09/03/13 Tuesday We departed Cool Breeze CG at 7:08 AM and headed for Tom Johnson’s RV Sales and Campground in Marion NC to attend their Customer Appreciation Days. We arrived about 10:30AM and was assigned site S56. Then we took the MH over to the service center to get a state inspection done. There was a Flea Market going on as part of the Customer Appreciation Event so after getting the MH back we set it up and then setup a couple of tables of my woodcrafts and Lena set up a rack of her handmade scarfs.
09/04/13 Wednesday Happy 65th Birthday to Lena. We did our morning walk and had breakfast then setup our crafts again and some excess tow bar equipment. For lunch we drove to Marion to eat at the Countryside BBQ for Lena‘s birthday. We have ate there several times and they have really good food. Later in the day we packed up our crafts and stored them away. We had not sold one item. A flea market is just not the ideal places to sell handmade crafts. I did sell one piece of the tow bar stuff.
09/05/13 Thursday We did our 1 mile + morning walk and had our fresh made vegetable juice and then ate breakfast. We rode our bicycles around the sales lot and looked at a few of the motor homes just to see what they looked like. Later we rode the bicycles over to the service center lounge to use the free WiFi. Then we checked out some of the flea market stuff people had setting out for sale. The remainder of the day was relaxing until 7PM when the Troubadours began playing blue grass music at the pavilion. They are a local band and one member is the grandson of Tom Johnson.
09/06/13 Friday We did our morning walk and then rode our bicycles over to TJ’s Café for breakfast. I attended several of the free RV related seminars throughout the day. After supper we went to the pavilion for the evening entertainment by singer Emily Minor.
09/07/13 Saturday We did our morning walk and then we lined up for the breakfast provided by Tom Johnson’s RV Sales and Campground. It was amazing how fast they served the very large crowd. Later in the morning we went to the car show at the service center. There were some really nice restored old cars shown. The next thing on the agenda was the golf cart parade, then we went to the sales showroom for a magician show and bird of prey demonstration. A BBQ supper was provide by Tom Johnson’s RV followed by the evenings entertainment was provide to Too Much Sylvia. AT 9:30 there was a fireworks show to wrap up the Customer Appreciation weekend. We had a great time and the weather was almost perfect.
09/08/13 Sunday After breakfast we departed for home at 9:08AM and arrived about 3:30PM. It was a great trip.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Galax VA
08/25/13 Sunday We did our morning walk, had breakfast and left the CG about 10:30AM and headed to Cool Breeze CG near Galax, VA. It was only about 25 miles away. I registered and we selected site 42 and set up. It is a nice CG with 51 sites. It has several pull through sites. The roads and sites are all packed small pea gravel. The are all full hookup, cable TV and WiFi for $30 with FMCA discount.
08/26/13 Monday We did our morning walk through the Deer Creek RV Resort that is adjacent to our CG. This is a gated RV Resort with a small golf course and perfectly manicured grounds around the resort. After breakfast we drove to Fries to checkout Fries New River Campground. It is a small CG with only 14 sites. I had tried to get reservations here but they were booked but today there were only about three of the sites occupied but one of the campers told me there were fully booked for the weekend. It is a nice CG but the roads getting to the little town of Fries is rather crooked and a little narrow. We drove back to Galax and had lunch at Scoops, then walked around town and checked out a few to the shops that were open before returning to the CG.
08/27/13 Tuesday Happy 65th Birthday to Me. We did our normal morning walk of a little over 1 mile and then had breakfast. We drove to Galax and paid our $2 at the parking lot for the New River Trail. We road 5 ½ miles down the 57 mile route and then returned for a total of a 11 mile bike ride. The bike trail was created from the Norfolk-Southern railroad right-of-way and the part we rode ran beside the Chestnut Creek. It was a nice ride through some beautiful scenery. We returned to the CG, ate lunch, took a nap, then a shower and returned to Galax and ate dinner at the BBQ Smokehouse on Main street. The BBQ was okay, not the best I’ve had and the hushpuppies were pitiful. We walked down the street to the Stringbean Coffee Shop to listen to a bluegrass music jam session. One of the fiddle players saw me admiring his fiddle and he handed it to me to get a better look. He had made it from some fiddle back sassafras wood from West Virginia. It was a beautiful fiddle.
