Sometimes I have to take a detour.

I enjoy visiting new places even for a brief period of time.   Following our recent ski trip to West Virginia I wanted to see what was in the town of Wytheville, VA.  I've passed by the exit several times traveling up and down Interstate 77.   This year I grabbed a brochure from our hotel and studied a couple of locations that were of interest to me.  The first was Skeeters.  According the the brochure and web Skeeters was a local restaurant famous for their Skeeterdog.  After a large breakfast it was doubtful that I was going to be able to sample a Skeeterdog, but paid a visit anyway with hopes of getting some ice-cream.  Unfortunately Skeeters doesnt sell ice-cream during the winter months.  "It's just sits in the freezer and gets freezer burned." is what we were told.  A couple of other locations were suggested, but I was willing to take a chance due to the second part of my mission in Wytheville.  I entered the location, Big Walker Lookout and my GPS directed me to the top of a mountain approximately 20 miles away from Wytheville.   This was a bit farther off our main route than I had planned to go, but i still wanted ice-cream and wanted to see the 100 foot tower that was showcased in the brochure.   We finally made it around the winding road to a small country store with a tower that appeared to be 1000 ft tall.  The view from the parking lot was decent enough for a few scenic shots of the mountains.  As we walked around inside and finally enjoyed some ice-cream I decided to take a chance and climb the tower.   The base of the tower is built on a 20 ft platform beside the parking lot.  This was plenty high enough for me, but I had already purchased a ticket and we started walking up the stairs.  The higher we climbed the temps got cooler and the wind got stronger.  I stopped when I felt like I was 100 ft and contemplated continuing.  After realizing that I wasn't going to talk myself into finishing the climb, I made my way back down.  After we spent a few minutes on the swinging bridge and shooting a few more pics, we loaded back into the car for our trip back down the mountain.  At least I can say that I've been on the tower.

 

Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography

Biltmore Estate

During our Summer trip to Asheville we had not planned to visit Biltmore Estate, but I wish that we did.   Since we didnt get to go in June, I decided that September would be a nice time of year to visit.  The temps should be cooler and maybe the crowds wold not be as large.  It was worth the wait.  We had a beautiful weekend to tour the house and surrounding area.

FACT:  Biltmore House is a Châteauesque-styled mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at 135,000 square feet.

The large home and surrounding land is the vision of the bachelor, Vanderbilt.  This was by far an ultimate bachelor pad designed to host various parties and other events.  In addition to the house, there are stables, winery, lodging facilities and several areas for outdoor activities.

When I purchased admission tickets, I took advantage of additional offers for the winery and reservations at Biltmore Deerpark Restaurant.  When we arrived to pickup tickets, the lines were already very long.  It appeared that my attempt to miss large crowds didn't work and I was concerned about parking.  Visiting the home and gardens with enough time to make it back to the van and to deerpark in time for our reservations was going to be a challenge.  Fortunately, the CSR at the ticket counter offered valet parking.   I can happily say that this was the best $15 spent all day.   We parked in front of the house, took our time visiting an shooting pics (when allowed) and the van was returned to the home for us to arrive at Deerpark in time for our reservation.. 

  Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography

Nashville like I have never seen it.

I have been to Nashville many times and enjoy the many restaurants more than anything.   The drive to the nearest airport is longer than the flight to Music City.  I usually stay in the downtown area within walking distance of the main attractions.  This most recent trip sent me to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention center.  I had heard of the place and knew that it had suffered some serious flooding a few years ago.  I had no idea how large the facility was.  It's a city in itself.  The area covers over 100 acres and there are rumors that a water and them park may be built in the near future.

The Opryland hotel is a short distance from the General Jackson Showboat landing.   Our agenda had reservations for dinner and a concert on the showboat.  The concert was a history of country music with some talented artists performing many covers.  The food and drinks were very satisfying during the cruise.

The visit to Opryland was great, but I still had the urge to take a trip downtown to see familiar sites including Demos Steak House and Wildhorse Saloon.

Demo's was also great as usual and my next trip to Nashville will require another meal from the restaurant.  This most recent trip was the first time that I did not have to wait for a table.  I am not sure if that was a sign of the poor economy or just good timing.  As we left the line had formed, so I am guessing that we timed the visit perfectly.

The Wildhorse Saloon was the next stop during the downtown walk.  Wildhorse also has delicious food and great drinks!  I was happy to see that a band was on schedule to perform just after we arrived.  I was shocked when the band was announced.  McKenzies Mill was due to hit the stage at anytime . The guys just happened to be from a town 20 minutes north of Rockingham.  The band put on a great show and I was happy to provide them with photos from the concert.

Several years ago I made my one and only television appearance at the Wild Horse Saloon. The Wildhorse Saloon Dance Show, hosted by Katie Hause was in production the first time I visited Nashville. During a break the host asked me if I wanted to be on television. Of course, I said yes, and she instructed me to think of my favorite country song. Well, I didn't have a favorite country song or any country song that I could think of on the spot. When the time came for me to answer in front of the camera I said "Don't Rock the Jukebox!" If I had known 30 seconds sooner that she was going to ask me to sing the song, I would have declined to offer. It was too late and all I knew to sing was the title of the song. After I belted out "Don't Rock the Jukebox!" I just stood there and looked at the lovely host. She asked me if that was it and I couldn't do anything but shake my head and say "Yes." I still go a free pair of hiking boots out of the 15 second gig!

The stay at Opryland was very nice and I would love to visit again soon.

 

Copyright - Jimmy McDonald Photography