remembering 9/11

The tenth anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11 is upon us, and one Virginia B&B is honoring first responders with a free night's stay. If you're an active police officer, firefighter, military, or emergency services personnel, reserve a room for 9/10/11 and the Richard Johnston Inn will give you the night of 9/11/11 for free. More info: Remembering 9-11

it was inevitable

I finally missed a day of blogging. My apologies. Yesterday was gruesome and I was too exhausted to muster up a simple thought worthy of a blog entry.

Things are always fast and furious at work, but it's especially so now. We're in the midst of a major website overhaul - brand new content management system, migration of content and data, and of course a fancy new face. Be on the look-out for a brand new Virginia.org in April. :) It will be SO worth the sweat and near-tears that our team of four is experiencing right now.

In the mean time, I'll continue to blog and Facebook for Virginia is for Lovers (the regular duties don't stop just because there's a big project, ya know). Have a question about traveling in Virginia? Want to see our take on a particular destination? Simply leave me a comment here and I'll be happy to write something just for you over on our VIFL blog!

Retiring for the night,

Gettin' Her Groove Back: 13/60

fishing pocahontas

My husband surprised the three of us Saturday when he came home from a job earlier than expected. "Get up and get dressed," he said as he came through the door, as I was still perched on the couch in my pj's with the laptop at 11 a.m. (same place I was when he left a few hours prior).

A quick stop for a Virginia fishing license and we were off to Pocahontas State Park. It was pretty busy. We could smell the hot dogs before we came to the first pavilion. Ahh ... summer. The pool was full and the playgrounds empty.

We scouted the banks of Swift Creek Lake for a location that wouldn't inhibit the casting of a six year old and found an ideal spot. While our fishergirl did get nibbles, she didn't land anything. A little guy nearby caught his first fish, however. A bass, I overheard.

WHEN YOU GO:
* Parking: $4 weekdays; $5 weekends
* Events: Pocahontas Premieres concert series is $10/ticket + parking; advance purchase and season tickets available. 12 and under free. Three free concerts slated for 2009.
* Camping: $25 for electric & water
* Pet-Friendly
* Boating: $3 launch fee; no gas-powered; rent a canoe or kayak
* Swimming: varies by age (free to $8)
* Hiking, biking & bridle trails; no bike or horse rentals
* Seven picnic shelters

Enjoy Virginia's State Parks - voted "America's Best".

a great mennonite-run greenhouse

A most welcome highlight to my day was a stop by a greenhouse I used to frequent with my mother. Milmont Greenhouses on Route 340 in Stuarts Draft, VA has the best prices on gorgeous, overflowing hanging baskets! I took home two beautiful 10" purple Calibrachoa baskets for $14.99 each. While that was the reason for my stop, your adventure will yield trees, shrubs, Henri Fountains, a wide variety of potting goods, gardening clogs and tools, flags, and of course, row upon row of flats full of annuals and perennials.

If you find yourself traveling through the Valley tomorrow (May 30), be sure to swing by for their Rose Festival. You'll score 10% off roses and rose accessories, plus be greeted with free homemade strawberry ice cream!

While you're in the area, visit The Cheese Shop. It's a hop, skip, and a jump down Route 340 to a right on Tinkling Spring Road. Yes, you can certainly buy cheese there, as well as bulk wheats, grains, cereals, spices, nuts, flours, and the list goes on. It's a true organic's paradise and even offers gluten-free products. We love the trail mix and bulk pretzels. Like Milmont, The Cheese Store is proudly run by Mennonites, and you're sure to return to both treasures to take advantage of the tremendous savings.

Happy Valley Shopping!

new pic of the house in lexington

This is a great view of the mountains behind the house and the potting shed!

lexington / rockbridge county, va home for sale

See this highly efficient 2005 rancher perched atop nearly seven acres with fantastic mountain vistas. Expansive master suite with custom walk-in closet, bath, office and screened porch makes a cozy retreat on the rear of the home. Two bedrooms and hall bath offer additional family comforts. The spacious kitchen boasts cherry cabinetry and marble countertops. All appliances, including a brand new wine chiller, are offered with the home.

The newly stained deck affords evening sun and beautiful mountain views, and the freshly mulched entry landscape nurtures new bulbs and maturing shrubbery. Find the potting shed behind the house to offer lawn tool and equipment storage, as well as electricity! It's a great retreat for hobbyists and horticulturists alike.

MORE INFORMATION * VIRTUAL TOUR

To make your appointment to see this gem on the hill, contact Cathy Shiflett with Homes for Sale in Rockbridge at 540.460.4004 or cdshiflett@aol.com.

okay, i'm ready to go

This warm weather is making me crazy. I'm ready for summer sunnin' on the beach and am even willing to stay at a waterside campground if necessary. We really enjoyed our one-day jaunts to Buckroe Beach last year and wouldn't mind staying at the Sans Souci Motel, but they've got a monopoly on the lodging. The nightly rate definitely reflects it, too.

