Blue Ridge Parkway events

Check this News & Record post out.

There's lots of ideas about upcoming festivals along the parkway in Virginia. Definitely check it out!

Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th

I had a migraine most of last weekend so I didn't make it out to the Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th as much as I wanted, but I did make it out to the Blue Ridge Music Center Saturday evening for the big show. I wish we could have gone to Cumberland Knob, but I wasn't up to it.

While Chris walked around getting photos for work, I checked out the booths and listened to some of the old time music.

Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee demonstration traditional dances and songs (along with a few volunteers from the audience).

On the stage, we heard presentation by local officials, Cherokee dances and songs and more old time music.

The main attraction of the evening of Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Stanley is a legend and I was bound and determined to see him perform. So, we did.

Here's Stanley signing autographs way before the concert. That's his grandson, Nathan, on his right. I had no idea Chris took this photo until I just went through them today.

The band opened up with "Man of Constant Sorrow" and ended on "I'll Fly Away" (Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch version). They entertained us for over an hour with some familiar tunes and other stuff I didn't recognize.

At one point, there were three Stanley generations on the stage — Ralph, son Ralph II and grandson Nathan.

Ralph Stanley mostly sang during the evening but did take up the banjo for one song. That was pretty cool.

Here's some more photos from the event:

The audience got some flat footing lessons, thanks to Phil Jamison, before the main concert began.

The Buck Mountain Band provided the music for the flat footing lessons. My former editor, Amy, is playing the banjo. Hi, Amy!

The Round Peak Boys kicked off the evening concert.

Several classic cars cruised down the Parkway to the music center. The goal was to have 75 cars participate, but I don't know if that many arrived at the center.

Area elementary schools in North Carolina and Virginia created birthday cards for the Parkway. The one in the upper right is my favorite: "I can't believe you were open seventy five (sic) years. If I worked thier (sic) I would be exausted (sic)," written by Loxi, a third grader at a Virginia elementary.

Upcoming September events

Lots of events are coming up that are on my radar.

Carroll County (Va.) Fair

First off, this weekend is the Carroll County (Va.) Fair. I think Chris has to work some this weekend to cover it, so we might actually go.

(Please do not use any photos without permission.)

A girl pets a pig at the Carroll County Fair/Photo by Christopher Brooke

I've never been to the fair although it's been held for a few years now. It's really small, so there's not much to it. But maybe it's supposed to be small. I've never been to a county fair, only a state one. And state fairs are huge.

The county fair is held at the Southwest Virginia Farmers Market, right off I-77 at exit 14.

Hillsville's Labor Day Flea Market and Gun Show

Next weekend is Hillsville's Labor Day Flea Market and Gun Show. I know many, many people probably already have this on their calendars.

I wonder if this will be the largest flea market yet. I swear tents started popping up along U.S. 58 a week ago.

I'm looking forward to seeing if the market expands this year and seeing if the sidewalks and streets will be hard to move through because of the thousands of people wandering around booths.

Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th

One of the biggest events I'm looking forward to is the Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th Anniversary Festival, Sept. 10-12.

I know there have been several events throughout the year, but this will be the official celebration.

I want to go to the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Va., and Cumberland Knob for the activities. I'm really looking forward to seeing Dr. Ralph Stanley at the music center that Saturday. I gotta see that man perform before he dies! (I'm not a big old time or bluegrass music fan, but I do enjoy some of it.)

If you go to the music center, check out the trail that winds up and down the peak behind the stage. It's a nice, short hike.

You can check out the schedules and more information of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's 75th Anniversary website here.

Hillsville's Downtown Celebrations

Don't forget about Hillsville's downtown celebrations, featuring arts and crafts, classic car cruise-in and beach music.

I wrote about that here. The next concert is Sept. 11.

Chateau Morrisette's Black Dog Wine and Beach Music Festival

Chateau Morrisette, 287 Winery Road SW, Floyd, Va., will continue its music festivals Oct. 9 with the Black Dog Wine and Beach Music Festival. The winery is located at Milepost 171.5 off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We visited the winery Aug. 14 for the Black Dog Wine and Jazz Festival. The day's music featured salsa, jazz and Caribbean music, courtesy of Beleza Brazil and Los Gatos. It was so much fun!

The price of a ticket gets you admission, free wine tasting and a free wine glass. It's a pretty good deal.

