Virginia Safari Park

Our trip to the Virginia Safari Park from the Fenton Inn.

Just an hour drive through some back country road, is the town of Natural Bridge.  Aside from the Natural Bridge, the town has a few road side relics that might have seen better times.  The Safari Park is the exception to this, as a newly build and animal friendly drive- thru experience.  They do have a small zoo area with the tigers and a few other animals you probably would not want to feed from your car, but most of the park is devoted to the friendlier herd animals that roam around in series of large pastures and woodlands.  Above is an Alpaca, a member of the "Llama mafia" that greets each car as it crosses into  park.  One will stop the car by standing in front of you, while the others look you in the eyes to see who will be the most generous with the food bucket. 

A Llama mama with a young one learning the proper way to get attention.  Beyond are Fallow deer from India. 

A few Black Buck Antelope with their spiraled horns.  Deer, elk and moose have antlers, that are shed each year and regrow. The antelope, Ibex, cattle and goats have horns that are kept year round and grow longer with age.

I think this is a Pierre David Deer, although with so many types, it might be some other deer, so to be certain we can call him Bob.  As this is the spring time, Bob's antlers are covered in velvet while they grow. 

A Water Buffalo from Asia.  The camels are now kept in a separate pen from the feeding area, as they stole buckets and would spit on the cars.  It was a bit amusing but not the best car wash.

 

The giraffe have their own feeding station, as they eat special food from a coin operated gumball machine.  We were with out any quarters and they seemed to sense this lack of currency and wandered off to graze. 

We did get bird feeding sticks, and as it was a low crowded day, the birds were still interested in food that day.  We were circled by a large flock of multicolored budgies as they decided one side of the enclosure was better that the other.  Then some trend setter would fly off, and they would all go again to new spot.

Not quite a unicorn was looking for any last food in our buckets.    The Llama mafia had gotten a big share before they would let us drive out of their territory, so we ended up running out about midway.  Of course they have feeding stations with the same food as we had in our bucket, but perhaps the whole interaction makes the feeding more fun for them as well.  The bucket is always fuller on the other side of the car.

Frontier Culture Museum

Our day exploring the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton.

A scenic half hour drive from the Fenton Inn is the quaint town of Staunton.  Tourists like to pronounce the U, but locals seemed to have dropped it to be called "Stan-ton" and are just as sure that way is correct.  Either way, the town has a few good restaurants and one of our favorite museums, The Frontier Culture Museum.  They have taken old houses from where the Shenandoah valley people came from, to show how the melting pot of architectural ideas made our American styles.  The museum has representation from Africa, England, Ireland, Germany and Native American and finally some American farms from the area.  Above is the English farm.  In England, as in much of Europe, social mobility was nearly impossible.  Most families were renting land they farmed, where as in America they would own their land and have the ability to keep their profits from the farm.

The blacksmith shop in Ireland.  Before the industrial revolution took hold, tools, hinges and nails were made locally by the village blacksmith.  Old metal objects could be reheated and formed into new tools over and over.  It was in little shops like these where the ideas for new plows and farming tools would help to start the agricultural revolution.  This boom in food production and labor saving farming would result in the massive migrations from rural farming villages through out Europe, to rapidly growing cities and to the Americas.

An African farm from central Nigeria.  What looks like a village would actually be one extended family.  They would raise goats and grow yams as their primary food source.  This region of Africa, home of the Ibo tribes, was the primary location for most slaves in Virginia.  While we tend to think historically of large plantations in the South, most farms in the central Virginia region were much smaller and had 3-4 slaves on average. 

Playing an African game.  The goal is to get more stones as you move them around the board and keep the one stone from each end.  I am sure there is a bit more probabilities to figure to know where best to start each turn,  because like chess there are no random dice in the game. 

The German farm from the early 1700s.  Having built our own Bavarian Village, we are a quite partial to this one.  Wood was a bit more scarce in much of Germany at the time, and so they used some trees to timber frame that most Americans would  not even bother to cut into firewood.  I really like the almost cartoon effect of the wavy and curved timbers.  I tried to reflect a little of that in our Village at the Fenton Inn, particularly on the Wilhelm's House.   Just as the Germans used what ever wood they could get, we made use of some rather curved trees from our property.  It was not due to a wood shortage, but rather to honor the trees that stood here by making full use of even the quirkiest of logs.  In a world of factory made objects, these custom curved boards and timbers seem to really make people smile.  As I say about wood and people, it is the flaws that make them interesting.

Wooden shoes in the German house.  Long before people wore a bathrobe and pink Crocks to go out to the mail box, the wooden shoes were all the fashion.  Somehow the wooden shoes never really made it to America.  The Native American were skilled at leather and furs, and the leather shoes were the standard for Americans for the next 300 years, that is until the Crocks.

A Native American Wigwam.  Depending on the area, they would use tree bark, reeds and cattails, or in more western locations, the teepee used buffalo hides.  The Native Americans that were in this area are called the Monacans.  Long before the Appalachian Trail along the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Monacans were the master hikers and hunters of this area.  Arrowheads and stone tools can be found on mountain ridges and near streams, but try as I might, I have yet to find anything.

The Last Snow of Spring?