08/28/13 Wednesday We walked, had breakfast and left for a day trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our first stop was near milepost 204, Fancy Gap VA at the Peaceful Heart Alpacas Farm. This is a working Alpacas Farm that also has a store in an old farm house selling handmade products from the Alpaca fur. These are very gentle animals that have the most amazing feeling fur. The owners of the farm make many of the products they sell. I was able to get several photos of the animals. We exited at milepost 199 toward Hillsville to checkout Sunnyside Store, that is supposed to have everything. As I was getting out of the car and putting my glasses on the left lens fell out onto the parking lot. Lucky for me the screw stayed in the frame. I wondered where am I going to find a screwdriver tiny enough to turn the screw. We went inside and asked and they had an eyeglass repair kit for $1.50. How lucky for me. I guess they do have everything. Before we got back on the parkway we checked out a KOA campground. Then it was on to the Puckett Cabin exhibit, the home of Orleana Hawks Puckett at milepost 189.9. She was a famous midwife in the mountains and lived to over 100 years and helped in the delivery of over 1000 babies. She also had 24 children herself but all died in their infancy. From there we checked out Meadows of the Dan Campground near milepost 177.7 before stopping at the Mabry Mill Restaurant for lunch. After lunch we toured the mill and all the authentic building that the Park Service has moved to the site of the mill to depict life in the early years. The mill’s waterwheel still turns but the machinery inside is not hooked up to work. The mill was used as a sawmill, grist mill and wheelwright shop. I am a wood turner so was surprised to see a water powered wood lathe that was used in making of cart wheels. Then it was on to milepost 165.2 to the Harvest Moon Food Store in Floyd. After we left they we headed back to the CG but stopped and checked out Daddy Rabbit Campground. We had a great day on the parkway, did not like any of the campgrounds we checked out but saw some incredible scenery along the parkway. Over time we have driven most of the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway but had not driven this section.
08/29/13 Thursday After our normal morning routine we drove South on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped at the Brinegar Cabin and then rode thorough Doughton Park Campground at milepost 238. It is a National Park CG without any hookups or facilities except for restrooms. Most of the sites are too small or unlevel for us but we think we could get into sites A9, A12, A19 and A20. From there we drove on South exiting the parkway at milepost 247 to checkout Miller’s Camping. We didn’t even bother to drive through the CG even though it is just off the parkway. Most of the sites were filled up with seasonal campers. Then we exited at milepost 248 and drove several miles to get to RiverCamp USA CG right beside the New River. It is in a great location but it is not somewhere we would camp. Most of the sites were bumpy and lumpy, the roads through the CG were a mess of potholes and just not appealing at all. Too bad considering the location. It could be a prime campground if it was done right but they probably get people that want to canoe or kayak the New River so they get plenty of business as is. From there we meandered through the mountains to West Jefferson where we stopped at the Hillbilly Grill and had a “Possum Sandwich”. No, not really - it was a Filly steak sandwich with beef- we think. After lunch we meandered back to the parkway and returned to our CG for a bowl of ice cream and reading.
08/30/13 Friday We skipped our morning walk, knowing we would make up for it later in the morning. So we had breakfast and drove North down the Blue Ridge Parkway and exited at milepost 199 for Hillsville VA. During the weekend of Labor Day the VFW puts on what is know as the world’s largest Flea Market. It runs from Friday through Monday. We parked and began walking through it. The VFW area had paved walking lanes between all the vendor booths but across the town street it was gravel walking areas. Lena purchased some Alpaca material to make her a scarf from the lady that we talked to on Wednesday at the Alpaca farm. I purchased a cell phone case to replace the one that tore up Wednesday. After about 3 hours of walking we left, stopped to check out another campground, had lunch and returned to the motor home. A few hours later we drove into Galax and attending a music event that was being broadcast live on 98.1 FM radio from the historic Rex Theater. The Java Brothers were playing bluegrass music. Several of the audience got up and flat foot danced.
