We can't believe it's here. Tonight is our final night here in the states (well, until we come home at Christmas...) Actually, right now it's technically the morning. We're trying to stay up very late tonight to make ourselves even more tired for the flight. We really hope to sleep a lot on our flight as that is supposed to be the best way to acclimate ourselves to the time change.
This post will be a long one as I know I need to catch everyone up on the past week.
This week has been wonderful, yet so busy! We were supposed to have this nice relaxing week of vacation time, but instead it feels like we've been go,go,go. That's okay though, because it's been worth it. We spent Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning with my brother, our sister-in-law and our nephew in Kentucky, which was awesome! We had such a great time and got to see their super cute new house. I am totally jealous (I know it sounds crazy to be jealous when we are the ones moving to Germany, but I am... their house is adorable and I am jealous of them getting to be homeowners and being all nice and settled! We tried that once... ). Anyway, it was great and we got a better appreciation for their cute little town and university. Also, we learned that we are as American as the Olympics!! (inside joke, you might get it if you happened to watch America's Got Talent this week.)
Thursday, we drove up to Clarksville and Fort Campbell to close out an old bank account and visit Carl's brother, who he hasn't seen in 12 years. That was nice for them to re-connect over some yummy Mexican food. It was nice for me to get to meet him as well. That day we were in a hurry though as we had to get back here for the football game! Go Tech! :-) We enjoyed watching Tech's big win, sitting with mom in the stands like old times and then watching a very nice fireworks show after the game.
Friday we took care of random business around town and also finally got dad over to get his passport application turned in! That was a big deal. Then, we had a HUGE scare with the airline when we called again to re-confirm all the animals are on our flight. Stupid..... anyway, long story short, they tried to tell us we weren't confirmed for three, and then, that there is a one animal per passenger rule (umm, hello, you couldn't tell us that the first three times we have called about these animals??!!) and my parents and I were frantically running around trying to get the measurements and weights of the crates (again!) as Carl tried to talk to the airlines. We think it's all worked out, and they all three are okay to go, but I won't rest until I know we're all on the flight. Here's hoping my first blog from Germany is not one about leaving an animal behind with my parents... eeek!
Today, we picked up our huge rental vehicle to transport all of our stuff to the airport, went out for a nice lunch and decided to stop by some car dealerships and see if we could help dad figure out what new car he might want. Mom said it's time -- he's still driving the old Jeep they bought for me when I turned 15! So, we wanted to show him a Dodge Nitro since we loved it when we were trying out the Caliber at one dealership. Believe it or not, mom and dad drove home tonight in their brand new Nitro!! It was a tough decision, narrowed down to a new Nitro or a really cool new Jeep Liberty with this neat-o convertible top...but in the end, we all think they made the right decision and the Nitro will be an awesome vehicle for them. I'm totally jealous!! We're already working on a trade deal for three years from now... our Caliber for their Nitro... we'll see if that works out. :)
Tonight we have been finishing up some last minute laundry, re-packing and sorting, and are totally shocked at all the stuff we are taking! Geez, there's a lot of stuff with us!! I really wish I could have spent more time with my parents this week, and especially tonight. Even though I have been with them pretty much all week, there never seems to be enough time for me with them! It always goes way too quickly! I already can not wait to see them again. I especially can not wait for their first visit, and we're not even there yet!
Tonight we all went over to Books A Million and we bought three German phrasebooks. We all have been having a lot of fun trying to speak it to each other and figure out what we're saying! Carl and I are in trouble. My parents both took a few years of German and seem to do okay with it. It's been fun.
Before I forget, the pictures from the going-away party did not turn out very well :( they are blurry. So, I won't be posting them; sorry to those of you who've asked about them!
Well, since it is 1 a.m. here now I suppose I need to get to bed. This will be my last blog post from America before we officially arrive in Germany! Here's to safe travels for all of us on the road and in the air. I guess I can say Godspeed for all of us, right? When we arrive, Kelli has amazingly made all the arrangements for us, so it sounds like it should go smoothly, and then she said our first day will be spent exploring so we can stay awake till bedtime. So exciting!!
