Fries VA August 24-31, 2018

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.

1946 Chevy

1957 Chevy

Rat Rod

Mini Cooper S

1935 Chevy

1936 ?

1957 Chevy

Ford

1934 Chevy

1936 Ford

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.

Skeeter Dogs

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.

Home of  Edith Bolling Wilson on second floor above Skeeter's

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.

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