Trip to Virginia and North Carolina
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It was cold and rainy in April in Vermont, nothing was blooming yet and it was a good time to head south for a bit of warmer weather and a new adventure. We hooked up the camper, put the bikes on the back of the camper, the kayaks on the roof of the Jeep and headed out with no real plan other than to stop by Connecticut and then head south.
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Connecticut: 18 April - head to Greg, Jess and Flint. Trees are still sticks, weather is cold and rainy. 19 April - hang out with Jess and Flint. Go to the park where Jess and Flint do some fishing while we walk around - lovely park but cold, windy and rainy. 20 April - child-sit for Flint where we play games, build legos, walk down to the river, go to the library, eat peanuts in the park. Always a good time!
21-22 April were 2 long driving days much of it on horrible Interstate 81 which seemed to have wall-to-wall trucks and bad road surface. We did have fun staying in Harrisburg, PA at a La Quinta hotel where we had a dinner picnic in the room, laughed and watched the movie "16 Candles" and used the exercise room. After another long driving day on April 22nd, we stopped at a Kroger grocery store to stock up on supples and then arrived at Fairy Stone State Park in Virginia.
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Fairy Stone State Park, VA: We had our first clue that finding campsites on the weekends was going to be problematic as this campground was just about completely full. But it was very warm (was amazing to be in shorts and t-shirts!), the dogwood trees were blooming, wildflowers were out, and the lake was lovely.
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The park is named for the "Fairy Stones" that are found in the area.
Fairy Stones are Staurolite crystals (especially Staurolite pseudomorph) are found in only a few places around the world. The crystals were formed about seven miles underground. As the Blue Ridge mountains began to rise up, it brought the fairy stones to the surface. The crystals form into little tiny “bricks” that, under pressure, twist in 60 degree or 90 degree angles, forming crosses.
The Legend of the Fairy Stones states that hundreds of years before Pocahontas father, Chief Powhatan, reined over the land that is now Virginia, fairies danced and played around springs of water with naiads and wood nymphs. One day an elfin messenger arrived from a city far away and brought news of the death of Christ. When the fairies heard the story of the crucifixion, they wept and as their tears fell upon the ground, they crystallized to form beautiful crosses.
Historic superstitions held that possessing one of these rare stones would protect its owner from illness, accidents, and even ward off a witch’s curse.
23 April, Saturday - we had a slow moving morning and then a lovely kayak on the lake where there were turtles sunning on logs, blooming bushes along the shore, and swallowtail butterflies. We kayaked to the spillway over to the Reservoir, there is a big reservoir on the other side of the spillway from the lake that we were on. There were no gas motors allowed on the lake so that it was very quiet. A breeze came up on the lake as we turned back. People all "talk funny" down here!
24 April, Sunday - we biked up Mountain View Road - up and up and up and up... then down the highway and around back to the campground. After this ride we appreciated the great showers at the campground! In the afternoon we took the car to the town of Floyd which was recommended by people we met as an artsy, crafty, musical town. The drive was much further than they said, up winding mountainous roads crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a pretty drive and interesting little town. In the evening we walked down to the beach.
25 April, Monday - we paid for one more night here while we decided what to do next. We looked at many options, but found many were already reserved for the weekend. We looked at rail trails (Virginia Creeper and New River) and campgrounds nearby these trails. We took a HOT walk/hike on the Mountain View Trail with a small waterfall and nice view at the top. Ann took photos of wildflowers along the way.
Fairy Stones are Staurolite crystals (especially Staurolite pseudomorph) are found in only a few places around the world. The crystals were formed about seven miles underground. As the Blue Ridge mountains began to rise up, it brought the fairy stones to the surface. The crystals form into little tiny “bricks” that, under pressure, twist in 60 degree or 90 degree angles, forming crosses.
The Legend of the Fairy Stones states that hundreds of years before Pocahontas father, Chief Powhatan, reined over the land that is now Virginia, fairies danced and played around springs of water with naiads and wood nymphs. One day an elfin messenger arrived from a city far away and brought news of the death of Christ. When the fairies heard the story of the crucifixion, they wept and as their tears fell upon the ground, they crystallized to form beautiful crosses.
Historic superstitions held that possessing one of these rare stones would protect its owner from illness, accidents, and even ward off a witch’s curse.
23 April, Saturday - we had a slow moving morning and then a lovely kayak on the lake where there were turtles sunning on logs, blooming bushes along the shore, and swallowtail butterflies. We kayaked to the spillway over to the Reservoir, there is a big reservoir on the other side of the spillway from the lake that we were on. There were no gas motors allowed on the lake so that it was very quiet. A breeze came up on the lake as we turned back. People all "talk funny" down here!
24 April, Sunday - we biked up Mountain View Road - up and up and up and up... then down the highway and around back to the campground. After this ride we appreciated the great showers at the campground! In the afternoon we took the car to the town of Floyd which was recommended by people we met as an artsy, crafty, musical town. The drive was much further than they said, up winding mountainous roads crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a pretty drive and interesting little town. In the evening we walked down to the beach.
