We started the day with a 6'ish roll out as we were excited about heading off the mountain to the Shenandoah Valley. We did our routines, quiet times and had a lite breakfast while posting this ramble. The sun was shining and the skies were blue for a change as I loaded the truck with our luggage. We headed out just a little before 10 with a stop to dump garbage and then a stop at the bank in Galax and one final stop in Hillsville for petrol before traveling up Rt.221 towards Floyd,Va.
We took Rt.8 from Floyd into Christiansburg and stopped at Due South barbecue eatery for a delicious lunch of pulled pork and brisket sandwiches before heading west on Rt.460 to pick up Rt.42. We missed the turn off to 42 and headed down the mountain into a small town where we asked directions and sure enough we were miles out of the way.
We found the small road with narrow shoulders and it became a roller coaster ride at time with some beautiful farms and old farm houses along the way until we reached the small town of New Castle. We took a walking tour of some small old log cabins and the court house before venturing out further north. We finally after several close encounters with large pulp wood trucks, old pickups and some hairpin curves that we would take the first nice road out of the area. We saw a sign for I-64 and quickly hopped on it east towards lexington, Va. where we intersected with I-81. It was clear sailing north bound to Woodstock. What normally is a 4 hour trip turned into over 7; so much for new roads through the mountains which are not marked very clearly. Oh well!!!
Sister Dee and Mike have a beautiful place nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains with a huge dairy farm next door. The green corn fields, large barns and out buildings with rolled bales of hay that are evident along the fence rows are eye candy to this farm boy. I'm sitting outside in the cool breeze of the morning with birds singing and seeing the herd of milk cows heading out from the milking barn, LATER
