Back Of The Dragon!

If you are a motorcyclist or drive a sports car, you might be familiar with the route called "Back Of The Dragon."  It twists and turns as it follows Virginia State Route 16 from Marion past Hungry Mother State Park to Tazewell through gorgeous territory.



There are about 260 curves on this route of 32 miles.  I highly recommend it whether you are in a car or on a motorcyle.  I shot these photos of Thompson Valley from an overlook just east of Clinch Mountain.




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Motorcyclists Cruising - Back Of The Dragon

Thompson Valley from Back Of The Dragon

Capturing The View - Back Of The Dragon

Thompson Valley II from Back Of The Dragon

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Alvarado Station

It was a bit rainy Monday so we decided to explore Abingdon.  Unfortunately, most of what we wanted to see (galleries, vineyard, brewery) were all closed on Mondays.  Wish I had looked up their hours before leaving!

Still, just driving to Abingdon Vineyard & Winery was fun.  Along the way, we stopped by the replica Alvarado railroad station on the Virginia Creeper Trail.  The station was built to provide restrooms for riders on the Virginia Creeper Trail and to provide museum space for railroad related artifacts.

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Restored Alvarado railroad station on the Virginia Creeper Trail

Next door to the station is the Old Alvarado Station general store.  They offer food and merchandise to travelers. They also are a B&B with an apartment for rent upstairs.  We did not make it inside, but should have!  We were tired after a long day of exploring.

Old Alvarado Station

Across the street from the station is a wayside on the South Fork of the Holston River.  There, travelers can rest, relax and picnic.  Very pretty place!  

Pleasant wayside on South Fork Holston River.

South Fork Holston River

South Fork Holston River

Across the river, I spotted a Great Blue Heron!  Always great to see.  

Great Blue Heron over the South Fork Holston River

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Arrival at Hungry Mother State Park

When we arrived at Hungry Mother State Park, we found a rustic yet comfortable cabin.  Cabin #2 was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  The park is one of the six original Virginia State Parks constructed by the CCC's.    Here's a side view of the cabin.

Click on my photos below to see them in high resolution on Flickr.  You can view the photos in high resolution by clicking here!  

The cabin consists of four rooms.  A cozy bedroom with a double bead, a bathroom with a shower, a living room with a fireplace, sofas, table and refrigerator and a small kitchen.  The kitchen has a small stove and oven, microwave, sink and cabinets.  Pots, pans and utensils are provided.  Linens, blankets and pillows are also provided.  They also provided us with a small pie of firewood for the large stone fireplace.  Not sure if it will get cool enough to use it!

Shot these photos in front of our cabin.  It is the only cabin located on Hungry Mother Lake.  It was rainy and foggy when we arrived.

Rainy Afternoon

Lake in Rain

Fog Over Hungry Mother Lake

Lichen Treefall

Bridge To Amphitheater

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Lover's Leap - Patrick County, Virginia

We decided to take the southern route to Hungry Mother State Park from our home town of Midlothian, VA to minimize the time we would have to drive on I-81.  We took US 360 south west from Woodlake to US 58 at South Boston.  Turning onto US 58 west, we drove to Danville  where we took a break for lunch.  From Danville, we took US 58 west around Martinsville to Stuart in Patrick County.

Stuart is the county seat of Patrick County.  It is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  My parents lived in Stuart in the early to mid 1970's.  I often visited during my undergrad days at Radford College in Radford, and while I worked for Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.  We drove around town a bit and drove by our old house.

From Stuart, we climbed the mountain via US 58 to Meadows of Dan.  On the way up, we stopped at Lover's Leap Wayside for some awesome views of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Patrick County.  

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The wayside gets its name from the Legend of Lover's Leap.  In the 1600's, a settler fell in love with a Chief's daughter, Morning Flower.  They were criticized and shunned by both the settlers and her tribe. To remain together, the couple leaped off this cliff to their deaths.  If you search the net, you will find many locations with the same name inspired by a similar tragic story.

