Category: US

George Washington National Forest, Hidden Valley Campground, Jackson River, Jackson River Gorge Trail, National Historic Site, Virginia, Warm Springs, Virginia

Hidden Valley Recreation Area, Bath County, Virginia

by  •  • 4 Comments

Monday/Tuesday, July 8, 2024

I have been to Hidden Valley several times to fish the Jackson River, but I wanted to return to explore more of the area. A beautiful B&B, Warwickton built in 1848, sits in the heart of the property, but I love staying in the campground with our Airstream. The campsite fee is $15, and is only half of that with a Senior National Park Pass. Originally I was going by myself, since Martha was going to Africa with her girl friends. However, the flight was cancelled, so they returned home from Atlanta. Well, it isn’t Africa, but she decided to come along and discover Hidden Valley.

After loading groceries and clothes, we got an early start for a pretty two-hour drive to Warm Springs. We drove around the campground a couple of times to select a site, which is difficult because they are all nice. We got setup, fixed some lunch and went for a walk. there are about 200 acres of “hay fields” that are just loaded with wildflowers. Well-maintained paths are cut around and through the fields. Butterflies and bees are busy gathering nectar from all the flowers. It was hot in the sun, even though it was about 8 degrees cooler than at home. The elevation is about 1,500′ with mountains surrounding it in 8,000 acres of George Washington National Forest. The Jackson River runs through the valley with 6.5 miles of river. Connecting to the north is Poor Farm, offering more river frontage and dispersed camping. My goal for tomorrow was to hike to Poor Farm along the river, crossing the swinging bridge. On Wednesday I wanted to bike the Jackson Trail, a rails-to-trails, well-developed trail along the Jackson River.

Trying to keep things simple, we just brought the Cobb Stove, a small grill that uses 6-10 lumps of charcoal. Martha is a great camp cook, cooking chicken for me, a pork chop for her and a riot of peppers, onions and squash. It was wonderful. There is no cell phone service in the valley and no radio or TV reception. It is interesting to spend four days without things we feel are “essential”. I had a new book by Kelly Sutton, A River Runs Through It Outdoor Reflections. I finished that the first day, and found it quite entertaining. We have been hunting and fishing together for a very long time. You can find his book on Amazon.

I get up early every day, but I slept till 5:00, which is quite good for me. With all the windows open, it had cooled to about 69 degrees, which was perfect with a sheet. Birds were waking and talking to each other, so I crept out to the field to look for a deer or perhaps a bear, but no such luck. We knew it was going to be a hot day for an 8-mile round trip hike, so we filled the water bottles and packed some granola bars and sandwiches. We were off by 7:15.

We drove up to the trail head in front of the elegant Warwickton. Our phones would have to do for cameras today. We had already seen four deer and several rabbits. The grass was wet with dew, and it was a beautiful morning for a hike. Deer, rabbits, butterflies and bees were everywhere. After two hay fields, we were in the forest, nice and cool. It took about 45 minutes to get to the first bridge, where I went straight toward Muddy Run. The trail followed it along until it crossed the now small stream. We saw a blaze on a tree on the other side, so we crossed, but were unable to follow the trail. Disappointed, we headed back down.

When we got to the bridge, we decided to cross and see where that went. It led back to the Jackson River and the famous swinging bridge. We paused in the middle to admire the beautiful river, then crossed to the other side. A sign pointed to the right to Poor Farm in 2.5 miles, but we had spent our energy going up Muddy Run. I turned around to cross back over the bridge when I was attacked by yellow jackets, quickly running back to the side. those little things just stick to you and keep stinging until you smack them off.

Well, fortunately the path went in both directions, so we headed downstream, hoping to end up at Warwickton. With no phone service and no map, we weren’t really sure where we were going, but hopefully not up and over the mountain to Back Creek. As long as it followed the river, we should be good, but we were on the mountain side, so it went up and down on a narrow trail.

