30th Anniversary Trip: May 26 - 31, 2022

We spent six days at Sugar Tree Inn, which is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Vesuvius, Virginia (near Staunton). The inn was advertised as a quiet getaway, without internet, TV, or cell coverage. It was rustic but nice.  We had our own little cabin in the woods but ate breakfast at the lodge, below.

Main lodge building
There were other individual cabins of various sizes, also.

nice flowers around lodge

Beautiful ferns on a walking path and at lodge

Deck of our cabin had a nice glider

Our cabin:  St. Mary's Cabin

The only issue was a very steep, narrow, long "driveway" getting to the lodge. It had a hairpin curve and went over a little bridge.  We were always concerned that we would meet someone and have to figure out how to back up the mountain to pass. So coming and going was always a nail biter.  Not for people who didn't like driving in the mountains.

Video of last portion of driveway

Most days we went to the Blue Ridge Parkway to see sights and do short hikes.  My knee has recovered enough that I could do stairs and leisurely hikes, so that worked out nicely.

Some things we saw and enjoyed:

Crabtree Falls, after a night of rain:

Beautiful Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron all along the parkway, especially at the Peaks of Otter:

Rhododendron at the Peaks of Otter

Laurel lined the parkway--stunning

Rhododendron lined many of the trails we took.

Lowest point of parkway at the James River:

Interesting river lock display at the James River.

Memorial Day at Natural Bridge State Park, near Lexington, VA:

We happened onto a touching "Taps Across America" observance: 

Video of Taps at Natural Bridge

Getting down to the bridge was a test of my knee:  137 steps.  But I was able to do them without too much trouble.  Better than a lot of younger people, if the truth be told.

One section of the steps

We enjoyed going out to eat at really nice restaurants each evening.  On our anniversary (May 29th), we went to the Southern Inn in Lexington and had a most delicious meal, then came back to the cabin to toast with champagne.

Wedding pictures from May 29, 1992: (Facebook friends have seen these.)

Alan sang "She's Funny That Way" to me before our first dance.

After ceremony:  Many guests on stairs because
it was pouring rain and our outdoor wedding had to be moved inside.

Official portrait

The last 30 years have been a wonderful, joyous, loving adventure with Alan.