I'll write again as soon as I can!
30 August 2008
26 August 2008
Going-away Party!
Sunday evening my parents hosted a going-away party for us here at the house. It was really fun! I will post pictures on here as soon as I can get them off my mom's camera.
Mom decorated the house with red, black and yellow balloons, German flags she made with posterboard, sayings and city names, and little German flags all along the front walkway. It was so cute. Unfortunately, it rained, but the decorations were still out there as best they could be.
We had about 30 family friends show up. These are the people I grew up with -- just like my extended family for the most part. Dad grilled out burgers, hot dogs and brats (with sauerkraut, of course) and everyone brought lots of side dishes and desserts. It was nice to see everyone again and chit-chat and catch up.
On a sad note, we had a tragic loss yesterday due to the rain... Myrtle went missing. After all that work building the turtle pond out front, somehow with the rain and the extra water she got out of her enclosure. We looked everywhere but no luck so far. We'll be keeping eyes out for her though and hope that she will turn up. Jack is still swimming around just fine, and I hope he doesn't get too lonely without Myrtle.
This morning Carl and I are headed up to Morehead, KY, to visit my brother, our sister-in-law and nephew for tonight. They just bought a house last year so we are super excited to go see it! And, we're going out for Mexican food tonight since their local restaurant has churros!
Mom decorated the house with red, black and yellow balloons, German flags she made with posterboard, sayings and city names, and little German flags all along the front walkway. It was so cute. Unfortunately, it rained, but the decorations were still out there as best they could be.
We had about 30 family friends show up. These are the people I grew up with -- just like my extended family for the most part. Dad grilled out burgers, hot dogs and brats (with sauerkraut, of course) and everyone brought lots of side dishes and desserts. It was nice to see everyone again and chit-chat and catch up.
On a sad note, we had a tragic loss yesterday due to the rain... Myrtle went missing. After all that work building the turtle pond out front, somehow with the rain and the extra water she got out of her enclosure. We looked everywhere but no luck so far. We'll be keeping eyes out for her though and hope that she will turn up. Jack is still swimming around just fine, and I hope he doesn't get too lonely without Myrtle.
This morning Carl and I are headed up to Morehead, KY, to visit my brother, our sister-in-law and nephew for tonight. They just bought a house last year so we are super excited to go see it! And, we're going out for Mexican food tonight since their local restaurant has churros!
23 August 2008
Goodbye, South Carolina
Yesterday, Carl and I arrived at my parents' house in Tennessee for our final week here in the states before we officially move. It's been a little while since I have been able to update this, mostly because once I left Washington, everything became about as hectic as it's ever been. If we thought we were stressed before, we had no idea what the past week or so had in store for us! By the grace of God, however, we made it through, and made it here, and are now relaxing as much as we can.
I went back to work for Fort Jackson for about a week and a half. I was so excited to get back and see all my friends and co-workers there. Unfortunately, I also had to have some minor surgery in the same timeframe, which kind of cut into the time I had with the co-workers. I ended up only working about 4 half-days there, but it was great to see everyone and I got some things taken care of that I needed. Carl took care of me on the day of my surgery in Columbia, but for the most part had to be in Charleston with the movers. His mom had been able to visit for a week as well, which was great. I am glad she got to come out and see us one more time before we go. She also was a huge help to Carl during that week, with cleaning and organizing. I am sure it wasn't really the most fun way to spend her vacation, but she was a trooper! She was rewarded by a couple visits to the beach (and a jellyfish sting... yikes).
