An Especially Wholesome Adventure

Post-Halloween and pre-holidays, we wanted to do something that said "fall" even as the malls were saying "winter." Layman's Family Farms in Bedford County fit the bill. Their corn maze (maize, if you prefer) was the first in Virginia and makes for an excellent family trip. Before Halloween, there is a haunted maze, but through mid-November, the farm is a fall playland with animals to view, a corn crib "sandbox," hay rides, and a "cow train" to ride as well. The large corn maze remains open, and while we didn't tackle it, we did enjoy the child-sized maze and viewing the fantastic photos of corn mazes past and present in the produce shop. Those pictures felt special, as Justin and Kim, still dating, visited the first Layman's corn maze back when they were in Botetourt.

Our tips for a trip? Plan to spend a few hours and maybe enjoy a "snack meal" of festival food like fries and carmel corn. The event is great for kids of all ages, and the farm is able to host church groups, birthday parties, and the like. If you go at night, remember flashlights! To make a weekend or a full-day trip, know that the farm is very near Reba Farms Bed and Breakfast, a good site for a horseback ride.

Reference Links:
Layman Family Farms
Reba Farm Inn

We Met Mark Cline!

In our travels, we've found ghost tours to be a wonderful way to experience local culture and a bit of history while enjoying an entertaining evening. Until recently, we'd missed the relatively-local Haunting Tales: Lexington's Ghost Tour. We were thrilled to pick an awesome night to take the tour--one when Mark Cline was leading himself! We found Cline to be approachable, interesting, and kind; we found the tour to be quite pleasant. Cline presents nuggets of unusual local history embedded with ghost lore, magic tricks, and personal stories. We traversed the core blocks of downtown Lexington thoroughly, including the cemetery. Justin and Kim were thrilled to visit a mausoleum with "air holes" (and with which we'd always been fascinated).

If you go, call in advance for tour details--and don't be put off by the answering machine procedure to which you are directed. We'd recommend tying your ghost tour visit to a walk through Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and Washington and Lee University to get a sense of the town's current culture. Each institution has interesting--and free/cheap--museums to visit. On our September Saturday night, the dinner scene in town was lively with several bistro-type restaurants featuring prix fixe meals that sounded interesting and some al fresco dining. Makes for a nice date night!

Reference Link:
Haunting Tales of Lexington

Haunted Putt Putt

It was time for a Halterman Halloween evening, so we headed out to Roanoke's Putt Putt Golf and Games (Putt Putt Fun Center officially, I believe). They advertise a haunted house acceptable to those under 12, so we grabbed one of Elijah's friends and his mom and went on an outing. The simple haunted house was true to billing--and not crowded, so the staff was willing to customize our tour to a no-scare variety as we toted in the toddlers. Inside, we found a friendly teenage tour guide, blacklights, strobe lights, inflatables, and several moving figures. The tour is guided, and on our no-scare version, the guide taught us where actors would be hiding on the typical tour. Elijah looked at several of the animated decorations and proclaimed, "Again!" Touring the house takes 5-10 minutes.

If you go, look for a coupon--some people in line ahead of us had one. If your tour is not a no-scare, be prepared for some people wearing masks hiding to startle you. On a nice fall night like tonight, you could also opt to play putt putt. The haunted house tour is just $4, and putt putt is $6. Cheap fun! For good nearby dinner, there's Alejandro's, a Mexican place with Roanoke's best salsa bar. This Alejandro's (a satellite of the one downtown) is beside the Goodwill as Peters Creek and Williamson intersect in the Hollins area.

Reference Links:
Putt Putt Golf and Games of Roanoke
Alejandro's of Roanoke

Our Anniversary at the Bridge

Justin and Kim celebrated our 5th anniversary with some time away at Natural Bridge and the charming Natural Bridge Hotel. We were a bit delayed getting out of town (OK, our anniversary really was on July 30), but we enjoyed our little respite right up I-81. The hotel is a classic with a nice dining room and reasonable room rates, particularly for a non-chain. Its character is historic, and if you go, don't miss the display of old Natural Bridge souvenirs off the lobby.

