Traveling on US 601, 52 and US 11

Leaving the Lake Myers Encore Campground in Mocksville, NC we came across the historical marker for the Boone Tract. Frontiersman Daniel Boone was born in 1734 to Quaker parents living in Pennsylvania. The family moved first to Virginia and later to North Carolina where Squire Boone, his father, was granted 640 acres from Lord Granville on Bear Creek. Young Daniel learned at an early age how to find his way in the frontier, often supporting his family through hunting expeditions. At the age of twenty-one, Boone participated in the French and Indian War and later helped to defend western North Carolina colonists against Indian attacks. Daniel Boone purchased his father’s property in 1759 and, having recently married, made the area his home for his new family. Traveling extensively throughout the frontier of western North Carolina into what is now Tennessee and Kentucky, Boone sought to promote settlement in the region and worked to encourage migration into the areas, eventually moving his family to a frontier station in Kentucky called Boonesborough after working with other explorers to cut a path through to the area, called the Wilderness Road, for future settlers. Boone helped to expand the American frontier, Daniel Boone apparently called the western section of North Carolina home longer than any other place while he perfected his skills as a frontiersman, surveyor, and politician. Local tradition holds that his home on the property granted first to his father fell into disrepair and by 1840 a new owner of the property had torn down the remaining portions of the building and re-used some of the lumber in a new home, leaving only stones from the chimney and foundation.

We entered the “Gateway to the Yadkin Valley.” The Yadkin Valley, was the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in North Carolina, established in 2003. It’s the most densely populated wine region in the state. In North Carolina there are now more than 100 wineries and is ninth in the country in wine production, thirty-six of those vineyards are located in the Yadkin Valley. The AVA is shaped like a boomerang, bordering Virginia with Mt. Airy as its northernmost city and extending south past Lexington and west to North Wilkesboro. Winston-Salem sits in the “heart” of the AVA and the center of the boomerang. There is the Hanover Park Vineyards. From the soil and climate of the Yadkin Valley comes a selection of wines that could be easily confused with the wine from the Rhone River Valley in France. Surprising? Not really, when you compare the Yadkin Valley with the south of France and the owner’s love for Old World wines. These wines reflect the time, care, and research necessary to make the best wine that can be made in an Old World style that begs for the perfect food pairings. They have created an old world atmosphere, from the 1897 farmhouse tasting room to the outdoor spaces under the centuries old oaks which encourages friends and families to relax and linger. As modest and inviting as the vineyard itself, they’ve created world-class wines that appeal to wine lovers from the connoisseur to the weekend novice.

Have you ever seen a log cabin church? Well we did and you can in Yadkinville, NC. The Southside Baptist Church celebrated the grand opening of their new beautiful log cabin church in December of 2012. It sits on the side of a hill overlooking the Yadkin Valley. What a beautiful place to worship!

We went through Boonville, NC and thought of our friends from Booneville, NY. They are on the road to the north country of New York … here is to you Claude & Shirley Riegler!

In Dobson NC, we saw Cody Creek Ranch. The entrance had a beautiful entry arch and an iron sculpture. You enter on a twisting-single lane through a covered bridge into a beautiful park like area. Visitors to Cody Creek are met by a restaurant, chapel, country store, and cabins for rent. Although Cody Creek is a popular spot for food, the cabins are a perfect choice for a wine country or romantic getaway.

Also in Dobson, NC is another vineyard. Shelton Vineyards is one of the largest on the East Coast. On the estate, several varieties of vitis vinifera grapes are grown: Cabernet Franc,Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Riesling,Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier. Interestingly, all varieties of vitis vinifera grown at Shelton Vineyards–and throughout the world for that matter–utilize bud wood of European origin grafted onto Native American rootstocks to create a more disease resistant vine. Shelton Vineyards' belief is that fine wine begins in the vineyard. Shelton Vineyards' commitment to sustainable farming practices and hands-on attention enables the vineyard to produce the highest possible quality of grapes. The Shelton Vineyards' wines are reflective of the terroir of the Yadkin Valley. Along with expert winemaking techniques, enhancing what our land has given us, Shelton Vineyards has produced many award-winning wines. The winery has a unique feature, it is a gravity flow facility.