25 April, Monday - we paid for one more night here while we decided what to do next. We looked at many options, but found many were already reserved for the weekend. We looked at rail trails (Virginia Creeper and New River) and campgrounds nearby these trails. We took a HOT walk/hike on the Mountain View Trail with a small waterfall and nice view at the top. Ann took photos of wildflowers along the way.
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Stony Forks National Campground: We packed up and left Fairy Stone in the morning and headed to Wytheville, VA. This is a national campground which is a great deal - with a senior discount it's $20 a night with electric, water, and beautiful campsites. We get set up and ready for a cold night (38 degrees)! We went into town for groceries and new brake pads for the bikes. After dinner we walked around the campground and then snuggled in for the night. It was a cold night but we had enough blankets and the heater warmed things up quickly in the morning.
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27 April, Wednesday - we decided to do a loop hike on the Seven Sister's trail. We rode bikes 3 miles from the campground to the trailhead, then parked and locked the bikes. We hiked the 5 miles over the seven sisters (and we think there were a few cousins in there as well)! The trail started in a huge forest of rhododendrons which would be amazing to see when in bloom. It was so WINDY on the ridge that we can't hear each other talk. It was a great trail with 3 or 4 steep sections and nice views along the way. The trail ends back in the campground where we take the car to go pickup the bikes at the trailhead. It was cool and windy all day. We found this interesting "Cancer Root" plant while we were eating lunch (see photo). We cut a woodvine that was full of water - it looked like the woodvine in VT, but we had never seen it full of liquid. Back at the campsite we heard a big CRACK and saw a tree fall in the forest just beyond our campsite. We had a great dinner of sausage, green beans, onions and potatoes. We watched the Australian movie "Red Dog" - it was an odd feeling to be in the camper and watching a video - we decide that we won't do that again as it's not what we want to do while out in the wilderness.
28 April, Thursday - we took the bikes off the camper and put the rack on the back of the Jeep to transport the bikes to the New River State Park rail trail. This is a 57 mile linear state park and trail along the New River. It was a great rail trail with good surface, wide, easy to ride. We talked with a man who was supporting his wife while she walked the A - maybe we'll see them in Vermont. Along the trail is an old "shot tower" from the 1700's where molten lead is put through a "colander" and as it drops through the tower it cools and makes a sphere, then it goes into water from the river at the bottom of the tower. The river at this point looked too "iffy" for kayaking. We checked out some tennis courts but they were at the top of a windy hill so we didn't use them.
29 April, Friday - we walked from the campground up to Walker Mountain lookout. It was a hot walk on the road but there was little traffic, about 9 miles. At the top there is a lookout tower, a country store, a wonderful view and a great view of the "Seven Sisters" that we hiked a couple of days ago. We had a bag lunch at a picnic table supplemented by a bit of ice cream. The walk down was much faster and easier! Popcorn and apples when we got back hit the spot! Kale and potatoes for dinner.
30 April, Saturday - it was a rainy morning so Ann used the app "Seek" to identify wildflowers that we had been photographing, and then uploaded them to our website. It was clear in the afternoon so we rode bikes from the campground along back country roads with little traffic and lovely homes - uphill on the way out and a lovely downhill back to the campground. The evening brought us a perfect campfire and s'mores.
1 May, Sunday - the campground is very deserted after the weekend. We went to town to do shopping, lunch, and laundry. It was so good to get everything clean - it's been a long time since we were in a laundromat with 36 quarters! In the afternoon we walked on the nature trail in the campground.
28 April, Thursday - we took the bikes off the camper and put the rack on the back of the Jeep to transport the bikes to the New River State Park rail trail. This is a 57 mile linear state park and trail along the New River. It was a great rail trail with good surface, wide, easy to ride. We talked with a man who was supporting his wife while she walked the A - maybe we'll see them in Vermont. Along the trail is an old "shot tower" from the 1700's where molten lead is put through a "colander" and as it drops through the tower it cools and makes a sphere, then it goes into water from the river at the bottom of the tower. The river at this point looked too "iffy" for kayaking. We checked out some tennis courts but they were at the top of a windy hill so we didn't use them.
29 April, Friday - we walked from the campground up to Walker Mountain lookout. It was a hot walk on the road but there was little traffic, about 9 miles. At the top there is a lookout tower, a country store, a wonderful view and a great view of the "Seven Sisters" that we hiked a couple of days ago. We had a bag lunch at a picnic table supplemented by a bit of ice cream. The walk down was much faster and easier! Popcorn and apples when we got back hit the spot! Kale and potatoes for dinner.
30 April, Saturday - it was a rainy morning so Ann used the app "Seek" to identify wildflowers that we had been photographing, and then uploaded them to our website. It was clear in the afternoon so we rode bikes from the campground along back country roads with little traffic and lovely homes - uphill on the way out and a lovely downhill back to the campground. The evening brought us a perfect campfire and s'mores.
1 May, Sunday - the campground is very deserted after the weekend. We went to town to do shopping, lunch, and laundry. It was so good to get everything clean - it's been a long time since we were in a laundromat with 36 quarters! In the afternoon we walked on the nature trail in the campground.