We slid down to the Bridge itself for one of the area's attractions we've never seen: the nightly Drama of Creation show. Using Genesis 1 as narrative and varied pieces of hymns and classical music as accompaniment, the show is a relaxing way to end the day and a throwback to days of simpler entertainment. During our visit, it was quite well-attended.

The Bridge museums are quite varied--and we'd recommend them all in their quirkiness. For this trip, we selected the Toy Museum is a nifty low-budget museum where visitors are guaranteed to want to touch each exhibit. Its layout has been recently revised with less emphasis on history and more emphasis on toy type.

We ate at the Pink Cadillac, an impressively-retro, very casual local diner a short drive from the hotel. Also good for dinner? The Natural Bridge Hotel Buffet--but make reservations, especially on weekends and holidays. On this trip, we ate breakfast at the hotel (less crowded and still good). We also ran up 81 antiquing, heading to the Lexington Antique Mall (great for furniture and recent-tiques), buying lots at the Factory in Verona (always enjoyable), and discovering Shenandoah's Alpha and Omega had closed (too bad). Kim spent a small fortune on postcards that helped her plan some upcoming Halterman weekends, planting the seed for a trip to Lancaster, PA, to see the life-size Tabernacle.

Related Links:
Natural Bridge Hotel and Family of Attractions
Pink Cadillac Diner
Factory Antique Mall

Another Labor Day in Bedford

For two years in a row now, Justin and Kim have gone to bed on Labor Day Friday with intentions of driving to Richmond on Labor Day Saturday. Each time, Saturday has become an opportunity to sleep in with a day trip to Bedford instead. This year, we took Don and Nita to the D-Day Memorial and to Liberty Station for lunch. Kim is not usually one on gardens, but the flowers--and the accompanying butterflies and bees--were beautiful at the memorial this year. At present, the controversial Stalin bust remains installed as well, providing an interesting stop for conversation. If you are in Bedford, Liberty Station is always an appropriate stop for lunch. Kim recommends the quiche of the day or the fried green tomato BLT. After lunch, do an antique shop or two in Centertown--Bob's is the best local stop for postcards, and Bella Books has some reasonably-priced books creatively displayed with some serious collectibles.

Following Bedford, Justin, Kim, and Elijah drove out to Downtown Moneta. Downtown is actually a new, upscale-looking mini-mall with the typical small businesses. The Mayberry Antique Mall there includes an outpost for one of our favorite dealers When Toys Were Fun and also has an area featuring Black Dog Salvage.

Keep driving a bit, and you'll find the Booker T. Washington National Monument. Elijah thoroughly enjoyed the grounds here, especially the very large pigs on the site's farm. The interpretation at the site is set for an upgrade, as the visitor's center is being improved at present. If you are interested in tourism history like Kim is, do some research on how this site came to be preserved, comparing and contrasting to Mount Vernon and Monticello.

If you are in the area for very long, Trinity Ecumenical Parish, one of Kim's favorite churches, is nearby, home to a Presbyterian-Episcopal-Lutheran congregation. We hear the Westlake Country Club Friday night buffet is back--and yummy--as well.

Related Links:
National D-Day Memorial
Booker T. Washington National Monument

Christmas in August!

Up for Christmas anytime of the year? We're just back from Santa's Land, a "fun park" theme park in Cherokee, NC. It has a 40+-year history and is a wonderful, welcoming place to spend a few hours with young children. The park features lots of "photo spots," a small zoo with touch-able animals, a few refurbished department store displays, simple rides, and a friendly Santa. The famous Rudicoaster is a quick ride for most any age--a small roller coaster with the kind of jerks that make you smile and slide, not the kind that result in a headache. Elijah was able to ride (and enjoy!) a helicopter and car ride, as well as the family train,and Kim was very happy to hit a sale of older Santa's Land souvenirs. If you go, bear in mind that there is no park reentry privilege and that credit cards are not accepted beyond the main gate. Kids 1-8 would probably have the most fun here, and plan in accordance with the operating hours (closing at 6 most open days; seasonal operation April-fall).

