Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and 2017 Lily Book Trip Lovers…Deep breath…The mountains are calling and I must go to Shenandoah, VA. There is nothing quite like a trip to the seashore then heading home through the mountains. It was June the 27th and 28th, 2017 to be exact. Oh howl time flies and oh howl I wish I was right back there again…
I think of this place a lot. Our mountain sunset rooms at Skyland Lodge that overlook the Shenandoah Valley, VA at Shenandoah National Park.
Some say (me included) that these are some of the most spectacular sunsets on earth.
This is what I am looking at…plenty of room for the sun to peak through.
Here is our old friend shining down on Daisy Lynn…
Here we are waiting for the show to begin…We had 2 rooms that were across from each other. These are the premium rooms for various reasons, mostly the view.
That grassy area below us had Daisy Lynn fixated. There was this one rabbit that would sit and stare at her. She would lay there and just watch her or him. I guess that’s another reason this room was considered premium, at least for Daisy Lynn…
OMGAWD!!! The clouds came out right about sunset. It was touch and go for about 3 minutes and then a break in the clouds opened up!!! We had to move quickly!!!
Time to wake Daisy Lynn up and get her into position!
Grandma moved fast…
I love the earth and all it’s glory!!!
All of this took place so fast. What a thrilling sunset!!!
You can see all of this from your bed if you want!
Speaking of which…
Now something I was not able to capture was the night time sky. The clouds came back but I tell you something, the next night was spectacular and Shenandoah is world famous for it’s star gazing. I found this picture on the web that gives you an idea what is waiting if you go.
We had so much fun…
The next morning was fantastic – Breakfast at the Skyland lodge is not to be missed.
When we started this journey everything was in it’s place all nice and neat and now look at us. From beach towels to hoodies #lifeissogood…(See our Daisy?)
The car still smelled of salt and sea but the mountain air was taking over and leading us home. We leave tomorrow for our Kentucky.
One last sunset over our Shenandoah…
I would call the sky the same color as the Lilies on the front of the Lily Book. I took it as a message from my universe.
As we crossed over the state line of KY we pulled into the rest stop and look what was right in front of us? I think it is fair to say Lily was with us the whole trip.
Welcome home blessed travelers, welcome home.
More loving our Lily Book Trips later…Love, Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB laying on Lily colored clouds watching the sunset…)
Howllow Fellow Basset Hound and Travel Log lovers…Way back when we were visiting the outer banks on this blog and it seems so long ago. I am shocked it has taken me so much time to record a trip we took back in June and July of 2017. What is wrong with me? I think it becomes a bit daunting and then you get bored. Can’t imagine if I am bored howl you must feel but here we go anyway! hahaha…
When we last left our 2017 Lily Book Tour Trip we were departing the Outer Banks – the land of dreams. We are now on our way to Charlottesville, VA. So glad we were not there during the riots. I can’t believe I had to type that last sentence. Anyway…
We stopped in Charlottesville to visit Monticello – home of Thomas Jefferson. I just love visiting these historic sites during the summer with all of the other sun burnt families listening to tour guides. Reminds me of my childhood.
Monticello is very dog friendly as an attraction. Dogs are not allowed in Monticello but most every where else. When you arrive at Monticello you enter though a large staging area that includes a visitors center, theater, museum, gift shop, Farm Table Cafe, and more. You can absolutely do Monticello in one day even if you have a slow moving basset hound family like ours.
I would get there earlish. When you get there you buy your tickets which are timed so you kinda have to know what time to pick for your house tour. We were told that it did not take long to walk up the hill which turned out to be a steep freaking mountain so we were a bit rushed hitting our time slot. But again, keep in mind you have to be pretty fit to walk up to Monticello which means little mountain in Italian but believe you me it is not little. They recommend to take the bus up and walk down. Interestingly, they allow rioting in the streets of Charlottesville but dogs are not allowed on the bus going up to Thomas Jefferson’s home. Whatever…
OK, so now you have your tickets. Pop into the theater and watch the documentary on Monticello which runs on a loop. We did not even ask, we just walked in with Daisy Lynn. It was fine. She slept under our seats. I love historical documentaries in the summer. Again, the old childhood seeping in.
Here is a portion of the video…If you are interested.
After the movie we went to the massive gift shop and enjoyed all of the unique items. I bought a daisy magnet for my fridge and few gifts.