The gravity flow system eliminates the need to pump the product from one step to the next. Vineyard workers harvest the grapes by hand and crush them immediately after picking.  Workers gather any parts of the grapes not continuing on to the next step of fermentation and make a compost that is later employed as fertilizer in the vineyard. Shelton Vineyards uses a combination of French, American and Hungarian oak barrels. After aging in barrels, the wine is bottled. The technologically advanced bottling equipment bottles 52 bottles per minute, or over 2000 cases per day. Wines are released for sale after a period of bottle aging appropriate to the wine. Makes you kind of thirsty doesn’t it?

Mount Airy NC was where Andy Griffith grew up and he used it as the inspiration for Mayberry, the fictional locale of his classic 1960s TV series, "The Andy Griffith Show". Even though the show went off the air in the late 60s, Mount Airy still celebrates its favorite son all over the older downtown area. Mount Airy is actually a pretty big place now, with a Walmart, motels, fast food and a population of over 12,000. But if you head to the old downtown area, you can still get a taste of the small town that Andy loved. As Barney always said, “no much gets by me …” We headed onto Route 52, also known as Andy Griffith Pkwy. Mount Airy is the last town in NC before we headed into Virginia.

We began to climb the mountain, ears popping and cars passing us on the left. We headed to the top!

Again on this leg of the trip we ran into icons of days gone by, in an amazing looking vacant hotel or restaurant. We are sure that in the day, this was a great place to stay or eat.

At the top of the mountain we crossed under a rock archway into Fancy Gap, VA where we purchased the cheapest gas ($2.39) of the trip.

We also saw many antique (junk) stores. If you can call setting the stuff out all around your house and your lawn a store?!

In Hillsville, VA you can see the “The Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home.” It is a thirteen-room three-story home built in 1845. The original home was a brick home with four chimneys made in the Federalist style. The Hales were among the wealthiest families in Carroll County which was carved out of Grayson County in 1842. The home is on the highest hill in Hillsville, Virginia and was built on the Wytheville Pike which was the only North-South route through the mountain gap at the time it was built. In

1864 the home was purchased by James Wilkinson, whose daughter, Mayetta, married George Lafayette Carter. The Carters lived in the home following Mr. Wilkinson’s death in 1914. The Carters added significant additions to the home in 1924 to make it a 34 room five-story home. In 2001, the house became a community project under the supervision of the Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home Foundation. The county was able to secure two grants totaling $248,000 for the restoration project on the home.

The West Wind Farm Winery is located in Fort Chiswell, VA at the Humphrey Family home.  West Wind Farm is the current incarnation of what started as Mount Zephyr in the mid-19th century.  The Humphrey family came to own the farm in 1914 and Brenda and Paul were able to keep it in the family by establishing West Wind Farm Vineyard & Winery.  Just in case you’re wondering, Zephyr means “west wind”. The grapevines were planted in the spring of 2003 and the first wine made here was in the fall of 2005.  Currently there are over five acres of grapes being cultivated on the farm. 

We turned onto US 11 North, which is also known as Old Carolina Road. The Old Carolina Road is the old road from Pennsylvania to the Yadkin Valley, over which early times settlers passed going south. Today US 11 climbs over Draper Mountain just south of the Town of Pulaski. On top of the mountain is an overlook on the side of the road where you can stop and admire the scenic views overlooking Draper Valley to the south. There is a historical marker at the overlook. Draper Valley is named for William Draper and his wife, Mary Draper Ingles, who was captured by Shawnee warriors and later escaped walking home along creek and river banks.

