We arrived safely and without motorhome issues while enjoying some sightseeing along our return route home to Florida. Gas prices ranged between $2.98 in South Carolina to a high of $3.09 as we left Hillsville. This was significantly less than the $3.55 per gallon average on the trip north in April. We averaged 7.9 mpg which for us was a high mark, despite a lot of ups and downs along the first 200 miles of our route.
Campground prices ranged between a low of $29.70 per night in Piney Creek to a high of $38.17 in Asheville. Motorhome travel is considered an economical way to travel when you factor in lodging and fuel prices.
The motorhome has been unloaded and put into storage until we begin our spring training ticket office duties in January 2015.
We anticipate pursuing a job for summer 2015 beginning in November or December. North? West? We will have fun figuring out where we want to go and what jobs we want to do.
We hope you enjoyed following our adventures in Blue Ridge country.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE
Each afternoon during our 2 night stay in Asheville, we ventured downtown to explore this unique town. There is much more to Asheville than the Biltmore Estate! Downtown Asheville reminded us of San Francisco with several street performers visible along the streets. This mime is pretending to sit on a stool, stayed that way for many minutes at a time. How does he do that?
There was a band across the street from the mime. We enjoyed listening to their music which was a mix of blues and soft rock with some country mixed in.
Asheville is the craft beer capital of North Carolina. One of the reasons we wanted to visit this city was to try tastings from several different breweries, to see if we agreed with their claim.
We first visited the Highland Brewing Company, this year celebrating their 20th anniversary.
The Highland doorway was unique with barley and hops on the glass. Behind these doors was the largest tasting room we have ever been in. We talked to their bartender about the large space, and she shared that they often have live bands perform here.
Hi Wire Brewery was the smallest tasting room we visited. There was room at the bar for about 12 bar stools, and there were a few tables in the area where this photo was taken. The band playing that afternoon was called Circus Mutts. Look closely and you will see the guitar player is sans shoes. Like most of the tasting rooms, this one was dog friendly. Fido is asleep on the floor while his master enjoys a pint at the bar.
The Green Man Brewery had a fairly small tasting room as well, but we squeezed in to enjoy the odd decorations suggesting fall and Halloween.
Green Man also had a large outdoor beer garden. When we got there there on a Monday late afternoon, there must have been well over 100 people in this outdoor area. There was corn hole, hammocks, and other things to do. Some of these patrons moved inside when the rain began to fall, while others just stood in the rain to enjoy their brew.
Wicked Weed was the only brewery that had a kitchen. Prior to leaving Hillsville, we talked to a half dozen people about places to eat while in Asheville. Every person listed Wicked Weed as their first or second choice. The food was excellent, and the beer was tasty. What more could you ask for?
Well, on a cool evening you might want to sit around a fire. Wicked Weed had a gas fire pit next to the outdoor dining area that we enjoyed as the evening got cooler.
This was a fantastic way to wrap up our summer adventure. It is easy to see why so many people come to Asheville to enjoy the cool weather and the many attractions the area has to offer.
There was a band across the street from the mime. We enjoyed listening to their music which was a mix of blues and soft rock with some country mixed in.
Asheville is the craft beer capital of North Carolina. One of the reasons we wanted to visit this city was to try tastings from several different breweries, to see if we agreed with their claim.
We first visited the Highland Brewing Company, this year celebrating their 20th anniversary.
The Highland doorway was unique with barley and hops on the glass. Behind these doors was the largest tasting room we have ever been in. We talked to their bartender about the large space, and she shared that they often have live bands perform here.
Hi Wire Brewery was the smallest tasting room we visited. There was room at the bar for about 12 bar stools, and there were a few tables in the area where this photo was taken. The band playing that afternoon was called Circus Mutts. Look closely and you will see the guitar player is sans shoes. Like most of the tasting rooms, this one was dog friendly. Fido is asleep on the floor while his master enjoys a pint at the bar.
The Green Man Brewery had a fairly small tasting room as well, but we squeezed in to enjoy the odd decorations suggesting fall and Halloween.
Green Man also had a large outdoor beer garden. When we got there there on a Monday late afternoon, there must have been well over 100 people in this outdoor area. There was corn hole, hammocks, and other things to do. Some of these patrons moved inside when the rain began to fall, while others just stood in the rain to enjoy their brew.
Wicked Weed was the only brewery that had a kitchen. Prior to leaving Hillsville, we talked to a half dozen people about places to eat while in Asheville. Every person listed Wicked Weed as their first or second choice. The food was excellent, and the beer was tasty. What more could you ask for?
