franklin in Virginia,would have been a blast to ride on the bike! The road twists down through the mountain, crosses over the creek a few times, and not surprisingly, I found myself stopping frequently to take pictures (most of the previous pictures were taken along Shooting Creek Road).
By the time I got there, the grounds of Ferrum College and the Ferrum 1800 living history farm museum on both sides of State Route 40, were filled with spectators and participants – musicians, moonshiners, craftspeople, cooks, motorheads, mule jumpers, horse pullers, coon dog racers, antique tractor buffs, and old-time gamers.
There was so much to see and even though I stayed for more than 5 hours, I somehow missed the Mule Jumping (but did get to see the Sheep Herding). I wandered through the antique engine and tractor area,
watched molasses, apple butter and moonshine being made,
yarn was dyed using natural ingredients,
cornmeal was ground,
and crafters were hard at work.
Children played while musicians prepared to perform.
Judging by the crowds, some of the most popular events are those that include the Coon Dogs. I couldn’t get near enough to watch the dogs “treeing” the ‘coon, but I was able to photograph them as they waited their turn.
It was standing room only around the lake as folks prepared to watch the coon dog races. The dogs are enticed by the smell of the racoon and when the doors are opened, the dogs leap into the water and give chase.
Quite exciting!
Music is a big part of the Folklife Festival and features Bluegrass, Old Time, Gospel and Rockabilly performances on 3 different stages. One of the main reasons that I came to the festival was to hear my friends perform as the Dr. Pepper All Stars. Their show is a re-creation of a portion of a 1940s radio show featuring Roy Hall and the Blue Ridge Entertainers. The radio band played popular hillbilly tunes of the day and host “Cousin Irving” Sharp promoted Dr Pepper like it was snake oil. The Dr. Pepper All Stars also perform as The Java Brothers and gather with others at the Monday night Fiddle Jam at Radford’s River City Grill, an affiliated partner of The Crooked Road.
My friend, Ralph Berrier, Jr, in addition to heading up the Dr. Pepper All Stars, has written a book about Clayton and Saford Hall, his grandfather and great uncle. If Trouble Don’t Kill Me tells the story of a “vanishing yet exalted southern culture, and shares the devastating consequences of war, allowing the reader to experience the mountain voices that not only influenced the history of music but that also shaped the landscape of America”. The book is sold at various venues along The Crooked Road and is available for purchase on line as well (If Trouble Don’t Kill Me: A Family’s Story of Brotherhood, War and Bluegrass, 2010, http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Dont-Kill-Brotherhood-Bluegrass/dp/0307463060).
It was a full, fun day in Ferrum and even though I could have taken a quicker and much straighter route home, I chose to wind my way back up the mountain, enjoying the colors of fall and the beauty of this beautiful region that I call home.
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones (http://www.nicolemones.com/) offered the members of our book group an opportunity to venture out in search of an authentic Chinese meal. As we read our way through the book, most of us began dreaming about some of the foods that Ms. Mones had written about. She tantalized us with her descriptions of Pork Spare Ribs in Lotus Leaves, Eight Treasure Dongpo Pork, and Beggar’s Chicken. We originally thought we might make our own meal or bring Chinese Take Out to the discussion, but Karen and Janet suggested we seek out an authentic meal at a local Chinese restaurant.
Many large cities have restaurants that serve authentic Chinese food, but most Westerners are more used to American Chinese food. According to Mones, Chinese chefs find that “American tastes” dictate that “Chinese-style dishes be prepared with a limited range of pre-mixed sauces, usually no more than 5 – 7 per restaurant”. The “American taste” has “evolved into a cuisine whose flavors are always reliable and already well known to the Western diner” whereas “Chinese taste” means dishes are prepared from scratch, no two alike. American taste demands sameness; Chinese taste showcases diversity and complexity. (http://www.nicolemones.com/for-food-lovers/you-can-have-great-chinese-food/).
