As the summer recreation season begins, I wanted to remind you to make plans to ramble out to the County parks in your backyard. This week’s show is condensed from the three shows recorded early this Spring in the three counties where the Virginia Mountains, Blue Ridge Highlands, and Southern Virginia regions converge.
Here are the listing of public parks in the three featured counties. All of the information you need to take advantage of these parks are within these three webpages.
And, as always, as you go about your rambling, make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle to do your own Rambling!
Defensive Driving Tip For This Week:
Always be aware of your escape routes. Have you ever wondered why you are uncomfortable driving across a narrow bridge? Well, part of it is wondering if it’s wide enough for two-way traffic, maybe fear of heights. But, part of it is that either consciously or sub-consciously, you realize that your escape route – which on a two-lane road is primarily the right shoulder – is limited. As you’re driving, think about where you could go, what you could do to avoid a collision, if one seems imminent. Your first reflex needs to be to move to the right to avoid an accident. But, what do you do, where do you go, if that is not available or perhaps the threat is coming from the right. Train yourself to be constantly mapping an escape route, you might need one.
Until my next post, here’s wishing you…safe rambling!
This week’s show is a special tribute to our fallen veterans, and an encouragement for viewers to make plans now to get out on Memorial Day to show your appreciation by attending one of the many Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremonies. If you can ramble on out to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, you will not be disappointed.
In the show, I listed the Memorial Day and D-Day Commemorations in Henry County, Franklin County and Bedford County, Virginia. Here is the information, with clickable addresses to help you find the events.
Martinsville, Virginia
Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 12 noon Roselawn Cemetery Key Note Speaker – US Congressman Morgan Griffith
Rocky Mount – has two events
Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 11 a.m. Franklin County Veterans Memorial Park Key note Speaker – US Army Sargent 1st Class Ricky Keith Warren Music by The Wright Kids
The 1st is on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 11 a.m. National D-Day Memorial Keynote speaker Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams, 1 of 6 surviving Medal of Honor Winners from WWII
Admission is free until noon – bring your own chair
The 2nd event is the Annual D-Day Commemoration, Tuesday June 6, 11 a.m. at the National D-Day Memorial 3 Overload Circle, Bedford, Virginia Keynote Speaker: Jerry Yellin, WWII pilot who flew the final combat mission of the war, during which his wingman was the last man killed in combat. Music by the 29th Division Band There will be a Veterans Reunion tent73rd Anniversary tribute to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in Normandy and those who lived to fight another day.
As always, I encourage you to get out and do your own ramblings. Get out and explore the many places to go, things to do and events to attend, many of them, right in your backyard.
When you do, I also encourage you to make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle to assure that you get there and home safely.
Your Defensive Driving Tip for the Week:
The Right of Way is not something you can TAKE. It’s something that must be YIELDED. Uncontrolled intersection, merging on to a highway – who has the right of way? It’s important to know what the law says, so that you can properly yield. But, being right is of little consolation in a car accident. The defensive driving outlook is that yielding to the other driver beats being dead right.
Until the next episode…Here’s wishing you safe rambling!
A number of years ago, my wife and I took our kids on a rambling expedition to Leavenworth, Washington and found it to be a charming town with a Bavarian theme. We loved the fact that the entire town joined in – the women in Alpine Dresses (actually Drndl Dresses), the men in Lederhosen, the German menus and souvenirs. It was fun to ramble back there to do this show. I hope you enjoy this treat.
More importantly, though, I hope you’l take this as a testimonial to the enduring value of exploring and find these hidden gems that become that special place in your memory – the place you hope to visit again…someday. Well, my show has given me the opportunity to do just that.
Leavenworth is in the center of the State of Washington, just up the river from Wenatchee. Here is a map of Leavenworth from which you can map directions from your location.
To find details about any-and-everything about Leavenworth, go to their site, Leavenworth.org.
Leavenworth has a very active community theater, for which they have an elaborate webpage: Leavenworth Summer Theater. The Community does shows throughout the year. But, their production of The Sound of Music is a summer-long hit.
Here is the community’s Calendar of Events, which is highly detailed, but will help if you know when you would like to visit and want to find out what’s happening at that time. Here is a website that might help you if you have some flexibility and want to try to visit for one of the major festivals, Leavenworth Festivals.