Anyway, yesterday was probably one of the most stressful days of our lives as we had the final few things to handle before saying good-bye to South Carolina. We had to take Churro, Noel and Scout to the vet one last time for their health certificate exams, then dealt with what seemed to be a hurricane as we loaded the truck with our last few things, headed to the port to drop off our car to be shipped out, and then had to race to Columbia to get the vet records certified by the state so the animals can enter Germany with us. We seriously thought we were not going to make it, and basically had to beg the lady at the USDA to wait an extra hour for us to get there. (Extra word of advice: when you are shipping your car, make sure to arrive with less than a quarter of a tank of gas, so you don't have to pay someone to siphon it for you). It all worked out, somehow. We were both absolutely panic-stricken and stressed to the max until we had that last bit of paperwork in-hand. Then we drove the rest of the way to Cookeville and have been enjoying the lovely hospitality ever since.
This morning, we all woke up early and headed over to Lowe's to buy some supplies. Mom and dad went to the lake with friends (we were invited but declined) and we stayed back and built a cute little turtle pond in their yard for Myrtle and Jack to live in while we go to Germany. It's not the best-looking pond, but so far the turtles really seem to like it!
Tomorrow my parents are throwing a going-away party for us. My mom made the cutest little German flags and got red, black and yellow balloons to hang everywhere. We'll try to post pictures of that soon too.
So, good-bye South Carolina and good-bye being "The Intern," although I have been reminded that "once an Intern, always an Intern."
I went back to work for Fort Jackson for about a week and a half. I was so excited to get back and see all my friends and co-workers there. Unfortunately, I also had to have some minor surgery in the same timeframe, which kind of cut into the time I had with the co-workers. I ended up only working about 4 half-days there, but it was great to see everyone and I got some things taken care of that I needed. Carl took care of me on the day of my surgery in Columbia, but for the most part had to be in Charleston with the movers. His mom had been able to visit for a week as well, which was great. I am glad she got to come out and see us one more time before we go. She also was a huge help to Carl during that week, with cleaning and organizing. I am sure it wasn't really the most fun way to spend her vacation, but she was a trooper! She was rewarded by a couple visits to the beach (and a jellyfish sting... yikes).
Anyway, yesterday was probably one of the most stressful days of our lives as we had the final few things to handle before saying good-bye to South Carolina. We had to take Churro, Noel and Scout to the vet one last time for their health certificate exams, then dealt with what seemed to be a hurricane as we loaded the truck with our last few things, headed to the port to drop off our car to be shipped out, and then had to race to Columbia to get the vet records certified by the state so the animals can enter Germany with us. We seriously thought we were not going to make it, and basically had to beg the lady at the USDA to wait an extra hour for us to get there. (Extra word of advice: when you are shipping your car, make sure to arrive with less than a quarter of a tank of gas, so you don't have to pay someone to siphon it for you). It all worked out, somehow. We were both absolutely panic-stricken and stressed to the max until we had that last bit of paperwork in-hand. Then we drove the rest of the way to Cookeville and have been enjoying the lovely hospitality ever since.
This morning, we all woke up early and headed over to Lowe's to buy some supplies. Mom and dad went to the lake with friends (we were invited but declined) and we stayed back and built a cute little turtle pond in their yard for Myrtle and Jack to live in while we go to Germany. It's not the best-looking pond, but so far the turtles really seem to like it!
Tomorrow my parents are throwing a going-away party for us. My mom made the cutest little German flags and got red, black and yellow balloons to hang everywhere. We'll try to post pictures of that soon too.
So, good-bye South Carolina and good-bye being "The Intern," although I have been reminded that "once an Intern, always an Intern."
12 August 2008
Last day at the Pentagon!!
This pic was taken last week in the Pentagon Briefing Room. Don't I look professional? (Good thing that wasn't a real briefing!)
Today was a HUGE day in the path of the internship -- it was my last day at the Pentagon.
I am not sure if this was the official ending of it for me though, since technically I am returning to Fort Jackson for about a week and a half of work. I did, however, get my graduation certificate and coin today. :-) So, I guess I have officially graduated, and the next week or so is considered preparation for the move as I come off of my TDY status and return to my first duty station.