Well, on a cool evening you might want to sit around a fire. Wicked Weed had a gas fire pit next to the outdoor dining area that we enjoyed as the evening got cooler.
This was a fantastic way to wrap up our summer adventure. It is easy to see why so many people come to Asheville to enjoy the cool weather and the many attractions the area has to offer.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
HIKING IN BRISTOL AND ASHEVILLE
Ann has been walking without her boot for nearly a month. Each week we have taken longer and more adventurous hikes to help strengthen her ankle.
We visited with Ann's sister Kathy and her husband John in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia. This city is unique in that the state line between Virginia and Tennessee runs right down the middle of the main street. There are two separate town governments, school systems, etc.
We went for a walk in a city park on a cool Saturday morning. This Blue Heron flew close to us to have a better look. This was the only wildlife we saw.
After playing lots of table games and card games while catching up on the latest family news, it was time for us to head south to Asheville, NC. Along our two hour journey, there were about 7 miles of a 6% downhill grade which the motorhome handled well using the grade brake, like truckers use to slow the rate of descent. The scenery was beautiful along our route.
Between visits to several craft breweries in the Asheville area, we found time to take a nice hike in the Bent Creek area just south of downtown Asheville, while viewing the wonderful mountain scenery. Bent Creek watershed is part of the Pisgah National Forest. Paul is shown below on the large fishing pier on the lake. The pieces of PVC pipe attached to the railing are used by fishermen to hold their fishing poles.
This turtle was basking in the little sunlight for warmth on a cool morning.
This butterfly looked like the same kind we had seen along the New River Trail in Galax. We now know that this is a black and blue swallowtail. The blue was iridescent in the sunshine, just beautiful.
We saw several new late summer wildflowers which were in bloom. First, this vibrant blue Asiatic Dayflower, also appropriately named Mouse Ears,
Dotted Smartweed,
An unknown variety of daisy,
Cardinal Flower,
and Boneset.
Some of the leaves on trees were beginning to change color, a sure sign that fall is just around the corner.
This was a great way to end our summer hiking adventures. Once we get back to Florida there will still be heat and humidity to deal with along with the absence of mountain trails.
We visited with Ann's sister Kathy and her husband John in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia. This city is unique in that the state line between Virginia and Tennessee runs right down the middle of the main street. There are two separate town governments, school systems, etc.
We went for a walk in a city park on a cool Saturday morning. This Blue Heron flew close to us to have a better look. This was the only wildlife we saw.
After playing lots of table games and card games while catching up on the latest family news, it was time for us to head south to Asheville, NC. Along our two hour journey, there were about 7 miles of a 6% downhill grade which the motorhome handled well using the grade brake, like truckers use to slow the rate of descent. The scenery was beautiful along our route.
Between visits to several craft breweries in the Asheville area, we found time to take a nice hike in the Bent Creek area just south of downtown Asheville, while viewing the wonderful mountain scenery. Bent Creek watershed is part of the Pisgah National Forest. Paul is shown below on the large fishing pier on the lake. The pieces of PVC pipe attached to the railing are used by fishermen to hold their fishing poles.
This turtle was basking in the little sunlight for warmth on a cool morning.
This butterfly looked like the same kind we had seen along the New River Trail in Galax. We now know that this is a black and blue swallowtail. The blue was iridescent in the sunshine, just beautiful.
We saw several new late summer wildflowers which were in bloom. First, this vibrant blue Asiatic Dayflower, also appropriately named Mouse Ears,
Dotted Smartweed,
An unknown variety of daisy,
Cardinal Flower,
and Boneset.
Some of the leaves on trees were beginning to change color, a sure sign that fall is just around the corner.
This was a great way to end our summer hiking adventures. Once we get back to Florida there will still be heat and humidity to deal with along with the absence of mountain trails.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
CHRISTMAS TREE FARMS
Most drives we took along back country roads to the south or west of Hillsville took us past some Christmas tree farms, some being small with less than a 100 trees and most farms having many thousands of trees. Often these tree farms utilized hilly land that would be hard to farm with traditional crops.
When we did some research, we found out that the southwestern part of Virginia and some higher elevations of North Carolina and Tennessee contain some of the 15,000 growers in the U.S. This industry produces over 35 million trees yearly. While most of these growers are located in the Upper Midwest, many rural counties of Appalachia have turned to this crop since the 1970's, replacing livestock grazing and some tobacco production. Here is a photo of a larger farm located near Mouth of Wilson, VA.
