Blue Ridge 2

Typical blog, not in order, but interesting, besides the views there are many other interesting sights, me beside the Mabry water mill , the most photographed site on the drive, there is a long wooden trough carrying the water to the mill and ducks nesting on the pond, it was worth the stop and I was lucky enough for another group to want their photo taken so they took mine






Someone had told me not to miss the Floyd Friday night music jamboree, I didn't make it but did take a detour off the drive to go to Floyd a rustic blue grass town on Sunday, I bought a toasted sandwich at the general store, which was served with garlic toasties, old bread toasted and fried, no garlic taste, and a pickle. I got a coffee at the coffee house where they roast their own, had to choose between a 16oz or 20oz size. They made me a half size, it wasn't that good, too bitter but guess the locals don't notice because they generally add sugar and syrup flavours.







Saw lots of these old fences as I drove by, the Blue Ridge is not a National Park like the Skyline, so there are houses along the way, but no large settlements.






Found this interesting water when I took a wrong turn before I got onto the Parkway, it was beside another water wheel,





After two days driving I made it into North Carolina, some little highlights as I drove, in patches on the road the leaves were dancing to the wind tune, and in other places they were marching across the road in straight lines, unaware of oncoming traffic. Mostly the road was bare of leaves.


With my detour into Floyd I knew I was running out of time and to make matters worse not long after I got to North Carolina there was a long detour where they are fixing the road at a steep drop, when I got back onto the parkway it was getting late and it was starting to sprinkle, so that ended my Blue Ridge experience.

The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for over 400 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, its a beautiful drive but oh so slow, 45 mph and temptations to stop every few miles. In some parts you look to the east and then drive half a mile and you look to the west. The signs are good to help you realise just how high up one is. In the spring the road is lined with wildflowers, but new foilage obstructs some of the views, in the fall the leaves are beautiful colours, and the winter days when the leaves are gone have less haze so the views are better to the distance.







Besides the views there are lots of little water ways, gurgling along beside the road.






Its possible to make out water dropping further up the hill, this fall is right beside the road, which made it easy




Don't know why this changed, but this was the first stop when I entered the drive, looking east








I had to walk down the side of the mountain to view these cascades,this is on of several that tumble down the mountain. there are steps which makes it easier coming up and going down.


More tomorrow

Me and that !!!SUV

This is a feature at the Caverns called the fried eggs, they look like they have been fried in old fat, but fascinating how nature works











Each day I try to find a decent coffee, as the clock says, its coffee time, found this place in Staunton Va after I had finished my Skyline drive through the park, Staunton is a very historic town as is most of Virginia.










The winter air makes for clear viewing, and at every turn there are views like this, on one side of the road or the other as the road meanders along the top of the range, slow going as the speed limit is 35mph, but that way you don't miss anything












The outline of the trees against the blue sky was just made for a photo


I've gotten smart, leave the car running and the door open, lucky I don't need a step to get into the seat, as every mile or so I stop for the view, and over 65 miles that saves some time. I tried to change to a smaller car but no luck.

Just me and the SUV

I was up at 5am on Thanksgiving day to get to the subway, Laurice got up to say goodbye and I had time for a coffee before I left. At 42nd St I got the Greyhound to Washington. I had a few blocks walk to Union Station DC to pick up my small car, when I arrived, I was told no cars at the moment and he wasn't sure how long it would be before the next car came back, it was Thanksgiving and everyone was travelling. After a wait a car arrived, not what I ordered but what I had to take, a Chev Traverse, like a tank to drive and registered in Quebec, so people who see the car think I must be French. The TomTom guided me to Luray in Virginia, unfortunately due to the hold up I had missed the last tour of the Caverns for the day.



These caves are the largest on the East Coast of US and worth the visit. They were never known until last century when a man dug through a sink hole and found them


Its a mile and a half walk to see them all and 68 steps back to the top at the finish, there is a pool of water which reflects the images from above which is amazing, and another pool of water which they use as a wishing well to distribute money to charities. They even have space for weddings with an organ linked up to the stalagmites to give the sound. It was worth the wait till the next day to see them. Though it has put me behind with my travels.










The roadside restaurant where I had dinner had this horse on display, the lady who owns the place collects horses and this is her prize possession, I had dinner early and took home a piece of pie for later, Coconut cream pie, with artificial cream, all too sweet as well, the only saving grace it wasn't the massive helping one normally gets on the road.















