We departed home at 7:15AM and drove to Mocksville, NC to have a windshield screen installed and get our tire covers. We were supposed to do this in March on the way to Stone Mountain but had to cancel due to the virus. The windshield screen attaches to the windshield on the outside with very strong magnets. Of course it is only used when the motorhome is stationary, like in a campground. It is used to block the heat from the hot sunshine and really helps keep the inside of the motorhome cooler.
Since they already had everything made for us it didn't take long for the install. Counting us there were three motorhomes in the parking lot getting the windshield shade. One of the staff gave everyone a demo on how to put up the screen and how to take it down and roll it up for storage. They are letting us stay overnight in their parking lot with 50AMP electrical hookups. We knew we would be able to stay overnight but was surprised that we would have a electrical hookup.
When we were finished with everything we drove into the downtown section of town to a coffee shop. The latte I got tasted like nothing but a cup of warm milk. Pitiful.
Day 2 Wednesday May 27, 2020 Just before we departed at 8AM it began to drizzle rain. We only had about 90 miles to get to our destination so we took our time, stopped at the Virginia Rest Stop for a break and arrived in Fries VA at the Fries New River Trail RV Park. We were here in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Checkin is not until 12 noon and we arrived at 11AM but our site # 8 was open so Tom, the owner, told us to go ahead and setup. This is a small campground (RV Park) and is very quite and peaceful and immaculately maintained by Tom. Most of the sites are beside a small mountain stream. It sits in a little narrow valley between two tree covered hills. Fries is a small town of about 500 people. It was once a textile mill town. The mill closed in 1989. The hydro electric dam and works are still in place and many of the small mill town houses are well maintained and occupied.
We soon got setup and sit outside and read and enjoyed the peace and quite until the rain began to get to much for us under our canopy. It continued to rain most of the night.
Day 3 Thursday May 28, 2020 The rain has stopped and the stream that runs through the RV Park has a lot more water in it today. We drove to Galax to see if the Briarpatch Cafe and Coffee shop was open. This is one of two of our all time favorite coffee shops. The other in Raleigh NC. It was open but we had to order through a new walk-up window they had cut into the wall by the sidewalk. They had several two person picnic tables setup on the sidewalk so we used one of them. While we were enjoying a hot hand made cinnamon bun and good Latte a person with a famous name stopped to talk to us. His name was John Wayne. He showed us a DVD he had just bought that was a John Wayne movie. He was named for two of his uncles (John and Wayne).
Later we were walking around the streets to see if anything else was open, a lady came out of the local BBQ restaurant to see if she could help us find something. For some reason she spotted us as tourist. Maybe it was the camera slung around my neck. She talked a little about how they tried to keep the restaurant open during this COVID-19 virus by serving takeouts but they couldn't even cover the basic expenses much less the overhead of utilities and rent, etc. so they closed until things get better. But they do come in some days and cook meals for a local shelter. We discovered in our discussion with her that her parents were both from Germany and that she had visited Germany many times during the Summer when we was growing up and later with her husband.
After a few stops for photos we returned to the RV Park for lunch and reading time.
Day 4 Friday May 29, 2020 After breakfast we drove through the back roads in the area looking for some photo opportunities. We have driven this route 3-4 times. It takes us through some really pretty hills, farm land, Christmas tree farms and lots of old barns and farm houses. We returned to the RV park about noon just before a light rain shower.
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| Fries Dam on the New River |
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| Old Church |
We relaxed the remainder of the day, read, organized some of my photos and caught up some paperwork.
Day 5 Saturday May 30, 2020 Today we did a little more exploring around the area. We drove over to Mt. Airy NC (home of Andy Griffin). We have been here several times. Not many of the business that serve food were open and those that were was for take-out only. About half or less of the gift and antique places were open. Not sure we understand why the places that served food that was open didn't allow the 50% indoor seating that was allowed under the current Phase 2 of the Governor's plan. I will not express my opinion of the Governor's plan here.
We did meet an interesting animal on the street. His name was Pongo. He was a Llama. He has been in a movie along with one other of the 11 Llamas the owner has. The owner also pointed out the Coca-Cola mural on the side of one of the buildings. He said it was painted in the early 1900's and then a building was built that covered it up. The in the 1980's the building was torn down and the people were shocked to see the mural. The town contacted Coca-Cola about getting the mural refreshed.
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| Pongo |
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| Pongo and Lena |
On the way back we stopped at a large produce stand and got some good tomatoes and other produce. That tomato sure was good on the hamburger I grilled when we got back to the RV Park. We drove back on about 20 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
When we got back to the motorhome, I discovered our power was off. I stopped Tom as he was driving by and he replaced the 50AMP electrical breaker for our site and that corrected the problem.
Day 6 Sunday May 31, 2020 We were totally lazy today. We stayed around the RV Park, did a little walking, reading and a whole lot of relaxing. The mountain stream that runs through the park beside our site makes a very relaxing sound as the water tumbles over the small rocks, so it was nice to sit outside and read while listening to the water.
Day 7 Monday June 1, 2020 We were a little more energetic today. After breakfast we rode our bicycles about 6-7 miles on the New River State Parks Trail. This was the bed of a railroad that was abandoned years ago. The tracks were taken up and the state converted the rail bed into a trail for walking, bike and horse back riding. It is almost totally level so it is fairly easy riding. We have not ridden our bicycles in almost two years so we were a little out of shape for riding. Over the years we have ridden several of the 57 miles of the trail. Most of it runs beside a small river.
After our ride we returned to the RV Park and grilled some thick pork chops on the BBQ grill.
Day 8 Tuesday June 2, 2020 We drove into Galax again to get a Latte and cinnamon bun at the Briarpatch Cafe and Coffee Shop. After we were served one of the owners came out and talked to us. She saw from our licenses plate we were from North Carolina and was curious what part. She said her and her husband owned the shop and lived upstairs, She said they had to lay off most of their employees during this COVID-19 mess. By cutting their staff, adding the take-out walk-up window and the small outside tables they were managing to stay open but hoping to soon get back to more normal operation.
Day 9 Wednesday June 3, 2020 We drove West of Independence VA this morning to visit with some friends that we met on a Carnival Cruise in 2018. We visited with them last year in April while we were working at Stone Mountain State Park. Joe gave me several pieces of wood to use on my lathe. I turned a nice bowl out of some of the Walnut and gave it to them today. Later we all drove down the road to a local Cafe that was serving meals out on a covered patio. Today is the first time in about 3 months that we have been to eat out and was able to sit down at a table at the establishment and eat. We returned to their house and visited for awhile after they took to see their cabin just over the North Carolina line. They have been staying there while Joe recuperates from some surgery.
After we returned to the RV Park the man in the camper next to us came over and asked for help with his hot water heater. They were on their maiden voyage with their new camper and he was not sure how to turn on his hot water heater. I showed him how to operate it and they soon had hot water.
Day 10 Thursday June 4, 2020 We stayed in the RV Park today and just enjoyed the quite. We did some reading and Lena did the laundry. Today was the warmest day we have had on this trip. I moved my chair beside the mountain stream and enjoyed the cooler air around the stream and enjoyed the relaxing sound of the water. Before night we packed up all the outside items to help with an earlier departure tomorrow.
Day 11 Friday June 5, 2020 After breakfast we finished preparing for departure and headed for home about 8:45 AM. We stopped at the Farmers Market in Greensboro to stretch our legs and get a few vegetables. We stopped at Bojangles in McGees Crossroads for lunch. Had to get takeout and eat in the Motorhome. We got home about 3PM. Sure is hotter here than in the mountains. We had a safe trip and enjoyed out trip after months of setting at home.
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