If you are doing Christmas in this region, also go to the Incredible Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, TN. The ornament selection is broad and features quality items and major brands like Radko and Dept. 56. The villages available are well-displayed, and there is a robust selection of Fontanini including an institutional set valued at $25K (go home with the postcard of this one). The Christmas Place enterprise has expanded to a nearby hotel and a restaurant, but the restaurant is open only for dinner at present. We ate at the Mellow Mushroom across the street instead and enjoyed a wholesome, fresh pizza in a "hippie" atmosphere.

Just like there's always room for one more ornament on the tree, it's always a good time for Christmas!

Related Links:
Santa's Land, Cherokee, NC
The Christmas Place
Mellow Mushroom Pigeon Forge

Myrtle Date

We found ourselves with two relatively rainy days on our recent trip to Holden Beach, NC, providing the perfect excuse to take in some of the busy, bustling south. Kim grew up vacationing in Myrtle, so a quick trip in is always somewhat nostalgic. It was too hot and rainy to play putt putt next year, but we did make it to fun at Ripley's Aquarium. Kim's a Facebook fan of the Aquarium and received a free ticket during a recent giveaway, and Elijah seemed to appreciate the "moving sidewalk" tunnel that allows visitors to stand under sharks and other sealife. If you go, visit early before the crowds hit and tote your young child along! Afterwards, lunch is fun at Hard Rock Cafe, Johnny Rockets, or one of the other "fun chains" at Broadway at the Beach.

We also snuck in a lunch date at Barefoot Landing, visiting the House of Blues this year. The House of Blues complex is larger than we expected and full of simple, eye-catching folk art. The spirit of the place is more subdued than Hard Rock, and on the day of our visit, the staff had less enthusiasm. It made for a yummy lunch of interesting calamari and a burger, though, and we'd love to go back for their inexpensive, big brunch. For shopping, Kim can't miss the reasonably-priced jewelry at Black Market Minerals, Justin finds Ghosts and Legends a wonderful stop, and both of us enjoy Christmas Mouse. We also recommend Alligator Adventure for folks of all ages.

On the way back to Holden from either complex, a stop in Calabash for dinner is worthwhile. Some folks find it to be a culinary delight; we find it to be a simple "have to do" to claim having been to the beach. Justin prefers Coleman's due to a simple boat display inside, an object of fascination when he was a child. Don't miss Callahan's, a gift shop that is the best place for Christmas ornaments in the region! They have decreased their Dept 56 selection in recent years much to our disappointment, but in 2010, we found the shop reorganized and more shoppable in several areas, including jewelry. Go and enjoy it!

Sorry--no pictures on this blog post. We tried a new camera and were less than successful. Better luck next time!

Holden On

We're just back from the annual July relaxation vacation at Holden Beach, NC. Holden, billed as a family beach, is a wonderful island of beach houses that makes a great place for simple hanging out with family and friends. Sleeping in, walking the shore, reading, splashing around--not the most exciting Halterman adventure, but one of the most anticipated of the year for its quality, simplicity, and ability to inspire rejuvenation.

Holden is a well-known turtle sanctuary, and this year, we stayed near several ready-to-hatch nests. Justin and Kim walked by a single baby being released to the ocean on our first night, but otherwise, we did not see any hatchlings. We did have fun, however, hanging out with the good folks of the Turtle Patrol, knowledgeable volunteers clearly loving what they do. A Leatherback has nested along Holden for the first known time this year, creating a bit of a stir.

If you go, soak up the funky atmosphere at Paradise Cafe, learn about the turtle population, and walk plenty at night. We've had success renting from Hobbs Realty and Brunswick Realty--and Second Row is fine. Keep it calm--and when you need some spunk, take a day trip south (and see our next post)!

