Hiking the Appellation Trail in Va.

BJ on the Appellation Trail in the Blue Ridge Mts. of Va

 The gnats were out in force so we only hiked a short distance along the Appellation Trail in the Blue Ridge Mts. of Virginia

CC on the Appellation Trail in the Blue Ridge Mts. of Va.

Virginia Winery Tours '12

 We also spent a day touring a few of the local wineries. (There are a couple hundred wineries in the area) I especially like the small family run wineries on the back roads where you could talk with the wine-maker and taste some really good small production  vintages that you wouldn't find in your local market.

Stone Mountain Winery

 It's not just the countryside that is colorful. I kid you not some of the native Virginians we met have a really thick accent. We commented to one of the winemakers about the abundance of wildlife we'd seen in the area. He relied, "Yah. Thar's always a bar, coon, gobbler, or dare out there in that field" ( read phonetically.. this is the way he pronounced bear and deer) . And sure enough, on the road out, we saw a black " bar" cross the road.

Ethiopian Food

Ethiopian Sampler Plate

The receptionist at the Massenutten spa recommended we try "the Blue Nile" Ethiopian restaurant in Harrisonburg VA . This was our first experience with Ethiopian food. We tried the sampler plate and loved it. It is now be our new favorite food. To make sure it was authentic, we also had the Honey bread and Masala tea with our meal. The tea was another delightful first. I made a immediate point of purchasing some Masala tea and have been drinking this delicious spicy brew ever since.

Luray Caverns '12

Luray Caverns formations

While the Massenutten Resort offered enough on-site activities to keep one busy for a lifetime, we also wanted to see some of the local scenery beyond the boundaries of the resort, like the nearby Luray Caverns... The caverns themselves are beautiful as the pictures show. Once you and your tour group are at the bottom of the stairs you  find yourself on a winding well lighted path . The two photos I've posted are a small representation of what you see for the entire hour tour  - 1 1/4 mile walk which takes you some 200 feet into the earth. There is  something totally new and different at every bend. It's almost magical in a Harry Potter-ish kind of way.

Luray  Caverns reflecting pool

The tour guide's script is trite, but the formations themselves are magnificent and more than makes up for the script's lack of  substance . There is something deeply moving about standing next to a 15' long stalactite and reflecting on the fact that, in one person's lifetime, it grows less than one inch.  Viewing a breathtaking rock formation and realizing that it existed, in essentially the same form, for 70 million years before the Pyramids were even dream of truly gives one  a different perspective on one's place in history.

Resort Life in The Shenandoah Valley Sept 16-22, 2012

Bruce on the Meadows Course at Massenutten

The Massenutten Resort where we were staying offers nearly every amenity known to man.. From the almost endless list of options,  BJ  chose to spend much of his vacation time attacking poor defenseless little white balls.  For my part, I preferred getting a aroma therapy massages at the spa.

Visiting with Desiree Sept 14-15, 2012

CC and Desiree

Before beginning our  week long adventure in the Shenandoah Valley, we spent the weekend  visiting with my niece, Desiree Campbell.

BJ and Desiree at Great Falls Nat. Park VA

The weather was great so we all took a short hike in nearby Great Falls  National Park