Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Hillsville, VA and the Blue Ridge

Our next stop was Hillsville, VA, where we parked for a week out behind the VFW. The town of Hillsville has a townwide flea market 2x a year, Labor Day and Memorial Day. It is said to be the largest flea market east of the Mississippi. The VFW owns a large area which it rents out for the flea market and usually sits vacant the rest of the year. We showed them they could have other uses for the area, such as renting it to RVers. But Hillsville is right in the middle of the Crooked Road area. It is near Galax where the Old Time Fiddlers Convention is held, it is close to the Blue Ridge Music Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway and also nearby is Floyd Country Store, Floyd, VA. This is only to name a few of the places to go in the area. We actually extended our stay here because of so much to do.

 
We saw this Cottonmouth on the New River Bike Trail. Bertie ran over him before she saw what was on the trail. Then he was mad and ready to strike as I came up. I swerved to avoid him and almost knocked Max down, but we all survived. Needless to say my heart was pumping after the incident. He eventually slithered off into the grass so hopefully no other bikers had the scare we did.

Mabry Mill is considered to be the most photographed mill in the U.S.
Mt. Airy is the home of Andy Griffith and the basis for Mayberry, RFD.


There is even Floyd's Barbershop, just like in the show.

We paid to see Ricky Skaggs perform at the outdoor amphitheater at the Blue Ridge Music Center. It was nice all day so they did not move it inside. But of course once the music started, it also started to rain. Not just rain, but it poured through most of the concert. But Ricky Skaggs said if we were brave enough to sit out there in the rain, he would play, so he did. (underneath a roof of course)

You can see some umbrellas as you look towards the stage.

At Floyd's Country Store we met this guy.

All these sketching on the wall are of real people. After the artist sketches them, they then write down their story.

This is the story of the man earlier. He lives in the hills, plants corn the old fashioned way, and comes to hear music at Floyd's on Friday nights.

3 comments:

Barbara and Ron said...

It looks like you are having cooler weather since we left. Yikes! on the snake.

Diana said...

Yup, it's always the second person that gets the snake!

firesign58 said...

Wow! Deja vu. We also were in Mt. Airy but went through it rather than 'to' it - after 2 days in TN and NC zooming on twisty roads we were on our way home at the time and trying to do 500 miles in one day. Argh. Next time we slow down and smell the coffee!!