From the Hawk's Nest

In my last post I commented on the plethora of pattern at The Greenbrier Resort.  This was our room.  See what I mean?

Garden Room at The Greenbrier
 

On Sunday we took the Bunker Tour.  Fascinating.  Begun during the Eisenhower administration, it was designed to house Congress in case of a nuclear disaster.  It remained a total secret from 1962 to 1992 when the Washington Post published a story based on a disgruntled government employee's account that could not be denied.  It's public façade is that of an exhibit hall, albeit protected by walls of concrete and thick steel doors.

Sunday was the last day for ice skating on the outdoor rink.  Seemed odd to see this father and daughter gliding around in 50-degree weather.

Father and Daughter at Greenbrier Skating Rink

We've moved on to our second destination -- Hawks Nest State Park.  It was a winding drive down to the Gauley New River and a steep climb back up to the bluff.  A small park, but I am glad we chose this one.  The views from the bluff are spectacular.  Had we been here in season, we could have taken the tram to the canyon floor and taken a jet boat up river to the famous New River Bridge.

My husband is such a dear; he drove me miles off track this morning to a quilt shop, only to find it no longer at that location.  Don't you hate when that happens?  I should have called first.  We plan to visit another one tomorrow on our trek south but since I have three addresses for this one, I will definitely call first!

Tomorrow's adventure will take us back to the small coal town of Bramwell, WV, once the wealthiest town in the US and the birthplace of my father-in-law.  We'll have  coffee and dessert with the distant cousin to whom I returned a family crazy quilt in October.

We had planned to stay here three nights, but the weather is due to change drastically on Wednesday and we thought it better to relocate closer to my Thursday destination so we'll be off to Ripley early Wednesday morning.

So far this has been a very restful vacation, especially for my husband.  He needed this trip more than I do.  Just sorry the weather is causing a little stress.  If we can get to Peg Bingham's Spring Training Camp safely, we'll be in great shape for the rest of the week.  In the meantime I'll just

 

Keep Calm

And
Carry On