At the top of the mountain on US 58 is Woolwine and Meadows of Dan.  Gorgeous farm country on a plateau.  We continued on to Hillsville where we picked up I-77 for a short stretch to I-81 South.  We finished the journey by taking I-81 South to US 11 at Marion and Park Blvd to Hungry Mother State Park.

Hungry Mother State Park, Marion, VA

Our next adventure will take us to Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA.  We will be staying in a cabin built by the CCC in 1933.  We will be using the park as a base for exploring Southwest Virginia.  Some of the areas we will explore include Mt. Rodgers National Recreation Area, Grayson Highlands State Park, Abingdon.  Perhaps we will have time to take in Galax.  With luck, we will get in some light hiking and lots of photography.  Weather looks typical for the Virginia Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains.  Afternoon rain storms, warm and humid.  However, it should be cooler there than in Richmond.  Perhaps we'll be blessed with a breeze or two.

Here's a map!

A Day In Washington: Library of Congress

This is the second of three posts covering our day trip to Washington DC.  The Library of Congress is four blocks south from Union Station, an easy walk.  It is adjacent to the US Supreme Court and across the street from the US Capitol Building.


The Library of Congress was created in 1800 by an act of the United States Congress.  Shortly thereafter, 740 books were purchased with $5,000 from publishers in London and housed in the Capitol Building.  When British soldiers set fire to the Capitol in 1814 during the War of 1812 , the Library and its 3,000 books were destroyed.  A month later, Thomas Jefferson offered his collection of 6,487 books to the US Government for $23,950 to pay his debts.  His collection became the basis of the new Library of Congress.  However, a second fire in 1851 destroyed 35,000 books including two thirds of Jefferson's collection.  The library was left with 20,000 books including the remaining 2,000 of Jefferson's books.

In 1998, the Library began acquiring replacements for Jefferson's books.  10 years later, the Library of Congress had replaced all but 300 of Jefferson's books!  While touring the building, we saw his collection.  Very cool!

When the new Library of Congress Building was opened on November 1st, 1897, the library's collection consisted of 840,000 volumes.  The building was designed by architects John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz.  It was renamed the Thomas Jefferson Building in 1980 to honor Jefferson's contributions to the library.

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Thomas Jefferson Building from First Street SE

The Gutenberg Bible is the first major book printed in the West using movable type.  It is known for its aesthetic and artistic qualities.  One of only 48 copies in existence today, the bible is considered one of the most valuable books in the world.  Below is the Library of Congress' copy of the book on display.  You can view pages of the book here.

Gutenberg Bible

The building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style.  It is elaborately decorated with intricate designs on the ceilings and walls of every room.  A joy to walk through!

Ornate Ceiling

The Great Hall

Hallway

Main Reading Room

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A Day In Washington: National Postal Museum

Join me as we explore Washington, DC!  During our day in Washington, we toured the National Postal Museum, enjoyed lunch in an Irish Pub, toured the Library of Congress and walked around the US Capitol.  This post is one of three covering our day in Washington.

Our adventure started as we boarded Amtrak's 8:00 am Northeast Regional train at Richmond's Staples Mill train station.  We bought coach tickets on sale for $19 each, one way for a total of $86 for two people, round trip.  Not a bad deal at all!  In my opinion, taking the train to DC is much preferable than driving I-95 and paying for parking.  The train left on time and arrived only a few minutes late.  Our Coach Quiet Car was quiet indeed and pretty comfortable.  I did visit the cafe car for some bottled water and a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit.  Hit the spot!  Fueled up for a day of exploring!

Below is the engine for our train to Washington, DC's Union Station.  It was already at the station by the time we parked at about 7:15 am.  Parking at Staples Mill Station is tough at the moment until the parking lot expansion is complete.  I recommend arriving about 45 minutes prior to your train departure.

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Amtrak Engine 117 a GE Diesel P42DC @ Union Station - Washington, DC

Union Station was built in 1907.  Today, it serves Amtrak, MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter), and VRE (Virginia Railway Express) as well as Washington Metro and buses.  The original portion of the building is quite pretty to look at.  Here's the ceiling of the main hall.  