08/31/13 Saturday We walked, had breakfast and drove about 45 miles to Grayson Highlands State Park just past Mouth of Wilson VA. The Albert Hash Memorial Bluegrass Festival was going on from 10AM to 7PM. Several bands played for 1 hour each. It rained lightly for awhile and the temperature dropped several degrees on the mountain, so we left about 3:30PM, checked out the campground on the way out. It is a nice campground but mostly for travel trailers, popups and tents. We could get in sites 72 and 73 okay but probably will not come back. Highway 58 up the mountain is really curvy and a fairly good climb. It is a pretty park with lots of walking trails and they have a separate campground for people with horses also.
09/01/13 Sunday Today was mostly a day of relaxing, so after our morning walk and a breakfast of pancakes we relaxed, read and Lena washed a couple loads of clothes. Then we took an afternoon walk in between a couple of rain showers. I did a little battery maintenance by topping off the water levels in the house batteries.
09/02/13 Monday We did our morning walk had breakfast, then went into Galax to get some groceries. Later we took a ride through some of the country roads along the Blue Ridge Parkway and saw some really beautiful mountain/valley views. Later in the day I packed up all the stuff I could in preparation for an early Tuesday morning departure.
09/03/13 Tuesday We departed the CG at 7:08 AM and headed for Tom Johnson’s RV and Campground in Marion NC to attend their Customer Appreciation Days.
08/26/13 Monday We did our morning walk through the Deer Creek RV Resort that is adjacent to our CG. This is a gated RV Resort with a small golf course and perfectly manicured grounds around the resort. After breakfast we drove to Fries to checkout Fries New River Campground. It is a small CG with only 14 sites. I had tried to get reservations here but they were booked but today there were only about three of the sites occupied but one of the campers told me there were fully booked for the weekend. It is a nice CG but the roads getting to the little town of Fries is rather crooked and a little narrow. We drove back to Galax and had lunch at Scoops, then walked around town and checked out a few to the shops that were open before returning to the CG.
08/27/13 Tuesday Happy 65th Birthday to Me. We did our normal morning walk of a little over 1 mile and then had breakfast. We drove to Galax and paid our $2 at the parking lot for the New River Trail. We road 5 ½ miles down the 57 mile route and then returned for a total of a 11 mile bike ride. The bike trail was created from the Norfolk-Southern railroad right-of-way and the part we rode ran beside the Chestnut Creek. It was a nice ride through some beautiful scenery. We returned to the CG, ate lunch, took a nap, then a shower and returned to Galax and ate dinner at the BBQ Smokehouse on Main street. The BBQ was okay, not the best I’ve had and the hushpuppies were pitiful. We walked down the street to the Stringbean Coffee Shop to listen to a bluegrass music jam session. One of the fiddle players saw me admiring his fiddle and he handed it to me to get a better look. He had made it from some fiddle back sassafras wood from West Virginia. It was a beautiful fiddle.
08/28/13 Wednesday We walked, had breakfast and left for a day trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our first stop was near milepost 204, Fancy Gap VA at the Peaceful Heart Alpacas Farm. This is a working Alpacas Farm that also has a store in an old farm house selling handmade products from the Alpaca fur. These are very gentle animals that have the most amazing feeling fur. The owners of the farm make many of the products they sell. I was able to get several photos of the animals. We exited at milepost 199 toward Hillsville to checkout Sunnyside Store, that is supposed to have everything. As I was getting out of the car and putting my glasses on the left lens fell out onto the parking lot. Lucky for me the screw stayed in the frame. I wondered where am I going to find a screwdriver tiny enough to turn the screw. We went inside and asked and they had an eyeglass repair kit for $1.50. How lucky for me. I guess they do have everything. Before we got back on the parkway we checked out a KOA campground. Then it was on to the Puckett Cabin exhibit, the home of Orleana Hawks Puckett at milepost 189.9. She was a famous midwife in the mountains and lived to over 100 years and helped in the delivery of over 1000 babies. She also had 24 children herself but all died in their infancy. From there we checked out Meadows of the Dan Campground near milepost 177.7 before stopping at the Mabry Mill Restaurant for lunch. After lunch we toured the mill and all the authentic building that the Park Service has moved to the site of the mill to depict life in the early years. The mill’s waterwheel still turns but the machinery inside is not hooked up to work. The mill was used as a sawmill, grist mill and wheelwright shop. I am a wood turner so was surprised to see a water powered wood lathe that was used in making of cart wheels. Then it was on to milepost 165.2 to the Harvest Moon Food Store in Floyd. After we left they we headed back to the CG but stopped and checked out Daddy Rabbit Campground. We had a great day on the parkway, did not like any of the campgrounds we checked out but saw some incredible scenery along the parkway. Over time we have driven most of the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway but had not driven this section.
