Scenes of the Weekend

If you haven't had a chance to see yesterday's post - page on down and get a little feel for what most of my weekend looked like. The short little video was taken as we toured some country roads in southeastern Kentucky (or maybe it was Tennessee or Virginia). Although we covered 840 miles for the weekend, we didn't really have a destination in mind just the promise of a nice weekend and the lure of winding unexplored (for us) mountain roads.

D had done a little research on the area and found that Shady Valley is a motorcycle destination. We then found that it was the site of a BMW motorcycle rally so all weekend we shared the roads with them. We saw lots of lush green valleys and pretty farms, but also mountainsides scarred by coal mining or littered with old cars and trailer houses. But by far, the pretty scenery out numbered the bad and everyone we met was friendly and full of southern hospitality.

And yes, the road was crooked! We didn't stop much, just for a few quick, nondescript meals and our accomodations were courtesy of points and free nights. Those turned out pretty good though with a night in Norton, VA at a newer Holiday Inn and a night at a new Hampton Inn in Pikesville, KY. Not much for shopping opportunities though, so we saved even more money there! In Pikesville, we watched some of the activities for the Hillbilly Christmas in July at the Harley dealership and in the park downtown. If we'd wanted I'm sure we could have participated in the ride to deliver the toys to the Lexington on Sunday along with hundreds of other bikers.

On the way home Sunday, we stopped at Kentucky's Natural Bridge State Park and actually got off the Harley long enough to take a short hike up to the main attraction. The walk uphill made me glad I've been taking those aerobic classes and the walk down was much easier, but today my calves are still talking to me! We worked up an appetite and ate a late lunch at the Sunday buffet in the lodge.

It was nice to get out on the road. The weather was beautiful, even with some rain shower dodging, but we're getting used to that! It's hard to believe that we had to wear our jackets during the daylight riding hours in the middle of July and at one point I even turned on my seat heater!

I hope to get back into the sewing room later this week. There are several projects needing some attention, but mostly I've found that a little creativity is good for the soul. I feel like I've neglected this blog too and need to get back to regular posting about those projects. Notice the blog makeover? (Thanks Jo for the link to AquaPoppy Designs for the new blog layout!) And of course, I'll still be sharing a photo occasionally of those cute grandsons!