This development coincided with the Fraser fir being identified as a tree which could be grown successfully in this region at altitudes above 3,000 feet. Fraser firs, described by foresters as the "Cadillac of the Christmas tree industry," are perhaps the ideal Christmas tree. They have a deep rich green foliage, and their branches are strong and support heavy ornaments without sagging. Fraser firs have an excellent aroma and hold their needles well. The Fraser firs pictured below were found on our drive between Piney Creek and West Jefferson. You can visualize these trees being on a Christmas tree lot near you in December.
Fraser fir Christmas tree farming has proven to be the ideal agricultural crop helping to keep the land in production rather than having the land being used for vacation home development.
When we did some research, we found out that the southwestern part of Virginia and some higher elevations of North Carolina and Tennessee contain some of the 15,000 growers in the U.S. This industry produces over 35 million trees yearly. While most of these growers are located in the Upper Midwest, many rural counties of Appalachia have turned to this crop since the 1970's, replacing livestock grazing and some tobacco production. Here is a photo of a larger farm located near Mouth of Wilson, VA.
This development coincided with the Fraser fir being identified as a tree which could be grown successfully in this region at altitudes above 3,000 feet. Fraser firs, described by foresters as the "Cadillac of the Christmas tree industry," are perhaps the ideal Christmas tree. They have a deep rich green foliage, and their branches are strong and support heavy ornaments without sagging. Fraser firs have an excellent aroma and hold their needles well. The Fraser firs pictured below were found on our drive between Piney Creek and West Jefferson. You can visualize these trees being on a Christmas tree lot near you in December.
Fraser fir Christmas tree farming has proven to be the ideal agricultural crop helping to keep the land in production rather than having the land being used for vacation home development.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
OUR LAST VISIT TO WEST JEFFERSON
Besides our return visit to Grayson Highlands State Park, we visited some other sights in western North Carolina. We used a campground in Big Piney, NC as our base. River Camp USA campground was located on the New River. It is just a campground, meaning no golf cart rentals, no pool or lake for swimming, no mini golf, no game room, etc. In the warmer months people rent tubes to float down the river which would be fun.
Our campsite was not very level, as the photo below shows. After Paul used the the auto jack system to level the motorhome, the front passenger side tire was off the ground several inches. Yes, Paul's hand is completely under the wheel. This was the first time in 7 years of owning two different motorhomes that this has happened to us.
We visited the Ashe County Cheese factory in West Jefferson. We were able to view the interior of the cheese manufacturing plant. It was amazing to see just how large the vats are that are used to make the various types of cheese.
The best part of this visit was going across the street to the factory store and sampling many of the different types of cheese that are made here. Paul eagerly purchased a block of sharp cheddar cheese. Next to chocolate, cheese is probably Paul's second most favorite treat.
We concluded our visit to West Jefferson by attending our 5th beer dinner at Boondocks. We will miss these monthly dinners, planned and executed so well by the staff.
The place settings included four forks - what dishes were to come? Our dinner's introductory beer was Straffe Hendrik, a Belgian style quadrupel beer that had a combination flavor of chocolate and coffee. Most definitely a different way to start a meal.
Our first course was Pad Thai Chicken Pizza served with Hop Knife Harvest Ale, an IPA from Troegs Brewing Co. in Hershey, PA. The pizza had a sriracha chili sauce drizzled on top. This sauce was HOT and actually overpowered the taste of the pizza. Paul ate the pizza, but Ann declined after 2 bites.
Here is a close-up of this pizza. The other glasses are (left to right) from our pint in the tap room prior to the beer dinner, the introductory quad beer, and the IPA that accompanied this course. All three beers are different in color as well as taste.
Our second course was Grecian Pizza, which included feta cheese, sliced tomato, spinach, and grilled onions. The accompanying beer was Dark Hollow Bourbon Aged Stout from Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA. The pizza was flavorful, and the beer had a little bit of chocolate flavor with a bourbon after taste on the palate. Our friend John wanted to be part of our blog so he pointed to the pizza.
The main course was a Lobster White Truffle Pizza served with Dogfish Head Kvasir, a fruit/sour beer made with wild yeast. This pizza was sweet and rich as you would expect from lobster meat. However, even though this beer is in the top four sales for Dogfish Brewery located in Milton, Delaware, it was not to Paul's liking. His glass was drained dry by Ann, who liked the tangy taste of this beer.
