Revisiting Virginia

Revisiting Virginia was a long time coming. See Virginia Camping, State, City and National Park for our first camping experiences in the state. That was five years ago. When our camping group, Southeastern T@bs, T@gs, and Friends (SETTF) planned a trip to Northwest Virginia, we were quickly on board. It was June and quite hot in our home state of Alabama, but we were hopeful a higher elevation would make it a comfortable time to visit.

Grayson Highlands State Park

Grayson Highlands State Park sits at an elevation of over 4,000 feet, and it was much cooler there.

We brought our bikes in anticipation of riding the Virginia Creeper, a famous bike trail in nearby Damascus.

It appears that Christmas trees are a major crop in the area and we passed many farms dedicated to them. The area is quite beautiful.

Revisiting Virginia and the land of Christmas trees — The land of Christmas Tree crops

Hiking in the Park

Revisiting Virginia brought some excellent hiking opportunities. We are not strong hikers these days, but we quickly devoted some time to the Rhododendron Trail with some of our friends in hopes of seeing the wild horses. It was chilly and raining that day but, it was a nice hike. However, no horses or rhododendrons were seen.

The trail was fairly steep going up, but the cool temperatures made it more comfortable.

I later returned with some friends and rhododendrons and horses were abundant. You had to follow another trail to see the flowers.

We were briefly on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and I learned that the white single line in the photo below is a symbol of the AT. I have hiked parts of it before, but did not know about white blaze. It was a nice hike, but a bit challenging for me. I think we did 3-4 miles.

Horses

On this longer hike, we encountered several wild horses, some with their offspring.

They did not appear fearful of humans and allowed us to get quite close. There is something about seeing animals in the wild that is much more exciting then seeing them in captivity.

The Virginia Creeper

The Virginia Creeper is a 34 mile National Trail. The rail-to-recreation trail from Abingdon, Virginia through Damascus ends at Whitetop Station in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It is named for the train that had to keep such a slow speed going through the mountains.

Revisiting Virginia on the Creeper — Green Cove Station

Our group of 26 people were doing the Creeper starting at Bicycle Junction in Damascus. The town of Damascus is totally dedicated to the Creeper with several bike shops. The bike shop transports riders and their bikes to the Whitetop Station. It also rents bikes. We rode from Whitetop to Damascus, which was seventeen miles, mostly downhill.

It was a beautiful, sunny day for the ride and everyone had the best time! We have e-bikes, but for most of the way, I rode with zero assist.

My bike is above at a scenic spot along the way. The trail winds around Laurel Creek and there are many bridge crossings along the way. I have an irrational fear of riding over bridges on a bike. So, like a big sissy, I walked my bike over several of the bridges.

However, I did ride across the bridge above. It was the longest of the day and it really creeped me out. But, I made it. My goal was to do the Creeper and not get hurt. I did that and am so glad we were able to have this experience!

Visiting Abingdon, Virginia

Abingdon is a charming town that is about an hour from our campground. We had tickets at the Barter Theatre for the play, Grandma Gatewood Takes a Walk. The play is based on the true story of a sixty-seven year old woman who hiked the entire 2,000+ miles of the AT in the 1950s.

Surprisingly, it was just a two-person play. I didn’t expect much, but it was incredible! We laughed and cried watching the telling of this inspirational story told by such talented performers.

The stage for Grandma Gatewood Takes a Walk

The stage was simple, but they made it work so well.

After the play, we walked through a steady rain next door to the Martha Washington Inn (aka The Martha) for an early dinner. We arrived quite wet, but everyone was very welcoming.

The inn was built in 1832 and is beautifully preserved. Our meal was at the restaurant in the hotel, Sister’s American Grill. Our time at the restaurant was perfect—a delicious meal in intimate surroundings with attentive service. My husband said his steak was the best he has ever had. By the time we left, the rain had stopped and we could get to our truck without getting wet again.

Friends Old and New

Revisiting Virginia enabled us to see our friends, Mark and Heidi, whom we also saw on our first trip to the state. They stopped at the campground for a night on their way to another destination. It was great catching up with them.

Our SETTF friends were wonderful, as always. We always have a great time with them. Several of them volunteered to watch our pup while we did the Creeper and saw the play. They are the best!

Lastly, we met a charming new couple, Scotty and Bob, that we hope to see again down the road.