Before I even get started, I want to let everyone know there will be an Impromptu Quilt-Cam at 2pm Eastern this afternoon!
I wasn’t sure how I would feel after yesterday’s road trip, (we were gone almost 12 hours) but I’m game if you are.
It will start in Facebook Live, and after the fact will be embedded into a blog post and uploaded and archived under the Quilt-Cam tab at the top of the blog.
Southwest Virginia is just simply gorgeous.
I want to call this “Walton’s Mountain” country, but I really have no idea WHERE in Virginia Walton’s Mountain was supposed to be. Maybe closer to Charlottesville?
This is a land of fields, farms and Christmas tree plantations. It’s a land of streams and hollars, gulleys, gulches, and gaps.
We spent a long day exploring many corners from Grayson to Carroll County and everywhere in between.
Would the next “PERFECT” Quilt Villa be around the corner?
This could be the new front yard?
Hopefully WITHOUT taxidermy!
No, a bit too rough!
This was a “way out there” hunting cabin, with an emphasis on HUNTING. But the basement was all cinderblock, no windows, and I’m not wanting to completely remodel something for quilting space. I want move in ready, or nearly so. So while I loved the property, the cabin was dated, needed all of the carpet gone, the bathrooms and kitchen redone, and it was already at the upper limit of our price range so, thanks for the views and the gorgeous drive out here, but no!
Moo!
The next place was UP SO HIGH on a terrible hair pin road.
No way I would ever drive my van up here…but those views!
Tiny tiny kitchen, Nope. Not this one….bye bye!
Beautiful cabin!
The property includes part the creek!
For $500 per year “road maintenance” fee.
NO THANK YOU!
Not much architecturally, but let’s see it anyway.
Large front room and dining area, very much a cabin feel --
Fun kitchen!
View from the master bedroom.
Shower in the WALL of the guest room.
Weird. Innovative, but weird.
It was a beautiful cabin, but the property was small and went straight down to the creek, nowhere to ride ATVs or hike Sadie. It’s currently a “vacation rental” and it didn’t have a basement or any place really for a sewing studio.
But what a view!
No basement space, just a rock foundation. No quilting space.
Looks good on the outside, it was very damaged on the inside.
The property is only a few acres, and there are no trees – the trees you see are someone else’s property. Nope. Not this one.
The foundation has settled, the wood floors are lumpy, it was just not great. They want an awful lot of money for something that needs so much work. It is a log home, but someone has PAINTED the logs YELLOW. Why would you do that?
It’s got a million dollar view, though!
This was cute, but very small.
It also didn’t have a lot of land, but was right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. I kind of like my dining area separate from the kitchen. Not a fan of a fridge nearly in the middle of my living room space.
This will be great for someone. The main deal breaker? All I heard was traffic noise from the parkway and the highway which was not far off. I don’t move to the mountains to hear more traffic noise than I’ve got in my own neighborhood in Wallburg.
This will be great for someone. The main deal breaker? All I heard was traffic noise from the parkway and the highway which was not far off. I don’t move to the mountains to hear more traffic noise than I’ve got in my own neighborhood in Wallburg.
There was something to smile about, though:
Treadle machine!
I didn’t dare do the “antique mall trick” of freeing the machine from the piled-upon cabinet, but I did pet the cabinet and say hello.
And this was lovely to see!
1908 Grayson County Courthouse.
Couldn’t we turn THIS into one heck of a retreat center? Too bad it isn’t up for sale!
We enjoyed our day, the good, the bad and the ugly. Our goal was to try a different area, and we found we like the mountains a bit further west than we went. This side of Virginia is more rolling hills than mountains. This is good to know. It’s good to compare. It’s good to see what is out there.
But my heart tells me this is just all to let us know that maybe the one we liked from LAST weekend could be the one after all?
We’ll give it another few weeks and see if anything else pops up that might be of interest.
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
Vintage hodgepodge quilt found in North Carolina.
Sometimes I find myself making the same mistake more than once. This thick head can be slow to learn a lesson, but it eventually gets through!
See you at 2pm Eastern in Facebook!
YAY QUILT CAM TODAY!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad I saw your post in time to join quilt cam. Looking forward to it. I love looking for our new home, I hope looking for your next cabin isn't too stressful for you.
ReplyDeleteSometimes you have have to see what you don't like to discover what you really like. I'm surprised the realtor even showed you some of those, especially the ones without a good quilting room space..after all you're looking for a "QUILTVILLA".
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents worth: I still like the first cabin best so far. I'm one of those people who wants to see everything before making a choice. Keep looking!! Love, hugs!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.waltonmuseum.org/ Schyluyer, VA 30 min from Charlottesville, VA is where Earl Hammer Jr grew up and based his Walton Mountain stories on. There is a musuem there.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bonnie, I think that first cabin was so perfect!
ReplyDeleteYipee I plan to sew my clue 4 this week anyhow so will tune in. Reallly enjoying the MQ this year. Thanks so much for all you do.
ReplyDeleteI may decide it is too icy to go get my grandson until tomorrow! Supposed to meet the other parents at 2 PM EST. We got snow, then rain so uphill driveway is a mess, car plowed in because the plow guy came after I went to sleep last night so I couldn't move the car. Would SO love to watch the Quilt Cam live!
ReplyDeleteI come from the prairies of Minnesota and North Dakota but I couldn't imagine living in these places. the view is one thing but the house and the ability to get to it would matter much more to me They all look so run down and cluttered and old. I think the first place you saw last week is by far the best. None of these seem to hold a candle to what you have now. Hope you find what you are looking for.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried looking in Northeast Tenn? My nephews live in that area and it is gorgeous and cheaper than VA.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I still like last weekends place with the open living room and dining room. I could see you there with your whole family! The finished basement, the little reading knock upstairs. But we will see what might come up. I am excited for you and the new journey!
ReplyDeleteI have to chuckle whenJim & I were planning the wedding I went to shop close to work to try on wedding gowns the first one I tried on I fell in love with and ended up buying. However this seemed to easy so before committing I tried on another 30 and went to more shops that I care to remember. How painless it would have been if I had just said yes this is and (because I really did know). It's far to easy to make life complicated when in our heart we know we have found our dream.
ReplyDeleteThis cabin hunting is like having to kiss a bunch of frog before you get your Prince! Thanks for sharing the good, bad, and the ugly. LOVED the quote. Keep searching!! I'll go visit the archives for the Quilt Cam I missed. That is what I get for not checking first things this morning to see what you were up to!! Hugs, Allison C. Bayer, Plano, Texas USA
ReplyDeleteHow about looking in Tenn. The Ashville area is just over 2 hours from you. lots of artists and mountains. I am so used to warmer weather here in GA even though I grew up in N.Y. I wouldn't want to travel more north. snow and cold weather, not for me.
ReplyDeleteJoan in GA
I thought walton's mountain was around Big Stone Gap. COme to West Virginia instead we have it all, trees, free gas, windmills, oil, you name it. Friendly people too with lots of log cabins. It will be fun she said.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to be "involved" in your search. It's interesting to see different parts of the country. Every area has a little different feel to their cabins :)
ReplyDeleteBetter stick to what you have. Your quote is one you don't follow.
ReplyDelete