After a lot of trekking, we indeed found ourselves in front of Warwickton. Crossing a bridge we saw a man leading people on a horse ride. Now THAT’S the way to do it! We talked to him for a bit, getting his information before they jogged on. We were tired, hungry and thirsty by the time we got back to camp, but it was all good, except for a bunch of itching bee stings.

From https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/008-0004/

A bit tired, we had lunch and rested for a couple of hours.

Abingdon Farmer's Market, Abingdon, Virginia, Airstream Rally, Farmer's Markets, Silver in The Streets, Abingdon, VA, Virginia

Silver in The Streets, Saturday

by  •  • 2 Comments

May 18, 2024

Saturday’s highlight is the Farmer’s Market, which is conveniently at the end of our street. Starting at 8:00 gave us time to have coffee and sweet rolls as well as cleaning up our trailers. As a good will gesture, people can go into our trailers and check them out like an open house. We also find it interesting to go and see what other Airstreamers have with their trailers. Martha had new bedspreads made, which we were quite proud of.

It’s a great Farmer’s Market – not too big, not too small, but with great variety. Martha made two trips. My college roommate, Doug Schnabel, came up from Nashville for a visit, so we stood in front of the trailer talking while people came to take a look. It had been raining, so they were very polite about not wanting to walk all the way through. Two couples stayed to talk a while. They were friends who had come to watch the play. One lady was in the Marines for 27 years, so we called our neighbor across the street who had also been a Marine. They talked in terms we didn’t understand and told stories about 46’s, which we finally learned were helicopters that had a habit of crashing. Our neighbor, Richard, had flown helicopters, told about a 46 going into a combat area to pick up a squad, but they refused to get on, saying, “We’d rather fight the enemy than get on that thing!” Then they asked where they were stationed and what their duties were. David said he was SecNav while she was there. We later learned that was Secretary of the Navy.

Richard’s beautiful table
Jeff and Kevin Slevin’s gorgeous 33′
Jeff wants to catch a trout in every state

Then Doug took us for a tour around town. He had raised his family in Abingdon, and they still have a house here. He had a sawmill for about 8 years until he sold it. He showed us where it used to be and the machine shop which was so valuable for his business. A few weeks ago he had walked into the building and was attacked by two German Shepards that tore him up pretty good before the owners came out. We drove through his neighborhood, then through a rather high end development on a golf course. He took us through a lot of places we hadn’t seen. Then he took us to his ice cream store, “The Ice Cream Stop,” which he owned for four years before selling it. We went in to see it and give it a try, and it was very good. We told the young lady with a Virginia shirt on that Doug was the original owner who had built the building. That brought a big smile to her face. Turns out she had just finished her freshman year at UVA.

We had dinner at the Greek restaurant on the corner, having a nice dinner and solving all the world’s problems. Walking back, we toured a large, new business that Doug called a yuppie grocery store. He wondered if there were enough to support such a business. We would continue our conversations in the morning.

Abingdon, Virginia, Devil's Bathtub, Jefferson National Forest, Virginia

Silver in The Streets, Friday

by  •  • 0 Comments

Friday, May 17, 2024

The weather forecast for our stay in Abingdon wasn’t good, but it kept changing. It’s a tradition to gather around the coffee pot and sweet rolls in the morning. I asked Jeff about the hike to “The Devil’s Bathtub”. He said it was an hour drive, a two-mile hike out and two-miles back with 6 stream crossings. “There have been 100 rescues since 2018!” Scott County advises not to hike if the water is above your knees. Amanda had warned us yesterday that “people die in there.” The rain was supposed to hold off until 2:00. With some hesitation and discussion, we decided to go along with 8 others.