The gentleman that I interviewed in the show, Ron Orcutt, Owner/Operator of Metal Waterfall Gallery, sent an e:mail with some information that we missed in our interview, and to thank me for interviewing him – which I appreciated, because I am grateful to him for allowing me to interview him. What he wanted to let me share was that Leavenworth is also a popular destination for both Mountain Biking and Rock Climbing.
There is so much MORE about this community than I could possibly cover in my show or this website. I just want to encourage you to ramble out to Leavenworth, and see it for yourself. But, the very purpose of this show is to encourage you to get out and do your own rambling; find your own special rambling spot!
And, as always, I encourage you to make sure that when you do your own rambling, you are doing so in a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Your Defensive Driving Tip for the Week:
I’ve been giving you a defensive driving tip every week since this show started. But, what is defensive driving? It’s the realization that you are not at the mercy of fate; you don’t have to be at the mercy of other drivers, or even your own bad driving habits. Defensive driving is a realization that there are driving attitudes, actions and behaviors that can lessen your chances of being involved in an accident. If you drive with an attitude of anticipation, you can often avoid an accident by responding to subtle things that seem to be not-quite-right, before a situation becomes critical. If you use safe driving actions and behaviors all the time, you will develop defensive driving habits that will be more automatic when you need them. So, when you get behind the wheel, make the decision that getting your vehicle and your passengers to your destination safely is the only important activity for you until you arrive safely and park your vehicle. Put everything else out of your mind and concentrate on driving defensively.
Until my next post, here’s wishing you…Safe Rambling!
This is my first effort to combine two shows into one half-hour episode of Rocky’s Ramblings. It just seemed that both are timely and important. So, join me in celebrating the anticipated re-opening of Jamison Mill Park within a month, and head out to enjoy Saturday morning community breakfasts. As you’ll see, my focus was the breakfasts put on by the local Ruritan Clubs. But, one of the larger breakfasts is put on by the Horse Pasture Volunteer Fire Department. Both organizations use the money they make to further their community support goals. So, get out there and support them by starting your weekends with a GREAT breakfast.
Let’s look first at the status of Jamison Mill Park. With the bridge finished and Franklin County Parks working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to lease it as a County Park, the park should RE-open before Memorial Day to the public after a few years of being closed.
Now, on to the Ruritan Saturday morning breakfasts. And, actually, I need to also include other community breakfasts, because the Horse Pasture Voluntary Fire Department holds a breakfast on the 4th Saturday of every month with much the same philosophy, and is looked at be neighboring Ruritan Clubs as such.
Here is the list of local Ruritan Club and VFD community Saturday morning breakfasts:
For more information about the Ruritan Clubs, Here’s their link: Ruritan National Clubs.
Head to your local Ruritan Breakfast to give yourself a good start to your weekend of rambling. As always, I encourage you to make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Here’s your Defensive Driving Tip for the week:
Speed Limits. We have them for a reason. Research shows that it is not so much speed that causes accidents on the road; rather the differences in speed between cars. If all drivers are driving within 5 miles per hour of each other, we are better able to decipher what’s happening around them. So, honor the speed limits and drive defensively!
Until my next episode, here’s wishing you SAFE RAMBLING!
Philpott Lake has been a cherished gem and outdoor recreation haven in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains since the 1960’s. One visit to the Overlook, with it’s Million Dollar View, and you’ll agree!
I rambled out to talk with Park Ranger Brian Stewart to highlight the opportunities. Of course, I hope you enjoy the show. But, no show could give you the true sense of beauty and relaxation, or do service to the recreation opportunities that this beautiful little lake offers.
If you’re looking for a place to camp, picnic, swim, fish, boat. kayak, or otherwise enjoy some serenity and natural beauty, you cannot do better than take a visit to Philpott Lake. Just look at this Fall picture of Emberson Falls, on the upper portion of the lake.
In the show, there are a number of references to websites and other resources. Here are those references with links for you to follow.
In the show, I promised to give you the link to make reservations for camping and picnic shelters in the Corps-managed parks. Here is that link: Recreation.gov
Here is the link for reservations of the Philpott Marina Group Campground, and for other information regarding the marina: Philpott Marina and Group Campground
We also discussed the volunteer program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or if you are looking for volunteers, here is the link for the best resource I know: Workamper.com
We talked about the status of Jamison Mill Park, specifically the bridge reconstruction project and the efforts to lease the park to Franklin County. From talking with both the Corps and the County, it appears that the lease is on track for an early May turn-over, giving the County time to get Jamison Mill Park open before Memorial.
