Can you describe the Floyd lifestyle?

One of the places that was on the list for a visit on this year's Blue Ridge Mountain trip was (and is) Floyd, Virginia. I have made the acquaintance (virtually) of a few residents of Floyd County over the past couple of years and I feel the need to feel that little piece of the Blue Ridge Country under my moccasins. I have been intrigued ever since I first started reading Fred First's blog, which led to Colleen's, then I found Doug's, then it was David's. Between the four I almost feel like I live in the neighborhood.

Doug posted an essay that I really found quite interesting, I thought I would point a link at it during this, my virtual vacation trip...

Floyd is the young husband getting up at 4 a.m. to feed the animals before he has to drive an hour and a half to his job at the Volvo truck plant two counties away.

Floyd is the farmer up at the same hour, preparing for a long day cutting hay, mending fences, slopping hogs and worrying about the weather and the price of beef on the hoof at

Go read the rest ...
Source: The Floyd lifestyle | Blue Ridge Muse

There seem to be a few things that Floyd County Virginia is famous for:

1. Mabry Mill - The most photographed spot on what must be the most photographed road in America. Here's my version from a rainy day in June of 2004...
   
2. Fred's Barn...the most photographed barn in the Blue Ridge Mountains (mostly by Fred).
   
   
3. The Floyd Country Store
   
   

   The Floyd Country Store is more than a store. For generations it has been a place where people gather,conduct business, and enjoy each other's company.

   About 25 years ago the store became known for its Friday Night Jamboree, an evening of traditional Appalachian music and dancing. Old-timers and new visitors come together to celebrate the local heritage and experience the joy of an old-fashioned family night out.

4. Cafe del Sol - Hangout of the Floyd Bloggers. That's Bloggers with a "B" not Cloggers with a "C". Though I am sure a lot of Clogging goes on on the weekends...
   
   
5. FloydFest 2007
   

   We are all travelers across the way; sometimes along the journey we come to a place so profound we must look more closely. Such a place is Floyd, home to magic and The Floyd World Music Festival. A crossroad for those searching and finding... perhaps themselves! Come across the way and if you listen you will hear.

   

Do you have a "Famous Floyd" fact or location I should add to my itinerary? Leave it in the comments...

Plans delayed...trip postphoned...

The plans for this years vacation to the mountains would have had us driving from north of Atlanta to Asheville via Cherokee today. We had planned a tour of the Cherokee Village today with lots of stops to photograph the mountains (like these from last year).


On last years trip we stopped for the night in Chattanooga, Tennessee before driving into the mountains heading for the home of the Eastern Cherokee. The heat caused us to postpone the our tour of the Village after we did a long wander through the museum. We planned this year to make up for that missed opportunity.



Our plans for the night were to stay in Asheville and spend tomorrow at the Biltmore Estate. This is one stop my wife has always wanted to make, she just did not want to drag all of our young ones through the mansion (even though our youngest is 17 this year, it's not an attraction that appeals to the MySpace crowd). I do not know what it is about huge gilded houses that attract women so...maybe it's knowing they don't have to dust and clean the bathrooms.

Wondering about the wonders of this remarkable home?

Q: Where did the name "Biltmore" come from?
A: Vanderbilt created the estate name by combining two words, "Bildt," for the region in Holland where the Vanderbilt family originated, and "more," an old English word meaning upland rolling hills.

Q: When was Biltmore constructed?

A: Ground was broken in 1889, and construction continued through 1895. George Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House to family and friends for the first time on Christmas Eve in 1895.

Q: What did it cost to build the house?

A: As research continues, we hope to be able to find more receipts and documents which will give us at least an estimate.

more faq's

With a second night in Asheville we planned to be well rested before heading north up the Parkway on Wednesday.

I'll continue this Virtual Vacation on Wednesday...