Rural Virginia

Today was another day of driving through the back country of this southwest part of Virginia.  We began our trip by driving back to Wytheville (about 10 miles west from our campground) to drive another 20 miles on a two lane picturesque road to see Big Walker Lookout and the B &W Country Store which also included a suspension bridge over the parking lot to the lookout tower.  Don't think my knees or legs could have withstood the walk up the tower so we just took pictures and said we were there.

The view from the lookout point; however, was spectacular.

 We saw these flowers yesterday along the highways and more of them today everywhere we went.

Leaving the Lookout area we drove back toward I-81 and took the scenic road to Rural Retreat which was an interesting little community with some beautiful old homes and included a winery which unfortunately was closed for the day.

  Saw this on the side of an old building in Rural Retreat and are guessing it is the school mascot.

Continuing on we drove through more of rural America than I have ever seen.  Lots of farms, old Victorian houses and just plain beautiful countryside.  This beautiful old house and barn were found off on a side road.  Who would have known they were there.

Amazing that so many people really do live out in the country way away from any kind of city.  Makes me wonder how they do their shopping and if they still have big gardens in summer and can all their produce for winter consumption.

Again today we drove through some interesting communities with names like Cedar Springs, Sugar Grove, Troutdale, Volney, Mouth of Wilson, Independence and Speedwell.  In all we probably drove about 200 miles through the countryside on a very windy and curvy road all of which had no passing areas.  Even so there were no irate drivers trying to get around other cars.  Passed this river flowing alongside the road at one point.

This picturesque old courthouse was found in the town of Independence.

Tomorrow we will leave this area and continue north to Lynchburg and Appomatox to learn more about the end of the Civil War.