Maybe the Holiday Trav-L-Park or First Landing State Park would be good choices, as I'd rather rent a cabin than stay in a tent. Both have cabins, and I was surprised to learn that FLSP is more expensive than Holiday.

Hmm ... definitely something to think about and plan for. No play makes Casey a dull (mean) girl.

plymouth? please. virginia was first.

Where was the first Thanksgiving really held? We were taught in school that the Pilgrims landed and had a happy ol' feast with the Native Americans in Massachusetts. Um, that's not really correct. You see, the first Thanksgiving was not so much a feast, but an actual prayer of thanks to God for a safe voyage from England and landing at Berkeley Plantation in Virginia on December 4, 1619 - one year and then some ahead of the pilgrims at Massachusetts.

I'm personally a little annoyed that the teaching of Thanksgiving in our schools (public, private and Christian schools) maintain the Massachusetts version when relaying it to our children. Rally the troops and let's tell the real story. Perhaps you can then follow it up with the prettier, food-laden one.

Related articles:
~ http://www.berkeleyplantation.com
~ http://www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?featureid=50
~ http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/nick_news/stories_weekly.jhtml?pollId=470422263&wstory=0
~ http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=minisite_generic&content_type_id=872&display_order=1&mini_id=1083

PHOTO: Casey Higgins, Berkeley Plantation, Spring 2008

the pot's finished

Dan Finnegan finished the VTC piece he started on our tour to LibertyTown Arts on October 7th. See what a beauty his Rappahannock Bluefish vase turned out to be!

dan's vtc vase

We at VTC recently enjoyed a fantastic exploratory trip to Fredericksburg where we met potter and LibertyTown Arts owner Dan Finnegan. He threw a vase for us (in progress in the photo) and is keeping us apprised of its progress via his blog. Take a look!

fall's on my mind

Trying to pin point the exact weekend to take a leaf peeping drive can be a challenge, huh? It is for us. So much going on and you never know when those leaves are going to reach the climax of their show.

To help, Virginia's Department of Forestry has a Fall Foliage in Virginia blog. Furthermore, Virginia Tourism Corporation offers a weekly Virginia Leaf Report; sign up here!

PHOTO: Casey Higgins, 2006. "Avenue of Trees" - Brownsburg, VA

virginia wines - find the one you love!

*Here's a new sweepstakes for wine lovers - Find the One You Love!

*Virginia boasts more than 130 wineries - Virginia Wine Travel!

*Virginia winery has celebrity appeal - "What Would You Say" about Dave Matthews' Winery?

*Get your Virginia Winery widget!

hard times indeed

An op-ed for The Richmond Times-Dispatch called out several state agencies as potential cuts to meet the predicted Virginia budget shortfall. Mine was one of them. Virginia Tourism Corporation laid off several employees last fiscal year and cut spending dramatically. Doing so again would be disasterous. We have leveraged our resources and have continued to make a delicious lemonade from sour lemons.

* The state's tourism website, www.Virginia.org, sees increased unique visitation each month; it's growing by leaps and bounds. And by the way, the site was recently voted The Best Travel Site by popular vote through The Great Travel Site Showdown.

* Bobbie Walker with our Tourism Education and Development division has trained hundreds, if not thousands, of front-line customer service employees across the state this year. From hotel and restaurant staffs to those working B2B. Customer service is high on our radar and that's one key reason we're a great state for tourism. Our hospitality is second to none.

* Tourism equals big money for Virginia. Return on investment is 5:1. Please, think long and hard before cutting one of the biggest money-making agencies. Tourism is good for Virginia.

kudos from the detroit news

Thanks, Susan Pollack, for the props!

Virginia's Hot Travel Site Trounces Michigan in 'Showdown'

Yes, Virginia did win The Great Travel Site Showdown of 2008, thanks to thousands of tourism supporters and advocates. It was tough, as Michigan proved to be a passionate contender. Kudos to the hard-working folks behind michigan.org for a well-fought battle!

vote virginia.org the best travel site

Virginia faces Michigan for the win in The Great Travel Site Showdown.

It's not too late - Cast Your Vote for Virginia Now!

Voting closes August 8th at midnight. Thanks!

virginia green and lovin' it

Green is the new buzz word in tourism. See VirginiaGreenTravel.com for a list of Virginia Green* certified accommodations, restaurants, conference and convention centers in Virginia. A feed of eco-friendly events, green getaways and packages are also listed.

*For tourism-related businesses to be considered "green" they must adhere to the criteria set forth by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

such a hard life I lead

One of the most recent perks of my job was to assist with a media luncheon at the Goody's Cool Orange 500 NASCAR race in Martinsville. We had very gracious hosts.

http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=13168&back=archives