Statues & Skylights @ Union Station c. 1907 - Washington, DC

The National Postal Museum is located adjacent to Union Station.  Literally, you just cross one street and you are there.  Unfortunately, it was pouring rain and Pam's feet and sandals got soaked.  

In 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first Postmaster General of the American colonies.  He was responsible for post offices from Georgia to Massachusetts.  As such, he is considered the father of the US Postal Service.  

Benjamin Franklin, First Postmaster General

As we walked toward the main gallery from the escalators, we were greeted by this scene. The plane is a de Havilland DH-4B Airmail Biplane, one of 100 de Havillands  the Post Office Department requested from Army surplus after World War I.  At one point, half of the Air Mail planes operated by the Post Office were de Havillands.  

Entering the atrium

De Havilland's were nicknamed "Flaming Coffins" because the pilot could become trapped between the engine and the mail compartment in a crash.  Modifications in 1919 eliminated most of the design flaws.  In their first year of service, de Havillands carried 775 million letters.  They were retired from service starting in 1926 when the Post Office Department started contracting with private carriers.

de Havilland DH-4B Biplane

Right next to the de Havilland is the Wiseman-Cooke Biplane.  This plane was flown by Fred Wiseman in 1911 from Petaloma to Santa Rosa, California to deliver the first Air Mail in the United States.  He carried only three letters, some copies of the local newspaper ("Press-Democrat") and some groceries.  His trip was marked by mechanical failure, forcing Wiseman to land twice.  His second landing was so close to Santa Rosa, he was carried, with his mail, by cheering spectators into Santa Rosa.  During his flight, Wiseman never exceeded 70 mph and flew no higher than 100 ft off the ground.

Wiseman-Cooke Biplane

On the ground, the Post Office Department contracted with owners of coaches to carry the mail from the 1820's until the early 1900's.  When a federal law prohibited awarding extra fees to stagecoach contractors, horseback riders were utilized. The fully restored Downing & Son Concord-style coach was built in Concord, NH in 1851.  It carried the mail between White River Junction and the Woodstock Inn in Vermont.

Downinig & Son Concord-style Mail Coach c. 1851 - front

Downinig & Son Concord-style Mail Coach c. 1851 - rear

Starting in 1832, mail was transported via railroad mail cars.  However, the volume of mail carried by rail was modest until the Civil War.  Starting in 1862, the mail was sorted while en route between destinations, significantly reducing the amount of time required to deliver the mail.  The practice also facilitated the effort to decentralize the post office operations.  As the rail networks grew, so did rail delivery of mail through World War II.  

Mail By Rail Exhibit

Interior of a Mail Car

Mail Sorter inside the mail car

I felt a bit old when I recognized some of the mailboxes in the exhibit below.  Do you remember seeing any of these mailboxes?  I do!

Horses were not the only animals employed in the delivery of mail.  So were dogs!  Dog sleds were used to deliver mail in Alaska from the late 1800's to the early 1920's.  Ed Biederman and his son Charlie Biederman used the sled to deliver mail between Circle and Eagle, Alaska, a 160 mile route from 1922 to 1938.

Alaskan Dog Sled c. 1922 

The Post Office Department was one of the first federal agencies to purchase Thompson Submachine Guns ("Tommy Guns") for their Postal Inspectors.

Postal Inspection M1921 Thompson Submachine Gun

During the Great Depression and World War II, purchases of new trucks for the Post Office Department were kept to a minimum.  As a result, trucks purchased in the 20's and early 30's were kept on the road much longer than expected.

1931 Ford Model A half-ton parcel post truck

In the 1930's, Stinson Reliant airplanes were used to test a newfangled way to snatch mail bags in midair with a hook.  Mail-on-the-fly eliminated the time required to land the plane, service and take off again.  The mail-on-the-fly method was used to service 150+ post offices in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia.  Over 10 years, 75,000 pounds of mail was snatched during 23,000 pick ups. 

Stinson SR-10F Reliant Airplane

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