MEMOIRS FROM REDD “THE CHAIR”
What a beautiful time to be in Southwest Virginia!! I was picked up at Ikenberry Orchards by my next tour guides, Frank and Rochelle, and I have never seen such a variety of apples!! There were apples I had never heard of but they were deee-licious.
We left the orchard and headed south on I-81 to Roanoke. There sure were a lot of trucks on this road. Since we were on a time crunch we were not able to visit the huge star atop Mill Mountain but I did get to see the famous Hotel Roanoke as well as the O. Winston Link Museum which hosts hundreds of pictures of trains.
As we traveled further south on I-81 I was able to take in the beauty of the leaves changing to their brilliant fall colors. I saw reds (my favorite since they matched me), golds, oranges, and yellows as well as greens and browns.
When we arrived at Rockwood Manor Bed and Breakfast in Dublin, VA I was exhausted but not too tired to take in the beauty of this historic gem as we drove up the tree lined driveway. I thought I was going to be in a remake of the movie Gone With the Wind. WOW!! Fortunately my hosts sensed how tired I was and put me straight to bed in one of the guest rooms.
The next morning I woke to a cloudy, rainy day so I was able to spend the morning just looking around this huge 10,000 square foot home. But in the afternoon the weather had cleared up and I was able to explore the New River Valley.
My first stop was at New River Community College where I saw wind generators and solar panels. This small college is exploring alternative energy sources and they offer classes based on this.
We traveled to Pulaski to see a huge model train set that has recently been acquired by the town. A scale model of Pulaski Town that is amazing to see. We also took in the restored train station with Bike Pulaski and entrance to the “New River Trail”. A 57 mile long Rails to Trails path. Nearby was Historic Calfee Park home of the Mariners training team.
That evening I was tempted to get in the Jacuzzi but thought better of it since it may have loosened up my joints too much.
On Thursday morning I awoke to a foggy morning but no precipitation so my hosts took me to Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech. Go Hokies!!! There were so many students headed in so many different directions it made my rungs spin.
Then I went to the football stadium. That place is HUGE!!! It holds 65,000 fans on a Saturday home game and it is packed. The head football coach, Frank Beamer, has been coaching his alma mater for 27 years and is well respected in the football community as well as his local community. I had the opportunity to read his book Let Me Be Frank before I went to bed. What a super person he is!
On the way back to Dublin I got to sit by the cool waters of the New River. Did you know that this river flows from south to north unlike most rivers in the northern hemisphere? I have learned so much on my travels. I wanted to dip my legs in the water but it was a little too chilly for that.
Tonight is Halloween and I am looking forward to the costumes that may come to the door. I will have lots of candy to give out but I also get to eat any that is left over. Yum! Yum!
Tomorrow I travel to my next destination, the Inn at River Bend. I can’t wait to see more of this beautiful valley and learn more about the history that abounds here.
Thanks to my hosts, Frank and Rochelle, for showing me around this area. I look forward to seeing the rest of the country and seeing more sites.
Dictated by Redd to Frank and Rochelle October 29-31, 2013
