Home from vacation - Part 1

Just in from my trip to North Carolina - more sharing of vacation photos and fun than stitching.    First some history - Mr. W. does not like to travel and my friend Debbie's husband doesn't get a lot of vacation time, so what do a couple of girls do?   We plan a vaca together each year.  We alternative each year who selects the destination.   This year it was Debbie' choice - Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway.   Debbie had not been to either and I, well, was along to for the ride and the good times.

The ever important flashlight - you never know when you will need one. 

We met in the parking lot at work and loaded everything into Deb's car and off we went at 5:30 a.m. last Wednesday morning.  For a change, I was not driving.   I drive on trips to Boston, I drive to Philly and then around Philly, I drive to OCMD so this was a difference.   I managed to put aside as best I could the inner control freak and sit back and enjoy the ride.  Since it was still dark out....... Debbie rooted around in her glove compartment and found this disk style flashlight....in case I needed help reading the map (??).   No matter, this light will play an important role, later on our trip.   We were not even out of the parking lot and my phone goes beserk with alarms sounding.  I programmed heaven knows what when I put a one-time alarm on so I could be sure I was up and on my way in time.   Then her tablet goes off and next hurt phone makes some noises.   All this beeping and buzzing and we were not out of the parking lot......danger danger Will Robinson!

Our first stop was Skyline Drive and Luray Caverns. 

A hint of the coming mountains from the parking lot at Luray Caverns. 

This is one of the coolest things in the cavern and unfortunately my little Canon  Power Shot doesn't give it  justice.    This is a  lake  that is perfectly reflecting the stalactites from above with a mirror image.  In person it is nearly impossible to see that it is  a reflection.

Cool formation that looked like an icy hill of snow.

Overheard while on our tour - "Is that all there is in here is rocks and more rocks?"  spoken by a teenager with headphones and an iPod.   And then there was the comment from two women behind us...."Doesn't that one look like a sad little penis?"    I just had to turn around to see who said it....OMG, I see two ladies in their 70's giggling and pointing.   The things you hear at a National Park. And this is only day one of our trip.

On to the Skyline Drive, top speed 35 mph.  Can't make very good time but who would want to with views like this.

 I could just drink it in.   It felt like you could see forever.

And then there are the little things you see along the way.

As we drove, I deconstructed the shawl I knit and wore at my son's wedding.   It was so stretched out and I want to remake it for something to wear on my upcoming cruise.  The wonderful trellis yarn.   I pulled the fringe which was just lengths attached with larkshead knots and trashed it.   I actually started and frogged and started and frogged several starts along the ride but decided to wait until I got home and tried a different sized needles.

 I finished another loopy scarf and started and finished this orange scarf below.  Wow, a whole lot can get accomplished when you are not driving!

This is yarn I picked up at Salty Yarns earlier this month.   It will look good with my black shawl and a Halloween pin for a Halloween fundraiser this Friday night.  

 More photos and vacation stories to come.