A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That . .

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Blue Ridge Parkway Trip - Day 6

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Today is a rest day. Everybody slept in and had a nice big breakfast at the hotel. Soon after that it started raining and thundering. Jeff and Joe cleaned up their bikes in the meantime. After that we all headed to Blowing Rock. It is a very touristy but very cute little town on the east side of Blue Ridge Parkway.

Blowing Rock, N.C.

On somebody's front yard, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Blowing Rock, N.C.

In front of a restaurant, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Off Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Front porch of a store, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Blowing Rock Park, Blowing Rock, N.C.

On Main Street, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Luckily it didn't rain too hard when we were there. We had lunch at the Six Pence Pub & Grill. I had my usual soup and a half sandwich. Lunch was really good. We did some more walking around the Main Street area. Lots of little boutiques and shops. The area reminded me of Carmel, California. It started raining a little harder again so we headed back Boone. Boone is a university town of about 17,000 and named after Daniel Boone. There is a lots of traffic for such a small place. Karen and I decided to to go the hotel while the guys went to a sporting goods store.

Jeff and Joe @ Six Pence Pub & Grill, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Mark & Karen @ Six Pence Pub & Grill, Blowing Rock, N.C.

My lunch, tomato basil soup & turkey sandwich @ Six Pence

Main Street, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Jeff & Mark on Main Street, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Blowing Rock, N.C.

Bottle Trees, Blowing Rock, N.C.

a bottle tree, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Museum, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Daniel Boone Trail marker, Blowing Rock, N.C.

White Fringe Tree, Blowing Rock, N.C.

White Fringe Tree & Rhododendrons

I doubt this is Liatris Spicata, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Iris, Blowing Rock, N.C.

The Gardener Statue, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Jessie statue by the library, Blowing Rock, N.C.

After resting for awhile we went out for dinner at the Casa Rustica. Food was OK, service was really slow.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Blue Ridge Parkway Trip - Day 5

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Traveled from milepost 248.1 to 279.1

Still have that swollen eye. Took some Benadryl last night, but I don't think it really helped. It doesn't itch, just hurts a bit, but I guess the fluids just pooled right in my eye overnight since it looked as bad this morning as it did yesterday, if not worse.

Anyway, the day started rainy. We had breakfast at BJ's Pizza and Subs just next to the hotel. Soon after that we headed towards the parkway again. Due to the construction we had to skip about 20 miles. They guys started riding from milepost 248.1. Karen and I went back to route 18 to take a picture of a jail/wedding chapel, I thought it looked a bit funny. Then we headed down the parkway and stopped at the Northwest Trading Post. It was a nice little store with clean facilities. I bought some fudge and pecan tarts. Jeff, Joe and Mark caught up with us at the Trading Post also.

At front entrance of BJ's Pizza & Subs, Sparta

Starting point of Day 5

At the starting point. This is how Joe, Mark & Jeff feel about the rain

Off they go again in the pouring rain

Jail & Wedding chapel on N.C. Rt. 18 near BRP

We decided to stop at mile marker 279.9 at Cascades parking overlook and see what the cyclists wanted to do. The weather hadn't gotten any better, cold rain and wind and lots of fog. Visibility was pretty bad. The guys arrived there and Jeff and Mark decided that they've had enough. Joe still wanted to keep going till the end of today's planned ride destination, at milepost 293.5. So Jeff and Mark and I drove to Boone NC and found a very nice hotel for us for the next 2 nights. We are staying at the Comfort Suites. After settling in and a warm shower for the guys, Jeff, Mark and I went and had lunch at Troy's Diner , which is more like a 50's style burger place.

Our hotel room at Comfort Suites, Boone, N.C.

Front lobby, Comfort Suites, Boone, N.C.

Troy's Diner, Boone, N.C.

Soon after Joe and Karen arrived. After some rest we met for drinks at the hotel. They have a complimentary cocktail hour every afternoon. Then we went and had dinner at the Coyote Kitchen in Boone. Some weird looking paintings on the walls, and they were on sale too. Dinner was good and I think everybody was quite full, except Jeff, Joe and Mark who went back to Troy's for milkshakes.Tomorrow is a rest day, we have to see what we are going to do since we haven't decided yet.

The three musketeers; Joe, Jeff and Mark, and what they thought about today

Paintings for sale @ the Coyote Kitchen

my dinner @ Coyote Kitchen, soup, sandwich & salad

Blue Ridge Parkway Trip - Day 4

Monday, May 7, 2012

Traveled from milepost 174.1 - 217.5

I woke up this morning with a swollen left eye. Yesterday some bug bit me on the outside corner of my left eyebrow. I didn't see the bug, nor feel the bite. But this morning my eye was all swollen. I look like an ogre now with bad hair days and a swollen eye. I have been putting ice on it and it has gone down but you can still see it since it is turning a bit red.

Otherwise the day started overcast and in the 60's again, but it started to drizzle later in the day. Luckily it was just a little bit towards the end of the ride. After the guys left Karen and I did a quick tour of the cemetery which is right next to the Inn. After that we went to the Mabry Mill. The mill is the most photographed sight on the Parkway. This place has the mill and a museum with all kinds of farm equipment etc. After our little tour Karen and I had lunch at the attached restaurant. It was a bit slow, had to wait for a table and then wait for the food. It was all because there was a group tour that had just arrived. Wonder what it would be like during the peak season. Food was very good though.

Mabry Mill

Mabry Mill, farm equipment

Mabry Mill, Blacksmith shop

Mabry Mill, mill stones

Mabry Mill, Appalachian house

Mabry Mill, Whiskey Still

Mabry Mill, Sorghum making equipment

Red Neck Martini Glass. . . .

Puckett Cabin

After we left the mill we went straight to the Cumberland Gap where we were meeting the guys. Just before the Gap we crossed the state line from Virginia to North Carolina., around milepost 216.9. The parkway is closed right at the Gap due to construction along the parkway. We had to get off the road and ended up in Sparta at the Alleghany Inn for the night. Joe and Karen went to visit Joe's mom for dinner, so only Jeff, Mark and I went to the Pines Restaurant in Sparta. Seemed to be a very popular spot and food was pretty good too. Not much going on in Sparta otherwise.