Now I know where all the elephants come from.

Friday, October 5, 2018

We just drove around today looking for anything interesting.  I think we were successful.  We found Slick's Pottery.  This was not what we expected.

We did a ghost walk tonight.  It was a nice tour.  Didn't see any ghosts but heard some interesting stories.

Our tour guide on the right.

Old office in the History Museum.

One time theater, a little girl seen in the left window.

The site of the $10 baby murder.

Closed Factory.

Haunted winery.

Unusual Mountain

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Today we went to Pilot Mountain State Park. The road to the top was very steep and curvey.  Rising abruptly more than 2,000 feet, Pilot Mountain has been a navigational landmark for centuries.  With Bruce's bad knee we still managed a small hike to the overlook.  There were some gentlemen there counting hawks.  It is something that they do on a periodic basis.

Early Start

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Up early to gather sheets, blankets, and all laundry and off to a local laundromat where we could use many machines.  Once that was done we went to the visitors' center in downtown Mt. Airy. We really got a good example of Southern Hospitality.  The lady at the center was so friendly and informative.  She even called and reserved us a "Squad Car" tour at Wally's Garage.  That was a hoot.  We rode in a 60';s  era Black and White,  sirens and all.

World's largest open-faced quarry.

Our driver, Mike, was a great storyteller.  We definitely got a good tour of Mayberry, or rather Mt. Airy.
After we got back from our squad car tour we visited the Mayberry buildings.

On the way to lunch.

Lunch at Walker's Soda Fountain.  A 1950's style fountain with a real soda jerk.  I had a repeat of what I so often had at the lunch counter at J. C. Murphy's in downtown Uniontown, Pa.: a chocolate shake and a grilled cheese sandwich.  Yum.

Later on went to the Andy Griffith Museum.

Our museum badge.

Andy's sheriff shirt.

Otis' suit.

Eng and Chang  Bunker were Siamese twins made famous in "freak shows." They made the Mt. Airy area their home in 1839.  They met and married sisters in 1843.  They were married for 31 years and fathered between them, 21 children.  They acquired the last name of Bunker as they were waiting in line to apply for their American citizenship, Naturalization officials declared that the twins must have a family name.  The man in line behind them, a Mr. Fred Bunker, offered them his name, which they gladly took.

Eng and Chang, siamese twins.

Slow Start

Monday, October 1, 2018
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 We needed a catch-up day.  After a small drive around to see the area and a bite to eat at the local "Cook Out" we returned to the RV to get some projects done.  Bruce worked on the still leaking bathroom sink and I continued to work on getting the bedroom carpet dry after the torrential rains in Virginia.  Bruce was finally able to get the connection tight enough in a redictiously small area under the sink.  We may think we are 30 but our bodies just don't agree.  Chilled the rest of the day.

On the Road Again

Sunday, September 30, 2018

We were packed up and on our way right on time.  Our next stop is Mayberry Campground in Mount Airy, NC.  Very big place.  Nice sites for big rigs.

Old Mill, Long Walk, Women of the Past

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Well, today is our last day in southern Virginia.  We started out looking for this old wrecked mill we passed earlier in the week.  We had to retrace our steps to find it and we did.

We then went on to Farmville, VA and had lunch at La Patota Grill.  Sometimes you really luck out, the food here was great.

After such a good lunch we had to work off a few calories so we decided to cross the High Bridge.  This was a railroad bridge built in 1854.   (From Wikipedia) The site was surveyed and the bridge engineered by C. O. Sanford, who later reported to the stockholders of the Southside Railroad: "there have been higher bridges not so long, and longer bridges not so high, but taking the length and height together, this is, perhaps the largest bridge in the world."

The bridge is 2400 feet long, and at one time there was pedestrian and wagon traffic on one level and the railroad on the upper level.  It was partially destroyed during the civil war and played a part in Lee's final retreat from Petersburg in the last days of the War.

It was a mile to the bridge, a mile across and back, and a mile back to the truck.

We were pretty tired after our hike, but, the event we were looking forward to was to start at 7:30 at the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park.  It was the 7th Annual Lantern Tour.  This tour featured six women who contributed in multiple ways to the Appomattox of today.  From the 1860's through the 1960's.  They each had a remarkable tale to tell.

We followed our lantern carrying tour guide to the McLean house to hear Mrs. McLean (1865) tell us about her husband Wilmer and the day General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia.

Then we heard from Miss Fanny Berry (1880) An enslaved women on the plantation of George Abbitt, talk as a free woman reflecting on and recounting stories of life in Appomattox during the last day of the war.

Mrs. Mariah Meeks (1869) she and her husband owned the general store.  Their son, Lafayette, died early in the war.  She is now a widow and needs to decide what to do.

Patty Guild (1865) wife of the doctor, traveled with the Confederate army from Petersburg to Appomattox Court House.  She witness some of the fighting that took place during the last days of the war.

Mrs. Mildred Harris (1964), who as a young girl, watched the courthouse burn down in 1892.  She returned to the park in 1964 when the Court House/Visitor's Center was rebuilt.  Note:  She was the most believable actress.  We really felt like Millie was there telling us about her life.

Finally we heard from Mrs. "Georgie" Gurney (1961).  She was the wife of Hubert "Sandy" Gurney, the first superintendent of the park.

This was truly a lantern tour so we were unable to take any pictures.  We ended the evening having hot cider and cookies in the Visitor's Center.  I wouldn't mind doing the 8th Annual tour next year.