The glasses of wine we got this year at one of the Chateau's wine and jazz festival./Photo by E.A. Seagraves

We also enjoyed lunch in the winery's restaurant. I had a delicious lamb chop, couscous and asparagus. The dessert was a heavenly chocolate cake with espresso ice cream. We enjoyed the meal with a bottle of Chateau's Blackberry Wine, probably one of our favorites.

The next events are Oct. 9 music festival will feature The Embers and Key West Band.

Peaceful Heart Alpacas, Fancy Gap, Va.

After walking around Devil's Den Nature Preserve last weekend, Chris and I went to Peaceful Heart Alpaca Farm. It's located off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Fancy Gap, Va., across from Milepost 204.

I've wanted to visit this farm for quite some time. The farm opened in 2006 and has several alpacas that the family uses to harvest their fiber and spin yarn.

The shop also sells Fair Trade items from Peru and teaches fiber classes.

Alpacas are related to llamas, but are shorter and not as cuddly. They're more wary of people and don't readily let you pet them. But they're gentle animals.

They're fun to watch and the yarn that's made from their fiber is soft and wonderful. The little one above is the newest addition. He was only 2 days old when I took this picture!

While at the store, one of the owners gave us a quick tour and introduced us to their alpacas, including some newborns that were up and running around in the maternity pasture with their moms, the males in a barn and other female alpacas out in other fields.

He said that alpacas are pregnant most of the time and are depressed when they're not pregnant or nursing. Could you imagine being pregnant all the time?

In the store, I picked up two skeins of yarn and a pattern to make into Christmas presents. I also picked up two shawl pins for me.
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Want to learn more about alpacas? Check this book out:

Devil's Den, Fancy Gap, Va.

Last weekend, Chris and I decided to walk at Devil's Den, a nature preserve in Fancy Gap, Va.

Chris had heard that warm weather grasses and flowers had been planted and was attracting a lot of butterflies. With camera in tow, we set out.

We saw black-eyed susans, purple monarda, milkweed, cone flowers and Queen Anne's lace. Here's some scenery shots and close-ups. I'll spare you the many, many landscape shots I took: (All photos by E.A. Seagraves. Do not use without permission.)

My hubby and puppy. Do you see the storm clouds behind them?

Queen Anne's lace

Milkweed

Black-eyed susans

We saw lots of yellow tiger swallowtails, red-spotted purples, buckeyes and black swallowtails.

Buckeye

Yellow tiger swallowtail on milkweed

Black butterfly on mondara

Yellow tiger swallowtail on a cone flower.

More black butterflies on mondara.

We also saw a couple of indigo buntings. It was an awesome nature viewing day.

We pulled into the preserve right after a storm was going down the mountain. We walked around about an 1 1/2 hours, taking pictures of the meadow and walking down the 0.43 mile trail to the cave, which gives the preserve its name.

The trail to the cave is pretty steep so it's not for those who do not want to or cannot climb rocks and tree limbs.

The cave

As we walked back up the mountain side from the cave, mist started rising from the valley below. The valley must have gotten a good, cooling rain after the hot weather we've had. By the time we left, the preserve was covered in a thick fog.

Photos from New River Trail -- Byllesby and Buck Dams

Before Chris had to cover the Hillsville 4th of July parade for The Gazette, we took a walk on the New River Trail State Park at Byllesby and Buck Dams. Here's some photos I took during the walk

Chris sitting on a boat launch, waiting to snap photos of dragonflies
(Photos by E.A. Seagraves/Please do not use without permission)

Some type of pea

A honeybee on a pea blossom

I believe this is some type of yarrow

The New River

Blackberries

A fritillary butterfly on a bergamot, or something like that.

And here are some shots taken as I tried to be "creative."

Buck Dam

A structure found at Buck Dam beside the New River Trail

Another shot of Buck Dam

Pine cones, obviously

Oh, look! More pine cones!

And, because I'm so proud, check out Chris' dragonfly photos from the same walk. He has snapped thousands of butterfly and flower photos and he's now branching out to include dragonflies and damselflies.

You can tell the difference between dragonflies and damselflies when they land. Dragonflies don't fold up their wings; damselflies do.

I believe there are all dragonflies: (Photos by Christopher Brooke/Please do not use without permission)

Weekend events - March 27-28

If you're up for a road trip during the weekend of March 27, I've got two great ideas for you.

