Blogs from Afton, Virginia, United States, North America

After a day of R &R, David, ( my host in Charlottesville) took me on his route to the bottom of the big climb up to Afton; the spot where the Blue Ridge Parkway begins. We parted as good friends and I sincerely hope we have an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company again. It was just a lovely day! My senses were filled with blue sky highlighted by white puffy clouds, the sound of birds rapturous over the smells and delights of a warm summer day and the lush green countryside passing slowly by. This is what it’s all about! There was more climbing today and the last five miles up to Afton very much reminded me of Mount Palomar. I don’t remember anything on the Pacific Route quite so challenging! Of course one seems ... read more

Trip is based off of this article in Draft Magazine. Drove from Maryland down to the Charlottesville area in VA. Luckily, there was almost no traffic, leaving at around 2pm. First stop: Starr Hill Brewery! They don’t have a restaurant, just a tasting room at the bottling facility. Inexpensive sampler. Of all the Breweries in this area, the most polished and best tasting top to bottom. Picked-up a cool Roostar Beer/Coffee Sampler (Coffee and Beer: The Dynamic Duo!) Checked into the url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g30223-d82780-Reviews-Afton_Mountain_Bed_Breakfast-Afton_Virginia.htmlAfton Mountain Bed and Breakfast . Everything was great at the Inn. We had substitute innkeepers, but everything was delicious and we rested well the entire weekend. Went to Blue Mountain Brewery for d... read more

This is just a test to see if those folks who are subscribed will get a email letting them know I have updated my entry. If you do get this please leave a comment on the journal. Mary... read more

url='/Videos/2998.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2998.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'The deer and me What an adventurous day. The simple plan of the day was to wake up, grab food, go to Humpback Rocks to do some hiking, come back, and enjoy the rest of the day. As you can probably guess, that's not what happened. We did get up, and we did get food. We did, also, make it to Humpback Rocks in Shenandoah National Park; however, before we got there, we got stopped and searched by a National Park Ranger/fake policeman. Rob was speeding, and just before we made it to the parking lot below Humpback Rocks, he saw the flashing lights behind him and had to pull over. I really didn't know that National Park patrolmen had the authority to pull people over and write tickets until now. The ranger came ... read more