Americana!

After Kim took a professional development trip to Greene County, VA, and spotted a sign for James Madison's Montpelier, we had to go back and explore the grounds. Montpelier's main house architectural restoration is complete, and as Justin puts it, it's a great site to see "what preservation looks like." On the house tour, you stand in Madison's library, currently "bookless" but still awe-inspiring as the place where much of the Constitution was researched. The visitor's center has detailed exhibit about a few rooms in the house when it was under the ownership of the duPonts, further enhancing understanding of the preservation work. In the coming years, we hope the foundation continues to share information about the duPonts at Montpelier. We spent lots of time on the grounds on our trip, an excellent site for a picnic if you are so inclined. There was not much by way of recognition of the 4th, but the foundation does a Constitution Day ceremony in September.

Following Montpelier, we shopped a few antique stores in Ruckersville. We found unpretentious dealers and an array of finer antiques and junktiques co-existing, coming away with such small treasures as two old Busch Gardens souvenirs.

Driving back, we stopped for dinner in Lexington, discovering the annual hot air balloon festival! Watching the balloons on the VMI drillfield was a relaxing, picturesque way to end the day.

"Horsin' Around" on a Halterman Evening

Summer evenings bring a bit more flexibility to our house, and we spent one outside admiring the horses at the annual Roanoke Valley Horse Show. The show, an annual event supporting charities like the Bradley Free Clinic and held at the Salem Civic Center, was once known in the Halterman family (they lived "behind" the center) as a source of horseflies. In more recent years, we've also come to appreciate it as a glimpse of some beautiful animals and of a different life. You can park free of charge on the lot and wander aimlessly among the tents of animals, many decorated fancily with stable logos, free of charge as well. Don't expect lots of overt friendliness--our experience is that trainers and folks seem very focused and not very conversational. However, they don't seem to view visitors as intruders. Worth a 60 minute stop!

Time for Trains!

Kim received a nifty Mother's Day gift: tickets to Gettysburg's Lincoln Train Museum! The museum became our last stop prior to heading out of town. Elijah was fascinated with the model train "in the air" on bridges across the gift shop ceiling. Kim and Justin enjoyed the expansive collection of model trains, including unusual antiques harkening to holidays, advertisements, and "real" railroads. There's also a collection of train Christmas ornaments and a Polar Express display.

For those who like to watch models move (like us!), there is a large layout with three trains and a "circle only" display that is approximately four feet tall. There's also a train you ride: yep, a model train car with a movie about Lincoln's train trip to Gettysburg! It moves gently and put Elijah to sleep. The museum's history is interesting on its own, as when the museum initially opened, the train ride was a major technological innovation.

We judge this homey museum, with its delightful, well-kept collection, to be a good stop. In the area and looking for another cool place? Try Mr. Ed's Elephant Museum--it's free and in Weird Pennsylvania!

Climbing Monuments

What to do on the Gettysburg battlefield? Go climb monuments! No trip would be complete without climbing the Pennsylvania or New York--or the rocks of Devil's Den. And if you are travelling with a baby, pose on the cannons. The monuments truly give the field additional character and fun, but visitors can't forget the tremendous sacrifices there. The Peace Light gives a sense of that, as does a look at the wheatfield. If you are driving the field, we recommend playing the Gettysburg movie soundtrack or one of the CDs of ghost stories to provide an additional element.

Following some battlefield photo ops, we went to the center of town for some shopping. Abe's Antiques has closed--really too bad. If you weren't familiar, Abe's was owned by a Lincoln impersonator who was quite talented and had a nifty collection of civil war items. By asking around at shops, we were able to determine he is fine--just out of business. The Gettysburg Antique Center is still going full speed and is a nice place for locally-oriented ephemera, toy soldiers, and military items. We tried to shop the Farnsworth House bookstore, but their hours were quite unpredictable. A new art gallery features contemporary images of Lincoln and a saleswoman who's won on Jeopardy--Lincoln Into Art is worth a stop.