We rode with Martin and Karen and had some nice discussions along the way, which made the hour drive go quickly. It looked like rain as I got a couple of pictures at the trailhead. This was a serious mining and logging area years ago, so probably not a good trout stream, although it sure is pretty. We soon came to the first ford, which was up to our knees, but the water was clear. Jeff said it was an inch or two higher than when he hiked it Wednesday. Being the good leader he is, he wanted to test it before taking a group. That made me feel better. Our group was pretty hardy, and everyone helped at the crossings.

It was a very pretty hike to a very cool destination. The main pool is reported to be 10-12′ deep. We paused there to take pictures and have lunch before heading back. A couple of people slid down on crossings, but after a few crossings, no one seemed to mind getting wet. Small gravel is always safer than big, slippery rocks to step on, but despite my warnings, people seem to want to step on the big rocks. Fortunately there were no injuries and everyone was happy to have gone. Lee felt we should have merit badges for having accomplished it in less than ideal conditions.

We got out of our wet clothes, showered and managed a little nap. At 5:30 we met Randy and Xan for dinner at “The Tavern”. Somehow the Tavern seems to always be good with good service. Our waiter coached wrestling, and Randy encouraged him to get with UVA’s wrestling coach, Steve Garland.

We went to the small venue of the Barter Theater to watch a two-person play, “Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk”, by Catherine Bush. “I said I’d do it, and I’ve done it.” One fine spring day, Emma Gatewood, a 67-year-old mother and grandmother, told her children she was “going for a walk.” She failed to mention that her walk would make her the first woman to solo hike the newly formed Appalachian Trail. “Grandma Gatewood Took A Walk” is a wildly theatrical adventure following Emma and all who played a part in her incredible journey.

It is an incredible true story and one of the best plays I have seen. It plays until June 9th and worth the drive just to see this play. Mary Lucy Bivins does a marvelous job as Grandma and John Hardy is great, playing about 6 different people. Grandma not only hiked the AT once, but became the first person to hike it three times! She hiked the Oregon Trail in 1959 and worked on a section that would become the Buckeye Trail. She was inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame in 2012. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandma_Gatewood).

It was 10:00 by the time we got to bed, and I was asleep at 10:01.

Abingdon, Virginia, Virginia

Silver in The Streets, Abingdon, Virginia

by  •  • 3 Comments

Thursday, May 16. 2024

This is the fourth year we have held this Airstream Rally in Abingdon. The concept of Silver in The Streets is one mutually beneficial to Airstreamers and to the town. Abingdon closes down Remsburg Drive for us, and we parked 14 Airstreams on it. This little town has it all; history, two great venues for the Barter Theater, The Virginia Creeper Trail, fishing, hiking, shopping, a great farmer’s market and excellent restaurants. In turn, we bring business to the town.

After a 5½ hour drive, we parked, set up and said hello to everyone. We grabbed a little nap before driving northwest to Lebanon, Va to visit Amanda Rose and her family. Amanda is a great hygienist who worked with us for four or five years before moving back to Chad and Amanda’s hometown of Abingdon. They have two lovely daughters, Ainsley and Cadence.

Amanda gave us a tour of their new house on.about 12 gorgeous acres on top of a mountain. It’s in a small development with great neighbors, one of whom likes to do projects for them. While we waited for the rest of the family to get home, we took a walk up the street to a fantastic view of mountains all around.

When Chad and the girls got home, they all started cooking. I felt like I was in a Japanese restaurant with Chad cooking on a big griddle outside. First he made a huge portion of fried rice, then chicken, mushrooms, squash, carrots and shrimp. The girls hustled things in and out of the house between rounds of volleyball. Ainsley took us over to the fence for a great sunset view. Along the tree line were huge blackberry bushes, and to the right of those were wineberries, or raspberries. I asked if they were going to put in a garden, but there are too many deer.

After a huge, wonderful dinner, Amanda served up delicious cake she made with a raspberry filling. We were hoping to watch Cadence play softball in the regional tournament tomorrow, but with heavy rains predicted, it was moved to Monday. We would later find out Cadence hit a home run and the team won. She is quite the athlete, playing basketball and volleyball as well as softball. Ainsley is into art, theater and acting.

