Chateau Morrisette Luncheon

Yesterday I showed pictures of Tuggles Gap, a restaurant on the Parkway, but my destination was somewhere else along the road.

The drive down the Parkway is always evocative, with dirt roads crossing, collapsing barns illuminating meadows...

...and an unusually good meal at the end of the scenic drive.

I like the wines at Chateau Morrisette and we decided it was warm enough to indulge in some white, the Vidal Blanc hit the spot lightning fresh and slightly tart. And sold at the table at vineyard prices which was very nice.

Feed green tomatoes a southern dish made famous by the movie and served here crisp and tart like the wine.

It was a lovely day on the deck and everyone was seated outside to take advantage of the views.

Sandra the vegetarian was well served with a mushroom sandwich,

...but I wanted to follow the green tomatoes with something equally southern and Chateau Morrisette's shrimp and grits was delicious. The grits was smooth and creamy, the shrimp tasted fresh.

Autumn did a great job of looking after us for our late lunch, encouraging us to sit and relax as the three o'clock closing deadline came and went.

Crême brûlée finished the meal, and us as we hacked at the crust in turn and sat back enjoying our great good fortune.

Lunch indoors wouldn't be bad necessarily but it was extra delightful on the terrace.

I mean, the meal was superb but we got to eat here:

Chateau Morrisette gets my vote once again.


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Tuggle's Gap, Virginia

The restaurant and motel like to be known as part of the Crooked Road Trail celebrating bluegrass music but their better known location is Milepost 162 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The restaurant is well known among motorcyclists, not least for something called Tuggles Gap Pie which consists of pastry filled with chocolate custard nuts and syrup.

The menu is basic in a casual atmosphere,

...and riders gather here in summer mostly and on weekends. I came by to eat breakfast on a day I craved oatmeal ($3.50) but it was hot so I chose a granola and yoghurt sundae for five bucks:

Supping it up with a long handled spoon made me feel like a kid again! It put me in mind of a knickerbocker glory which if you don't know what that is Wikipedia is your friend.

On a sunny day it looks pretty enough.

And the motel charges $51 for two with ten bucks extra for a pet which I like. Cheyenne might too.







Virginia funk is the theme.







But it is for sale, which seems ominous.

According to the literature the place opened in 1938 to serve the Parkway which was being built and the need for places to eat and sleep was starting to be felt.

Up the Parkway a couple of miles I came across two slightly unusual touring motorcycles.

I am not going out on a limb and figure put if this actually is a 69S but it looked to be in excellent condition and ready to tour.

The other machine was equally interesting to me, a Yamaha 250 which reminded me of the SR500 I once used to own.

They were I suppose an odd couple but in terms of performance I figure they must be reasonably similar.

What a great way to ride the Parkway.

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Bicycle Touring

I saw a bicycle with a tag in Harpers Ferry.


I met Rob later and he wasn't too excited to talk to me. But he is a New Englander and thus polite.


I wondered if he had ridden from New Hampshire but it turns out he was on a tour based in the District of Columbia.


There's more of this stuff going on than we couch potatoes realize. We could be out there touring ourselves peddling wildly back to our tents.


Or we could get in the car, crank the heat and drive back to a comfortable hotel complete with room service, alcohol and everything.

Good man Rob. You're doing it for all of us.

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Blue Ridge Parkway Scenes

I got positive comments from my last series of pictures from the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia so on my most recent trip I took a few more. These scenes are typical, yet for all that as evocative in a mountainous way as water scenes are in the Florida Keys.

I love the open sunlit valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia, of high elevation yet not shade filled deep cut valleys that eliminate sunlight.

The Parkway is a famous road that carries it's fame modestly. The surface is smooth as commercial vehicles are banned. The roadside verges are newly cut like lawns, the fences are as much decorative as useful.

It is a road much loved by motorcycle riders despite the ridiculously low 45mph speed limit. It is a road designed for contemplation and meditation not adrenaline.

Farmers own crops right up against the commercial free Federal lands that protect this narrow strip of communal roadway.

There are lots of turn outs and I was amused to see how quickly the bikes would stop, snap a quick one and keep on trucking.

The road enticed them back. Cheyenne and Sandra and I breathed in the woodsy air and sniffed the hummus under the trees and felt the springy fresh grass as we individually contemplated the woods around us.

Here came a dual sport rider probably only wearing the helmet because its required in the Commonwealth, but being a non conformist I liked his absurdly informal dress.

A quick peek at the scenery through his visor and off he went without even turning off his single cylinder behemoth.

Crumble and decay like a vacation postcard for the too harried to stop:

The irony of the large sign on the back of their trailer probably didn't occur to these speedy Québécois.

I really like how the trees over shadow the roadway. I have often wondered why the Overseas Highway doesn't have a Ron of palms lining the roadway shading cars and cyclists as they go.

Another quick pic in situ and off they rode.

I saw flowers...






...and insects...






...and toadstools...






...and gnarly living tree bark...

...and finally one rider, another Frog Canadian who got off his machine and savored the spot for a minute or two.

And then it was back to the non rat race.






And I was there kind of not wanting to be disloyal to my dog...






...but at the same time wanting to be a bit disloyal to my chum...

...because it occurred to me it is time I ride the parkway properly on my Bonneville.


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