Day
24 Friday August 24, 2018 We relaxed at the RV Park until about 4PM
when we drove to Galax for another visit to the Briar Patch Coffee
Shop for a Latte and one of their delicious cinnamon buns. The placed
was packed because there was a Crusin and Groovin car show going on
just outside the door. Part of the main street through town and some
of the side streets were closed and lined up with some really nice
classic cars and trucks. One of the side streets had a stage setup in
a parking lot and a band was playing 50's and 60's music. We look at
all the cars and listened to the music until about dark before
heading back to the RV Park.
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1946 Chevy |
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1957 Chevy |
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Rat Rod |
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Mini Cooper S |
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1935 Chevy |
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1936 ? |
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1957 Chevy |
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Ford |
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1934 Chevy |
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1936 Ford |
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1946 Chevy |
Day
25 Saturday August 25, 2018 Mid morning we drove North through some
really pretty farmland on the backroads to the town of Wytheville and
on to Big Walker Country Store on top of Big Walker Mountain. The
view was fantastic from the lookout. There was a 100' tower at the
store that for a small fee you could climb but we neither one had the
nerve to try it. A local book author was on site signing his books
and a blue grass band was scheduled to play at 2PM but we didn't want
to wait around so we drove back to Wytheville and stopped at
Skeeter's for some of their world famous Skeeter-Dogs. They were
really good. They have been in business since 1925 and in the current
location since the 1940's. They were doing a booming business while
we were there.
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Skeeter Dogs |
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Co-Pilot |
The
second floor of the building where the cafe is located was the
original home of Edith Bolling Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow
Wilson. The downtown was really nice. The street was a wide two lane
with pull in parking on both sides and very wide brick paver
sidewalks. Most of the old store buildings were occupied. There was
music playing through speakers along the sidewalks and free town WiFi
available. A really nice clean town.
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Home of Edith Bolling Wilson on second floor above Skeeter's |
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Really large pencil |
We
stopped at Sweet Lilly's in Fries to try their ice cream. Sweet
Lilly's is located in an old train caboose parked just a few yards
from where end of the trail track that came to Fries when the textile
mile was in operation. We shared the Big 'Dam' Sundae, named in honor
of the hydro electric dam just up the river a few hundred yards that
provided electric power for the textile mill.
Day
26 Sunday August 26, 2018 The last few morning have been down in the
low 50's but today it was low 60's to start with.
We
decided to drive some back roads and check out a flea market outside
of Austinville. We didn't find anything we couldn't live without so
we continued our drive on back to the RV Park and read the remainder
of the day.
Day
27 Monday August 27, 2018 Well Happy Birthday to me. As of today I
am a 'Super' Senior Citizen (age 70). Wow, that does sound old. In my
mind I think I might be in my 40's but sometimes my body thinks
otherwise. I wanted some Mexican food for lunch so we drove to
Independence VA to Rio Grande, a Mexican restaurant that we have
eaten at before. It was very good. On the way back to the RV park I
decided I also deserved a Latte and Cinnamon Bun from the Briar Patch
Coffee Shop in Galax so we went there before returning to the RV
park.
Day
28 Tuesday August 28, 2018 We did a walk around town and relaxed
until after lunch. Then we drove out to the Blue Ridge Music Center
on the Blue Ridge Parkway to listen to Scott Freeman and Willard
Gayheart play music and sing. They play a variety of instruments,
write songs and Willard draws pictures. On the way back we took some
country roads off the parkway to check out the country scenery on the
way back to Galax.
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Fries Display Case - Music DVDs, Kayak Paddle, Bicycle Wheel and Spools of Thread from Old Mill in Town, things the town is know for |
Day
29 Wednesday August 29, 2018 About all we did today was a morning
walk around town, laundry and reading. The temperature is much warmer
than it was last week. The air coming off the mountain stream beside
our site is much cooler so I sat my chair there and did some reading.
Day
30 Thursday August 30, 2018 Today is our last full day here so we
had to go to the Briar Patch Coffee Shop one last time for a latte
and cinnamon bun and then a stop at Walmart to get a few groceries.
A
thunderstorm came through about 5PM and we lost electricity. We had
planned to go to the music jam session at the Fries Theater but we
assumed it was canceled but discovered too late to go that only part
of the RV Park was without power. The front part of the park and the
town had power. The park will be full for the Labor Day Weekend.
There will be fish fry here on Saturday but we will miss it as we are
leaving tomorrow. There is not a site available after tonight.
Actually
Tom (the owner) thought we were leaving today. I'm not sure if I make
a mistake on our checkout date or he did but we had paid for tonight
so he juggled a couple of sites so we could stay tonight. The person
that was supposed to get our site today will get a nice site beside
the waterwheel and Tom's daughter that was supposed to get that site
tomorrow will get our site so it all worked out.
Day
31 Friday August 31, 2018 We got power back sometime after 3AM. We
had packed all we could yesterday so we were pulling out of the park
at 8:30AM headed for home. We arrived home about 4PM after a stop at
the Greensboro Farmers Market for some vegetables and a stop in Dunn
at Smithfield's Chicken and BBQ for lunch. We had a good trip and
arrived home safe which is always good.
Recap for 2018 5 Trips and 91 nights