As I got up this morning I thought about my schedule for the day:
1. Eat my celebratory-last-day-at-the-Pentagon Apple Fritter from Dunkin Doughnuts with Alia;
2. Visit the gift shop to stock up on little Pentagon souvenirs;
3. Eat my last lunch in the center courtyard;
4. Outprocess.
Tough day, huh?
Actually, I ended up being very busy as I was able to take care of lots of little administrative details related to an overseas move; insurance, shipping the vehicle, trying to cancel cell service, etc. I did manage to accomplish all four of those things on the previously mentioned list, too.
It was bittersweet to leave today. I have to be honest and say that pretty much from day one, I knew that the Pentagon was not for me -- as a permanent duty station, anyway. It was a great experience for the three months I was here, being able to live right across the street and walk to work every day, sitting in the courtyard at lunch, or walking through the halls and accidentally ending up in a very important hallway full of very important people.... It was neat to just see generals walking by everywhere. The people I met were amazing. Always willing to help if you seemed lost, or just chit-chat in line at one of the cafeterias. One of my other favorite memories will be the Tour Guides too ;-)
For the record, some of the biggest projects I worked on included helping organize a visit to Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center, working Army Night at the Washington Nationals game, and doing a media escort of Bob Woodruff of ABC World News Tonight (a story on Soldiers and mental health issues and deployments; it hasn't aired yet). Those were the biggies that I can think of off the top of my head. I also attended a Medal of Honor ceremony, the Army Birthday celebration, the FCS display on the National Mall, and a giant re-enlistment ceremony in the courtyard.
Tomorrow, I hit the road for about an 8 or 9 hour drive. I have a book on cd and plenty of cd's to keep me company. I'll be glad to get back to Carolina though. I've truly enjoyed my time in DC and the time at the Pentagon, but it's over now, and I'm moving on.
I have so much to look forward to that I'm not going to let myself look back and be sad that it's over (except for DINFOS, because that truly was the time of my life and I wasn't ready for that to end!)
Tonight I will finish up my packing and load up the truck to roll out in the morning. Alia (my good co-intern friend and roommate) is going to be here and we're going to get a coffee (using our free coupons of course) at Starbucks, then she'll take the apartment keys and garage remote and take care of turning all that in. This really stinks because we were supposed to be leaving together on the same day, but there have been lots of crazy issues with her permanent duty station, orders and transportation appointments, etc., so unfortunately I have to go on and leave her here. The best thing though is that her family is in Germany so she'll be there soon enough for a visit and we'll work on getting her a job there as well, of course. (Let's just say I have been very fortunate so far that she has not pushed me off our balcony since I am going to Germany and she's going to Georgia... ).
Anyway, I will hit the road early in the morning and hope to arrive in Charleston by dinnertime.
08 August 2008
We got a new car...
Well, here's a pretty good move-related update for everyone. Carl successfully purchased a new car for us tonight! Way to go, Carl. It took lots of wheeling and dealing but I have to admit he's been awesome at the whole car-buying ordeal in the past.
We're now the proud owners of a new Dodge Caliber. And when I say new, apparently I mean NEW. I obviously haven't seen it yet, only heard about it. Carl was the first person to ever drive it. It arrived at the dealership last night and he drove it home tonight. I'm jealous.
Neither of us ever wanted to buy a new vehicle. But unfortunately, as I mentioned previously our situation with both of our trade-ins being large SUVs or trucks, and how everyone on the planet seems to want to buy the little vehicles we were looking at for Europe, the situation warranted a new vehicle -- You simply can't find a used vehicle like that for a better deal than a new one (maybe a lower price, but the overall deal is better to get the new one). I will try to make Carl explain that one in better detail in a later post. I'll also see if he can post some pictures (because I'd kind of like to see it too...)
