Rick and Reyna 2011 Roadtrip: #14 - Blue Ridge Parkway, Julian Price Memorial Park, Day Lilies, Into Virginia, Blue Ridge Music Center, Charlottesville, VA, Monticello, Washington, DC

June 30, 2011 Thursday

We left Julian Price Memorial Park and exited the Parkway at Blowing Rock to purchase gas and continued on our way north through North Carolina.

Another gorgeous day.

Just cruising along.

Really enjoying the drive.

Our history is interesting.

Just a little bit of civilization visible from the Parkway as we head north.

Another opportunity -- the detour that is. J

Would never have seen this scenic junction without a detour.

We’d seen quite a few of these shrubs in cultivation mostly round, but these have some additional variety.

And without the detour, we would have missed this beautiful garden of Day Lilies.

The house was completely faced/built of stone.

Day Lilies

Not a Day Lily

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I have grown some Day Lilies at home, but nothing like any of these.

And then I walked back across the highway and into an area full of wild flowers.

And what is that up the hill behind the daisies?

There but for God? J

The thing in the picture is a dragon fly – not a leaf or dried up flower.

It’s not all gardens out there.

We crossed into Virginia and stopped at the Blue Ridge Music Center and were fortunate to hear a bit of the day’s free concert of blue grass music..

After “Amazing Grace” it was interesting to watch the young lady with the older woman leader of the band as they tried to find an encore. One song after another was suggested and they didn’t have any repertoire in common, but the sheet music saved the day.

This young lady was enticed to join in and she sang “Amazing Grace” and I am ever so sorry that my attempted video and recording of her sweet, sweet voice was not successful.

Wash tub base

As we continued north , farms were visible from the Parkway. And the mountains were not as high and not so steep and rocky as in North Carolina.

I took about 20 pictures of butterflies at this spot. They are not usually so cooperative.

Three-fer! 2 butterflies and a spotted red beetle of some sort. Note the butterfly’s wing that looks like it encountered a bird along the way.

The dam at Rakes Mill Pond

The Pond at Rakes Mill

Bales/rolls of hay - saw lots of different styles of baling as we traveled.

Roanoke, VA to west of Parkway around 5:30 in afternoon.

We camped at Peaks of the Otter Campground.

July 1 Friday

Our plan today is go off the Parkway to Charlottesville, VA and visit Jefferson’s home, Monticello, and maybe also Madison’s Montpelier over the weekend and then into Washington, DC for 4^th of July. We’re on our way to Washington, DC to catch a flight home on July 6.

Our campsite at Peaks of the Otter campground at 6:20 in the morning. We got a reasonably early start today. J Another campground with lots of availability as surprisingly few (too me) folks traveling or camping.

We turned off to Natural Bridge at 7:45 in the morning.

The James River – notice the fisherman in the lower left foreground.

Power plant on the James River. The fisherman is just visible on left edge.

We got to Natural Bridge and it wasn’t too natural to us. More like an amusement park. And admission to go hike down the river to view the bridge a little steep at $19 per person and Reyna wasn't too interested in making the walk, so we decide to go have breakfast instead. We drove north on state highway 11. We passed a Korean restaurant, which would have been great for breakfast (at least for me) but it was closed. Was kind of surprised to see it out here in the “country”. A few miles further on though we came to a great place for breakfast.

Gas at $3.32 a gallon. The good old days. J

Parkway just before we turned off to Charlottesville, VA

We got to Charlottesville and to Monticello, but just as we turned off the road on to a cloverleaf interchange leading to Monticello entrance, the VW quit running – again. L We pushed it back around and coasted downhill to try to jumpstart it but no luck. We ended up turning into the exit from Monticello and coasting to a spot just inside the exit gate. Got out my book and tools, but couldn’t diagnose the problem or get it to start. What else is new? I’ve continually misdiagnosed car troubles we have encountered, so wasn’t too concerned.

We coasted to a stop here. Reyna studying our Compleat Idiots Guide to Keeping Your VW Running.

We decided to wait awhile to see if letting the car cool off would make a difference. It didn't.

Security for Monticello came by after awhile and we called for a tow.

Naturally it was too late in the day to get to a mechanic on Friday afternoon right before the 3 day weekend 4^th of July holiday, so we were towed to a Comfort Inn where we spent the weekend..

July 2 Saturday

The tow truck driver and the security guys recommeded same mechanic, so I did a little internet research to check them out and to see if any specialist VW mechanic in the area. I couldn't find one. Went for a walk. Must not have taken my camera because I didn’t take a picture all day!

