Monday was such a grand day.. it was the first day that we could just say... 'hey, wanna go do something fun"... just because we could!!
The sun was glorious and even though the leaves were well past their prime, the bright sun shining on the forests , the hardwood bark glistening ,,,, it was glorious all the same...
We had always heard of Paint Bank, a wide place in the road really right up in the mountains on the West Virginia line... but had never been anywhere near it... so we headed up Rt 311 knowing that we were on an adventure and in store for a treat!
It seemed that the road was on a gradual incline from the very beginning as we traversed a couple of counties . Paint Bank is only 45 miles from home, but the terrain is so remote and the crooked mountain road seemed like it was much further away...
We climbed Catawba Mountain right where the Appalachain Trail passes across the Blue Ridge,
and sailed down in to the gorgeous Catawba Valley but we had hardly left home . We had much further to go!
We continued our uphill climb and the terrain and environs became more and more remote.
After a while we were obviously making a steady, almost grueling climb to the summit after many switch backs and hairpin turns... ears popped and after a time one could only dread the thoughts of such a huge descent we'd be making on our return trip... hoping for good tires and reliable brakes and no one behind us making us all the more nerve wracked...
At 3500 feet the bare limbs of the trees were ghastly skeletons and the whole ambience was changed....
After about 10 miles of steady climbing, we wondered what the descent might hold in store...
yet, we had nothing to worry about for after just a tiny bit of downhill we were there... at a beautiful valley on an apparent plateau... our destination came into view... Paint Bank.. a total of about 4 buildings but oh how marvelous....
ON the one side The Depot Station now a lovely bed and breakfast...
The Old General Store
and the Swinging Bridge Restaurant was on the other...
We hurried inside so happy indeed that they were still serving breakfast....
an adventure like ours will really make a fella and his gal pert near starved!And we could tell the food was going to be terrific!
The decor in the restaurant was completely authentic mountain lodge... we even commented we felt we had crossed the Great Divide and were dining in Colorado at least...
We both had worked up a heapin' big appetite and we werent to be disappointed....
but the ambiance was just so much fun... I dont know if we really filled up on the f ood or the cozy aura of the place..
Even the indoor Johnny was the cutest place...
I loved looking every which way
there was always something to see..
And as we enjoyed our country breakfasts we talked abut dreading the drive back over the mountain so we took out our trusty Virginia State map and discovered by going 45 miles sw from there were, we could reconnect with RT 460 and return home
This would take us through the most gorgeous valleys we, neither of us, had ever seen... right through the heart of Craig and Giles counties with a bit of the Greenbrier thrown in to boot... hunting country extraordinaire!.... Anyway, we were on an adventure...
the scenic byway was exactly that!
Scenic!!!
and it took us by a lovely bridge site Lynn had helped to design years and years ago.... he'd been wanting to see!
The old truss was still standing sentinel by the newer version.
Seeing this made it all worthwhile to dear Lynn who loves a wonderful bridge project!!!
By this time I was ready to nap which I did on the long way home!!!
Tam at The Gypsy's Corner who hosted this theme each week as taken a break but her site is still
archived.
archived.