I, of course, am little miss sentimental and I cried when I found out my Trailblazer was gone. I know I'm a total geek but I love that Trailblazer. We bought that about two weeks after we got Noelle, out in Oklahoma, about two years ago. I wanted a big vehicle for travelling and so the dogs could ride everywhere with us. It took me from Oklahoma, to South Carolina and all through my time at Fort Jackson, and then up here and through my wonderful adventure known as DINFOS, and then moved me here to where I am now. I have so many memories with that truck, as well I should with putting about 50,000 miles on it in only two years! Carl assures me I will love the new car as soon as I see it. I am sure I'll get used to it but I hate to part with my Trailblazer. :-(
Other move-related news, I finally got confirmation yesterday of our dates for the movers to come! Yes! That is big news. The dates we requested for packups and pickups were confirmed. Also, Kelli emailed me today and said she already got us a PO Box in Germany! I think that is so sweet and thoughtful of her! I will send that address out individually, obviously, so people can send things to us. That will help so now we already have a good forwarding address. Things are moving forward nicely as our time here winds down.
I'm watching the Olympics and waiting for Carl to call and let me know his mom safely landed for her visit this week. I know they're both looking forward to spending time together and it's too bad with the timing that I'm still up here for most of her visit.
Today was my last day in my media relations rotation and they so nicely got doughnuts for everyone and gave me a very nice mug to take with me as a memento. Next week I begin my outprocessing. Time is flying, that's all I can say.
We're now the proud owners of a new Dodge Caliber. And when I say new, apparently I mean NEW. I obviously haven't seen it yet, only heard about it. Carl was the first person to ever drive it. It arrived at the dealership last night and he drove it home tonight. I'm jealous.
Neither of us ever wanted to buy a new vehicle. But unfortunately, as I mentioned previously our situation with both of our trade-ins being large SUVs or trucks, and how everyone on the planet seems to want to buy the little vehicles we were looking at for Europe, the situation warranted a new vehicle -- You simply can't find a used vehicle like that for a better deal than a new one (maybe a lower price, but the overall deal is better to get the new one). I will try to make Carl explain that one in better detail in a later post. I'll also see if he can post some pictures (because I'd kind of like to see it too...)
I, of course, am little miss sentimental and I cried when I found out my Trailblazer was gone. I know I'm a total geek but I love that Trailblazer. We bought that about two weeks after we got Noelle, out in Oklahoma, about two years ago. I wanted a big vehicle for travelling and so the dogs could ride everywhere with us. It took me from Oklahoma, to South Carolina and all through my time at Fort Jackson, and then up here and through my wonderful adventure known as DINFOS, and then moved me here to where I am now. I have so many memories with that truck, as well I should with putting about 50,000 miles on it in only two years! Carl assures me I will love the new car as soon as I see it. I am sure I'll get used to it but I hate to part with my Trailblazer. :-(
Other move-related news, I finally got confirmation yesterday of our dates for the movers to come! Yes! That is big news. The dates we requested for packups and pickups were confirmed. Also, Kelli emailed me today and said she already got us a PO Box in Germany! I think that is so sweet and thoughtful of her! I will send that address out individually, obviously, so people can send things to us. That will help so now we already have a good forwarding address. Things are moving forward nicely as our time here winds down.
I'm watching the Olympics and waiting for Carl to call and let me know his mom safely landed for her visit this week. I know they're both looking forward to spending time together and it's too bad with the timing that I'm still up here for most of her visit.
Today was my last day in my media relations rotation and they so nicely got doughnuts for everyone and gave me a very nice mug to take with me as a memento. Next week I begin my outprocessing. Time is flying, that's all I can say.
05 August 2008
We love this tv show...
Yesterday I promised I'd blog about our very own Army Wives star in the family... and no, it's not my dad, even though we all know he is our most well-known actor in the family. Nope, I think Carl is giving him a run for his money!
Last year, I got absolutely hooked on Army Wives (Sunday nights on Lifetime network). I started watching it out of pure Army Public Affairs Officer curiousity... "How bad is this going to be? How much Army stuff can they screw up? I've got to see this." Well, not only did I just get hooked on watching it, I absolutely loved it. So did my parents! It became a weekly ritual that we'd watch it and then call and discuss it.
