The drive to the next location in Wise, VA was beautiful. Wise is a small town in the Appalachian mountains near the Kentucky border.
*Trivia- Actor George C. Scott was born in Wise, VA.
Growing up, we saw lots of roads that looked like this. Workmen had to blast through the mountains with dynamite to build roads. While driving here, cell phone, internet, and GPS is very spotty. Luckily, I was able to use the wifi at the library in Wise!I passed through Coeburn, VA and had to take some photos of their downtown.
After driving up a curvy, winding mountain I reached the top and discovered Mountain Rose Vineyards. This vineyard has such an interesting story and it goes to show that dreams do come true!
Suzanne took me on a tour of the facility and I got to see and smell the grapes at work.The weather was perfect to sit outside and enjoy some wine.Mountain Rose VineyardsSuzanne definitely has a green thumb!Wine tasting and with cheese & crackersI had a cold hard apple cider with my dinner and bought a few bottles of wine to take with me.
This was such a peaceful place to stay. No traffic, no noise, no phone, no internet. The hosts couldn’t have been more welcoming and made me feel at home. Thanks Mountain Rose Vineyards!
The Princeton Railroad Museum was the next stop at a Harvest Host location. It was in downtown Princeton, WV and a nice place to spend the night.
Having grown up in the area, I know how important the railroad is to the local economy. We heard the train whistles, counted the railcars, and spent lots of time waiting for trains to pass so I could get where I was traveling. The railroad ran in front of my grandmother’s beauty shop and it was in our backyard. We all knew someone who worked for or retired from the railroad.
People used old railroad ties in their yards for all sorts of things. I loved hearing all the stories about the railroad, too: pennies left on the rail to flatten by a passing train and picking wild creasy greens along the track. It was fun hearing mom talk about riding the train as a young girl. Her grandfather was a conducter on the Powhatan Arrow. He took her on the last trip the train made and gave her a bag of candy to eat while he worked.
Powhatan Arrow model trainCaboose kitchenCaboose seatingBooker T. Washington’s 1909 train schedule through Virginia & West Virginia.
Next stop, Gastonia, NC. Back in the area to visit with my son before leaving the Carolinas. This Harvest Host stay was at Cavendish Brewing Company in downtown Gastonia.
Cider and pizza!Delicious housemade Mango Cider. Rob and I sampled several ciders, but this was absolutely delicious. The other cider flavors available were Pina Colada and Blue Hawaiian.
This was an interesting stay. This location was very near the railroad tracks, so we heard several trains pass. It reminded me of being at my grandparents in Virginia.
I spent a couple of nights in WV before leaving for Kentucky. One night with Mom and one at the Princeton Railroad Museum.
Mom and I had a delicious lunch at the best Dairy Queen around anywhere. It is tradition to have at least one chili dog there every time I visit. They make homemade chili and have toasted split buns, which make all the difference.
Bluefield, WV Dairy Queen
I also saw the leaves start turning on the trees here.
Bluefield, VA
Mom and I had a great visit. We ate lots of good food and laughed until our stomachs hurt! One day we were in her living room and heard a loud commotion come down her hallway. It went behind her couch and all around the living room. We had no idea what it was, but you couldn’t help but hear it!
After doing some detective work. We found her cat under my bed and she looked like this:
Prissy the cat under the bed and Izzy the dog trying to help her.
I bought some Christmas ornaments at the mushroom farm to give to Mom. She loves handcrafted ornaments to give as gifts. Her cat Prissy “discovered” them in a handled brown paper bag. She got the ornaments out of the bag, but had a bag handle stuck around her neck running through the house! It was the biggest commotion you have ever heard. She sounded like a herd of buffalo stampeding.
Angel ornaments made from dried okra pods. Don’t let your cat see them…
Prissy had two of the angel ornaments in her bed. I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but the next day the angels were back in her bed! I told Mom if she liked them that much to let her keep one. Merry Christmas, Prissy.