The dessert was a Beer Braised Pear Cinnabon Pizza, served with Boondocks own Strawberry Mint Saison (pronounced "sayson"). The pizza tasted like a warm fruit pie with a vanilla sauce on top. The beer had a mint after taste. Another beer that we can say we tasted but would not purchase.
We have enjoyed these beer dinners because the attention to detail that the Boondocks staff uses in pairing the various beers with the food items. The food items are not your "run of the mill" bar food either. Gary, the owner, has a good thing going in this small town in the North Carolina mountains. If we ever return to this area of the country, we will be sure to visit Boondocks.
Our campsite was not very level, as the photo below shows. After Paul used the the auto jack system to level the motorhome, the front passenger side tire was off the ground several inches. Yes, Paul's hand is completely under the wheel. This was the first time in 7 years of owning two different motorhomes that this has happened to us.
We visited the Ashe County Cheese factory in West Jefferson. We were able to view the interior of the cheese manufacturing plant. It was amazing to see just how large the vats are that are used to make the various types of cheese.
The best part of this visit was going across the street to the factory store and sampling many of the different types of cheese that are made here. Paul eagerly purchased a block of sharp cheddar cheese. Next to chocolate, cheese is probably Paul's second most favorite treat.
We concluded our visit to West Jefferson by attending our 5th beer dinner at Boondocks. We will miss these monthly dinners, planned and executed so well by the staff.
The place settings included four forks - what dishes were to come? Our dinner's introductory beer was Straffe Hendrik, a Belgian style quadrupel beer that had a combination flavor of chocolate and coffee. Most definitely a different way to start a meal.
Our first course was Pad Thai Chicken Pizza served with Hop Knife Harvest Ale, an IPA from Troegs Brewing Co. in Hershey, PA. The pizza had a sriracha chili sauce drizzled on top. This sauce was HOT and actually overpowered the taste of the pizza. Paul ate the pizza, but Ann declined after 2 bites.
Here is a close-up of this pizza. The other glasses are (left to right) from our pint in the tap room prior to the beer dinner, the introductory quad beer, and the IPA that accompanied this course. All three beers are different in color as well as taste.
Our second course was Grecian Pizza, which included feta cheese, sliced tomato, spinach, and grilled onions. The accompanying beer was Dark Hollow Bourbon Aged Stout from Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA. The pizza was flavorful, and the beer had a little bit of chocolate flavor with a bourbon after taste on the palate. Our friend John wanted to be part of our blog so he pointed to the pizza.
The main course was a Lobster White Truffle Pizza served with Dogfish Head Kvasir, a fruit/sour beer made with wild yeast. This pizza was sweet and rich as you would expect from lobster meat. However, even though this beer is in the top four sales for Dogfish Brewery located in Milton, Delaware, it was not to Paul's liking. His glass was drained dry by Ann, who liked the tangy taste of this beer.
The dessert was a Beer Braised Pear Cinnabon Pizza, served with Boondocks own Strawberry Mint Saison (pronounced "sayson"). The pizza tasted like a warm fruit pie with a vanilla sauce on top. The beer had a mint after taste. Another beer that we can say we tasted but would not purchase.
We have enjoyed these beer dinners because the attention to detail that the Boondocks staff uses in pairing the various beers with the food items. The food items are not your "run of the mill" bar food either. Gary, the owner, has a good thing going in this small town in the North Carolina mountains. If we ever return to this area of the country, we will be sure to visit Boondocks.
Friday, September 12, 2014
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED AT GRAYSON HIGHLANDS STATE PARK
Our first trip to Grayson Highlands State Park near Mouth of Wilson, VA, ended when we were caught in heavy thunderstorms. We got within sight of the wild ponies that reside on the hillsides there, but they moved for cover when the rains came. We were determined to see these ponies up close before we left the Blue Ridge area.
Paul stopped at the Rhododendron trailhead sign as we are about to climb towards the Wilburn Ridge. You can see the trail begin its winding path upwards behind him.
After hiking about a half mile, we could see the ponies grazing in a grassy field. We were able to get very close to these wild ponies.
We found several baby ponies, probably about 3 months old. These two always stayed side-by-side. Could they be brothers or sisters?
Paul got close to this brown pony, who turned to take a look at him. A storm was brewing as evidenced from the darkened sky and the blowing wind. Notice the hood on Paul's windbreaker is blowing, as are the legs on his shorts. Very breezy up on the mountain!
The ponies were very tame. Here two adult ponies go wandering past Paul to see who else might be on the trail.