Plan on having lunch at the Farm Table Cafe which is dog friendly outside. We discovered that if you walk down past that set of tables to the back there are a few tables that over look the forest and it’s just stunning. It was already taken when we arrived so I didn’t get a picture. The place is fantastic anyway. They have wine as well!!! Yipeeeee!!! You go in and order cafeteria style and then take your stuff outside. And then as per usual – you get swamped with people wanting to pet Daisy!
So now we are ready to walk up to the home.
They told us it would take about 20 minutes or so. I would estimate if you like to stroll and enjoy your walk allow about an hour or more. That gives you plenty of rest stops to enjoy this beautiful winding trail up to Monticello.
It is very dusty so make sure to where shoes you don’t care get dirty.
You can see the steep climb behind me. Back in the 1790s James and Dolly Madison would travel this route from their home called Montpelier which is about 20 miles away from Monticello. This 20 miles took the couple almost a day to traverse. The “small mountain”, to Monticello was slow going for the horses at the end of the day. You would think that Dolly and James would have collapsed into bed at night but according to our tour guide, Dolly hated the bed and made her own on the floor with covers and pillows. OMGAWD that is too funny…
We finally made it!!!
Grandma went in to her tour first and I sat with Daisy Lynn. I actually went around to the side after this picture was taken, (to the right of this picture) and sat on the side porch. Tour groups were coming in and I got to listen to multiple group leaders tell their own stories. It was fascinating. Plus it was cool and Daisy laid on the cool stones like the many Briards that Jefferson owned and bred over the years.
“Over the years Jefferson imported more of the French herders. One pair was sent by none other than the great Revolutionary hero the Marquis de Lafayette. In 1813 an appreciative Jefferson wrote to his old friend in Paris, “The Shepherd dogs mentioned in your letter of May 20 arrived safely, have been carefully multiplied, and are spreading in this and the neighborhood states where the increase of our sheep is greatly attended to.”
Back in Jefferson’s day – Farm to table was not the trend but the only way you could eat good. Albeit, Jefferson had a plantation full of slaves doing most if not all of the work.
Thomas Jefferson is buried at his beloved Monticello. His graveyard is about halfway down the mountain on your way back to the visitor’s center. No mention that he was President on his headstone.
Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Lily Book Tour Lovers…Have you ever been to the Outer Banks? I had never been before but we intend on going back. Back in the day about a decade or less ago the Outer Banks was a treasure. It still is in many ways but now it is over run with huge rental houses as far as the eye can see.
I marveled at howl gigantic mansions like this can be filled with families for the entire length of the banks. Astounding…
When I was doing my research I wondered if there were any old school Outer Banks still to be found??? I learned there were these types of options dotted up and down the Banks but not many.
We were so lucky to find The Inn of Corolla Light…what a gem! Totally old school with charm out the wazoo!!!
The Inn of Corolla Light is located on the sound side of the banks. If you look at the first picture where the row of houses is you will see the sound side.
Here is my room…right on the sound!!!
This side boasts some of the best sunsets in the world. Here you will find Grandma and Daisy Lynn waiting for the sunset – it’s just howl we roll!
Ready, set… Life is good on the sound side!
Sound Sunset Selfie…
Daisy Lynn getting ready for bed. You might be able to see that my room had a kitchenette with microwave and fridge. We brought in crab cakes and fixings from Nags Head on our way in. OMGAWD!!!
This is the adjoining room that we will get the next time for Grandma. She was on the second floor right above me but we love our adjoining rooms and Daisy Lynn goes wild for them!!! hahaha
We got up the next morning and this is the pathway to walk your dog…If you make a right at the end of that bridge it takes you all the way to the light house and Currituck. I will show you in another picture later…
Your room comes with a full breakfast with outdoor dining if you have a hound…
Grandma stayed with Daisy Lynn while I made our breakfasts. Daisy Lynn had a sausage link and a few bites of egg…
We only had 2 nites in Corolla so we had to move fast. We never did get to the beach but we wanted to spend what time we did have looking around this treasure trove.
After breakfast we walked out to the gazebo.
The Inn’s black lab kept us company. Showing off his mad dock jumping skills to catch himz tennis ball. OMDOG!!!
OK, look behind me and you will see the lighthouse. You can take a path right from my room’s door and walk the whole way over there. Or you can take that pontoon right behind me. There is the original town of Corolla with little shops – so quaint.
This picture should be on the Inn’s website!!!