It was a wonderful visit with great friends. We made it back to town as it turned dark, carrying a whole bunch of left-overs and cake!

Abilene, Kansas, Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Greyhound Hall of Fame, Kansas

Abilene, Kansas

by  •  • 0 Comments

Saturday/Sunday, September 10/11, 2022

It was a very pleasant drive on I70 from Oakley to Abilene. At first it was very dry in Colorado, then turned to irrigated to pretty lush, green, huge farms and a lot of sorghum in Kansas.

It was cloudy all day with no rain until we were an hour from Abilene. Then it started to rain pretty hard. Why it didn’t produce much-needed rain in Colorado, I don’t understand, but I guess that’s the way it is.

We pulled into the campground with no one in the office. Finally, we took a pull-through spot, filled out an envelope at the bathroom and put a check in it.

We settled back on a chilly, rainy Saturday afternoon and watched a good football game between Tennessee and Pittsburgh. Trains kept coming down the track close by.

In the morning we went to the Greyhound Hall of Fame. We were greeted by a nice lady and two greyhounds that were very sweet. She gave us a bit of history of greyhounds and their origins as hunting dogs that could run all day at great speeds. Their top speed is 45 mph, but can be outpaced over long distances by huskies. Like horse racing, racing dogs began with, “My dog can run faster than your dog.” That started hundreds of years ago and evolved to what it is today.

Our host said they make great pets, but they need exercise, and that means running. We walked through the exhibits for an hour. There were sections for the dogs, trainers and breeders. I enjoyed reading the names of the great ones like Dyna Double One, Balleyregan Bob and More Taxes. Also I was amazed at a skeleton in a glass case. The greyhound skeleton reminds me of a bird. It is so light and small, it looks quite fragile.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/826692075331527420/

After lunch we went to the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. Talking to our neighbor at the campground, he said that was the reason he was here, and that he had been to 12 presidential libraries. Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, then and still a small midwestern town. There are two big buildings on a campus-like setting, one is the library and one is a museum.

The museum is nicely organized in chronologic order starting with his childhood, sports and activities in a small town. It was very interesting how his whole life prepared him so well for the job he would eventually do in WWII. Then on to the presidency and all he accomplished. I was tired just walking through, I can’t imagine a man continuing at such capacity for so long. For some reason the museum closed early that day, but I had filled up with information and was ready to call it a day. I thought it was a great museum and would go through it again. We have the big picture now, so if we went back, I would take four or five days divided into growing up, West Point and early military, WWII and the presidency.

  • Eisenhower childhood home
  • Beautiful campus grounds
  • Museum
  • Abilene train station
  • Abilene train station
  • Downtown Abilene

A trip on the Abilene and Smokey Valley Train would be a fun thing to do here, but we didn’t allot time for that. Also popular is a tour of the Seelye Mansion. Dr. Seelye started the Seelye Medical Company in 1890. We walked around town, which is very nice, but it was all closed up on a Sunday. There is also a highly-rated Heritage Center and The Great Plains Theater.

40 in Colorado and Kansas, 94 in Colorado, Colorado, Kansas, Oakley, Kansas

Drive from Colorado Springs to Oakley, Kansas

by  •  • 0 Comments

September 9, 2022

It was a nice drive on 94 and 40 from Colorado Springs to Oakley, Kansas. It was pretty flat and very dry as we made the turn onto 40. 94 was a bit rough and narrow, but still tractor-trailers were making time at 65 mph.

We missed the turn at Kit Carson somehow, and went south for 20 minutes until we figured it out, but that cost us 45 minutes.

We set up in High Plains Camping near I70, which is a nice travel campground. They spread everyone out nicely. The people are very nice, and the showers good. 