On March 27, West Wind Winery (Meadows of Dan, Va.) will host "Riesling Around the World," an event featuring tastings of this type of wine — one of my favorites, by the way. Not sure I've had West Wind's riesling, but I love their blackberry wine.

According to a newsletter from the winery, winemaker Jocelyn Kuzelka will present the program and offer education about wine growing as well as tastings of various rieslings.

The event is $20. For more information, see West Wind Winery's Web site here and click the calendar of events.

This event is near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Milepost 180.

On either March 27 or 28, you should really check out the Whitetop Maple Festival (Whitetop, Va.). This is one of several festivals that I covered annually when I was the Grayson County reporter for The Gazette (Galax, Va.).

You can watch some folks tap maples for the sweet syrup and eat some delicious pancakes while you're there. You should buy some of the syrup to take home before you leave because after tasting real maple syrup you're not going to want that fake corn syrup stuff you buy in the grocery store.

A wildflower slide show and storytelling event also take place every year.

And, like every event in the Twin County region, there will be lots of old time music.

The festival takes place at the Mount Rogers Combined School and is hosted by the Mount Rogers Fire and Rescue Squad. Proceeds go toward the volunteer squad's operating expenses.

For more information, visit the Virginia Is For Lover's Web site here or here on the Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th Anniversary site.

This event is near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Milepost 213.

Where to Shop: What's Needlin' Ewe

Some colorful yarn found at What's Needlin' Ewe, a yarn shop in Mount Airy, N.C./ All photos by E.A. Seagraves

Mount Airy, N.C. is a destination for many folks, especially those wanting to see the city the fictional town of Mayberry, made famous in "The Andy Griffith Show," was supposedly modeled after.

One of my favorite places to visit is What's Needlin' Ewe, owned by mother and daughter duo, Sharon and Natalie Johnson, natives of Mount Airy.

Sharon Johnson adjusts some yarn in a suitcase she found at a thrift store and had refurbished.

What it is

What's Needlin' Ewe is a new yarn shop, celebrating its sixth month anniversary this Sunday. Happy anniversary, Sharon and Natalie!

The walls of the shop are lined with fluffy yarn balls of color and needles. Some of the yarns are so soft, you'd want to fill a bathtub full and climb in.

A couch and a table with chairs make a comfortable place for knitting gab sessions and classes.

On my visit for the interview, several spinners sat in a far corner. Not only does Natalie knit and crochet, she spins and dyes yarn. "I don't know how to weave, but I want to learn," she said. The shop recently hosted the Spin Off Fiber Guild of Winston-Salem.

Sharon is a knitter. "I can crochet, but it's not my cup of tea." She's been knitting since a neighbor taught her how when she was 12.

Although Sharon taught Natalie some of the basics, Natalie is mostly self-taught and started dabbling in fiber arts when she was 10.

Natalie Johnson and son, Parker, 11 months, do a little spinning.

The Back Story

"This was on our bucket list," Sharon said when asked how What's Needlin' Ewe got started.

"I knew we had talked about it, but I didn't think it would be something we'd actually do," Natalie said. She was 9 months pregnant last March when they decided to open the store.

"I sat down and said, 'Let's do it and stop talking about it,'" Sharon said. They researched yarn shops "from here to Colorado" picking out the elements of each shop that they liked.

Knit-N-Purl of Myrtle Beach, S.C., became their inspiration and model. "I said, 'This is it,'" Sharon recalled when she first walked into the store. "We felt welcome. It was homey. We walked in at 5:55 p.m. and the store closes at 6 p.m. But they said for us to come on in."

The Johnsons credit the South Carolina business with providing a lot of advice and tips on their business plan. "They're very open and wonderful people," Sharon said.

With their own shop, Sharon and Natalie strive to create a welcoming atmosphere where knitters of all levels can feel free to come in, sit and knit.

Sharon admits their customer base is not what they expected. "We thought we'd get people already knitting, but we found more of our audience is people who didn't know anything.

"Some (people) come in here and don't know what a knitting needle is, but want to look around," Sharon said. "They say, 'It's so pretty in here.'"

Because of this, the yarn shop's first advanced knitters classes didn't draw any participates. So they went back to the drawing board and offered more beginners classes.

Since then, Sharon said they've built up a good group of core customers to whom they've taught most of their basic skills. Natalie said that core group is 30-40 people.

