June 14, 2012 - After today's drive, we have now followed the Blue Ridge Parkway for 252 miles, having arrived at the Cool Breeze Campground near Galax, Virginia. The weather turned beautiful with cool, clear skies, a welcome change from the previous few days. Views along the parkway were outstanding. The grades have leveled out somewhat as we progress further north.
A catered dinner was waiting for us at the campground shortly after our arrival with grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. A Joker game followed between the Gregorys, Bergs, and Matkovitzes - an even split between the boys and the girls.
June 15, 2012 - This was "do the laundry" day, Like it or not, some necessities have to be done. There was a line-up at the small campground laundry even before 7;00am. While waiting for Ann to work the washers and driers, a little research revealed the some interesting facts about Galax.
The town of Galax is named for the galax leaf which grows in this vicinity near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The galax plants form a waxy green carpet in summer that changes to a rich bronze in winter. The word galax comes from a greek word "gala" which means milk. The galax bloom resembles a stream of milk, thus the name. The plant has played a significant part in the local economy from its use by florists across the country in floral arrangements. The picture to the left of a galax plant in bloom was taken by our leader Susan King at Grandfather mountain.
Galax was first laid out as a town in 1903, but was then called Montplan. The name evolved to Cairo, then Bonaparte, and then Galax. It's now best known for its music, centered around the Old Fiddler's Convention which will enjoy its 77th year this August. Musicians, playing "old time" and "bluegrass" on banjos, fiddles, and other stringed instruments, compete in 14 different categories for some $20,000 in cash prizes, trophies, and ribbons.
We drove into Galax in the afternoon - drove by the historic Rex Theater, then sought out the Jeff Matthews Memorial Museum. Former Airstreamers Guy and Louise Hawks from nearby Fancy Gap went on the 1959 Wally Byan caravan to Africa. Their pictures and souvenirs from trip are on display at the museum. That caravan covered 14,000 miles from Capetown to Cairo and took 9 months to complete. We listened to an audio tape in which Louise gave her description of the trip. Talk about an adventure - WOW!
The museum also had many other interesting exhibits - thousands of arrowheads, pictures of local Civil War veterans, farm equipment, stuffed animals, and much, much more.
Our first group activity at this stop was a visit to the Blue Ridge Music Center, called "The Gateway to One of the Most Musical Places on Earth." This is an outdoor amphitheater just off the Blue Ridge Parkway operated jointly by the National Park Service and the National Council for the Traditional Arts. We watched several groups of musicians perform with their banjos, fiddles, guitars, mandolins - a piano keyboard and even a harmonica as the sun set over the mountains. There were probably 200 to 300 people there enjoying the bluegrass music.
June 16, 2012 - The tour of the day was to "Bees, Apples, and Grapes." We went to a meadery, a cidery, and a winery. We carpooled with Chuck and Joyce Gregory. The first stop was at an old log house deep in the woods where yeast was added to honey and fermented to make mead, a sweet, alcoholic drink. It was so far back in the woods that it could easily have once been the site of a moonshine still. This was the Blacksnake Meadery, so named because when the owners - former schoolteachers - bought the old log house, the first thing they had to do was chase out all the black snakes. Neighbors were there playing a guitar and singing.
The second stop on the tour was at Foggy Ridge Cider, a hard cider bottler. This was a clean, neat operation not quite so deep in the woods. Here, former bankers were harvesting apples from seven different fields and varieties, pressing the apples and blending the juice, then adding whatever it takes to make hard cider.
The third stop was a bust. It was at the Chateau Morrisette where we were supposed to tour the winery and have lunch in the restaurant there. We discovered on arrival that things were being set up for a wedding and they didn't have time for us. So at that point the group was turned loose to find other eating facilities and find our way home. We tried the restaurant at Mabry Mill on the parkway, but the crowd there was forcing a 45 minute wait. Continuing on the parkway, we found a little restaurant in Meadows of Dan, then drove about 40 miles on the parkway to get back home.
The tour was different, if a bit disorganized. Tasting the products cost $8 per person whether or not anything was purchased. Still, it was a good opportunity to get to know the Gregorys, and we now have something else to talk about.
June 17, 2012 - Father's Day, but here's a mother - a mother kildeer guarding three eggs next to the Scotty and Betsy Stewart's trailer. Thanks Betsy- for the picture.
This was a day of rest - no caravan activities.
June 18, 2012 - This was traveling day from Galax to Peaks of Otter - Mile Post 217 to Mile Post 86 on the parkway - about 130 miles. The weather was fine for the first part of the trip. We stopped in Meadows of Dan at Nancy's Candy Factory, a huge candy making plant, then continued to Mabry Mill for lunch. The mill is probably the most photographed spot on the parkway.
Rhododendrum was in full bloom for the 20 miles before and after Mabry Mill - large banks of flowers along much of the parkway.
