Monday, November 1, 2021

A Little Outing

We decided to take a little day trip to see how the leaves look in the mountains of Virginia.  The forecast called for good weather so off we headed in the direction of Sperryville.  My sweetie is still in his boot, so I did the driving on this lovely morning.


 I packed a small picnic for us to enjoy when we reach our destination.  I had my Rtic tumbler full of Constant Comment tea and Grayden had his preferred coffee.  Driving along, Grayden pointed the camera out the window and began snapping away.


The further along we drove the darker the sky began to look.  


Continuing along the weather began to brighten again.


The leaves varied as we traveled along.  The scenery felt so peaceful.  I do love the country lanes and farms that dotted roads along the way.  I'm definitely a country mouse.  How about you?  Are you a city mouse or a country mouse?


The orange and yellow leaves brightened as the sunrays shined on them. 



It's exciting to see the Blue Ridge mountains rising on the horizon. 


Autumn farm stands came into view as we approached the town of Sperryville.  Of course we stop to have a look.  Sperryville is a very small town of around 300 folks.  The town sits on 3,000 acres from an original land grant from King George II in 1731 to Francis Thornton.  


We have been coming to Sperryville for years.  We used to come with our children when they were small.  So our many memories come to mind as we view the pumpkins and apples.




All of the beautiful colors of the pumpkins, gourds, and apples are a feast for our eyes.


Inside of this little fruit stand there are more items to tempt.


The quilts certainly got my attention.  If I had room, I'd add more to my collection!  


More produce and fresh fall apple cider filled the shelves.


After leaving the farm stand, we continue driving up the mountain through the Shenandoah National Park.  We decided to enter Skyline Drive at Thornton Gap.  From here one can travel north or south along the drive that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) from 1933 to 1942.  This program gave many men jobs.  It's quite amazing that they built the roads, the rock walls, trails and scenic overlooks and a lot more along this 105.5 mile drive!  It is quite a gift for all of us and our posterity to enjoy.


We decide to travel to Skyland that is 10 miles away.  I thought it would be nice to enjoy our picnic there.  


Mary's Rock Tunnel takes us along the drive south to Skyland.


The tunnel was built by the CCC in 1932 by blasting and drilling through Mary's Rock.



We both enjoyed stopping at the scenic overlook, but unfortunately we began to see the fog roll in.


The fog and the colors certainly were beautiful!




Then our world turned black and white!


As lovely as it is, I must admit to not enjoying the driving now!



Changing elevations did bring some relief for which I was grateful.


Then turning into Skyland we were in a blanket of fog that made it quite hard to find a proper parking spot.  We decided it was not a good idea to have an outdoor picnic, so we enjoyed our lunch in our car!  Grayden and I have stayed in the cabins you can rent and find them to be quite enjoyable. There are many trails you can explore.  But today after our lunch, and hopefully the fog lifting, we will head back home.


The fog did start to lift slowly as we drove back to Thornton Gap.




Getting away for a little while did my heart and soul good.  Being in the beauty of nature is always a balm for me.  



Thanks for coming along on our little outing!  It was a lovely day with my sweetheart. 



















24 comments:

  1. Thank YOU for sharing your day with us. It was so enjoyable to see the colors with you. And I am most definitely a country mouse! Have a cozy evening.

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    1. Thank you, Billie Jo. I was sure you were a country mouse! Happy November, friend.

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  2. What a lovely post.
    I certainly enjoyed the day out with you, lovely Autumnal colours.
    Enjoy the month of November.

    All the best Jan

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    1. It was lovely to have you come along with us, Jan. Have a happy November, friend.

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  3. Glad you could out and enjoy this drive. Love that little farm stand/store. I've been a country mouse now for 3 years and won't trade it in for the city again. :)

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    1. Ellen, it was so good to enjoy a day in the mountains. I know from your writings that you too must be a country mouse!

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  4. Beautiful drive! Thank you for taking us along! We’ve had more fog this fall than I can remember from past years. Never have enjoyed driving in it, either. Sending happy November wishes!

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    1. Nellie, the warmer Autumn days have really bought the fog to the East Coast. Tonight we are expecting our first frost of the season. It's quite late for us! Happy November to you as well!