July 3 Sunday

A rainy thunderstorming day. Read my books and watched TV – a bit of a rarity for us as we’ve been mostly camping. And at 9 that evening the power went off everywhere around the motel and the motel too. Fortunately, we were well prepared and had our camping lantern and some food and ice and all the necessities. And the laptop had a 4 hour charge, so I wrote some more of the blog.

After the power went out.

July 4 Monday

Another rainy day. Another day when I didn’t take a picture. Maybe I’ve been sick? Thought about going to the local fireworks, but was rainy so didn’t. I think they had the show anyway. All our laundry did get done over the weekend, so our extended stay in Charlottesville not entirely a loss.

July 5 Tuesday

I called the mechanic recommended by the tow truck driver and the Monticello security guys on Tuesday morning to confirm that they really could work on the bug. They told me to bring it in.

A bright and sunny Tuesday after the rainy holiday weekend and off we go to the mechanic.

I rode to the mechanic’s with the tow driver and waited while they worked on it. It was several hours. I walked around the area a bit. Didn’t have my camera with me, so no pics. I think because we’re in a city and dealing with the car repair that I’m not thinking like the happy vagabond I was until last Friday afternoon when the car crapped out. There were some antique stores around the area, and I found some bargain books during my wandering, so I was happy about that bit of serendipity.

Then, I found a Vietnamese restaurant a few blocks away and settled in for a long lunch with my newly acquired books. I did have something unusual happen when I ordered my 3^rd beer. The proprietress asked if I was driving and I told her not exactly. Just waiting for car to be repaired and walking around. She said she couldn’t serve me a third beer because of law. 86'd after 2 beers --- c’est la vie.

Mechanic finished with the VW about 3:00 that afternoon. Problem turned out to be fuel pump, so they replaced it. Only detail was they chose the wrong type. Apparently it matters whether the engine has a regulator or an alternator based electrical system. So they installed what turned out to be wrong type and it broke. And then they couldn’t get the correct one. So, they rebuilt/repaired my old one since we didn't have time to wait until tomorrow for the correct new fuel pump. In their defense, kind of, they made an assumption that because my car had an alternator that it needed the particular type of fuel pump they installed. They didn’t realize that the original setup for the year and model I have was for a regulator. It was changed to an alternator before we set out on our trip.

Went back to motel and packed the car and off we went toward DC about 4 in the afternoon with a plane to catch tomorrow. But before we hit the highway, we stopped for a 5 Guys hamburger as we headed north out of Charlottesville. We had heard of the chain expanding into Southern California market, but this was first time to try. I liked the variety of toppings and burger was fine, but a bit pricey. And while they made a point on a chalkboard at the entrance about where the potatoes for the French fries came from, I really am not that much of a potato connoisseur.

On the road again …

Beginning to be horsey country.

On Interstate 66 heading east into Washington, DC about 6 in the evening.

We stayed overnight at Crowne Plaza Hotel just outside of Dulles International Airport. I had checked long-term parking choices on the internet, and when I called the Crowne Plaza to confirm conditions for their parking I was told about a stay and fly deal for $139 including 2 weeks of parking. Since long-term parking costs $6/day $40/week around Dulles, that sealed the deal. Covered parking too, and we left car in a spot right outside the lobby entrance. Reasonably secure we felt, and everything was fine when we returned in a month. And the hotel didn’t charge us anything for the extra couple weeks when we stayed another night (actually several) with them when we returned to DC in August.

July 6 Wednesday

After an early lunch at Houlihan’s off the lobby of the Crowne Plaza, we caught the shuttle to Dulles about noon and made our Jet Blue flight direct to Long Beach (we live about 15 minutes from the airport, so quite convenient for sure) without any drama.

Only little irritation was that I couldn’t take 2 of my 3 walking sticks home as checked baggage as too long and I didn’t want to pay $75 for special handling. Anyhow, I’d checked all that out before we got to airport and left the sticks in the VW at the Crowne Plaza. We had traveled 10 - 12000 miles or so with them so far, what would a few more be? And they actually fit quite well from front to rear of the VW if we put one end up under the dash and then hang them from a strap hooked on the glove compartment door so they run between us and our seats and the other end rests on the stuff packed behind us where the back seat used to be. At 5 – 6’ long that’s the only way for them to fit in the Bug, resulting in a mini-wall between driver and passenger. Turned out to be a pretty good elbow rest.