"We've been accused of classes being social time, but that's not our fault," Sharon said, laughing.

Plymouth Yarns are some of the products found at What's Needlin' Ewe.

What you can find here

Yarns: Fibra Natura, Berroco, Great Adirondack, Brown Sheep Company, Cascade, Plymouth, ArtYarns

Needles: Addi, Crystal Palace, Kollage square needles, Lantern Moon

Classes: beginners, advanced, sit and knit sessions, socks, spinning

Directions

From the Blue Ridge Parkway, head south on U.S. 52 from the Milepost 199.5 in Fancy Gap. Follow the signs to downtown Mount Airy. The store is located at 411 N. Main St., next to Leon's Burger Express.

From the south, travel U.S. 52 North to Mount Airy. Follow the signs to downtown.

From the north, take Interstate 77 south to Mount Airy/N.C. 89. Follow the signs to downtown.

Here's a map if you need some visual help.

Other places you can them

Besides the shop's Web site, you can join the What's Needlin' Ewe group on Ravelry here.

Natalie can also be found at Knit Fit Knitting and Handpainted Socks.

Natalie also cohosts the Knitting in the Round podcast with Leslie Shelor, owner of Greenberry House, a yarn shop in Meadows of Dan, Va.

Know of any businesses, interesting people or places near the Blue Ridge Mountains and Parkway? If so, post a comment below or send me information for future feature possibilities.

New River State Park, N.C.

While on vacation the week of June 29, Chris and I took a day trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway, visiting Doughton State Park and Moses H. Cone Memorial Park in North Carolina.

On our way home, we discovered North Carolina had its own New River State Park. Virginia's New River State Park and Trail is a 57 mile long biking, hiking and horse trail. We've walked on most of the Virginia trail and were happy to discover more recreational possibilities along the New.

So we took off yesterday toward North Carolina to explore this new park. The main access and visitors' center is located off of U.S. 221 in Ashe County. There are two other access points accessible by car located off of Wagoner Road and Kings Creek Road, following signs from U.S. 16.

Other access points are only accessible via canoe, including the Alleghany County Access area.

The park is divided into four areas, offering 2,200 acres of camping, fishing, canoeing, hiking and picnicking.

We explored the U.S. 221 access area where several campers and canoers were taking advantage of the weather.

Chris points to some canoers approaching the portage at the U.S. 221 access area.

The U.S. 221 access area has just completed a drive-in, RV camping area. It offers little shade right now, but does have nice gravel pads with fire rings and a hotwater bathhouse close by.

The visitors' center and ranger station is located next to this camping area. It's opened 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, but Christmas Day.

Tent camping is located next to the river and is accessed by walking 250 yards from a parking lot located near the boat portage area. I counted 16 sites, perfectly shaded with gravel pads and firerings. All were full.

A hotwater bathhouse and large picnic area were located nearby.

I would love to camp here. I'd enjoy listening to the river rush by and to the birds singing across the river and in the woods behind the camp sites. We heard several birds, including an owl across the river.

The U.S. 221 access offers a mile long loop trail called Hickory Trail. It features oak, hickory, laurel, rhododendron, joe pye weed, blackeyed susans, daisies, blackberries and swamp milkweed. It's a moderate trail so should be fairly easy for most outdoor enthusiasts.

Swamp milkweed was in bloom along the Hickory Trail.Some of the milkweed was 5 feet tall, the largest I've ever seen!

Lots of jewelweed (a.k.a. touch-me-not) lined the path to the primitive campsites next to the New River.

We think this is wild basil, although our wildflower texts say it's usually more pink. There were some pink spots on these flowers, although you can't see them here since the picture isn't that clear.

There was plenty of wildlife around too. We saw dragonflies and morning cloak, wood nymph and frittilary butterflies.

There was also a bright blue bird, most likely an indigo bunting, and deer. Although indigo buntings are actually black, sunlight makes the birds feathers look bright blue.

This little bunny was resting at the edge of the parking lot at the U.S. 221 access portage.

You could see hellbenders, a salamaner that can grow as large as 2 feet long, along the edge of the New. The hellbenders' habitat is threatened, so if you see this aquatic creature, its best to leave it alone. We didn't see one, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

The New River State Park also offers a community building and a covered picnic area for those looking to rent facilities for gatherings.

For more information, visit the park's Web site or contact the park at (336) 982-2587 or new.river@ncmail.net.