Notes From The Road: Virginia

I’m traveling through five east coast cities, over the course of three weeks. Don’t be too jealous – I’m riding lots of buses and sleeping on lots of couches.  Check out previous Notes From The Road to read about my adventures in destinations like Laos, India, Thailand and Bolivia.  Not that Boston isn’t exciting, too!
 

This was not my first trip to Virginia – and it won’t be my last, I imagine.  There are probably parts of Virginia that are ugly and run down and maybe, come summer, I’d hate it.  But every time I go there, I think “Why don’t I live here?  Look these houses with their big front porches and actual rocking chairs!  Is that a tiny, white-steepled church?  Did that old man just tip his hat to me?”Also:  it is really, really, really fun to speak with a southern accent.  I’m sure everyone in hearing distance found my attempts annoying/ridiculous but I rather enjoyed myself.

I was in Salem visiting my old friend Brooke and we had all sorts of adventures:  eating cheesy grits and stewed apples at a little local diner, picnicing in The Blue Mountains, pawing through piles of antiques, making fried green tomatoes (amazing!), dining at a good old-fashioned soda shop, thrifting, trawling the farmers’ market, trying to watch the meteor shower, drinking 8 million coffees and talking about all those things you talk about with people you’ve known for 20 years.

Next up: South Dakota and The Black Hills!  Any can’t-miss spots I need to know about?

Really, I swear.  At some point I’m going to go back to the Twin Cities and stay in one place for at least two months.

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6 Comments

  1. M

    If you happen through the far side of the Black Hills, closer to Sturgis, in the town of Belle Fourche has litterly one of the best diners I have eaten at. One of the oldest establishments in town and as of this summer the 80+ year owner still cooked every day. Bobs Cafe on main street.

  2. Haddock

    Travelling can be fun isn't it?
    Like that picture of the Elf.

  3. melina bee

    I live (and was raised) in Virginia, the thrifting around where you are is some of the best I've ever encountered, we really do have a beautiful state.

  4. Marie

    Virginia is so beautiful, and I miss it. I live in the deep South now, but some of the strongest Southern accents I ever heard were from Virginia.

  5. Lauren Margaret

    Yay you came to Virginia! I moved here when I was 12, left when I was 18, and just had to come back. I don't know if I can ever leave again.

    I love love love Virginia 🙂

  6. Anonymous

    These pictures made my heart happy. Especially that one of the sunset slipping down into the mountains–the Blue *Ridge* Mountains. That's my Virginia! It's been almost a year since I've been home.

    –Cristy

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