Vacation recap

Time for the annual recap of our vacation, the one where we stay at the same place every year and do the same things, but for some reason it never gets boring or old or tiresome (to us, anyway). Since we take this week at the time of our wedding anniversary, we return to the area where we were married and where Dave's parents grew up (and where Dave spent a lot of time in his childhood as well). It's an area I fell in love with the first time he took me there, away from the city, where it's peaceful and quiet and life is a little more simple. A great place to recharge our batteries.

All photos are here: Vacation Photo Album. I'll include some but not all of them here. All links open in a new window.

Monday, August 14, 2006

We left our home around 10:15 a.m. and drove to Elkins via 79 to Flatwoods, then took the back roads to Buckhannon. We stopped for lunch at Mama's Kitchen just outside of Elkins, which has awesome hand cut fries. Then we headed on over the mountains toward our destination and stopped at the Harman Church of the Brethren, where Dave's great-grandfather (Daniel Harman) and great-great grandfather (Asa Harman) are buried. (Asa Harman founded the town of Harman and this church). We photographed the graves and looked around. I wish we had been in town on Sunday so we could have attended services there.

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After leaving the church we traveled on to our destination, Harman's North Fork Cottages (no relation), where we stay every year. We settled in, paid our bill, went into town (Petersburg) for groceries and spent the rest of the evening at the cabin.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 -- OUR EIGHTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

We spend a lot of time just driving around in the country when we're here. This morning we drove up Jordan Run Road to Scherr, where we were looking for the Mountain Laurel Farm mentioned in the cabin's guest book. We didn't stop, as it appeared to just have a trout pond where you can fish and they sell honey and maple syrup. Since I was looking for more of a farm animal experience, we skipped it and drove on to Moorefield and had lunch at the Harvest Grill.



They have excellent food and a nice atmosphere. It is located in a renovated building dating back to 1801.



The pizza is to die for.



After leaving Moorefield we drove over to Franklin via Fort Seybert, the site of an Indian massacre in 1758. The fort was burned, but every year the residents rebuild it and reenact the burning at the Treasure Mountain Festival.



We also stopped by to see the new Highlands Golf Club.



We finally arrived in the Town of Franklin, a lovely little town which is the Pendelton County seat. We stopped by the newspaper office as we do every year to renew our subscription to the Pendleton Times. Then we went over to Katie's Kitchen for ice cream.

On the way out of town we noticed a sign for the new Germany Valley Overlook Cabins we'd heard about, which are located just below the Germany Valley overlook on North Mountain. So we drove down there to take a look at them. They look really nice and have spectacular views of Germany Valley.



We eventually found our way back to the cabin, where we spent the evening.

There is a 6-toed pregnant kitty hanging out at the cabins and we met her and dubbed her "Canyon Kitty", since our cabin was in Hopeville Canyon.



Wednesday, August 16, 2006

We started out early and had breakfast at the Seneca Caverns Restaurant, then drove up the mountain to Spruce Knob, where we were married. It was a gorgeous day to be on the mountain, blue skies and sunshine and mostly clear. It's often cloudy or hazy or rainy up there, but this was probably the best weather we had up there since the very first time Dave took me there and I fell in love with it. It's just such a beautiful place, quiet and peaceful (if you can manage to get there when there aren't many other people there and no screaming kids). You can see for miles and miles and miles.



Took lots of pics, as always (see the album for more).

We drove down the mountain a different way, toward where Dave's mother grew up, down Sawmill Run Road, then on to Snowy Mountain Road and Upper North Fork Road, which lead us to the little town of Bluegrass in Highland County, Virginia. It is a really beautiful area.

We drove back over to Germany Valley and took on of our usual drives down some of the small roads that wind through the valley, and stopped off in Harman Hills at the memorial, which commemorates the first Harman settlers in the area, of which Dave is a descendant. The memorial mentions two of his great great great great grandparents, and the log cabin that one of them built still sits nearby. We didn't get a picture of it this time as we have several.



We had lunch at the new Honey Bear restaurant, did some shopping at the Smoke Hole Caverns Gift Shop, then went back to the cabin for the evening.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

I love our time at the cabin but by the last morning I am so ready to get home. I miss my kitty babies! We got up and packed, stopped at the office to buy one of the new shirts, and headed toward home. We stopped in Beverly to get some of our favorite beef at Campbell's Meat Market, and went to Duke's Steakhouse so I could have a filet mignon sandwich (it melts in your mouth!). And then made the short drive to home sweet home.

And that's how we spent our summer vacation.