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  5. Such fun to go along on your outing! Oh, the beauty of Skyline Drive during the fall! I am sure that it is stunning to see in person. So glad the fog lifted as you made your way back home. I have memories of dense fog on Skyline drive when I was a child on a trip with my parents and sister. ~ shudder ~ The farm stand is charming. I love visiting farm stands, particularly in the fall.

    Was Grayden happy to be out and about? Autumn is too beautiful to spend it all inside!

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    1. Cheryl, as many times as we have been to Skyline Drive, I think this was the foggiest! Sorry to hear about the fog when you visited as a child. That left a big impression I'm sure. Grayden did enjoy the day out, but admitted to wishing he could drive!

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  6. Thank you for a lovely day out. Living in Virginia was where I first learned to celebrate Autumn and all her glories. This Country Mousie wants to nibble those apples and play amongst pumpkins! Constant Comment is a favourite of mine too. xoxo

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    1. Deb, that makes me so happy to hear you learned about the joys of Autumn in Virginia! Of course you are a country mouse--you could be no other! I really enjoy Constant Comment and Twinnings Chai Ultra Spice tea in Autumn. They just suit cozy times inside and out. Happy November, my friend! xoxo

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  7. Martha Ellen, what a wonderful country drive. And I have to say you look lovely even
    driving a car! I'm so glad I got to see a little of Virginia's countryside, it's beautiful this time of year. What a small and quaint little town you stopped by - and a population of 300! Now, that's my kind of town. The quilts are so charming. When you were driving along the mountain road with the fog coming, I was uneasy until you got on a safe passage. You can see I don't like driving on mountain curves, twists, or cliffs haha. Having a picnic in your car sounds so nice. It may have been too cold to eat outside. Thank you for sharing your special country drive with us, Martha Ellen. I really liked seeing all the Fall colors in your area.

    ~Sheri

    *to answer your question, are you a city mouse or a country mouse? Well, living
    in the mountains, I am definitely a country mouse. It was a good decision for me
    to move here. I'm so glad you got to be around lots of nature for the day. You're
    right, it does a heart and body good. I hope November brings you many pleasant surprises, Martha Ellen. : )

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    1. Sheri, I'm so glad to share Virginia with you and my friends here. You would really like the mountains here, though they are not the high elevations you have in California. I'm so glad you are enjoying your new mountain home. You are a true country mouse!

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  8. Thank you for taking us along on this lovely drive. I am sorry that the fog upset the driving and picnic plans. Fog is the worst to drive in right up there with snow squalls. What beautiful foliage and gorgeous mountain views. A good day away makes the heart sing.

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    1. Vee, thank you for coming along with us. Sometimes a change of pace is just what the doctor ordered! Happy November days to you, friend.

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  9. what a terrific outing! The color! The quilts! The pumpkins! This would be just a perfect day. I feel extra happy just reading the post. (Except for the fog -- great photo but not what you planned!)

    Me? I'm an ambi-mouse. I love both. At different times. Makes it hard!

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    1. Jeanie, I know you are an ambi-mouse, my friend. Love the term and you! So glad this post made you extra happy. That makes me extra happy hearing that.

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  10. All gorgeous. I didn't remember you're a Constant Comment girl! There's always a tin in my cupboard for you!

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    1. So lovely to see you here, JoEllen! What a sweet friend to have Constant Comment in your cupboard for me! Happy November to you and Henry!

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  11. Great photos of areas that are very familiar to me, on this side of the Atlantic this time :))) Lovely to see photos of you and your Sweetie too. I hope he heals fast and gets out of that boot soon. Have a wonderful weekend :)

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    1. Thank you, Denise. My Sweetie is doing better and is wearing the boot half time now. Have a wonderful weekend as well!

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  12. Never have I been through the tunnel. I looked this up on the map and will take a side trip here. Very interesting and some beautiful scenery your Grayden captured. I love picnics and I need to get back to having more of them while on the road. Pull off into some pretty scenery and enjoy a nice lunch along with the peace and quiet in a lovely country setting. Take care, Betsy

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  13. What an enjoyable and scenic drive, Martha Ellen! My husband and I drove along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park a few times when we lived on the eats coast--and loved this beautiful drive each time. My father worked as part of the CCC and WPA in the depression years when he was a young man. Those government programs gave many young men jobs at a time there weren't many to be found and he was always grateful. I hope your husband's foot heals quickly! I had to wear one f those heavy boots for a few months after foot surgery a few years back and it was annoying.

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