August 23, 2105
We broke away from the Chesapeake area for some quality time with other family members, further inland to the west.
First up, camping with my brother Vince and sister-in-law Ramsey at Hungry Mother State Park in western Virginia. They were in the area for a wedding and took the opportunity to go on a 2-week camping/B&B tour of the area.
The campground was very nice and was our first chance to actually camp! The Mystery Machine did very well, even providing some shelter during the frequent rains. Fortunately, Vince is a wizard at making camp fires, managing to keep it lit for dinner and warmth.
We hiked up to Molly's Knob. It was quite a hike, not too long, but very steep. Here we are, resting before our descent. The view was worth it!
After saying goodbye to V & R (thanks for a great visit, y'all!), we headed just a short ways south to Greg's cousin's house near Independence, VA, on the North Carolina border. Steve has quite a spread on some land overlooking the New River. He's grows all he can eat plus some, has some chickens, and leads a very satisfying life in a very beautiful place.
He showed us around the area and took us on 5-hour kayak ride on the New River. It's truly one of the prettiest and friendliest rivers I've ever seen. It's one of the oldest rivers in the world and is clear, cool, and shallow. We had a great time!
We left Steve's laden down with tomatoes, herbs, homemade goodies, and our promise to return. Thanks Steve!
