View from our balcony

My husband, John and I recently celebrated our twenty-eighth anniversary. We didn’t go far – just about thirty minutes from home to the wonderful old Peaks of Otter Lodge.  It is an older lodge under new ownership but it was wonderful. Nothing fancy as far as lodging goes but the view is breathtaking!

There were a few interesting items in the room that made it unique.  Check out the bathroom door!

You probably won’t find a handy bottle opener at a luxury hotel!

Just in case you brought an old fashioned bottle of Coke or Pepsi, no need to fear – there is a bottle opener on the bathroom door!

For the fellows who brought their old fashioned razor, (you remember the kind where you twist the handle to open the encasement for the razor?) Just in case you needed to dispose of a used razor…

Wonder how many old razor blades are behind that wall?

The best part is that each room has a balcony with a view!

Our balcony

Our view!

We also enjoyed a wonderful view from the Restaurant. The food is delicious and fortunately for us, they serve dinner from 4pm to 9pm and breakfast until 11am!

It is so much fun to watch Does with their fawn walking nearby eating grass. We saw many deer close to the walkway. They are used to coexisting with people. There have been sitings of bears in the past but we didn’t see one this weekend!

The Peaks of Otter has been part of both our lives for years. John has an arrowhead he found here when he was a little boy before the man-made lake was built.  We have enjoyed hiking up to the top of the Peaks for many years before we met. Now, if you want to see the beautiful view from Sharp Top, one only needs to board a bus! Oh, for the youthful days of hiking again!

In 1969, my sixth-grade class from Jamison Elementary School in Roanoke, VA participated in a film with the National Parks Service about ecology. Our class was taken to the Peaks of Otter and the Ranger explained to us about the park, the peaks and the people who had once lived there and walked through a wonderful old cabin. (We are diligently trying to locate that reel-to-reel film. It is the legacy of a school which no longer exists.)

John often rides his motorcycle to the Peaks of Otter on Sunday afternoons after Church and gets home in time to go to the evening service.

There is a lovely visitor’s center, bookstore and natural museum. There is also a camping site for the natural experience.  If you go at the right time, you may also hear a blue grass concert.

The Peaks of Otter is beautiful in every season and just as a lady changes her wardrobe each season, the trees change their lovely colors too. The Parkway is usually closed during the winter due to bad weather so don’t wait. Plan a trip to the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway soon and be sure to stop and explore the Peaks of Otter!

It is still gorgeous! Check out their website and plan a trip to this beautiful Virginia location soon.

http://www.peaksofotter.com/

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/343424

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hilton_photos/4005510602/lightbox/

I was delighted to see that they are selling books by one of my favorite local authors, Carolyn Tyree Feagans.  To read about the people who lived in the area before the Blue Ridge parkway was built and how their lives were affected, check out her website.

http://www.carolyntyreefeagans.com/books/

I recommend Sharp Top to go with today’s blog.