Well, one day later that fall, Carl heard a call for Army Wives extras on a Charleston radio station! Oh my gosh! Hello! I drove down there that weekend! Carl didn't really want to do it, but we decided it'd be fun to at least check it out. We waited in line for a couple hours, had our headshots taken and filled out paperwork, and laughed about how silly we were for thinking we'd get on the show. We were standing in line with all sorts of different people -- many who showed up with their own portfolios of headshots and resumes. Not us. We just stood there in our jeans and sweatshirts! Filming was set to begin around Thanksgiving.
Flash forward to the writer's strike.... dang. Filming was put off longer. Flash forward a few more months and it's March, time for me to pack up and move up north.
Of course, soon enough, Carl gets the call to come out and be an extra. I tend to think that really they were calling for me and accidentally called his number, but I digress.
He's so far been seen in one episode as a construction worker carrying a trash can! Wow! He also was in a large formation of Soldiers, as well as a hospital worker, but the hospital scene used different camera angles and he was cut. To see him as a construction worker, check out episode 7 on mylifetime.com.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, however, he's been back out there on the set, this time playing a much bigger role. I won't disclose too much of it, except look for him in episode 13, airing on Sept. 7. That's a Sunday night, 10 Eastern/9 central. (There may be others, but so far that's the only one we know of for sure). Watch for a character named Paolo and you just might see a familiar-looking face nearby as his personal aide...
Last year, I got absolutely hooked on Army Wives (Sunday nights on Lifetime network). I started watching it out of pure Army Public Affairs Officer curiousity... "How bad is this going to be? How much Army stuff can they screw up? I've got to see this." Well, not only did I just get hooked on watching it, I absolutely loved it. So did my parents! It became a weekly ritual that we'd watch it and then call and discuss it.
Well, one day later that fall, Carl heard a call for Army Wives extras on a Charleston radio station! Oh my gosh! Hello! I drove down there that weekend! Carl didn't really want to do it, but we decided it'd be fun to at least check it out. We waited in line for a couple hours, had our headshots taken and filled out paperwork, and laughed about how silly we were for thinking we'd get on the show. We were standing in line with all sorts of different people -- many who showed up with their own portfolios of headshots and resumes. Not us. We just stood there in our jeans and sweatshirts! Filming was set to begin around Thanksgiving.
Flash forward to the writer's strike.... dang. Filming was put off longer. Flash forward a few more months and it's March, time for me to pack up and move up north.
Of course, soon enough, Carl gets the call to come out and be an extra. I tend to think that really they were calling for me and accidentally called his number, but I digress.
He's so far been seen in one episode as a construction worker carrying a trash can! Wow! He also was in a large formation of Soldiers, as well as a hospital worker, but the hospital scene used different camera angles and he was cut. To see him as a construction worker, check out episode 7 on mylifetime.com.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, however, he's been back out there on the set, this time playing a much bigger role. I won't disclose too much of it, except look for him in episode 13, airing on Sept. 7. That's a Sunday night, 10 Eastern/9 central. (There may be others, but so far that's the only one we know of for sure). Watch for a character named Paolo and you just might see a familiar-looking face nearby as his personal aide...
04 August 2008
A fun weekend in VA
This weekend Carl (with the red babies), my parents and I all hit the road from our respective houses and headed toward Abingdon, Virginia. My parents had about a 4-hour drive, and Carl and I each had about a 6-hour drive. My parents go to Abingdon about once a year. We have been with them once before, in 2005.
We had an amazing, wonderful, fantastic time!!
Friday, my parents got there early enough to see a play at the Barter Theater while they waited for the rest of us to arrive. Saturday morning, we headed out to The Bike Station to pick up our rentals and get shuttled up to the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail. We love it! This particular part of the trail we planned on riding is 17 miles, but it's mostly down the mountain. It's a rail trail, which is a former railroad track that has been turned into a bike trail. This provides for a smooth ride and some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine.
