Friday, August 12, 2016

A Weekend Away

Brea and Siri spent a few days in air conditioned comfort at Animal Care Associates while Mary T. and I explored eastern West Virginia and western Virginia.

We spent the first night and day in Cass, WV, where we rode the antique steam train to the top of the mountain, a five hour round trip.  Cass was once a busy lumber town; now it caters to tourists and fishermen.  http://www.cassrailroad.com/

The old Cass company store.

The old company store now has Wi-Fi.






There were several reenactors on this train, here to promote The Great Train Robbery later this weekend.

 
 
The obligatory selfie, from the top of the mountain.
 
View from the top.
 
The next morning we had breakfast in Natural Bridge, Virginia, at the Pink Cadillac Diner, before going to see the actual Natural Bridge.  Good food.  We stayed at the Natural Bridge Hotel.  http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/
 

The bridge is something like 215 feet high, measured from the base to the top.  George Washington supposedly carved his initials in the rock - we didn't see them - and Thomas Jefferson once owned the property.


There was a Monacan Indian Living History Exhibit, where demonstrated how the Monacan people lived 300 years ago.  This was one of my favorite parts of the weekend. http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/education/monacan-indian-living-history/




 
Brea's ghostwriter on the left, in the hat.
 My other favorite part was Thomas Jefferson's home at Poplar Forest, near Lynchburg.  I was last there about 15 years ago, and I was curious to see how much progress had been made in the restoration of the place.  Our timing was perfect, as Mary T. and I were the only two people on the tour, and we were able to ask lots of questions.

I didn't take very many pictures here, I was so busy just looking around and thinking of more questions.  More pictures and information here: http://www.poplarforest.org/


 
One of two matching privies.
We also toured a cave near the hotel and Natural Bridge, but caves aren't my favorite places and I didn't take any pictures there.
 
It was a very good weekend.