2022 Trip to Monticello & Shenandoah National Park

2022 Trip to Monticello & Shenandoah National Park

We have been trying to get a trip to the Shenandoah National Park for a few years now without success. Our good friend Jean Martin tried a few times to reserve a YURT at her timeshare resort but it never seemed to work out for one reason or another. This past Christmas my son’s family gave us a National Parks pass and we figured we should do our best to use it. Dan & Jane and us have been trying to plan a trip somewhere and take the girls (Penny & Xena) along with us. We did some research and found this place close to the National Park called Montfair Resort Farm that welcomed our pooches.

So we packed up the girls and headed to Crozet, Virginia for a mini 4 day vacation. Having lived in Richmond many years ago the trip was pretty familiar along I64 until almost Charlottesville where we turned off and traveled through beautiful Crozet on our way to the cabin at Montfair resort. Upon arrival at our cabin apt named DOGWOOD we unloaded the car and Dan & Jane headed back to Crozet to pick up some groceries and dinner for the evening. I will say this about the cabin – it says accommodated up to 6 people but you better be real cozy with those people as the cabin was probably no bigger the 700 square feet (Including the deck) and with 1 bathroom that you could shit, shower, & shave by standing (or sitting) in one spot. Dan said I picked this place over the one he wanted with 2 bathrooms because it had internet. I dispute this and selected it because of the setting and the lake outback. nonetheless, the group decided that on the next trip I don’t get a vote.

Next morning the plan (my Plan) was to head to the Park and drove the scenic Skyline Drive 105 miles from the southern entrance to the Northern Terminus of the Shenandoah National Park. The maximum speed limit is 35 and there are dozens of scenic overlooks and the Appalachian Trail intersects it at numerous spots. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas. We got to the entry point and it was so foggy you could barely see 5 feet in front of you, so we decided to go to plan B. Plan B was actually scheduled for 2 days later but we improvised and headed of f to Monticello for a tour of the gardens (They permitted dogs in the gardens but not the house).

Monticello was great as seen in the pics below. It was a cool and drizzly day but the gardens were beautiful and the girls enjoyed their walk. Dan & Jane decided they wanted to see inside the house and made a late dash to get tickets while Sharon & I had a leisurely walk back through the gardens.

Next day the other girls (Jane & Sharon) went for a massage while Dan & I headed to a Microbrewery (One of my favorite things) called Pro Re Nata with the other girls. The beer was good and dark and the food was good and fried and after 3 beers so was I. 🙂 I’m not sure but I think we enjoyed the rest of the day just relaxing and hiking around the cabin.

Our last day was on Friday and it was a beautiful day and off we headed for the Skyline drive trip that I had originally planned for Wednesday. The drive was SPECTACULAR and the views were AWESOME! We stopped at several of the lookouts and took a few short walks to stretch our legs and let the girls (all of them) do their business. The entire 105 mile trip took about 3 or 4 hours. The trip back was a bit of an adventure as I had inadvertently set my map settings to avoid highways and tolls. That meant that we went down many backroads and hollers that Dan swore he heard banjos a few times. We eventually made it back and settled for quiet night in to start packing and heading back home.

Guess what was in store for us on our trip back to Kentucky? yep, a Bomb Cyclone. The temperatures dropped from the 60s the day before to the upper 20s with blizzard like conditions and 40-60 miles per hour winds. It was a fun ride back but since it had been so warm the day before and with all the salt trucks out the roads were in relatively good condition.

ALL in all great trip and would love to spend more time there and do some hiking in the Park.

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Trip to Valdese North Carolina

Trip to Valdese North Carolina

Sharon and I took a weekend trip to Valdese, NC to visit family and see the sights. The trip down was absolutely gorgeous as the further we went the more colorful the tree’s became and the higher the mountains got. We arrived shortly after noon to a beautiful little 400 sf Airbnb place (pics below) and quickly settled in. After a nice dinner and a few pints we settled in at David & Jamie’s place for a few hours of conversation.

on Sunday morning we headed to Boone, NC to see their kids (Triniti, her husband Coy, and Jordan). We also took a short drive along the blue ridge parkway and stopped at a few overlooks along the way.
Simply Beautiful!

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Being a college town there was plenty of food and beverages all around. We had a nice brunch and stopped at a few pubs and Triniti & Coy’s place before heading back to our small shack for the night.

Monday morning we headed to Kings Mountain Military park in South Carolina about an hours drive from Valdese. We took the 1.5 hike along the King’s mountain memorial trail where a significant battle was undertaken in 1830 during the Revolutionary war. Another beautiful walk along the fall trees many of which were still holding their colors. We headed back to Valdese and our tiny home to spend a relaxing afternoon before heading back home in the morning.

Thanks for listening!

Some of My Summer Bike trips

Some of My Summer Bike trips

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Bee Hive Installs (4-30-21)

Bee Hive Installs (4-30-21)

Well the day for installing our 2 hives has finally arrived. On Friday morning around 11AM Casey, Hugh, & I headed to Fisherville to pick up or hives. The pickup point was next door to the Old Pound Auction site that we used to frequent back in our days living in Fisherville. Those were some good memories in that place.

We pulled up and they directed us to the back to have our bees loaded and warned us to roll up our windows. The guys in full bee protective suits loaded and fastened down our 2 hive and off we went for the mile or so drive to their new home. When we arrived at their home we walked and mapped out out path for their final destination. Hugh & I in our bee suits (Jacket, Gloves, & Veil) each carried a hive and Casey brought up the rear with 2 more boxes to place on top.

Once we arrived we unscrewed the temporary lids and added another box and opened up their access point. Both Hives went smoothly with the only casualties being a few bees that got smashed in the process and the photographer (Casey) getting stung in the face.

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2021 Pacific Coast Bike Ride

2021 Pacific Coast Bike Ride

UPDATE:
The 2021 Pacific Coast Ride has been cancelled due to COVID19
 Bummer , but don’t count me out yet for 2022 🙂

You would think as one gets older you would get smarter right? Apparently not so In my case. I realize the window is closing or maybe it has already closed and I am failing realize it. Anyways, I have signed up for the Bike The US for MS Pacific Coast Bike Trail in August of this year. I will do my best to train and hopefully complete this Journey.

I am asking for your help in raising money for this very worthy Charity. If you can help in any way here is a link to donations for this Journey.

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The picture below was taken by a friend on this ride a few years back. Yes, that is his camping spot for the night.

We pull into our camp for the night and I find my tent surrounded by 5 Redwoods…how could I be so lucky?

Nicholas Patrone
We pull into our camp for the night and I find my tent surrounded by 5 Redwoods…how could I be so lucky?
Nicholas Patrone

About the 2021 Pacific Coast Route

August 5th – September 6th
1,852miles | 32 days | 3 states
Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California

Starting in downtown Seattle, cyclists board a ferry across the Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula and begin the ride south. The Oregon and Northern California coast are remote and rugged, with a combination of livestock and old growth forest perched on the sea cliffs. The small towns and cities through this portion typically offer some great local food and drink and always an interesting conversation with locals. A distinct change in the route occurs at San Francisco, where cyclists cross the Golden Gate bridge into the city for a healthy dose of culture shock. Riding south from San Francisco, cyclists experience some of the most incredible scenery of the trip through Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Big Sur. Cheap, delicious Mexican food becomes a consistent theme, as do Eucalyptus trees and hidden swimming holes. The ride through Los Angeles is primarily on bike paths and surprisingly relaxing  and from there it’s two easy days in the saddle before arriving in San Diego.