Monday was exciting! I drove from Longs, SC to Monroe, NC. I stayed at my first Harvest Host location, Sharonview Farm. It was educational and hands-on.
Co-owner Teri Wood took me on a tour of her beautiful farm and shared the wonderful history of the property. It is amazing to see the process for growing mushrooms.
They begin the growing process by drilling holes in the logs and placing mushroom spawn into the holes.The logs are stacked so that they get air.These logs have been split in two pieces and the mushroom spawn in placed between and the log pieces are put back together, like a mushroom sandwich. These are called totems.
They grow a lot of mushrooms, but also have herbs, flowers, plants, and beautiful crafts.
This farm was full of activities, walking trails and places to ride bikes.
This time has given me a chance to settle into the camper and get all those last minute errands and tasks done. It is really sinking in how much I will miss everyone; however, this is not goodbye, just see you soon!
I have my route for the next two weeks mapped out. I will have two days with my son in the Gastonia/Charlotte area and two days with my mom in Bluefield, VA/WV. I am excited to see their reactions to the camper when they see it for the first time in person.
Since this is my first longer trip towing the camper, I will be going slowly. I plan on driving 3-4 hours each day with time for stops & setup before dark. The best part is that I have driven most of this route hundreds of times, so I am very comfortable.
I have a membership with Harvest Hosts and will be staying in a different location each night along the way. If you aren’t familiar with Harvest Hosts, check them out at https://harvesthosts.com/. Harvest Hosts allows unlimited overnight stays at over 2789+ incredible locations across North America. Hosts include wineries, farms, breweries, museums, golf courses and more. My first stay is at a mushroom farm and I am looking forward to learning a lot!
If you have any tips, hints or advice, please share!
We visited the Kindred Spirit Mailbox on our walk. If you aren’t familiar with it, Atlas Obscura describes it:
FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, a small black mailbox printed with the words “Kindred Spirit” has graced the shores of Bird Island.
Although no one knows the identity of the real Kindred Spirit, visitors have used the mailbox to express their hopes and thoughts, and have even stopped the development of the island with their handwritten pleas.
According to most stories, the Kindred Spirit Mailbox was first erected after the Kindred Spirit saw a mirage of a mailbox on the shore during low tide. Although the vision wasn’t real, they were inspired to plant a mailbox with a communal notebook so that visitors could leave proof of their having been there. Use of the mailbox quickly caught on and visitors flocked to the island to sit on a nearby bench, look out over the water and write their own personal message inside the mailbox’s journal.
We sat on a bench and left our own messages in one of the notebooks. My wish is to treasure each day & those we love and to follow your dreams!
I am having such a great week back in NC/SC. Getting all of my errands done before really hitting the road. Home this week is at Carrollwoods RV Park. Not only is this a peaceful place, it is a vineyard, too!
Grapefull Sisters Vineyard & Carrollwoods RV Park
This is the first campground and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start. Carrollwoods has beautifully maintained grounds, superclean facilities, including grocery, chapel, dog park, pool, volleyball, bathouse, restrooms, and laundry. The staff is so helpful and kind. The park is in a rural area, so there are lots of places to walk and bike.
I will be heading to Kentucky soon and taking a slow 10-14 days to get there. If you know of any places I need to visit on the way, send your suggestions!
Today started off nice and in the mid 70s, then after lunch the rain started and the temperature fell to 56. We planned to do spend some time at Pipestem State Park. We have visited and had many family reunions there over the years. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get many pictures due to the fog. So, instead, enjoy some pictures of our fur babies!
After housesitting & visiting family, I am back “home” and settling into my camper. I have been able to hang some art and pictures and I love Command Strips!
I have the kitchen and living/dining room areas done.
Cappy is settling in, too!
I am getting faster at setting up camp and am learning so much as I go. If you have any tips, please send them my way!
Camping with Christi 