Then it started raining. For some 30 miles it was hard to see the road - just had to stay focused on the center line. Some folks reported quarter-size hail. Then the sun came out again. We camped in a National Park Service campground - no hookups, no facilities. It brought back memories of the way caravans used to function, staying in school yards, mall parking lots, fairgrounds, farmer's fields, with no hookups. This campground was probably laid out back when the parkway was built - 1935 - with small sites, mostly just pull outs from the narrow roadway, not very level. A redeeming feature was the beauty and quiet of the forest.
We saw a few deer off the parkway after the rain. A turtle crossed the road in front of us on one occasion. Some reported seeing turkey, but there was not much wildlife.
Jim Matkovich brought out his tripod grill and cooked pork chops for everybody over an open fire. Everybody brought a side dish, and we feasted.
June 19. 2012 - When Thomas Jefferson wanted to get away from the pressures of his day, he went to his summer home near Bedford, Virginia - a place called Poplar Forest. Ever the architect, he designed Poplar Forest as an octagonal brick building complete with columned porch front and back. Construction began during his presidency in 1806, and was probably completed in short order, He came to Poplar Forest three or four times a year, staying two weeks to two months each time, until poor health prevented further visits after 1823. The 5,000 acre estate was an inheritance via his wife Martha,s family.
After Jefferson's death in 1826, the property passed to his son-in-law who promptly sold it. It remained in private hands for 156 years, suffering a disastrous fire at
one point, In 1984, a local group formed a non-profit corporation dedicated to restoring Poplar Forest to its original condition as another memorial to the late president, Without federal or state funding, the restoration has progressed slowly as private donations came in. Restoration of the outside is complete, but there is much left to do inside.
Archeologists are at work on the grounds, searching for artifacts and evidence of the landscaping that Jefferson might have initiated. Only 61 acres of the original 5,000 remain with the estate. The rest has become an upscale subdivision with modern homes.
The rolling hill countryside makes for a picturesque setting. Our guided tour lasted over an hour.
By the time we returned to Bedford, it was lunchtime. Several of us ate at the restored train station, then visited the D-Day Memorial.
Opened to the public and dedicated on June 6, 2001 by President George Bush, the National D-Day Memorial is a memorial to the thousands of men who died on June 6, 1944 in the invasion of Normandy. That operation turned the tide of World War II toward allied victory. The most prominent feature of the memorial is a dramatic portrayal of men coming off a landing craft and crawling up the beach amid gunfire splashing around in the water. The magnitude of Operation Overlord was incredible, masterminded by General Eisenhower and his generals, all of whom are portrayed with bronze busts and a full statue of Eisenhower.
The quaint little town of Bedford, Virginia was chosen as the site of the memorial because more men died on D-Day from Bedford percapita than from any other county in the country. This is the only national memorial outside of Washington DC. More than 4,000 allied soldiers died on D-Day, 2,499 of them American. Each one has a plaque on a memorial wall. The memorial is a grave reminder that freedom is not free.
June 20. 2012 - After a breakfast of oatmeal and ice cream prepared by Jamie King and served under the trees, we drove the final 86 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, passing the highest and lowest points in the Virginia portion of the road. We pulled into the Misty Mountain Camp Resort on Rt. 250 about 4:00pm, and before long our leaders had arranged for pizza to be delivered to the resort's banquet room. And that was followed by icecream cake and a few joker games with Dan and Karen Olah.
June 21, 2013 - The activity of the day was a trip to Charlottesville and a tour of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson designed every detail of this hilltop mansion, and it reflects his genius. He was a self-taught architect. The house was built and modified over a 40 year period, reaching its current shape about 1809 as his term as President ended. He would live there another seventeen years until his death at 83. The tour lasted about an hour.
June 22, 2012 - The last day of the caravan - a free day with no activities planned except for the final banquet at the Blue Mountain Brewery. We assembled at the brewery about 6:00pm to find a popular restaurant in an very out-of-the-way place. Two traffic attendants were managing traffic. There were at least 100 people there besides us, but we had a private room with stage and fireplace - very nice. After a four-course meal Jamie and Bob said their final speeches and passed out an accounting of the trip expenses (everyone received a $110 rebate.) Then, Kay Bowman read a long poem she had written to record her memories of the caravan.
June 23, 2012 - With all good-byes said the night before, there was nothing left to do but leave. Folks started pulling out about 7:0am, and by 10:00am all spots were empty, and the caravan had scattered to spots all over the country.
Saying good-bye to new and old friends is always tough, but all good things must end, so it was good-bye and "See you down the road."
The caravan was good, but there were some unfortunate happenings too. One couple had to leave because of the death of a good friend. Kay Bowman missed a stepoff and fell, breaking her shoulder. There were several cases of various illnesses - bronchitus, flu, upset stomachs, diarhea. Ann came down with walking pneumonia among other problems. Still, we made some new friends, renewed other friendships, saw some beautiful scenery along the parkway, and experienced some things unheard of before like Poplar Forest.
With Ann still not feeling great, we made a beeline home after the caravan, stopping for the night at Asheville West KOA, then made it home early on Sunday morning - June 24th.
