Sunday, October 4, 2020

High Bridge Trail

 

long wooden bridge

A nice day trip from the Fenton inn, is the town of Farmington.  This sleepy former railroad town has converted the once important High Bridge and the railroad beds to a very long park perfect for biking and walking.  

people sitting on a wooden bench in a shade

The bridge is nearly half a mile long and has some scenic benches to rest in the shade.

view of the river from above

Below the bridge is a small river meandering through the trees.

view from the bridge down

The aptly named High Bridge is way above the river below.

views of support structures of the bridge from above

The original bridge was actually two levels with rail and wagon crossing.  Now it a quiet place to ride a bike or stroll in the wilderness.


Monday, September 28, 2020

Falls at Saint Mary Wilderness

 

sign for Saint Mary wilderness

The trail head is about 25 minutes drive from the Fenton Inn.  It is a windy road that will end at the trail head with a small parking area.  The easier route goes through Vesuvius which despite its name sake, is not a volcano, but a small town near a rail road track.  This route is mostly on paved road from 56 and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mountain rocks

The waterfall is about 2 miles in.  Expect to get your shoes wet on the stream crossings.  The first few are easier to stay dry on, but at some point it is just easier and safer to get wet rather than balancing on wet rocks in the stream.

Clear stream

The stream is clear and inviting, but very very cold.  Even on a hot day, you need to prepare for the cold shock therapy.

Pass of stones in a water

One of the four stream crossings, depending on the rainfall and water level it is an easy crossing.

Wild Mushrooms

There were a lot of wild mushrooms, but not being an expert, I never pick the wild ones.

Swimming pond with a tree in front

The first little waterfall and swimming spot.  I took a while to get in slowly, others jumped from the rock shelf and got it over quickly.

Falls

The main waterfall and swimming hole is more popular in summer, and the jump is over 10 feet into the cold water.  People cheer and watch from the cliffs around it.  

Person swimming in a falls

No one swims for too long in the cold water, but it will leave you feeling super awake and energized for the hike back down the trail.


Monday, June 24, 2019

Summer time at Sherando Lake

Just three miles away from the Fenton Inn is beautiful Sherando Lake.

View of Sherando lake

There are two lakes.  The lower lake has swimming and canoeing and the upper lake is for fishing.

Picnic table near the lake

There are a number of cook out spots with picnic tables on the left side of the lake. The trees provide shade all day long.

Fishing pier on a lake

Each year they stock both lakes with rainbow trout.   

Sandy beach with lake and mountains around

A look back at the sandy beach for swimming.  

Island surrounded by lake

Looking out at the island from the beach.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Wedding events at the Fenton Inn

A fall wedding in November for around 50 people was set up in the Fenton Inn town square.  While it was a little cold in the morning, the sun came out and the weather ended up being perfect.

Cabble stone street with rows of white chairs decorated for wedding. Four white columns with decortions.

The bride and groom looked out over the guests to the mountain beyond.

White wedding chairs with mountain views beyound.

Another view towards Wintergreen Ski area.  Most of the fall leaves had dropped about a week or so before, but a few trees still held on to their leaves for a few days more.


Four white columns with flower and pink ribbon wedding decorations. Mountain views on a distance.

A view from Main Street to the town square.  The DJ had his own table set up on the right.  Guests gathered in the lobby and then walked down the street to the wedding area.  Those involved in the wedding part were all in Wilhelm's House to get the bride ready.  The groom ran a half marathon that morning in Richmond and still made it here by noon.

Wedding chairs set on a cobble street square. Yellow building is visible on a distance.

A few flowers and ribbons made the event extra special.  A great day and a great place to tie the knot.


One red, one pink and one white rose with a pink bow.

Saturday, February 2, 2019

Meditation at Monroe Institute near Fenton Inn.


 Just a short drive from the Fenton Inn is the world famous Monroe Institute.  Like many people from the area, I had heard of the place but had no idea what it was.  We had several guests that visited the place last year including the author Graham Hancock and I decided to sign up for an introductory seminar.


Building with red roof surrounded by mountains in a distance

So what is the Monroe Institute?  I suppose the first misconception to dispel is that it has nothing to do with the former President James Monroe who lived near Thomas Jefferson just outside of Charlottesville in the next county over.  The place is named after Robert Monroe who founded the Institute and developed the technology.  He was a radio and broadcast engineer who created a system of sounds that facilitate brain wave changes for the purpose of meditation.  He started the idea of the out of body experience (OBE) and took a scientific or nonreligious look at meditation and exploring the brain from with in.  I am sure the website they have could do a better job answering more detailed technical aspects.    


Monroe Institute Building from above with mountains in a distance

So the next question I get, now having gone through a short program... Does it work?  I will say yes, it works but with an explanation.  I think when people ask this, they assume that after a single session, I would have discovered all the hidden mysteries of the universe in an easily explained formula or ten simple rules.  Understandably in our era, we watch shows where a guy goes into the woods for a hour and expects to find a bigfoot.  In a day in the woods, you might find a deer, but most people will miss 99% of the wildlife and getting a good selfie with a bear is nearly impossible.  The technology is designed to get you in the zone, as if you had a decade of meditation practice.  It opens a window and what you see or don't see through this window is subjective.

Octagonal room with a door. Person entering

We had a second session after lunch.  Not to sound too much like my daughter's assessment of school, but I think lunch was the best class.  The group had 27 people, some of whom had come from other states and countries.  It was fun sharing stories and finding out what brought people to trek so far to Nelson County.  There were a few other people from nearby, and I wonder if the Lourdes Effect might have any bearing on my ability to see things during my sessions.  (The Lourdes Effect is the fact that the farther a person travels to the healing waters, the more powerful the possible cure, and conversely, no locals from Lourdes report any effect.  Thus the struggle of a long pilgrimage makes one more a believer than a nearby person who had Lourdes water from the sink faucet with no effort to get it.)

Large white crystal outside

A large quartz crystal is a focal point of the lawn.  There was a lot to take in all at once.  In the darkness of a little room, listening to phased sounds, it was easy to relax and day dream with out distraction. It would take a while to get good at it and harder still to explain to anyone who has not tried it.  All and all, a fun day, with included lunch and interesting people and wonderful staff.  Another strange fact, I went 8 hours with 27 people and no one used the phone, no phones rang, and even in the slide presentations, no one lit up their face by checking a text.  That maybe be more unusual than anything I saw during meditation.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery

One of the closest wineries to the Fenton Inn is Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery.

Round white sign for Hill Top Berry Farm and a wooden fence

They offer wine tastings at $5 and will waive the fee with a purchase of a bottle. You can expect 8-10 selections at your tasting.

Wine tasting room with a long wooden counter top and several people tasting wine

You can also buy locally made honey, jams and other tasty treats.

Several shelves with honey, syrups and glassware for sale

One of the tasting rooms with  medieval décor.

Wine testing room with two red ornate rugs on a walls and old piano. Several white rectangular tables and folding chairs.

Friday, December 21, 2018

Flying Fox Winery

Just a short drive from Fenton Inn is a Flying Fox Winery. It was open in 2018 .

Large painting of words Flying Fox on a tall building wall.

There are several rooms where you can enjoy your wine tasting.

Seating area with several chairs and a counch with several floor lamps and alarge light in a middle of the ceiling

You can try several types of white and red wines.

four wine bottles with flying fox lebel on a table top

Selections change often.

Paper with several wine names on it

Some of the tasting tables in a main room.

White room with large round chandelier above the red ornate rug. Wooden stools along two walls with dark wood floot to ceiling walls