08/29/13 Thursday After our normal morning routine we drove South on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped at the Brinegar Cabin and then rode thorough Doughton Park Campground at milepost 238. It is a National Park CG without any hookups or facilities except for restrooms. Most of the sites are too small or unlevel for us but we think we could get into sites A9, A12, A19 and A20. From there we drove on South exiting the parkway at milepost 247 to checkout Miller’s Camping. We didn’t even bother to drive through the CG even though it is just off the parkway. Most of the sites were filled up with seasonal campers. Then we exited at milepost 248 and drove several miles to get to RiverCamp USA CG right beside the New River. It is in a great location but it is not somewhere we would camp. Most of the sites were bumpy and lumpy, the roads through the CG were a mess of potholes and just not appealing at all. Too bad considering the location. It could be a prime campground if it was done right but they probably get people that want to canoe or kayak the New River so they get plenty of business as is. From there we meandered through the mountains to West Jefferson where we stopped at the Hillbilly Grill and had a “Possum Sandwich”. No, not really - it was a Filly steak sandwich with beef- we think. After lunch we meandered back to the parkway and returned to our CG for a bowl of ice cream and reading.
08/30/13 Friday We skipped our morning walk, knowing we would make up for it later in the morning. So we had breakfast and drove North down the Blue Ridge Parkway and exited at milepost 199 for Hillsville VA. During the weekend of Labor Day the VFW puts on what is know as the world’s largest Flea Market. It runs from Friday through Monday. We parked and began walking through it. The VFW area had paved walking lanes between all the vendor booths but across the town street it was gravel walking areas. Lena purchased some Alpaca material to make her a scarf from the lady that we talked to on Wednesday at the Alpaca farm. I purchased a cell phone case to replace the one that tore up Wednesday. After about 3 hours of walking we left, stopped to check out another campground, had lunch and returned to the motor home. A few hours later we drove into Galax and attending a music event that was being broadcast live on 98.1 FM radio from the historic Rex Theater. The Java Brothers were playing bluegrass music. Several of the audience got up and flat foot danced.
08/31/13 Saturday We walked, had breakfast and drove about 45 miles to Grayson Highlands State Park just past Mouth of Wilson VA. The Albert Hash Memorial Bluegrass Festival was going on from 10AM to 7PM. Several bands played for 1 hour each. It rained lightly for awhile and the temperature dropped several degrees on the mountain, so we left about 3:30PM, checked out the campground on the way out. It is a nice campground but mostly for travel trailers, popups and tents. We could get in sites 72 and 73 okay but probably will not come back. Highway 58 up the mountain is really curvy and a fairly good climb. It is a pretty park with lots of walking trails and they have a separate campground for people with horses also.
09/01/13 Sunday Today was mostly a day of relaxing, so after our morning walk and a breakfast of pancakes we relaxed, read and Lena washed a couple loads of clothes. Then we took an afternoon walk in between a couple of rain showers. I did a little battery maintenance by topping off the water levels in the house batteries.
09/02/13 Monday We did our morning walk had breakfast, then went into Galax to get some groceries. Later we took a ride through some of the country roads along the Blue Ridge Parkway and saw some really beautiful mountain/valley views. Later in the day I packed up all the stuff I could in preparation for an early Tuesday morning departure.
09/03/13 Tuesday We departed the CG at 7:08 AM and headed for Tom Johnson’s RV and Campground in Marion NC to attend their Customer Appreciation Days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)