Visiting Mountain Lake

Can you stand one more post about out trip to Mountain Lake? I hope so because today I’m sharing more photos from our Thanksgiving visit.

As I’ve mentioned before, Larry and I spent our honeymoon 10 years ago at Mountain Lake. We stayed in one of the cabins high above the main lodge.

Mountain Lake is a lake that sometimes nearly disappears. When we visited in 2003, the lake looked like this:

Now it looks like this:

You can read about this phenomenon of the lake waxing and waning here.

The Lodge is where we ate our Thanksgiving dinner. 

In the main lobby, there was a fire going in the fireplace. But there were so many people around, it was hard to get in a position to get a good photo of it.

I liked the simple décor in the lobby.

We walked around outside, exploring and taking photos before dinner.

Here’s Larry. He said his face was too numb from the cold to smile. He’s kindly carrying my camera bag.

Here I am in front of the gazebo.

This is the gazebo. You can see it in the photo above from 2003. I liked the way the ceiling was put together.

Here’s the boat dock. As you can see from the second photo of the dock, there’s no water for it right now.

There are benches around the grounds to sit and enjoy the view. That particular day, it would have been rather cold. It was 22 degrees Fahrenheit when we arrived a little before 11 a.m.

I loved this snowy path.

There was some ice around, though. We slow-walked across it. At one point, we were making our way down a hill with ice. About halfway down, I told Larry I was scared. Ever the calm one, he said, “I know, but you have to keep going.” And I did.

Ice on the driveway. At least this wasn't on a hill.

Anyone up for a game of chess or checkers?

There are areas around Mountain Lake that would be fun to hike. And I noticed a sign that said we were just five miles from the Appalachian Trail.

If you’re ever in Giles County, Virginia, I urge you to visit Mountain Lake. There might not be water in the lake, but there is beauty all around and a cozy Lodge to relax in.

Snow and some randoms

Happy Friday, everyone! Nancy, of A Rural Journal, started a meme called Random 5 Friday, and I’m hooked. Even though Nancy is on a break, I still find it fun to share random facts with you each Friday.

One

Larry and I enjoyed Thanksgiving at Mountain Lake in Giles County, Virginia. If it wasn’t the best Thanksgiving ever, it was close to the top. We had a wonderful time.

The closer we got to the top of the mountain, the more snow there was.

Two

It snowed in Altavista on Wednesday, but not for long, and it didn’t stick. Up at Mountain Lake, there was snow! Larry and I are like kids when it comes to snow—we love it. We were so excited to walk around and enjoy the soft crunch of the white stuff underneath our feet.

It wasn't deep, but it was snow.

The barn with a background of trees glittering in the sun at the top of the mountain.

Three

We had a fabulous meal. There was a full array of food on the buffet, and a man stood at the carving station, ready to slice off turkey or roast beef, or both.

I had turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, a green salad, and butternut squash.

Yes, I cleaned my plate.

They had a lot more selections, including cornbread stuffing (which Larry said was the best stuffing he had ever eaten) and pecan stuffing, but that’s what I ate.

We had two baskets of different breads on our table, with honey butter and a cranberry relish to spread on them.

The dessert table was lovely, but by the time I got to dessert, I could only eat a small lemon cake.

We both ate too much, but we did manage to stop before we were miserably stuffed.

Four

We went by the gift shop and bought a pottery ornament shaped like Virginia with the name Mountain Lake Lodge on it. This is the second time we’ve been there, and we’ve had a wonderful time each visit. I wanted something to commemorate this visit.

At a fenced off lookout near the Mountain Lake Lodge.

Five

I find being in the mountains restful for my soul. That’s the only way I can say it: my soul feels at peace when I look across the blue mountains.

I’ll share more photos next week. I probably went overboard with the picture taking, but I wanted to capture every piece of beauty I saw.

A blog anniversary and other randoms

View at Mountain Lake, Virginia, November 2003.

Happy Friday, dear readers! I hope you’ve had a good week and are looking forward to a good weekend.

As I’ve done for many months, I’m sharing my randoms on a Friday post. Nancy of A Rural Journal started many of us on this journey. Though the meme Random 5 Friday is suspended now, I still like to share random facts and bits with you.

One

Thursday was my two year blog anniversary. Is that blogiversary? Blogoversary? Bloganniversary?

Whatever, I am blessed to have spent two years writing about my life and sharing with you. And I am blessed to have connected with such wonderful readers and commenters and other bloggers. Thank you for your part in this!

Two

Earlier this fall, Tanya at Around Roanoke . . . A Daily Photo Blog posted photos from a visit to Mountain Lake, Virginia.

I loved seeing them. Larry and I went to Mountain Lake for our honeymoon 10 years ago.

In one of her posts about Mountain Lake, Tanya shared a link to information about the Thanksgiving buffet at the resort.

That got me thinking about a visit back to Mountain Lake. I discussed it with Larry, and we decided to do something different this year for Thanksgiving. We made reservations and are looking forward to traveling to Mountain Lake and enjoying their Thanksgiving buffet and the beautiful sights.

Click here for more information about this resort in Giles County, Virginia.

Thank you, Tanya, for inspiring me to consider something different this year!

Sunrise view from our cabin's deck, Mountain Lake, Virginia, November 2003.

Three

We have big oak trees in our front yard and woods border our backyard. So we usually have lots of squirrels running around our yard.

This fall, we’re not seeing many. I think it’s because the trees have yielded very few acorns. Normally, there are so many acorns, we walk with trepidation over the driveway and yard at this point in the year, trying not to fall as they roll under our feet.

We haven’t seen as many deer in the yard either. They eat acorns, too, so I don’t know if there’s a connection or not.

Larry usually rakes the acorns and piles them behind the shop, making a kind of buffet for the animals. Not this year.

I’m sorry that the food supply seems to be so poor for the critters this year, and I hope they can find a good source nearby.

I found this handout about things to consider before feeding wildlife. It gave me pause.

Squirrel in our yard, summer 2013.

Four

Our indoor critter, Chase Bird, is a delight. He’s such a sweet cat. I know you’re tired of me writing that, but he is.

He has taken to sitting on top of our chairs when we are in the den watching TV or reading. I usually sit in a recliner that I’ve had for years. He sits on top of the chair, near my head. Sometimes I can hear him purring.

Chase Bird hanging out on top of the recliner.

Five

Last weekend, as we shopped in a big box store, Larry and I strolled through the Christmas decorations aisles. We even bought some paper and bows. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to Christmas so far.

I usually hold off on listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. It’s a self-imposed, arbitrary rule of mine. But this year, I may break my own rule. I love the music of the season.