The bridge reconstruction is…well, here; see for yourself!
Philpott Lake is a beautiful little lake, a cherished gem, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The seasonal pictures in the main show (above), the farthest horizon that you can see is the Blue Ridge Parkway. How cool is that!?!
Two recreation opportunities that we did not talk about in the show are the kayaking opportunities and hiking trails. Kayaking has absolutely exploded on Philpott Lake, easily the fastest growing recreation on the lake.
The hiking trails on Philpott Lake offer a great deal of diversity and access to the beauty of the back country along the lake. The Dogwood Glen Trail, on the Franklin County (northeast) side of the lake also allows horses. This trail runs from just below the dam, 3 miles up Stoneybrook Ln (mis-labeled in Google Maps as River Brook Rd), to Salthouse Branch Park, and can be accessed from either end. The largest trail system on Philpott Lake, with 6 miles of trail, is the Jamison Mill Park Trail System.
As always, I encourage you to get out and do your own ramblings. You couldn’t stumble upon a spot any prettier, with more recreation opportunities than right here at Philpott Lake.
As you go about your ramblings, make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Here’s your Defensive Driving Tip for the Week:
Fog can be terrifying when you’re behind the wheel of a car. Turn your headlights on, but use the low beam to cut under the fog. Remember, if you can’t see other vehicles, other drivers can’t see you either.
We’re all familiar with massive pile-ups on the highways. The most dangerous conditions that lead to such pile-ups is heavy fog conditions. Check the weather before you head out – a concept known as Know Before You Go. If heavy fog is forecast, be wary. If you find yourself in heavy fog, get off the road if at all possible.
Until my next post, here’s wishing you SAFE RAMBLINGS!
This was a very special rambling for me – to commemorate the birthday of, Thomas Jefferson, principle author of the Declaration of Independence, our 1st Secretary of State, our 2nd Vice President, our 3rd President, the author of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the visionary behind the Louisiana Purchase, and the founder of the University of Virginia.
But, I wanted to commemorate him by highlighting something more personal. Watch the show and you’ll see what I mean.
As you can tell, Jefferson’s Poplar Forest is one of my favorite places for rambling to. Once you visit, I think you’ll share my point of view.
The Bible tells us that we all need rest, to get away, to recharge our batteries, to heal the wounds that we get in our every-day lives. Thomas Jefferson did so at Poplar Forest.
Poplar Forest is also a great get-away for you. If you don’t go to such restored historic sites because you don’t like being herded like cattle, this is the place for you to visit. Allow the docents to show you around as you want to be shown.
Keep in mind that Jefferson’s Poplar Forest is operated by a private organization, not using tax dollars. So, they operate through memberships and donations. If you would like donate to the cause, here is the Poplar Forest Support Page. If you would like to join the organization, here is the Poplar Forest Membership Page. Finally, if you would like to volunteer and make your own unique contribution, here is the Poplar Forest Volunteer Page.
So, get out there and do your own rambling, if not to Poplar Forest, to find the many other places to go, things to do and events to attend, many of which are right in your back yard.
As you do so, make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Your Defensive Driving Tip of the Week:
As you drive, keep your eyes panning as far out in front of you as you can see. If you are in heavy traffic watch for the tail lights far ahead. When you start seeing brake lights blinking on and off, they give you an indication that there may be something happening up ahead. Then, take your foot off the gas and be prepared to respond as necessary. That’s what defensive driving is all about.
Until my next post, here’s wishing you SAFE RAMBLING!
Every town in America has a story – and people trying to tell that story. I wanted to do something to let you hear that story of Martinsville, Virginia. I should say PART of that story. In a half-hour show, there’s no way I can get to all of the little museums – public and private – and story-tellers in our community. If you live near, or will be visiting, Martinsville, I hope you’ll take time to ramble on in to some of the museums and listen to the stories of the owners. Watch the show and think about the story of your own community – and then ramble on out to listen to that story.
Realize that I have just covered THREE of the museums in this ONE community. Here is the Martinsville-Henry County Tourism Offices listing of museums within the Henry County community. Martinsville-Henry County Museums
Here are the websites and addresses of the museums highlighted in the show:
I encourage you to ramble on out to visit these museums and the museums in your own community.