Trying to settle on a place to eat, we drove up to Buffalo Bill’s Bar & Grill where five trucks were parked outside. The overhead sign was falling apart, and the front door wasn’t very inviting, so we turned around and went to “The Bluff”. We were early at 6:00 and walked into a big dining area that was vacant except for one table with 8 men and women in deep conversation. As we passed, I asked if that was the City Council. They laughed, saying they could solve a lot of problems, and they invited us to join.

We smiled and took a small table two tables away. It was a shame, because I could barely catch a comment or two of their conversation, and they did seem to be addressing some of the local issues, one being marijuana and Colorado being so open. 

We were a bit nervous about the place, and it was a while before a waitress came over. Martha ordered a beer and I ordered a $5 screwdriver with Absolut. Martha ordered a steak and I smothered chicken breast with cheese, onions and mushrooms. Their slices and grilled potatoes were great and so were the green beans. 

As we sipped our drinks, people started coming in. It’s a small town (pop. 2046), and they all knew each other. One lady came in for a take out order of 8 boxes! There was a big take-out business, and the two men in the kitchen were hopping. Thankfully, another waitress came in, because the place was filling up. 

It was the right choice. The food was good and the people very nice. It had a homey feel in a small town. I liked it! We drove back to camp where Tres Hermanos restaurant, right beside the campground, was busy. Looked like a good place. I would liked to have visited the Fick Fossil History Museum, but we were heading home now. Oakley is a nice, little town. Next time I’ll sit in with the “City Council”.

Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame

US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame

by  •  • 0 Comments

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Colorado Springs has an Olympic Training Center, which would have been a lot of fun to see, but we couldn’t go. We did go to the Hall of Fame though, and it was very cool. It’s a museum also, so there are lots of pictures and stories of famous athletes. Like most museums, it is difficult to take it all in.

The coolest part was a group of demonstrators where you compete against other visitors. There is a two-lane track to test your speed. There are three simulators – a soccer goalie, a bobsled run and a downhill ski course. That was good for some laughs 😊

Great quote
Read her incredible story at https://www.infinite-women.com/women/candace-cable/
Demonstrating the importance of trains in Colorado Springs
Moving our campsite, we had a deer visit
Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Hotels, Penrose Heritage Museum

The Broadmoor Hotel

by  •  • 0 Comments

Thursday, September 8, 2022

We went for a visit to the Broadmoor Hotel, an iconic, beautiful hotel in Colorado Springs. Passing by lovely Pauline Chapel, we we went to The Penrose Heritage Museum just across the street from the hotel. It is mostly a carriage museum, but also has cars and motorcycles owned by the original builder and owner, Spencer Penrose.

https://usrepresented.com/2022/09/06/broadmoor/

We have two carriages and a sleigh in our garage, so I was very interested with all the carriages and a few sleighs, all in immaculate condition. It would be so much fun to drive these!

Penrose bought 500 acres including a hotel in 1916 with the goal of building the finest hotels in the United States. The history is quite interesting, and a good summary can be found at https://usrepresented.com/2022/09/06/broadmoor/.

It has it all – championship golf course, spa, riding stables, Olympic level ice skating facility, fishing, hiking, clay pigeon shooting and more. The flowers and landscaping are beautiful. They have what many call the finest level of customer service anywhere in the world. https://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2014/12/19/9-customer-service-hr-and-leadership-secrets-from-the-broadmoor-hotel/?sh=3f9c20456570.

Walking around the lobby, I was struck by amazing art work. I have since learned they have one of the largest collections of western art. I could have wandered around looking at the art for a long time. Maybe we saw 5% of the resort. I would love to come back to walk around more. I would have to find some kind of deal as the rooms are listed at $600 plus the usual resort fee, plus the taxes, but they are completely booked next week for its 784 rooms. 

Colorado, Colorado Springs, ProRodeo Hall of Fame, CO

Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum

by  •  • 2 Comments

September 7, 2022 

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs is dedicated to professional rodeo riders, livestock, equipment, clowns and events. Opened in 1979, it has historical exhibits, stories of over 300 inductees and displays of saddles, ropes, lariats and outfits. I learned that lariat comes from the Spanish, La reata or lasso. It is a light rope, usually of leather or hemp, used to catch livestock or tie grazing animals. 