Many of us were enchanted by other aspects of Chinese cooking – the thought, history and theme put into each meal; the focus on community and companionship, and the freshness and texture of ingredients. Of our group, only two had traveled to China, and most of us had not had the opportunity to enjoy a truly authentic meal. In hopes of finding such a meal, we were referred to the owners of Charlie’s Chinese in downtown Christiansburg, a town with a population of 21,000 in Southwest Virginia.
Karen made the arrangements, noting that the owners were very excited that we wanted to partake of an authentic Chinese meal.
14 of us gathered around a large table, with a “lazy susan” in the middle.
First, some of us (me) had to learn how to use chopsticks.
Then we learned how to fill our pancakes.
We were served a large variety of dishes including Spring Rolls, Spicy Beef, Shrimp in Sweet Sauce, Chicken, Tofu, Duck, 5 Spice Soup, Crispy Garlic Green Beans, Bok Choy and a Whole Fish (bass).
Several members of the group took time to share their thoughts about the evening. Cindy commented that the sense of community and friendship that we enjoyed while sitting around a large table seemed consistent with what we had learned about Chinese tradition.
Janet noted that what seemed most authentic about the meal was that the fish was served as a whole and that the green beans and bok choy were each cooked as individual dishes, rather than marrying them with meats. Debbie enjoyed the family type gathering and especially liked watching our individual reactions to the dishes.
There was quite a variety of dishes and one less positive note was that they came out rapidly. Those present would have liked more opportunity to learn about each individual dish and to savor the different tastes and textures. As it was, the initial conversation with the owners had occurred just 5 days before the event with our final RSVP coming in one day ahead. Perhaps if we had given them more time to prepare or we had arrived earlier in the evening, the dishes would not have had to come to the table so quickly.
The joy and enthusiasm of our gracious host was another treat. Carol commented that she very much seemed to enjoy teaching us about Chinese food and she encouraged us many times to come again.
Several book group members wrote to tell me that they would indeed return again. Heather was glad to know that if she wanted to enjoy the delicious whole fish again she would need to call 5 hours ahead. The picture below shows the remains of a lovely meal and evening.
Karen thought the book was a wonderful look into the Chinese culture through its food, while Molly enjoyed the parts that were set in the past, particularly the letters written by the relatives of the characters in the book. I enjoyed reading about the history of cooking and the excerpts from the fictional 1925 culinary masterpiece, also called The Last Chinese Chef.
NPR Weekend Edition’s Liane Hanson noted that the book explores “Chinese culinary history, language and tantalizing descriptions of fine cuisine” and that “Mones shows how food can both nourish the body and the soul. Her extensive research takes readers into the philosophy and artistic ambitions of Chinese cuisine – and leaves them hungry for recipes”. While the plot may have been predictable, the read was a pleasure for the majority of book group members.
Nicole Mones notes that in order to find great Chinese food, “start with the restaurant in your town that attracts the most Chinese diners, however small that population”. Then “use your human skills to communicate that you are genuine about wanting food that has Chinese taste not American taste”. She quotes Chef Henry Chang: “to get a good meal, be willing to try something new”. While the meal may have been more to American taste than Chinese taste, several members of our group, myself included, were able to experience new foods or foods prepared differently.
Considering that, I believe we followed the counsel of Chef Chang.
Southwest Virginia … home of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the larger Appalachian mountain range, and also of the New River, considered to be the oldest river on the North American continent. My current home in the City of Radford (http://www.radford.va.us/) is located in the New River Valley.
On any given day, I travel down roads that, especially during this time of year, are arguably some of the prettiest around.
In the summer, my friends and I kayak along this stretch of the New. During this time of year, I scramble down the river bank to shoot the old train trestle against the backdrop of the evening light and the changing leaves.
While visiting friends to drop off fresh baked bread or cookies, I’m rewarded by the beauty that I see outside their homes.
The ride to work takes longer than it should during the fall as I stop multiple times to capture the scenery. The first picture was taken from my office parking lot, while the next is the view over the houses near Radford University (http://www.radford.edu/).
The taste of a microbrew at The River Company (http://www.therivercompanyrestaurant.com/) across the New River is even better when this is what I see from the deck.
This gorgeous oak stops me on my way down to Main Street …
… while this is the view that greets me as I drive home from work in the evening.