And some more Gettysburg travel advice: Going out for breakfast? Try the reasonably-priced Avenue Diner, a fixture in town and an easy walk from most centrally-located motels. Hungry for a snack? You can share Hunt's cheese fries with lots of friends and still feel full. Want a relaxing dinner? Head downstairs at the Dobbins House to the Springhouse Tavern for an atmosphere as casual and welcoming as a basement can get!

The Things You Find at Battlefields!

Justin teaches Kim to appreciate the US Civil War more each day. More than that, he opens her eyes to the fabulous culture that springs up around battlefields. Battlefields are a good place to reflect on the way Americans remember--and to enjoy some roadside Americana! Of all Civil War locations, we like Gettysburg for its diversity and development--and its proximity to other visiting spots, including Harper's Ferry and Hershey. Here's the story of a day in Gettysburg--a day during which we didn't visit much of the "official" battlefield!

We started our day at the Hall of Presidents, a wax museum featuring a replica of each US President and an audio track about their histories. It's a low tech museum that survives--nicely, per the staffer we engaged in conversation. They've recently upgraded the seating, added Obama, and renovated the First Ladies gallery to make it accessible. Right now, Eisenhower items that were previously on display are in storage, but there are plans to expand exhibit space and bring these items back. If you go, think like Justin, and enjoy spotting the asyncronies in display backgrounds and figures that reveal its history as a museum and test your knowledge of history.

Boyd's Bear Country is a nifty sight as well, but they have (sadly) removed their mini-museum. They've also decreased their stuffed animal displays significantly over the years, opting for more Yankee Candles, Thomas Kincade artwork, and Longaberger Baskets. We're not Boyd's collectors, but we've visited the three-story barn to see the displays from time to time. Hansa toys are new there--stunning replicas of wild animals if you are not familiar. It's an interesting, family-friendly site that has space for entertainment and a casual meal. It's a cool place to say we've been on a quick trip and is beautifully situated in a wonderful green space.

Our day also included a lunch at the Visitor's Center, where some period foods like yummy peanut soup are served. Kim also enjoyed the outlets, with Gettysburg's mall being appropriately-sized for a few hours of shopping adventure. To its credit, there are few empty storefronts. Dinner brought some time at O'Rourke's, a place we'd oft-admired and finally headed to upon the guidance of friends. It's a well-attended pub with delicious food in large portions. Elijah recommends the cream of crab soup.

Roanoke "Counterculture"

In honor of Elijah's last swimming lesson, another simple weekend in Roanoke was in store. We headed out to lunch in Grandin Village at The Isaacs, a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant. It's one of those places where the atmosphere is elegant but not stuffy--you can go in wearing jeans and feel like you must be wearing something nicer. Kim had a beautiful meze of smoked Gouda and eggplant, Justin and Don had gyros, and Elijah became a fan of the minestrone. If you go, don't miss the pita fries--they are healthy and delicious! The Isaacs is food you can feel good about: often organic, often local, healthful, reasonably priced, colorfully presented. Excellent! Also worth a stop in Grandin Village? The Grandin Theatre, a not-for-profit movie house often showing independent films; Too Many Books, an excellent used book store; the "Co-op", a locally-owned grocer; and Black Dog Salvage, a place for unique furniture finds. If you aren't familiar with Roanoke, you'll want to know that Grandin Village is a lively, diverse community.

By night, we headed to the Salem Civic Center for the Roanoke Symphony's now-annual rock symphony night, part of their Pops series and a fundraiser for the group. We've attended all three to date, and this year's A Night at Woodstock may be the best yet! (That's saying something for Kim, who has enjoyed the Cirque element of previous shows--absent this year--particularly.) Jeans 'n Classics, a tremendous band, played 60s genre hits with the symphony, and the RSO volunteers dressed as hippies to set the mood. Elijah loved it so much that the 2011 show may provide a venue for his second birthday party! Much to his parents' happiness, he can "rock," scooting about and clapping to Joe Cocker and Jefferson Airplane in particular. The annual fundraiser is a casual and lighthearted way to experience the symphony--highly recommended.

