Two Girls on the Virginia Creeper Trail!

We Came. We Biked. We Conquered!

Yesterday was our open opportunity for a 17 mile bike ride down the Virginia Creeper Trail from White Top down to Damascus – NO RAIN!  Beautiful sunshine and cool summer shade through the woods – it was beyond perfect!

The last time I had seen the trail was in April when Lori came to visit, but then all of the trees were still without leaves – it’s amazing how different the trail looks just a few months later.  Green, lush, gorgeous – this activity has to be at the top of the “What to do in Southwestern Virginia” lists.

Kim posing in front of the “Mystery Machine”

Ready to roll!

White Top station.

Bridges and trestles and way-down-there views below!

Photographing mushrooms.

It was a stop and go day of discovery and exploring.  I absolutely love seeing something again for the “first time through someone else’s eyes.”  Virginia is wide and vast with so much to see and do!

At one point we were told the trail is 1/10 of a mile from the Tennessee state line.  If we could have found that spot we would have hiked that 1/10 just to put our feet into Tennessee to say we had.

Climbing up a little hill for a long range view -

Barns along our path.

Little old general store museum!

In April these little stops along the way weren’t open – so there was more new discovery for me as well – we loved looking at everything on the shelves!

Fabric bolts, Rit dye, sewing notions -

Revisiting the “Lodging in the mountains” sign.

The house is still a fixer-upper.  LOL!

Kim is a brave soul!

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We both did climb over onto that big rock and sat in the sunshine and just watched the water flow over those rocks for quite a while – until another group of “youngsters” stopped along the trail wanting to do the same thing – we hopped river rocks back to shore and back on our bikes we went.

I love this photo!

Beaver dam along the creek -

It was an amazing ride – and I want to definitely do it again in the fall when leaves are turning.  Damascus has about 120,000 bikers come through each year.  The town very much revolves around biking season – there are 7 cycling outfitter/shuttle places in Damascus where you can rent a bike, catch a shuttle up to the top of White Top, and ride back down to Damascus, enjoying gorgeous scenery all along the way.

Chimney for Sale.

Kim, learning to treadle!

I get so excited teaching folks how to work the treadle – she is doing great!  We also loaded one of her quilts on the long arm machine – that is our goal for today – to finish that top before she has to head back to the Eastern Side of Virginia tomorrow.

We wound up our yesterday by settling in to watch How to Make an American Quilt, which Kim had never seen before.  It had been years and years for me, and the Hubster? Well, he suffered through it – there may have been gentle snoring coming from his side of the couch.  LOL.

Will there be time to fit in a hike to go find the wild ponies on the Appalachian trail?  I hope so!  There is another very full day ahead!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Vintage quilt from my own collection,

found in North Carolina.

The inner child inside of us all needs some encouragement from time to time!

We are still becoming who we dreamed we'd be!

Have a wonderful Monday, Everyone!