After having some 80 degree days last month, we got another small taste of what winter should look like. Only a few inches fell last night, but enough to remind everyone that there is still one more week of skiing at Wintergreen. The slopes will be open until March 19^th, so there is still time for a last minute ski vacation.

                     A view from the Fenton Inn town square towards Wintergreen mountain.

Snow on the balcony at the Hummingbird suite.

                A view from the balcony of the Swallow's Nest towards Wintergreen Mountain.

Waking up in the Swallow's Nest room, you can enjoy this view with out even getting out of bed or from the large shower for two.

The owl was not quite wise enough to get out of the snow last night, but he knows spring is just around the corner.

Dining out at PLAZA AZTECA from the Fenton Inn.

Just a twenty minute drive from the Fenton Inn, is the town of Waynesboro, Va. They have an assortment of the usual chain restaurants, from McDonalds and Chick Fillet to Outback Steak House and Panera. But travelers tend to like to find some place new, and nestled between the box stores is a true gem of a Mexican Restaurant called Plaza Azteca.

It is an unassuming exterior, between the Outback and Home Depot just off I64, but inside the different world of sights and smells opens up into a relaxing spot in Mexico. The staff is friendly and there is spacious seating and a bar area as well.

Several areas with tables are separated by stone walls with arches and columns. We had a quiet spot with our kids at a booth style table.

All the food was well prepared and displayed. We didn't wait very long at all to get our food while we ate freshly made tortilla chips and salsa. The enchiladas with rice seen above were delicious.

The desert display, each one enough for our four fighting spoons.

We got the Flan, which is actually just the middle layer, covered in chocolate and whipped cream and on top of a cake layer. Enough for two, probably all we needed for the four of us given the meal we just ate. There are a lot of meals one eats that get forgotten, especially when traveling to new areas and visiting the same familiar chain restaurants. We highly recommend this place as a memorable meal and it is just a short hop over the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Fenton Inn.

Enjoy.

New Unique Handmade Table for the Lobby at the Fenton Inn.

Inspired by the cairns that can be found along many hiking trails, the table uses wooden made stones to create cairn legs that extend above the table. In the San-shin or mountain spirit traditions of Korea, adding another stone to an existing cairn with out it falling over is a sign of good luck. Other mountain cultures like the Scottish Highlanders, from which the word cairn is originate, used the cairns to hold their spirits during battle. Cairns are one of the most universal symbols around the world, representing literal trail markers and for guidance on spiritual paths. For this symbolic reason the fourth cairn is left unfinished.

Here are some of the many cairns on the pathway to the nearby Crabtree falls. It is a rather nature friendly way to leave a little sign that “I was here.” It is worth noting to not build cairns in archaeology sites, and they are banned in some European countries for this reason.

Another view of the table looking back towards the sofa. All the wood came from left over pieces from building the Inn. Wanting to make the most of each tree cut from the site, any piece of wood bigger than my hand was saved for mosaics and furniture making.

Looking back towards the fireplace between two cairns on the table. It is considered good luck in many Eastern European countries to sit in silence for a few minutes before a long travel away... just enough time for a last cup of coffee.

Another view of the table. I get many request for furniture and other projects, however the Inn keeps me busy. I am planning for some wood working classes in the near future. I have worked out a system of different techniques that can be learned fairly quickly, even if you have no high level artist talents, the wood and natural shapes will make your projects interesting and the fact that you made it will give the table more meaning. For myself the joy of teaching others is more fun than making a commissioned piece of furniture to be shipped off to someone. Tune in to our facebook page and web site www.fentoninn.com  for dates and times or email for more information.

Lunch at Wintergreen’s Edge Restaurant near the Fenton Inn.

The bridge into the Edge.  Below is the ski rental room, ski lessons, ski ticket sales and ski patrol safety offices.

A family style restaurant with a full service bar and two glass walls looking out over the slopes.

Duck tacos, a little twist on a traditional taco.

The chili bowl was on the starter menu, but good luck to anyone wanting an entrée after finishing this bowl.  I am going to put it as my top pick of this year’s menu.

Kid’s menu had the standard chicken fingers and fries, but it was well prepared and about twice what our son could finish without my help.

Grilled cheese, also off the kid’s menu.  I never got offered any left overs from this plate, so I guess it was good.

The real reason we stopped in, the Black Rock Sunday with four spoons.  It disappears rather fast with so many spoons, but clearly large enough for two people to share at a less hurried pace.

Snow making at Wintergreen ski slopes

The ski slopes are set to open on December 16^th this year and it is already a winter wonderland for the holidays.   A snow fort fashioned from the cleared snow show just how much they put down the night before.  With the new water tank and upgrades to the snow making, they can make round the clock snow on all the slopes.

The new turbine style snow guns create a blizzard on the slopes.

The base of snow even off the slopes is about a foot or more.  A thick base should give a longer ski season in spring.

A man made snow storm on Eagle’s Swoop covers a few of the houses near the top.  This is the North side of the mountain and the Fenton Inn is on the south side.  While not that far away, it is a much warmer day on the sunny side of the mountain.  In winter, the temperatures can be 10-20 degrees colder on the Northern slopes up on the mountain.