Sure, there are things that I miss by living in the rural part of Virginia (restaurant diversity for example), but views like this one taken from Attimo Winery (http://www.attimowinery.com/) sure help to make up for it!
Well, that’s what I call them, anyway.
Becoming a biker has introduced me to many things – pure joy and lots of thrills, little towns and bigger cities, curvy country roads and long straight interstates, and some really great folks. I’ve met and gotten to ride with many people, several that I now hold dear. Life would not be near as much fun or as meaningful without them.
Dave and Michael are two of my favorites.
I call them my guys, but they haven’t given me permission to call them that. I call them that because they’ve been my mentors and my companions on many rides in my short history of riding. They’ve each been riding for over 30 years; I’ve been riding on my own for 3; they’ve each got well over 100,000 miles under their belts; I’ve got 15,000.
They may not actually LIKE to be called my guys (I haven’t even asked them), but in my heart and in my mind, that is what they are. They teach me and are patient with me; they laugh with me and tease the hell out of me. I would follow them just about anywhere, knowing that all will be well and as safe as can be, and we’ll always have a whole lot of fun.
Michael introduced me to riding in December of 2007, and I met Dave and his wonderful wife Martha, another biker and a woman I adore, soon after.
Many of the miles I’ve ridden have been accumulated when following these guys, and the order is almost always Dave, then Michael, then me. Sure we ride with others, and they ride a whole helluva lot without me, but I can usually count on them wanting to ride when I do. They are used to getting an “I want to ride” text from me on any given weekend morning … even on a beautiful, 40 degree winter day.
I get to see beautiful parts of Southwest Virginia, as Dave knows every road and never gets lost …
… and Michael knows every biker and has never met a stranger.
They put up with requests for group photos and then they laugh at me as I race to get into the picture before the timer goes off.
A friend gave me a special camera strap (it has been dubbed the “magic strap”) so that I can wear the camera while riding and can quickly stop to take pictures without getting off the bike. I focus on the shot while the guys ride out of view but I never have to worry as they are always waiting at the next intersection. Thankfully, those waits having gotten shorter as I have gained confidence and nowadays they don’t have to wait as long because I’m usually right there with them … then again, maybe they’re just being nice.
Can you see their expressions? “Come on LD, hurry up and take the picture”.
I can and do ride with others. I enjoy a big group ride and solo rides as well. But I just love riding with these guys and I am so glad that they’ve welcomed such a novice rider into their biker world.
I never miss out on a chance to hit the road and love it when I get to do it with them.
Disclaimer: This post is not intended to show favoritism for one event style or another, nor is it to make fun of the people who choose to attend one event over the other. This is all about fun and is a lighthearted comparison of the Fair and FloydFest.
It is also not a journal of my time at FloydFest (which was amazing!). I have become a fan of Michael Franti and his way of thinking and living: http://michaelfranti.com/. What a great experience this festival was!
Now … on with the post!
I certainly never intended to spend so many years living in southwest Virginia. Even still, I sure do have a good time here.
For much of my life, I have dreamed of living out west and anyone who knows me has heard me talk about my love for northern Idaho and western Montana. While not perfect, and we all know there is no perfect place, this part of Virginia has an abundance of beautiful natural areas to explore and I surely can’t complain about my 8 minute, traffic free commute.
But what about the culture, people often ask. How do you manage without the shopping, the nightlife, the restaurants, the culture? I do admit to wishing for more diversity in restaurants. It gets tiring choosing from the same places time and time again, and because of that, it’s a rare thing to find me eating in a chain restaurant when I leave SWVA. Shopping I can do online or when I travel to more urban areas, and nightlife, in my opinion, is what you make of the places and the friends that surround you.
For example, I loved the pub crawl through Roanoke with Ruth and Ralph this past Friday. We were able to walk from one place to the next, exploring the revitalization of Kirk Ave and the Patrick Henry Hotel, while at the same time soaking up the beer, food and music of this small SWVA city.
