Almost Home

Wednesday- Monday, October 24-29, 2018

We are here at Wilderness.  It is truly almost home, in fact, we feel very much at home here.  We are just going to decompress, do the things that need to be done to winterize and put the rig into hibernation until next year.  Just a couple of pictures here.

Early Morning Museum, Travel

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Up early, coffee and off to the CCC Museum.  The actual location of the CCC camp that built this park is on the way.  We stopped there yesterday.

We arrived at 8:30, it was a lovely fall morning.  Rebecca met us and open up the museum  It is a very small place full of the stories of the camp.

After our visit, we walked down to the lake.

Time to pack up and head to Wilderness.

Closed on Monday

Monday, October 22, 2018

Today we drove around Pocohantos State Park.  This is a very nice park.  Many trails, and during the summer I am sure it is very busy with the Aquatic Center, boat rentals, horseback riding, hiking, etc. We learned that there was a CCC Museum on the grounds but it is only open on the weekends.  Again we were bailed out because kids are here on a field trip.  Because the Rangers were here they were willing to open up the museum for us the next morning at 8:30 before the school children arrived.  We really appreciated that.  Rebecca, the ranger, was really accommodating.  We were hoping to go see the Henricus Historic Park that Neil recommended and the rangers said was definitely worth a visit.  But alas, they are closed on Monday.  So another reason to come here again.  When one door is closed another opens.  We went into Richmond to the  Legend Brewery for lunch.  When given lemons make lemonade.

Richmond Skyline

wonder what they see!

Guests,

Sunday, October 21, 2018

We have guests for breakfast this morning.  Gathered around the morning campfire are Lori, Neil, and Dakota.  Unfortunately, I lost the pictures.  But, we had French toast, bacon, sausage, OJ and coffee.   What a great morning.  It was so good to spend some time with them.

Afterward, Neil took us to Blandford Church.  It was great walking around with someone so knowledgeable about local history.  We then took the official tour inside the church.  It is famous for it'ss Tiffany windows.  It was a enjoyable tour, especially when Neil told everyone about the poem on the wall was written by his ancestor instead of Tyrone Power.  The docent was really impressed.

Oldest grave 1702, Richard Yarborough
(Ancestor of Cale Yarborough)

A friend of Edgar Allen Poe, Hiram Haines

Iron fence, Victorian era.

Brick wall, colonial era.

Nora Fontaine Maury Davidson
Instituted the first Memorial Day observance in 1866.

Hit by a Union artillery shell.

Walked around a small part of Petersburg Battlefield.  Will have to return here.  Had BBQ at King's.  Hugs and goodbyes for now.

Back to Virginia

Friday, Saturday, October 19-20, 2018

Arrived at Pocahontas State Park.  Beautiful Park.  Had an enormous site under the oak trees.  Of course we were bombarded by acorns falling from fifty feet the entire time we were there.  Had our first campfire in a long time.  Even cooked chicken and zucchini over the flames.

Had a little down time.  Went shopping for breakfast on Sunday.  we were expecting guests.

Old Salem

Wednesday-Thursday, October 17-18, 2018

It is such a pleasant surprise to find something like Old Salem.  We had never heard of it until our Soda Jerk in Mt. Airy told us it was a must see.  We stopped at Breakfasrtime, a cute little place,  for a good breakfast.

Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, NC.  It is a living history museum about the Moravian village that began in 1766.  Fortunately/unfortunately the days we visited there were many school children ( 400 one day and 150 the next) on field trips.  The fortunate thing was all the exhibits were open with demonstrations and docents.  The unfortunate thing is 400 and 150 children.  But in reality they were not a problem.  We took our time and talked to the docents and really experienced the village.  We had lunch at the Tavern on Wednesday and the Tea Room.  Like the Henry Ford, there was just so much to see I can't possibly show that much here so I will just show a glimpse of the interesting things we saw there.

The bridge leading into the village.

The first building we entered was the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.  This is a mondern gallery of items that were used by the Moravians here in the community and items from the seven southern states.

Once we left the MESDA we visited each of the old buildings and talked with the many docents.  This first is the St. Phillip's Moravian Church for the African-Americans..  The log church and then the brick church.  The gentleman there gave us a great tour and told us so much about the changes of the enslaved and even the free African-Americans.

 Temporary log church.

Permanent brick church.

Names of all buried in the graveyard.  Markers were taken out of the ground and stacked under the steps when the church was built.

Moravian culture deemed all equal in death.  White and Black.  Men were buried together, then women together and children together.  All markers were flat white stones.  After a while the white congregation decided to follow North Carolina law and segregate.

Graves thar the church was just built over.

Other buildings and demonstrations were the gunsmiths, tavern, Vogler House, Single Brothers home, Miksch Home & Gardens, Market-Fire Engine House, Potter, furniture making, Bakery, Doctor's House, boys school, and God's Acre.

Tavern

Barn

Bakery

Furniture

Bucket Brigade

Here are some other pictures we took along the way.