One of my favorite ways to explore a new place is by taking a road trip through the countryside. I’ve been to Virginia over a dozen times and am always amazed by its greenery. Rolling country roads zigzagging through lush green pastures and woodland seem to bring me back to an older, easier way of life. The deeper you get into rural Virginia, the more interesting the drive gets. Old farmhouses and Baptist churches from centuries ago dot the landscape. Pastures of horses and cows and a sprinkling of pig pens remind you that you are far from home. Vineyards and orchards grace the landscape tempting drivers to pull off the road and pick a bag of fresh peaches or taste some local wines. The country roads of Virginia seem to take you home to a different way of life. Simplier. Calmer. And carefree.
My sister and I decided to pack up the kids and take a road trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, about a two hour drive west from her home near Williamsburg. The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the massive Appalachian Mountain range that stretches all the way from Georgia to Pennsylvania, and earned their name from the trees that blanket the mountains making them appear a deep, velvety blue. From a distance, the Blue Ridge Mountains truly look blue and the contrast against the green foliage and pastures below make them absolutely spectacular.
As you drive from Williamsburg toward the Wintergreen Resort, a mountain play land located atop the Blue Ridge Mountains, you pass through Charlottesville and the drive gets gorgeous. Rolling hills paint the landscape green as you roll through one small town after another. If both my children weren’t terribly car sick, I would have pulled aside and taken pictures of the postcard perfect countryside. Instead, I admired the different views of the stunning blue mountains, the vineyards reaching to the sky and the little farmhouses painted white and lemon yellow within the valleys. And I prayed my children wouldn’t get sick.
We arrived around four o’clock and it was lovely. The air was fresh, the sun was shining and wildflowers lined the edge of the meandering mountain road. The next two days would be filled with fun, adventure, children fighting, and lack of sleep. I guess that is what you get with four kids aged 5-8. But it was worth the visit. Here are some photos from our short stay. I look forward to returning again someday and checking out the limitless amount of hiking trails and outdoor pursuits.
Beautiful! Makes me think of that John Denver song that I loved when I was a kid.
Me too! That is why I put that in the title! 🙂
Looks lovely, Nicole! Are you back home now? Time for sleep?
Thanks Lucy! Just got home and slept wonderfully last night. Only two weeks until school starts now. It is going to be a major change as Sophia will be going all day. I have mixed feelings. I will miss her during the afternoons yet have more time to focus on my writing and the next steps (whatever they are!). Hope you are doing well! 🙂
There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to feel great! I’m sure you’ll fill your afternoons in no time with writing and whatever else you decide to do. Good luck with everything, Nicole.
All’s good thanks. Just found a place I like enough to rent. Finally! Still not sure Thailand is for me any more but giving it a bit more time. There’s still a chance I’ll go back to Guatemala or if not there, another Latino country. Time will make it clearer I hope.
Oh thanks Lucy! We are both in a new phase of our lives, aren’t we?
Yes, we are! The start of a new beginning for both of us!
Awesome pictures!!
Thanks for bringing me there Fer and showing me a new part of Virginia! 🙂
Such a lovely gallery and Blog! Always look forward to your posts!
Oh thank you so much! 🙂 You made me smile!
It’s always true! I have learned to always go to the names I recognize and who doesn’t like Thirdeyemom and her fabulous philanthropy!
Also I identify with your name here. For years when my sons were very tiny and I heard or saw them doing something in the car behind my head I always said” I have a third eye in the back of my head that can see what your doing!!” They believed me for eyes when they were tiny! : ))
That is cool! I never thought of it that way (i.e. my third eye as watching the kids). Yet another interpretation of my beloved third eye which helps me see the world in an open way!
Yes you are wise!
What a beautiful part of the world.
Yes indeed! I love the blue color of the mountains. It is so rural too. It is nice to be away from it all!
nature at its best and of course through your eyes ….so that I could sit here (India) on my desktop and take all in – thanks !
So glad you enjoyed! I’m sure it looks quite different than India! 🙂
Wow, what a collection of stunning photos, Nicole. Not sure which one I love most. The butterflies are cool but the daisies are, as well. Take care, my friend.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Thanks Kathy! I like the butterflies the best with the purple butterfly bush. There were hundreds of them fluttering around. So beautiful!
beautiful…. very natural…. countryside for me is always fascinating…away from the traffic…and everything runs at slow pace….
Yes indeed. So peaceful. It is nice to get away from it all and get some fresh air and relax.
Beautiful photos Nicole. 🙂
Thanks LuAnn! 🙂
Butterflies have been abundant this year. They are magical. Enjoyed your capture of them.
Thanks! I loved this bush as there were hundreds of butterflies fluttering around. There were also some black and blue ones but I didn’t get any of them on film. So pretty!
Thanks! This is the song I had in mind!!!!!
Absolutely beautiful photos! The Blue Ridge Mountains are one of the neatest places to visit!! So full of natural beauty.
Thanks! Yes it was really gorgeous and so peaceful! 🙂
Nicole your photos are gorgeous! I’m a long-time lover of the Blue Ridge Mountains and you truly captured their essence! All the best, Terri
Thanks Terri! So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
stunning imagery. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed!
Remembering that song…”Rocky Mountain High….dah dah dah..something something..West Virginia…
Oops. sorry. I think I mixed up two songs of John Denver..Rocky Mountain HIgh..is Colorado, and Country Roads is West Virginia..
Yep that’s the one!
Lovely post..Amazing scenes…Adorable kids…
Thanks! 🙂
Beautiful post! Love butterflies, that is a amazing capture. Somehow, the like is loading on my iMac (?)
Beautiful photos. I really do need to explore more of the States. Think I’ll have to start planning a road trip for some day:)
Thanks! My sister and in-laws live in Virginia so it is always fun to explore new places. The US is so huge too that there is much I haven’t see either! I love the west coast and crave to do some hiking in Washington, Oregon and Alaska someday!