The most photogenic pony, with his cream-colored mane and dark brown body.
Is he posing in this photo?
Look how low the clouds are. This part of the trail is about 5000 ft. above sea level.
Each year, usually the last weekend in September, the ponies are rounded up for a veterinary inspection. After the inspection, sometimes as many as 50 ponies are auctioned off, with the proceeds used to help pay for the veterinary care of the remaining animals and to support the area's Rugby Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department.
We were surprised to find so many wildflowers still in bloom in September. Here are some of our favorite flowers from this hike.
Sneezeweed,
Deptford Pink,
Joe Pye Weed,
Purple-stemmed Aster,
Stiff Gentian,
White Snakeroot (do not ingest, as it could kill you),
Wild Basil,
and lastly, Tall Goldenrod.
The rain held off and we were able to complete our hike without getting soaked. Ann's ankle held up during this first real hike "ai" meaning after injury.
This hike is one of the most memorable we have taken this summer. The wild ponies were so accessible, letting us get within touching distance. A sign at the beginning of the trail warned hikers that the ponies could bite or kick, but we didn't see any of this activity during the time we were admiring these beautiful animals.
Paul stopped at the Rhododendron trailhead sign as we are about to climb towards the Wilburn Ridge. You can see the trail begin its winding path upwards behind him.
rAfter hiking about a half mile, we could see the ponies grazing in a grassy field. We were able to get very close to these wild ponies.
We found several baby ponies, probably about 3 months old. These two always stayed side-by-side. Could they be brothers or sisters?
The ponies were very tame. Here two adult ponies go wandering past Paul to see who else might be on the trail.
The most photogenic pony, with his cream-colored mane and dark brown body.
Is he posing in this photo?
Look how low the clouds are. This part of the trail is about 5000 ft. above sea level.
Each year, usually the last weekend in September, the ponies are rounded up for a veterinary inspection. After the inspection, sometimes as many as 50 ponies are auctioned off, with the proceeds used to help pay for the veterinary care of the remaining animals and to support the area's Rugby Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department.
We were surprised to find so many wildflowers still in bloom in September. Here are some of our favorite flowers from this hike.
Sneezeweed,
Deptford Pink,
Joe Pye Weed,
Purple-stemmed Aster,
Stiff Gentian,
White Snakeroot (do not ingest, as it could kill you),
Wild Basil,
and lastly, Tall Goldenrod.
The rain held off and we were able to complete our hike without getting soaked. Ann's ankle held up during this first real hike "ai" meaning after injury.
This hike is one of the most memorable we have taken this summer. The wild ponies were so accessible, letting us get within touching distance. A sign at the beginning of the trail warned hikers that the ponies could bite or kick, but we didn't see any of this activity during the time we were admiring these beautiful animals.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
FALL HAS ARRIVED AT THE CAMPGROUND
Towards the end of August we began to experience some cool nights with temperatures dropping as low as 40 degrees. Time to get out the fleece, something we will not need in Florida for months to come.
The leaves have just begun to change colors here in the campground. These leaves are actually dark red but with the dreary day, it is hard to tell the color. This photo was taken in our super site area where there are 30 sites. You can readily see business has dropped off dramatically after Labor Day.
The pool has been closed, and the entrance sign has new wording.
Yes, there is a haunted house at the campground during several Saturdays in October.
Our work is complete in Hillsville. We were able to work with some good quality people and some others who we will call "interesting characters". We lived through our original managers walking out one day in mid-season, which brought about quite a bit of drama in the workplace. We were giving "A+ service" to our guests despite the biggest obstacle of all, which was severe under-staffing. The majority of our guests were nice "down home families" but there were some others as well which we would call "challenging". Certainly an interesting summer!
The leaves have just begun to change colors here in the campground. These leaves are actually dark red but with the dreary day, it is hard to tell the color. This photo was taken in our super site area where there are 30 sites. You can readily see business has dropped off dramatically after Labor Day.
The pool has been closed, and the entrance sign has new wording.
Yes, there is a haunted house at the campground during several Saturdays in October.
Our work is complete in Hillsville. We were able to work with some good quality people and some others who we will call "interesting characters". We lived through our original managers walking out one day in mid-season, which brought about quite a bit of drama in the workplace. We were giving "A+ service" to our guests despite the biggest obstacle of all, which was severe under-staffing. The majority of our guests were nice "down home families" but there were some others as well which we would call "challenging". Certainly an interesting summer!
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