On the Road Again

Welcome back for a rundown of events on 

Day 2

Our day started with an early departure at 7:45 am. We took a tour of the countryside on winding back roads on our way to Blue Smoke Salsa in Ansted, West Virginia, where we learned about the company and tasted some of the products.  We watched as they filled and packed the jars with salsa. Robin Hildebrand is such a down-to-earth entrepreneur and her story was very interesting. Of course, most of us bought some of the products we sampled! I bought some gifts and some for me. 

The New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville was our next destination. The view of this engineering marvel nestled in the Appalachian Mountains is breath-taking. We rode down a tram to the river for a jet boat ride that would let us see the bridge from below. 

The captain of our jet boat was quite humorous and a good pilot, too. . . 

keeping us out of the rocks and in deeper water. The bus did take us on the bridge after our tour, but rain caused fog to form in the gorge, so we were not able to see the river below. 

The Quilt Shoppe in Summersville was so nice. I did not spend as much today. I was looking for a fat quarter to contribute to our group's drawing. One person would win all the fat quarters at the end of the trip. The color theme was purple, green or beige. I bought a beige fat quarter here along with a little bit of fabric, some buttons, thread and a marking pencil. 

Our evening ended in Lewisburg. We had dinner at a quaint restaurant. I had bourbon salmon. Some others had prime rib or egg plant caprise. 

A step-on guide showed us a bit of historic Lewisburg. We learned about the Carnegie Hall built in 1902 by steel baron and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as a classroom building for the Lewisburg Female Institute, later the Greenbrier College for Women. 

Across from Carnegie Hall is the Old Stone Presbyterian Church built in 1796.

Next to the church is the Presbeterian cemetary and across the street is the African-American Cemetary. One historical sign honors Dick Pointer with a large gravestone marking his burial place.

We had a restful stay at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Lewisburg that evening.

Tomorrow. . . touring, crafts, quilt store and more.....