Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Back in Ole’ Virginnie

Sunday May 26, 2013  Site 11 Paradise Lake, Keeling, Virginia
Monday May 27, 2013  Charlottesville, Virginia

 

 

SUNDAY

We are again packed up and on the road by about 10:00.  With our comparatively short driving days of 130 –150 miles per day, we don’t have to push ourselves to leave at the crack of dawn.

156 miles takes us into Virginia, just past Danville and to Paradise Lake Campground in Keeling Virginia.

 

Paradise Lake Keeling VA (5) 

Sorry no pictures of the actual Paradise Lake; pond seems to be more appropriate.  I seem to forget my camera in these really memorable locations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paradise Lake Keeling VA (3)

 

This one, like Lake Hartwell in South Carolina, is another little privately owned locally populated rural campground.  Nearly every car had a Virginia plate. 

David  booked us in here with FHUs for $29 WITH Good Sam’s big 10% discount.  The roads are the regular irregular dirt paths.  The sites are on various versions of hills.  But ours actually had a perfectly level spot. 

It’s just that I wasn’t outside when David pulled in as I should have been and he overshot the level part trying to get as close to the hook ups as possible.

 

 

Paradise Lake Keeling VA (4) 

We really like pull throughs for one nighters so we don’t have to take off the car and the dolly to back in.  This is a pull through.  But you don’t want to pull too far through as it starts going down hill toward the road at a pretty steep angle.

 

 

 

 

Paradise Lake Keeling VA (1)

 

We get leveled up with lots of blocks and chocks but check out Winnona’s front tire.  The pull in is on a bit of a curve so there’s no backing Winnona up a couple of feet with the dolly and the car as we have done before on straight aways. 

So here we are for the night.  I’ll bet you can just imagine what I think of this set up.  I won’t keep you in suspense.  We DO NOT roll down this hill.  But the dolly does scrape bottom the next day as we drive out.

 

 

On to Monday

 

To and In Virginia 002

 

Seems we are on the road just a little bit later each day on these short stretch overnights back to Virginia.  Today it’s 9:50 before we are back on Route 29 headed north into the foothills of the Blue Ridge.  No doctoring needed to make this Blue Ridge we are driving toward look Blue.

 

 

 

 

To and In Virginia 013

 

 

More and more it looks like our home country.   And the last few miles especially so as we drive by the turn off to the farm.  Winnona can’t go there without our first going out in a truck and clearing the trees and bushes along the 3/4 mile farm lane to the right height and width for her.  That takes a couple of days to do sometimes so she’s staying in town since we won’t be here long enough to make that much effort worth it.   I know she’s sorry as the farm is a lot nicer camping spot.

 

To and In Virginia 016

 

 

I love coming North in this way on State Route 29 rather than coming from East or West on Interstate 64.  We drive right into the mountains not just on top and over them.   Really a beautiful drive especially once you pass Lynchburg.

 

To and In Virginia 019

 

 

To and In Virginia 025 

At about 12:30, We pull into Charlottesville where Winnona is going to stay.  We  have lots of errands to run here before going out to the farm.  We need to make a grocery run and to get oil and filters for all the vehicle maintenance chores which are planned.  And of course there are those pesky prescription refills.  

 

 

 

 

IMAG0128

But we get it all done and about 7:00 we drive through the trees and out into the valley on our own rutted gravel driveway to the Greenfield Mountain Farm farmhouse.    You can barely see it driving in everything is so green and so overgrown.  Usually we take pictures in the gorgeous colors of the fall when the trees in the yard have lost their leaves.  The farmhouse is almost hidden this time.

 

 

IMAG0132

 

In this dusk light, from a distance the farmhouse looks yellow but it is really a three shades  of green. 
Boy do those fields need mowing. 
Task #1 for our two week stay.

 

Farmhouse

23 comments:

  1. Wow, if I were there, I'd sure help out with the mowing! Again, lovely property you have there. Enjoy!

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  2. Yup, I (Kevin) would help with the mowing too. I'm getting really good at it with all the practice here!

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  3. Joe would take a number and stand in line to help mow those fields too. I just Love your farm. It looks so peaceful there.

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  4. I think if I lived in that beautiful setting I wouldn't ever want to leave for long. Sort of like I felt about western NC.

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  5. I just marvel at the beauty of your farm every time I see a picture of it. I can completely understand why you continue to hold on to it, and love it.

    Hope your stay accomplishes all you need to get done so you can roll on down the road sooner than later.

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  6. Thanks for the preview of Rt 29...we are looking forward to traveling that way in a couple weeks!! Beautiful farm, but that is a LOT of mowing!!!

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  7. Beautiful photos of your drive and the road to the farmhouse. Seems like it's calling your name.

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  8. Gorgeous but I have to disagree with many. I no longer want to mow anything...including your farm! :)

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  9. Well now if we just had all the equipment and all your help, we could make short work of it. Except for you Gail....we'll let you bring the cool drinks out. BUT unfortunately our budget didn't allow for a tractor, a blade, a rake and a bailer. So we had a guy who would bail it up on halves but he had a heart attack and now we are really struggling to find someone else to do it. All the farms are being subdivided and there are no more farmers. Wish us luck.

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  10. Ah, back home...what a wonderful place... love the winding road.

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  11. Lovely area there. Hope the weather holds out while you're there so all the errands go quickly.
    Syl

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  12. Your farm is so welcoming. I don't envy all the mowing, even though I enjoy it too.

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  13. hopefully you can find a hungry farmer or at least a farmer with hungry livestock...

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  14. Welcome home- it really is a beautiful place.

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  15. It is so beautifully green there. Having that farm house and property is a lot to worry about when you are away so much. Makes me happy we sold our house..

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  16. VIRGINIA SWEET HOME...I remember reading of this spot and the new paint job. Gosh all this time, all the places you've been, and now were back here again. Where does time go!

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  17. You guys, like Rick and Paulette, live the best of two worlds, Mountains and beach. Your farmhouse is charming--what a nice place to go home to. I've been staying with my son for a few days--the girls (and Bogey, of course) are wonderful, but it was good for Jack and I to get back to our own space.

    I look forward to more pictures of your property. Is there a place for you to kayak nearby?

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  18. Welcome home! Your home is indeed in a lovely setting.

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  19. Beautiful .... love Virginia ~ it and Vermont remind me of Arkansas ... ahhh rest? after mowing... what a gorgeous gorgeous setting ... you'd do Rockwall proud...

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  20. Absolutely lovely....We need to come visit Virginia! My daughter lives in Alexandria...How far is that from you?

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  21. Glad you didn't tip down that hill - I can completely imagine the conversation about the wheels being off the ground!! Great pictures of the drive and the farm - that is exactly the view on the roads coming in - so glad to be here! Jeannie and Eldy - Alexandria is about 2.5 hours from here.

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  22. I've seen that place! Beautiful this time of year!Home sweet home.

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