We first watched a 15-20 minute video showing all the events and history of rodeo. Then we toured the museum.

I wanted to pick up one of the saddles to see how heavy they were, but they were anchored in place. They look heavy, maybe up to 60 lbs. This article notes that a working saddle needs weight to remain stable under stress. They also distribute the load over a larger area, therefore applying fewer pounds per square inch. https://www.western-saddle-guide.com/saddle-weight/

I also enjoyed the outfits, shirts, hats and chaps. Rodeo has certainly brought out more flare to the dress. Having been in the southwest all summer, I tried to picture what it was like on a cattle drive for a couple of months. You would have only one outfit, a raincoat and bedroll. That outfit would have to be pretty versatile.

Then I looked around for my old hero, Gene Arnette, who roped for a time, but he didn’t make the Hall. 

Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado, Colorado Springs, US Air Force Academy

US Air Force Academy

by  •  • 2 Comments

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

It was a beautiful morning at Cheyenne Mountain State park as the sun rose over Colorado Springs.

Cheyenne Mountain behind our campsite
You feel like there should be buffalo on these beautiful grasslands

Cheyenne Mountain has quite a story. Deep within the granite is a NORAD site built during the cold war. The Broadmoor has a resort up there and a zoo. An antenna farm sits on top. There is a host of luxury housing areas. Cheyenne Mountain State Park has another park on the mountain, and North North Cheyenne Cañon Park has 20 miles of trails and seven waterfalls. We need to go back for another week just to explore the mountain! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne_Mountain

Across the highway from Cheyenne Mountain State Park is Fort Carson. It is very cool to hear the bugle calls in the distance, although I was usually asleep before taps 😊, but I was up long before reveille (wake up call).

The Air Force Academy is the youngest of the service academies, starting in 1959. The Academy sits inside 4,630 acres that was formerly Cathedral Rock Ranch owned by Lawrence Lehman of the famous Lehman Investment family. The price was $300,000, or about $65/acre. It is a gorgeous setting at the base of the Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains. “140 different parcels were eventually purchased to make up what is now a nearly-18,500 acre government property.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Academy)

We stopped beside the runway where they practice flying and parachuting. It would be fun to watch that some time. They had several airplanes on display. Martha thought one might have been one her father tested in the wind tunnel at Langley Air Force Base where he worked as an engineer.

Rampart Range with Cheyenne Mountain to the south and Pike’s Peak to the north
What a great place to learn to fly!

We went into the Visitor’s Center, watched a movie and poked around while we waited for a guided tour given by a graduate of the school. He gave a nice tour, but we couldn’t go into any of the buildings, and we were disappointed they didn’t march to lunch. I think it was too hot.

I wondered what it would have been like to go to school here in stead of VMI. It certainly is a gorgeous setting, but our guide said they never saw much of it. Their lives were busy with school, chores and physical fitness. Their rooms were assigned by squadron, not by class as it was at VMI. 

A lot of money was spent on the facilities, and their sports complex is top notch. The school design is very modern with a lot of glass and aluminum. Entering class size is about 1,200, 20% of whom don’t graduate. 

  • AFA’s mascot is a gyrfalcon, a powerful and highly skilled flyer
  • 1st barracks
  • Polaris Hall center for Leadership Development
  • Harmon Hall, offices conference rooms
  • New barracks
  • Fairchild Hall academic building
  • Billy Mitchell, instrumental in many ways
  • Polaris Building pointing to the north star
  • Harmon Hall, 90 offices, conference rooms
  • Ravens are highly skilled flyers, able to soar to great heights, fly upside down and do rolls
  • Iconic chapel enclosed for renovations
error: Content is protected !!