Southern style room, despite the decor I slept well and no bed bugs to worry me












After the caves tour finished I had to backtrack 0 miles to Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline drive, those photos tomorrow

Where else but NYC

Tried to get Oskar and Carlo to the Rice pudding shop without success, but I made a visit, love their signs in the shop and the 40 flavours


Have been sorting the playmobil so it can be sold, Chris and I became experts in identifying the trees and people in each set. Now they are listed in an excel data base ready for sale








The sign I'd written to urge Michelle on, she saw it and stopped momentarily for a hug.












The Marathon crowd coming down the avenue in Brooklyn, after hours of watching the last person went past after 1pm, Michelle had gone past at 10.40am, This spot in Brooklyn is not even half way.


















Always some new food idea to try, this from the 'Caravan of Dreams, a different turn on the cuban rice and beans I've always loved.

New York update

The weekly flower show at the Bryant Park toilets, with Starbucks closing a lot of their NY shop toilets to the public, Bryant Park is an important place to know about










The World Trade Centre memorial is open for visitors and Laurice and I had to wait to get tickets to go. The water fountain is on the footprint of the tower,







One of the new buildings on the site,





The pear tree that was the only tree in the area to survive 9/11, its been battered on one side, but otherwise really healthy














There is always something to photograph in the shop windows, and the detail in the heel of the shoe, stopped me in my tracks. If you want a pair let me know.

Still here

A misty night on 5th Ave near 23rd Street,







The Sundae from the Farmacy and Soda Fountain just near home. With calories like this its good I don't go every day












Having a rest outside the Marimekko shop on 5th Avenue, just getting their strength back before a feast at Eataly. The Italian food vedura meals are delicious, the pane is great, the dolce is sublime, I've been introduced to two new taste sensations, baby artichokes and celeriac root chips but don't wait in the long queue for ages to get a coffee, it was not the best. Someone in the queue decided to leave to go to Starbucks and I thought that was a bad decision but in hindsight they may have been right. I'm still a Joes fan







Some street art in Dumbo



















A new use for buttons

Brooklyn

The Brooklyn bridge with an interesting insert, the Empire State Building













Just to show how popular I am in New York, they had a picture of me in another window but it was hard to get the two together, they also made an error it was a red skirt I had bought at Lucky in Smith Street












Saw this work in Dumbo, they had a description at the end, it had taken the artist two years to paint this piece, reflecting his mood each day.














A beautiful sunny day for a walk, and an interesting view of the water and across to Manhattan














Oskar couldn't resist a taste of the cream on my iced coffee, lucky I got the cream added as it was 2/3rds ice, and except for the cream was hardly drinkable, serves me right for buying an iced coffee at a chocolate shop. I wonder how much energy is wasted making ice that ends up being poured down the drain

NYC

Halloween is overdone, New Yorkers spend a fortune and most of it ends up in landfill, but some of the decorations are imaginative, like this shop front photo, some are scary, ask Carlo next time you talk to him, and walking home Halloween night just before the famous parade in West Village, I even felt scared at some of the frightening costumes.















view from Top of the Rock, I thought New York buildings are interesting from street view, but up here there were decorations on building I had never seen before
















It was a beautiful day and good view, I found out that Uluru is as long as Central Park and twice as wide, and 1140 ft tall, it helped me put the icon into perspective












Every Monday they change the flowers in the Bryant Park toilet, so its an interesting toilet stop, that is something you can't say about most public toilets in the world













We went on a chocolate search through Soho, so many shops selling chocolate, so many choices, if you are doing a tour take a knife to cut the chocs into small pieces if you want to share, the flavours were all great and so hard to decide which was best each one was best until we went to the next shop


Next episode coming soon

more New York

Surreal Hairwigs













The New York skyline is always photographic












Curly's famous for their curly chips, enjoyed by Alex, Chris, Oskar and Carlo, the sweet potato ones, while not curly were just as delicious, Next door is Artichoke Pizza and I would have had a slice if I wasn't full, but made a return visit, and its to be recommended as well













You can visit the Statue without going on the Ferry and a good size for a photograph at the Lego shop









Didn't realise I had a business in New York