In Pulaski, VA we found the Maple Lodge which closed in the 1990s. The Maple Lodge served as a prime spot to house travelers along US 11 when the highway was the main passage between Pennsylvania and Tennessee before the construction of Interstate 81. The overgrown vegetation, chipped paint and a defunct sign give the appearance of disrepair.



Outside of Dublin, VA we found a graveyard of VW Vanagons. There had to be 300 if there was 1 there. Some were covered with tarps, some had parts missing and looked pretty good. It was quite an amazing sight!

Radford University is under serious construction. They are building to meet the needs of the future! With more than $330 million in university capital projects, including new construction and renovations, since 2005, the campus is transforming. These projects provide state-of-the-art teaching, learning and wellness space that enriches the campus community. The College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences building will be the largest academic building on campus. The new building will provide state-of-the-art academic space consisting of classrooms, offices, laboratories and student/faculty collaborative space. The new Student Recreation and Wellness Center houses fitness, active recreation and wellness space designed to help students live healthy lifestyles. The Initiative for the Center for the Sciences will transform the Radford University College of Science and Technology into a premier science destination. Radford University seemed to take up most of the town of Radford.

Lewis-McHenry Duel was the first duel in Virginia fought with rifles in Christiansburg. This event occurred at dawn on Monday, May 9, 1808 near Montgomery County Courthouse in the vicinity of the present day Sunset Cemetery. The Lewis-McHenry duel had far-reaching effects, as in 1810, it influenced the passage of the Barbour Bill outlawing dueling in Virginia. The participants were Thomas Lewis, a 22-year old lawyer and grandson of General Andrew Lewis and John McHenry, a resident of the western part of the county who was a much older man than Lewis. Legend has it that the two men were friends but were angered over a political argument and were urged on by a third man Thomas Bowyer, in order that he might destroy a witness (McHenry) who could prevent his obtaining coveted land. Both men died as a result, Lewis immediately and McHenry the next evening. Lewis is buried in the Madison Cemetery in rural community of Shawsville, and McHenry in the Craig Cemetery in Christiansburg

In Roanoke VA the 65-year old Carlin Amoco gas station is frozen in time. When built the service station was modern for its time. The station was renovated to help preserve the automotive history in Roanoke.

In Buchanan, VA US 11 and Interstate 81 combined and we were back to the swish, swish, swish of 18 wheelers passing by. In Natural Bridge we passed by the Natural Bridge and just before Lexington, I peered over the bank and saw many old cars and an old house. The cars were all rusty but looked to be complete. It would be quite a find for someone who restores cars!

On US 11, north of Lexington at Sam Houston Wayside, there is a Stone Marker Birthplace of Sam Houston.  Until I came across this marker, I did not know that Sam Houston had been born in Virginia.  I have discovered many individuals were born in Virginia then later went on to achieve fame in other parts of the country. Sam Houston was born here north of Lexington, VA on March 2, 1793, the fifth child of Samuel and Elizabeth (Paxton) Houston, on their plantation within sight of the Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church. He was of Scots-Irish ancestry and reared Presbyterian. When he was thirteen years old, his father died; some months later, in the spring of 1807, he emigrated with his mother, five brothers, and three sisters to Blount County, Tennessee. A great deal has been written about Sam Houston and I will not attempt to repeat in all, but there are a few facts that I found interesting. He did a wide variety of different things during his life and you find out a great deal about his life by a search on the internet. For example, in his teens he lived among the Cherokees along the Tennessee River. He joined the United States Army as a twenty-year-old private and by the end of the year 1813, he was given a commission as a third lieutenant. As part of Andrew Jackson's army, he fought at the battle of Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River on March 26, 1814 where he received near-fatal wounds.  In 1818, he read law in Nashville for six months and opened a law practice in Lebanon, Tennessee. He received steady and regular promotions in the state militia during his time in Tennessee. He held public office as attorney general in Nashville, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and was the Governor of Tennessee.

We stopped just south of Staunton, VA at the Staunton / Walnut Hills KOA. We are on top of a hill, overlooking the park. It is a great site for the night.