As you do, make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Here’s your Defensive Driving Tip of the Week
Don’t Drive Distracted. We all hear the stories, see the aftermath, and mourn the losses from distracted driving. And, we shake our heads at the senselessness of OTHER drivers. But, if we’re honest, WE ALL commit acts of distracted driving too often. Remember that you are the operator of a 2-ton potential weapon. Put down the phone, wait to find whatever you dropped, leave that hilarious conversation, and wait to reset your GPS, until you are safely off the road.
Until my next post, here’s wishing you SAFE RAMBLING!
This is a little different than the normal destination sites that I like to cover on this show. This is a place to go BEFORE you start your weekend of rambling. Oh, and you’re not gonna wanna miss the special interview in the middle… Watch the show, and you’ll see what I mean.
Well, you can guess where I’ll be as many Saturday mornings and my schedule will allow! How cool is it that you can have a really great breakfast at a very reasonable price, spend some quality time visiting with fellow-ramblers, AND do something to help your community – all in one fell swoop! I’ve mapped out the Saturday Breakfasts that I could document. Here’s the list (all are 6 to 10 a.m.)
Note that the last entry listed is NOT a Ruritan. But, I included for two reasons. First, when I was asking Ruritan Club members where other Ruritan Breaksfasts were, they listed this one. Second, the Horse Pasture VFD uses the proceeds the same way – to benefit the local community.
If you are as impressed with this breakfast concept as I am, or if you would like to learn more about the Ruritans, whose sole purpose is to assist their local community in any way possible, you might want to join them or give them a donation. Here’s their link: Ruritan National Clubs.
So, when you’re heading out for a weekend of rambling; to explore the many places to go, things to do and events to attend, hit a Ruritan Saturday Breakfast first, and know that you’re making a difference in your community.
As you head out, make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Many have watched and waited for the re-construction of the entrance bridge into Jamison Mill Park and Philpott Lake in Franklin County, Virginia. So, how’s it going? Well, here’s a special report looking at that effort.
There is much to celebrate about this project. First, IT IS FINISHED, and it is done right! Wow, what a beautiful new bridge!
Second, Jamison Mill Park is finally re-opening, hopefully by Memorial Day.
Third, the park will be opening as a Franklin County Park, instead of a US Army Corps of Engineers Park. That lease agreement has been under negotiation for the last 6 months. Having a County presence within the Federal footprint is a great thing; this park and the Henry County operated Philpott Marina, make clear that there is a local stake in what happens on what has here-to-fore been solely federal management.
To follow the development of the County efforts to re-open the park, here is link: Franklin County Parks. However, as of now, there is no reference to Jamison Mill Park on the County site, yet, as the lease is still not finalized. If I hear something, I’ll share it in future posts.
Well, that’s my special report on the status of Jamison Mill Park on Philpott Lake. I hope you enjoyed it.
As always, let me encourage you to get out and do your own rambling; explore the many places to go, things to do and events to attend – many of them right in your back yard.
As you do so, let me also encourage you to make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
This week’s show is an interview with Park Ranger Charlene Goad about what there is to do at Fairy Stone State Park in Patrick County, Virginia. Click here to see it on a map: Fairy Stone State Park
Enjoy the Show! Below, I’ll put internet links and other bits of information that will help you enjoy a visit this great State Park.
One of the unique activities at Fairy Stone State Park is the opportunity to actually hunt the Fairy Stones. But, you make ask what Fairy Stones are and what the legend is behind them. Well, here is a link to fill you in. The Legend of the Fairy Stone
A Yurt!?! What is a Yurt. Funny you should ask. We looked at yurts in the show. You can see them by going to the show (top of page). But, basically, a Yurt is a semi-permanent camping structure, sort of between a tent and a cabin. Here’s a Wikipedia explanation: What is a Yurt
Firewood Quarantines: In the show, I promised to put information on this webpage about the firewood quarantine, what it means and why it’s in effect. Here is that link: Virginia State Firewood Quarantine
That’s my show for this week.
As always, I hope this show inspires you to get out and do your own rambling! Get out there and find the many places to go, things to do and events to attend, many of which are right there in your back yard.
As you head out, make sure you are driving a safe, well-maintained vehicle.
Here is your Defensive Driving Tip for this Week:
Keep a pair of polarized sunglasses within reach as you drive. If you drive around a curve or over a hill and suddenly find yourself blinded by the sun, grabbing a pair of polarized sunglasses is the best way to cut glare from direct and reflected glare.
Until my next Posting, here’s wishing you SAFE RAMBLING!
