Highlights from the rest of the trip

1. Spending time with friends and family.

As well as seeing my parents, grandparents and assorted other close relatives, we also visited some of my mum's brother's wife's family (got that?!) who live in an incredibly beautiful part of the world in the western Virginia mountains. John and I got to know them when we came to America by ourselves as children, and when I calculated how long it was since I'd last seen them I wished we'd planned a much longer stay. However, we were en route to see more friends whom I knew from Bristol, now residing near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We were greeted not only by the Ewings but also a couple more Bristolians, so it was a veritable reunion! I'm always touched by how warmly American families welcome you into their home, sit you down in front of a delicious meal, and offer to lend you anything and everything that might make your stay more pleasant. Thanks y'all!

2. Enjoying the James River

via canoes, kayaks and our own two feet! In Richmond we saw bridges, dams and a wealth of industrial history; in Scottsville we paddled past birds, trees and beautiful scenery.

3. Taking the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh.

Built in 1877, this still uses the original cars to give you an awesome view over the city. Downtown is packed with interesting buildings and an old graveyard, where there is a tombstone to a lad who died at the age of 23, a week before his wedding, of a broken leg followed by a "swift and fatal mortification". Just as we were about to suffer a fairly severe mortification ourselves, due to lack of food, an Indian restaurant appeared like an oasis before us, rounding off a pleasant afternoon perfectly.

4. Eating ice cream by the Potomac River.

We went to Washington D.C., as all good tourists do. It was hot. And busy. And contained lots of big buildings which look exactly like they do in the photos. After viewing large hunks of stone commemorating everything under the sun, a cold ice cream and a park bench was all I could wish for.

5. Sampling some local brews.

If you're ever in Richmond, go to the Capital Ale House. It has a beer list that runs to about 6 pages, and the coolest thing ever - a stripe of ice down the centre of the bar to keep your drink cold! Virginia has a fair scattering of micro-breweries, and of course trying the local delicacies is an essential part of the travelling experience. And an enjoyable one.

Comments

John Evens said…

Nice to read about what you got up to while we were away. There wasn't really time to get all the details from you before you left! Thanks for the card! Love John and Kristal Evens!

17 August 2009 at 17:00

The Churnet Way: a wonderful walk

The loop from Oakamoor to Froghall and back was one of the most enjoyable walks I've done in a long time. It had a bit of everything: woods, ponds, rivers and railways; steep climbs and sweeping views; an unusual church, an ex-industrial wharf, and, as a final bonus, car parks with toilets. Of course, the sunny weather helped too. I parked in Oakamoor and set off along a quiet lane called Stoney Dale. This is the route of the Churnet Way, which deviates away from the river for a couple of miles. After a while I turned right and climbed up through the woods on a gravelly path, then dropped down to the B5417. a spring in Oakamoor Crossing the road, I entered Hawksmoor Nature Reserve. It has some fine gateposts commemorating John Richard Beech Masefield, "a great naturalist". I found a photo of the opening of the gateway in 1933; unsurprisingly, the trees have grown a lot since then! A track took me down through the woods to East Wall Farm. Lovely view! Nice duck pond as

The Churnet Way: bells at Alton

Alton village and Alton Towers are perched on opposite banks of the Churnet, with the river cutting a deep valley between them. Most people drive straight through the village on the way to the theme park. But I have a great liking for walks and no fondness at all for rollercoasters, so I found a large layby to park in at Town End, in Alton, and pulled on my boots. The church bells were ringing as I set off. I vaguely wondered if there was an event. A wedding? Unlikely on a Tuesday morning. Maybe a funeral. I followed a footpath across a few fields to reach Saltersford Lane. This was the width of a single-track road, but mostly overgrown and muddy. I was grateful for the strip of stone flags (and some more modern concrete slabs) which provided a dry surface to walk on. Presently I came out into some fields and dropped down a slope to the old railway line, at the point where I left it on my previous walk . bit of old rail There followed several miles of walking along the railway path.

The Churnet Way: Rocester and Denstone

I looked at the stile and shook my head. Only a few metres beyond it was a busy B-road with a nice wide verge to walk on, but between the stile and the road was an impenetrable mass of brambles and bushes. I wasn't getting through that lot. Reluctantly, I turned left and trekked along yet another field boundary in search of a gate. You may recall that my previous walk had taken me to Thorpe, with Toby. If you're really paying attention you will know that I'm then supposed to be continuing on the Limestone Way as far as Matlock. Well, I've taken a detour. I realised that I had crossed every bridge over the Dove so far, apart from one small one just south of Rocester. I couldn't miss that out, could I? So today's walk was designed to take in that bridge, but it also happened to start me off on the Churnet Way , which I rather liked the look of. I think I will follow it for a while and come back to the Limestone Way later. JCB factory and lake The walk had start

Martha's Marvellous Munchies

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