Shenandoah Valley Virginia July 27-28 2021

 Day 1 Tuesday July 27, 2021 We are off on another adventure today. We pulled out of the yard about 7:20AM headed for the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. We will be at several locations on this trip and we hope to find some cooler weather along the way. We stopped near Wallace to fill up with Diesel and also a light breakfast across the street at McDonalds. And of course their Latte machine was not working. That is a frequent problem at this location. 

After fueling up the motorhome and ourselves we headed to our stop for the night near Rustville VA. By the Way fuel is almost $1.00 a gallon more than it was about 6 months ago and we all know what happened then We are staying at a Harvest Host location called Threads Run Through It. We called about 30 minute before we arrived to give them our arrival time. Lori (the owner) met us as soon as we pulled into the parking lot and showed us where we could park. After some lunch we went into the place of business to check it out. For a person that likes to sew, quilt or do crafts this would be an ideal stop. They have over 4,000 bolts of cloth, thread, supplies, lots of sewing machines and long arm automated quilting machines. You program your design into the machine and it stitches that design on your quilt. A lot different than the way my mother quilted. She did everything by hand stitch. 

It is hot so we had to run the generator so we could run the air conditioners until way after dark when it finally cooled off outside. You don't get any hookups at a Harvest Hosts location. It is free to stay but it is recommended that you patronage the business if possible. You also have to have prior reservations/approval before showing up because most Hosts only have one or two parking spots for an RV and some can't accommodate a large RV. We had a relaxing stay here, there was some road noise but not enough to keep us awake.

Day 2 Wednesday July 28, 2021 We departed our HH  location about 8:30AM and drove a few miles into Lynchburg and stopped in a large Walmart parking lot. I was lucky and got a place to park where the front of the motorhome was in the shade for awhile and I thought we wouldn't be blocked in. We walked next door to Cracker Barrel and had a great breakfast. The country ham was the best I have had in a long time. It was a little thicker than some places serve it and it was not cooked until it was hard and dried out.

After eating we walked back to the motorhome and there was a car, enclosed trailer and van parked right in front of us blocking our exit. I had parked cross ways over several regular parking spots and had parked over the last regular parking spot in the row and the van and trailer had parked over the hash marks at the end of the parking row. But the man that owned the van car and trailer was still at the vehicles. He said “did I block you in”....well duh!!! He said he was loading the car into the trailer and would be gone in an hour. We had to go into Walmart to get a few items so I told him that was okay as we were not in a hurry. When we finished our shopping and came back to the motorhome he was finishing up so we wished each other a safe journey and we all departed.

Our stop for tonight was Barren Ridge Winery which is about 85 miles away. It was a nice drive, the roads were fairly good but there was one road about 3-4 miles long that was a little tricky. It was narrow and very twisty with several sharp 15 MPH curves. Big trucks are not allowed on it and we probably should not have been but the GPS thought it was okay for our large motorhome. 

We arrived at Barren Ridge Winery about 12:30PM and was met by one of the employees. We had called to give them our arrival time. She told us where to park so we unhooked the Jeep and pulled into the parking spot. It was not level at all but I placed one of the ramps that I carry to put under the wheels for such occasions and we were okay. It is not level but for one night we are okay. While I was parking the lady that owns the winery with her husband pulled up and chatted with Lena. 

We have a beautiful view out the side windows of our motorhome. The land here is all rolling hills and there are a lot of wineries in this area. We have seen several vineyards today. After lunch we went into the winery and tasted one of their wines that from the description sounded like one we would like so we asked for taste rather doing what is called a “flight”, which is a small glass of about 8-10 wines. Lena drinks very little wine and I didn't need to taste that many wines so we tasted one called Tinkling Spring. It has some Riesling in it and we like that in Germany. After tasting we bought a bottle. The lady told us we could use the patio even after the winery closes at 6PM. She said the sunset is usually very nice out over the vineyard.

We went out to the patio about 6:30PM to watch the sun set and take some photos around the winery and grounds. Other than a little local traffic coming by the winery it is very quite here. We got several good sun set photos as it was setting over the vineyards.

Jordan Lake Recreation Area July 2021

 Day 1 Monday July 12, 2021 Our grandsons, Jackson and Levi came with us on a 6 night  camping trip to Jordan Lake Recreation Area near Apex NC. We packed up and departed home about 1:30PM. We stopped near Wallace to fuel up. This is the first fuel we have bought for the motorhome since December 2020. We arrived at Crosswinds Campground just after 4PM and checked into site B14. I did not like the route I chose to get here so I will be finding a different route back home. The town of Fuquay-Varina has grown a lot since the last time we were in the area and there were several sharp turns getting through town. 