First Stop: Blue Five Second Stop: Martin’s Bar and Grill
The Penny Deux Lounge in the Patrick Henry was the Third Stop, followed by Fork in the Market, the final stop
Friends would come and go as we walked from one place to the next and I had a great time meeting new people and enjoying new experiences. Yes, I had to drive 45 minutes to get to Radford when the crawl was done, but the significant amount of water I drank before heading home assured that I arrived safely.
So what does a Roanoke Pub Crawl have to do with the NRV Fair and FloydFest? Nothing really, but since I’m writing about culture in this part of the state, I decided to mention it.
So last Wednesday, I went with friends to the New River Valley Fair to play Bingo and to experience the sites and sounds of the county fair in Pulaski (I never did play bingo).
Then yesterday, I spent the day with friends in Floyd County at FloydFest 11, an outdoor music festival that features roots and progressive music from around the world.
What a contrast in styles and missions! But there are similarities too. One of which is that both events require us to get outside and mingle with others. Garrison Keillor said this about attending a fair (National Geographic, July 2009):
“American life tends more and more to put you in front of a computer screen in a cubicle, and then into a car and head you toward home in the suburbs, where you drive directly into the garage and step into your kitchen without brushing elbows with anybody. People seem to want this, as opposed to urban tumult and squalor. But we have needs we can’t admit, and one is to be in a scrum of thinly clad corpulence milling in brilliant sun in front of the deep-fried-ice-cream stand and feel the brush of wings, hip bumps, hands touching your arm (“Oh, excuse me!”), the heat of humanity with its many smells (citrus deodorant, sweat and musk, bouquet of beer, hair oil, stale cigar, methane), the solid, big-rump bodies of Brueghel peasants all around you like dogs in a pack, and you—yes, elegant you of the refined taste and the commitment to the arts—are one of these dogs”.
So True! Many people told me that they wouldn’t set foot in that county fair (Oh no! The Rednecks!) Others told me that they couldn’t imagine going to FloydFest (No way! The Hippies!). Folks go to the fair for the rides, the food, the contests, the produce and the animals, and to shop at the vendor stalls. Folks go to FloydFest for the music, the food (and drink), the connecting and loving, the camping, the parties, and to shop at the vendor stalls.
You might want to instinctively argue that there are no similarities; that someone who goes to one event, would not go to the other. I know for sure that someone will (me!) and I am quite sure that there are others as well.
One big difference between the two events is the cost!! It was FAR less expensive to spend an evening at the fair! FloydFest requires a significant amount of ready cash. On the other hand, I was not able to get beer and wine at the fair and, believe me, a cold beer would have tasted great after a long, hot evening at the fairground.
Consider what both events have to offer:
Food
Elephant Ears, Funnel Cakes and Deep Fried Oreos at the NRV Fair
Black Bean / Chicken Quesadillas, Fried Egg Sandwiches, and Coconut Curry Tofu at FloydFest
Fashion for Sale
NRV Fair FloydFest
Styling
NRV Fair FloydFest
NRV Fair FloydFest
Games
Bingo at the NRV Fair Carrom at FloydFest
Scenery
NRV Fair
FloydFest
“Patriotism” (sort of)
NRV Fair FloydFest
Blowing in the Wind
NRV Fair FloydFest
Flying High
The Cliff Hanger at the Fair Trapeze Artists at FloydFest
Friends
I found two of my most favorite things at both events. The first favorite was my friends. I am truly a fortunate woman to have such diverse, energetic, loving, and FUN people to spend the days and evenings with! I’m grateful to Sarah for serving as DD for the NRV Fair adventure, and to Greg for getting Shelly and me to FloydFest and back safely!
Dianna, Vanessa, Juli, and Whitney With Sarah, our DD
Jessica and Colton (in the cab with Sarah) joined in on the fun – but not on the mechanical bull!
Amy and Dianna enjoying a Deep Fried Oreo Peacock and I enjoying a cold beer
Greg and Shelly Rick and Kristie
Christine … and the girls!
Moon
Another favorite thing became visible towards the end of each day. The moon … and it was shining brightly over both places!!
Pulaski County Floyd County
So … Goodnight Moon! Until next year, where I feel sure you might find me spending time in both Pulaski and Floyd Counties.
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 