We had so much fun biking. The trail has lots of bridges that go over these gorgeous mountain streams. Dad only had one wreck, which was a doozy, but he was fine. At the end, we stopped for lunch at their regular trail lunch stop.
That afternoon we had planned to go to the Virginia Highlands Festival, but the threat of rain and our own exhaustion took us back to the hotel room for a little while. We did go to the festival a little later and enjoyed walking around looking at some of the crafts and listening to the music. Mom and I bought some more hand-crafted wooden spoons and cooking utensils, dad got some very yummy-smelling handmade soap and a really cool hand-carved tree for the Lodge (their basement).
That evening we headed to the Barter Theater to see "The Who's Tommy" play. What a strange play. I mean, wow! It was really good though-- just odd! Carl and I had the front-row seats, which really gave us a different view than what my parents had! We got stepped on, sweat on, spit on, had props dragged over our feet, and had hairpins shot at us. It was pretty funny. :) We enjoyed seeing that but it would have been nice to all have seats together. Either way, I think it was funny for my parents to be able to see our faces and our reactions throughout the play as their seats were across the way.
Sunday, we went to one of my mom's and my favorite restaraunts (Cracker Barrel) for breakfast, and then headed back out to another part of the Creeper with the dogs to go for a little bit of a hike before we hit the road. It was so beautiful, and so much fun, and I am definitely glad we did it.
Sunday night, of course, brings Army Wives! Oh my gosh, my jaw is still on the floor after last nights' episode. We all love the show.... and, tomorrow I will write about how we have our very own Army Wives star in the family.....
Until then, enjoy these videos from this weekend! (you may have to hit pause and let them load all the way before watching them).
We had an amazing, wonderful, fantastic time!!
Friday, my parents got there early enough to see a play at the Barter Theater while they waited for the rest of us to arrive. Saturday morning, we headed out to The Bike Station to pick up our rentals and get shuttled up to the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail. We love it! This particular part of the trail we planned on riding is 17 miles, but it's mostly down the mountain. It's a rail trail, which is a former railroad track that has been turned into a bike trail. This provides for a smooth ride and some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine.
We had so much fun biking. The trail has lots of bridges that go over these gorgeous mountain streams. Dad only had one wreck, which was a doozy, but he was fine. At the end, we stopped for lunch at their regular trail lunch stop.
That afternoon we had planned to go to the Virginia Highlands Festival, but the threat of rain and our own exhaustion took us back to the hotel room for a little while. We did go to the festival a little later and enjoyed walking around looking at some of the crafts and listening to the music. Mom and I bought some more hand-crafted wooden spoons and cooking utensils, dad got some very yummy-smelling handmade soap and a really cool hand-carved tree for the Lodge (their basement).
That evening we headed to the Barter Theater to see "The Who's Tommy" play. What a strange play. I mean, wow! It was really good though-- just odd! Carl and I had the front-row seats, which really gave us a different view than what my parents had! We got stepped on, sweat on, spit on, had props dragged over our feet, and had hairpins shot at us. It was pretty funny. :) We enjoyed seeing that but it would have been nice to all have seats together. Either way, I think it was funny for my parents to be able to see our faces and our reactions throughout the play as their seats were across the way.
Sunday, we went to one of my mom's and my favorite restaraunts (Cracker Barrel) for breakfast, and then headed back out to another part of the Creeper with the dogs to go for a little bit of a hike before we hit the road. It was so beautiful, and so much fun, and I am definitely glad we did it.
Sunday night, of course, brings Army Wives! Oh my gosh, my jaw is still on the floor after last nights' episode. We all love the show.... and, tomorrow I will write about how we have our very own Army Wives star in the family.....
Until then, enjoy these videos from this weekend! (you may have to hit pause and let them load all the way before watching them).
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