Elijah Meets TJ

Beautiful weather, beautiful house, beautiful friends. This weekend, we drove up to Charlottesville to take in Monticello with the Mejias. As always, Monticello is a little mountain with stunning views, making it easy for a novice like me to take some stunning photos. The house kitchen has been renovated recently and lots of folks were taking garden tours to enjoy the spring blooms. The new visitor's center there is spiffy and features an expanded museum shop, so Kim came home with two new Christmas ornaments. Justin also picked up at Thomas Jefferson doll for Elijah. They could have done a better job with accessibility, but the center "fits in" with the landscape and is a nice home to some amenities like a cafe, theater, and gallery.

Following our visit to Monticello, we drove to the University of Virginia's campus to walk the lawn. Folks were busy prepping for next weekend's graduation, and the "capitals" of the columns on the Rotunda were draped in black, presumably in memory of the recently murdered lacrosse player. Otherwise, the grounds were alive with a wedding and college kids entertaining their visiting parents. We ate lunch at an excellent deli in "the Corner," Little John's. The sandwiches were unique enough to be interesting and huge enough to be quite filling.

Justin and Kim usually find Charlottesville's atmosphere a bit pretentious, but today, that was eased by good company. If you go, we also recommend eating at The Virginian, also on the Corner, for a lighter lunch, but we do not recommend Bodo's Bagels, a UVa institution, for anything other than breakfast. The Charlottesville Downtown Pedestrian Mall is a fun stop for leisure shopping and has a Caspari store, something you can find only three places in the world, along with numerous unusual gift shops. You can take the trolley there from the campus area. The farmer's market is also worthwhile and sells some non-perishables routinely. At last check, UVa's bookstore still allows the browsing of the stacks--a shopping treat for academic book nerds like ourselves. You can also make a longer trip with historic homes, visiting Monroe's Ash Lawn as well.

On our drive back to Roanoke, we stopped by The Factory Antique Mall just outside Staunton in our second visit this year. The mall is big and full of non-pushy, interesting vendors on the weekends. It's a great place to find vintage toys, beads, postcards, documents, and books with a particularly good book stash near the back and two finely-organized, reasonable postcard outlets near the front. Highly recommended.

'Round Town

Elijah's swimming lessons are wonderful--and they have encouraged us to enjoy half-Saturday trips in our own backyard. Today, Kim headed to the Salem Postcard Show. If you've never been to a postcard show, it's a great place to start an inexpensive and addictive collection. The clientele is largely serious, older collectors--and it's a lot quieter and cleaner smelling than a comic book show. This year's show "graduated" to a spiffier location at the Quality Inn. Kim spent over an hour looking at just two tables, coming away with a few nifty treats, including some rare Busch Gardens the Old Country cards from when Loch Ness was one of the world's most modern coasters (at 31, it's still a goodie). Also found: a folio from Michigan's Wooden Shoe Factory, old shots of "motor inns" in Gettysburg and Williamsburg, and a night view from atop the NYC Twin Towers (only $0.25!).

After that, it was time for a little shopping at Salem's Nancy's Candy Co., a store branch of the Meadows of Dan factory with Lakeside memorabilia on the walls. We must visit that factory sometime. There was also a quick trip to Buy the Season, an antique/secondhand collectible/consignment store, where some additional Americana was found, includng a tiny Myrtle Beach Pavillion tin plate.

Our day was not complete without a meal out. Kim picked Red Jasmine, a Thai place hidden in Vinton. It's a restaurant full of fresh, flavorful, and healthy food. Kim recommends red curry with tofu and anything containing duck. Justin enjoyed his second Thai experience ever--particularly the mango and sticky rice dessert--but for Father's Day, we will probably go somewhere that sells cheeseburgers.