Berkeley Springs

On our way back from Pennsylvania a week ago, we left the interstate for route 522 to Winchester. We made a stop in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, to show Frank's sister the historic baths.


Below: The Lord Fairfax Spring and George Washington's "Bathtub"

Today in Edinburg Gap

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Once upon a time this trio was very young and they sometimes played in this park overlooking Plum Creek. They called it Devil's Kitchen.

We went there last weekend while we were in Oakmont. The trail was still there although 50 years had passed. They found the rock where they used to sit to watch the trains pass by in the valley below.

Flashes of Bright Color

Finally it's fall foliage season in Virginia's mountains! This weekend should be gorgeous here!

We had some rain today. We needed it, although we aren't suffering from the severe drought that hit many areas. When we left the airport Wednesday, we saw a sign in Loudoun County stating that outdoor watering was prohibited.

A Visit to Oakmont

Frank grew up in Oakmont, a nice small town in Pennsylvania. So on Saturday we made a sentimental journey there. The photo on the left shows the library.

After seeing how little the town had changed, we crossed the river and stopped at Glen's for desserts. (Not me, though, dairy foods make my tummy ache.)

Pictures We Took at Bill's House

Above: Me
Left: The Pianists
Right: Bill
Below: Toby

Roaring Run Trail

Above: Bill and Linda pose on a footbridge

Frank's brother took us to a rails-to-trails path near Apollo, PA. Frank and Mary only walked a short distance; the rest of us walked over two miles. We saw a raccoon in the woods. The trail is quite nice, for it is level and scenic.

Brothers

We visited Frank's brother in Pennsylvania over this past weekend.

Here we see Frank and Bill. 

More Westover Photos

Westover faces the James River.

See all my Westover posts.

Westover on the James

On the last day of our Jamestown trip in September, we stopped at Westover and Berkeley Plantations on the James River. They are basically "next door" to each other and both are lovely. Berkeley is more commercialized and offers guided tours. Westover is quiet but gracious, almost magical with its ancient towering trees and hushed gardens.

A few years ago I posted some photos of Westover on my Civil War trips site. The area was used as a base by the Union Army during the Peninsula Campaign. A Civil War Trails sign explains:

"Following the last of the Seven Days' Battles on July 1, 1862, at Malvern Hill, Gen. George B. McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac continued its retreat to the James River. McClellan had earlier decided to "change his base" from the Pamunkey River to the James and had chosen the Harrison's Landing (Berkeley Plantation) and Westover area as his new base . From then until final evacuation to Fort Monroe on August 16, the 90,000-man army largely remained within its defensive fortifications, further protected by Union gunboats in the river. At first, elements of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia probed for a weak spot to attack. Finding none, they settled for keeping an eye on the Federals."

Once I got an email asking about using Westover for weddings. All I can advise is that I understand it is used for events and see the contact information at CharlesCity.org.

Westover, Circa 1730

Cotton Field

When we were visiting the James River Plantations area, we saw a cotton field. I think southeastern Virginia is the only part of the state where cotton is grown, so Frank had never seen this before. Like other tourists, he stopped the car to take a closer look.

Country Lane

This is the lane at Mt. Airy south of Mt. Jackson, VA. It's in flat bottom-land called Meems Bottom.

I took this photo last week.

Pretty Clouds

Civil War Earthworks at Jamestown

Jamestown's strategic location was recognized anew during the Civil War. From a sign: "These earthworks were erected by Confederate troops in 1861 as part of the defense system to block Union penetration of the James River."

Uploading to AOL

AOL is always changing. I don't use it for internet access at home because we have Shentel's DSL but I still use my AOL email addresses and I have web pages posted on their servers. My AOL software stopped working a few weeks ago and I didn't bother to fix it. But then I received some announcements for the CDSA page and without the AOL software, I didn't know how to post it. Trying to upload the page using Dreamweaver's file transfer did not work.

A quick search using Goodsearch took me to a blog about AOL which said that FTP to AOL's homepage servers was not working this week. It gave this page for uploading files: http://hometown.aol.com/_fm . I don't host my pages on Hometown but it worked anyway, except that I had to delete the old page before loading the revised version.

Want to look like a squirrel? (Buy a Costume)

This blog keeps getting hits from folks searching for squirrel costumes! Unfortunately I've never made one; I imagine it involves a lot of fake fur and some wire to hold the tail up.

Or just search Amazon for Squirrel Costume. If you buy the one using my link, I should get enough credits to get a squirrel proof bird feeder!

Ben on the Lake Laura Dam

Here's Ben at Lake Laura yesterday. I don't think I'll be taking him up that hill again -- coming down was a bit scary! The path is steep and covered in gravel which tends to slip under my feet. If he should suddenly yank the leash, I could easily slide on the gravel and fall.

Come to think of it, I don't think that gravel was there this summer. It may be an "improvement." Bryce Resort needs better access to the beach. This trail is not handicap accessible or senior-friendly.

I remember falling from my bike as a kid and winding up with gravel embedded in my knee. My mother had to take me to the doctor to get it dug out! Not pleasant!

Photo: Frank and Allison

Allison visited us yesterday. I took this picture on a walk around the pond in Orkney Springs.

Along the Jamestown Waterfront

This gun reminds us that the early Jamestown colonists were prepared to fight the Spanish, who already had established colonies in the new world. Below is pictured an edge of the reconstructed palisade with the Jamestown Ferry in the background.

Archaeologists at Jamestown

We saw archaeology in action on the day we visited Jamestown. The crew was busy digging and screening.

The last time I saw Jamestown (20 years ago), evidence of the old fort was thought to be forever lost under the James River. However in 1994, archaeologist Bill Kelso started a new search for the fort. He found it (see NPR story) and showed that only one corner had been submerged by the river. Discoveries are still being made on the site.


I think that's Bill Kelso himself overseeing the screening. If you've never screened for artifacts, here's a brief explanation: Dirt from the site is put through a screen. Artifacts, rocks, and sticks don't pass through the holes. You throw out the rocks and sticks and you put the remaining objects in a bag that's labeled with the location where they were found.

Seeing the crew busily working made me nostalgic for the days I spend volunteering with Alexandria Archaeology.

Pictured on the right is a museum called The Archaearium. It's next to the foundations for the Jamestown's old statehouse.

Recommended link: The Dig