Instead of heading directly for Williamsburg for Christmas, we decided to make a loop through some eastern states and Grandmom (Jerry's mom) decided she was up for the trip. We stopped first at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. We took in the museums and buildings that tell the tale of this strategic town once home to one of two Civil War era US armories and the site of John Brown's raid. On our way to Louisville, Kentucky we stayed in Winchester, VA and Charleston, WV. In Louisville we enjoyed a reunion with Rex and Angela, friends from Anchorage. We also went to the Louisville Slugger Factory for a tour. Our next stop was Mammoth Cave which is the longest cave system in the world with measured passages totaling over 400 miles.
As we continued south we stopped for a visit with Cousin Joan and Alan in Nashville, TN. We went to downtown Nashville to see the Honky Tonk bars and had some great southern barbecue. We also toured around Opryland to see the Christmas decorations. Thank you Joan and Alan for taking time to tour around Nashville and for your kind hospitality! Our next stop on this whirlwind tour was Asheville, NC, and what visit to Asheville is complete without a tour through the Biltmore Estate? Still the largest residence in America at around 4 acres of living space, it is owned and operated by the descendants of George Vanderbilt. With multiple Christmas trees in each room and 4 miles of garland, this was the perfect time of year to tour the mansion!
We stopped at Smith Mountain Lake on our way north and met up with brother-in-laws, Randy and Philip, who were working on a lake house renovation for a friend. The next stop was Harrisonburg, VA to visit with Amy's sisters, Betty and Gretchen, and their families as well as Uncle Kenton and Aunt Shirley. We attended a Christmas coffee house at Parkview Mennonite Church where brother-in-law, Robert, was a member of the men's choir that performed. The boys would definitely say that shooting Uncle Philip's 40 year old BB gun was a highlight of their trip.
Grandmom was a real trooper and we were glad to be able to spend time with her. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!
1 comment:
A frigid Alaskan hello to Jackson and Asa. Thanks for all the postcards filling me in on your fabulous adventures. It makes me smile to imagine a couple of enthusiastic guys like you doing all that fun stuff ... hiking and biking and exploring historical sites. I hope I get to hear more about your trip in person sometime. My students are getting ready to play at the Folk Festival. We'll play a Beatles song, Paperback Writer, just like John, Paul, George and Ringo played it, and in February we'll play for a gradeschool square dance at Bowman Elementary school. I hope you're enjoying some good music on your trip along with the beautiful country and historical sites. Say hello to your mom and dad for me. Happy travels and happy new year! Kevin
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