This is our first time to stay at this campground so I had to pick our site based on the information available on the reservation website and the small photos they provide. The site was basically level but it needs some more gravel because it is a little muddy. But it is very shady which will be nice sitting outside in the heat. 

After we got setup the boys took their fishing gear and walked down to the lake to do a little fishing. Jackson caught one and Levi lost one. I rode around on my bicycle a little and found out how out of shape I am when it comes to riding my bicycle. 

After supper Levi and I played some card games and checkers, something I have not done in a long time. I beat him in a card game called War and he beat me in a game of Rummy and also a round of Checkers.

Day 2 Tuesday July 13, 2021 We all slept to about 8AM, had breakfast and then rode around the area looking for a Bald Eagle Viewing platform. We think we found the parking area but there was a cable across the path that we believe went to the viewing area so we didn't walk the path, plus it was kind of grown up. But what was really disgusting was all the trash in the parking area. And not a few fast food wrappers and cups but bags of household trash that was piled up. Just disgusting. And this is the very reason that some public areas across the country are being closed to the public because of abuse by just a few people. Then we tried to find the road to the B. Everett Jordan Dam. We didn't find it either. We stopped and asked an attendant at one of the campgrounds near where it should be and he didn't know either. So we returned to the campground. After checking closely on Google Maps I found where the road is to the dam, so we will go there another day. 

We watched the movie RV starring Robin Williams tonight. We have watched it several times and so has the grandsons but it is a really funny movie.

The boys went down to the lake to the swimming area until lunch time. I grilled us some hamburgers for lunch. Then they went back to the lake with their fishing gear but didn't have any luck.

Just about the time we went inside for the day to cool off a rain shower blew through. Now the site is wet and muddy.

Day 3 Wednesday July 14, 2021 After breakfast we drove to the B. Everett Jordan Dam, that we tried to find yesterday. The dam appeared to be made of mostly dirt and rock. 

A few facts: Construction began in 1967 and was renamed from the project name of New Hope Reservoir to B. Everett Jordan Dam in 1973 by Congress after a former North Carolina Senator. The area that was flooded by the lake is 13,900 acres. It was built to provide hurricane flood waters control, water supply, fish and wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation. It is 1,330 feet long and 113 feet high and has a shoreline of 180 miles. It produces enough electricity to power 1,700 homes. 

It does provide a lot of recreation possibilities. We have seen lots of people fishing from boats and along the shore, riding jet skis, paddle boards, swimming, etc. 

After touring the dam and visitor's center we drove on to Pittsboro to get a Banana Split at the S&T's Soda Shoppe. Lena and I had one here several years ago and they are really big. It take two people to eat one. We were disappointed that they were closed for vacation. Well I guess everybody needs a vacation. We checked around on the Internet and found another place only to discover they had gone out of business. So we stopped at Highway 55 on the way out of town and got ice cream sundaes. They were very good. We returned to the campground after our treat and the boys went down to the lake to swim for awhile while Lena and I relaxed. Later we all pigged out on Lena's Tacos.

Day 4 Thursday July 15, 2021 We took it easy today. The boys went swimming but we didn't do much else except relax and read. Sure glad we have air conditioning. We watched the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles tonight.

Jackson relaxing

Levi relaxing

Grandma cooking

Day 5 Friday July 16, 2021 Another relaxing day about the same as yesterday. Our son and daughter-in-law got here about 5:30Pm with their travel trailer and set up on the site next to us on B16 that I had reserved for them. 

Day 6 Saturday July 17, 2021 It is still hot so we didn't do much today either. Robby and the boys tried fishing this morning but didn't have much luck. We picked up lunch at a local Hardee's drive through. I have never seen a Hardee's that is strickley a drive through until this one. They do have a walk up window but no inside dining at all.

Day 7 Sunday July 18, 2021 Checkout time is not until 3PM but we decided to pack up and leave at 10AM, stopped at the Dump Station to empty our full holding tanks before heading home. We took a better route back home so we didn't have to drive back through Fuquay-Varina. We got home about 1PM and boy was it hot. If we had of waited until this afternoon to leave we would have drove in some heavy rain about 4PM just as we have been getting home.