We drove the basset hauling vehicle over to Currituck Beach Light Station and spent a few hours. There is small book store over there and I dropped off the Lily book and spoke to the owner who was very grumpy. Howl can you be grumpy in the Outer Banks?
Summer time and the light house is fine!
It’s time for one more sunset…
This is absolutely amazing. The sky was full of grey blue clouds right until the very second that the sun set. It was like a perfect gift at the end of a perfect day…
It was like I picked my outfit to match…
Goodbye for now Outer Banks…
More loving that moment of glory later…Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB sending last second sunsets later…)
The Historic Tavern is located on the campus of Berea College in Berea, KY.
Berea College charges no tuition; every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship (currently worth $97,200; $24,300 per year)
Yes, you are reading correctly…NO TUITION, but all of the students work at jobs on campus and the Tavern has many student employees which makes the experience really different and fun.
The first night we had dinner at the Tavern and it was delicious!
Look outside…I moved the basset hauling vehicle to the window so we could keep an eye on Daisy Lynn. Perfect weather in the low 50s to keep her in the car. She would never stay in the room by herself. We would get kicked out of we even tried. She did great in the car as we enjoyed a traditional favorite called spoon bread…
It is like an egg souffle with corn bread – let me get the recipe…
Boone Tavern Spoon Bread
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cup white cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk
3 eggs
DIRECTIONS:
1. Stir meal into rapidly boiling milk. Cook until very thick, stirring constantly, to prevent boiling.
2. Remove from fire and allow to cool. The mixture will be cold and very stiff.
3. Add well beaten egg, salt, baking powder and melted butter. Beat with mixer 15 minutes.
4. Pour into well-greased casserole. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
Kentucky Hospitality A 200-Year Tradition.
The server/student told us they make 200 helpings a day for the dining room. I could have eaten that entire casserole dish but I refrained…It was so good!
Grandma and I had connecting rooms which Daisy Lynn adores and she can go back and forth and rule the roost! This is Grandma’s sweet suite!
The next morning was frigid as frost! I thought it would make for a great photo shoot on the massive front porch and boy o boy was I ever right!
Warm and toasty for our morning walk in style!
Daisy is sporting a faux fur snood of black mink with a chinchilla trim around the face. This snood is from our winter haute couture collection designed by yours truly. It is called…SUNDAY BEST and will be on ebay very soon. Working on that now…
Berea is known for it’s arts, crafts and a HUGE Artisan Center!!! It is really cool and full of fun and unique items. We thought it was a little on the pricey side but still – so much fun to shop!!!
hahaha – this was not representative of the items in the center…but a show stopper for KY where the women are fast and the horses are pretty – or the other way around if you prefer…LOL
This was the general vibe…
There is another street full of shops. It is a wonderful quaint little town with so much history. We spent 2 nights.
If you go don’t miss the Fudge shop…hehehe – it is a stones throw from the Boone Tavern…
Can you even imagine eating a few bourbon balls from this place??? Well, let me tell you we were happy KY girls! You can see the blue sign of the Fudge Shop behind me on the left! Yes, it is that close!!! Daisy Lynn and I are on the walkway up to the Tavern.
Tomorrow we leave for Nashville, IN. It is in Brown County and we are staying at the Brown County State Park. People refer to it as “Little Gatlinburg, TN”…
More moving on down the road and across to a new state later…Love, Cat, Daisy Lynn (Chaps and Emma ATB who were so good at staying in hotel rooms when Mommy and Grandma would go to a meal…hehehe)
Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and not UTI lovers…So sad for our girl. She is being treated now but for a few uncomfortable hours we had to wait for the vet to open.
“I feel better now Mommy”…
I took this pic this morning as we were discussing howl our Mayor needs to take an antibiotic every 10 hours. She was telling me that she really does not care for that treatment and does not think it is anything that is any good for herz…
I tried to put the pill in humus but decided not to do that because she loves humus and I don’t want her to associate it with a pill.
So down the hatch it goes with just a little water to make it slippery.
Here I am, the evil pill queen…
More loving the next blog better later…Next blog stop on the Lily Book Tour Atlantic Beach, NC. I sure hope that Florence was not evil to our beloved second city…Cat, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB ready for the rainbow beach…)
Howllow Fellow Basset Hound and Lily Book Tour Lovers…When we last left off on the Book Tour we were getting ready to leave Charleston, SC. Out last dinner was at Circa 1886. It is a very swanky place by all accounts with rave reviews. Our B&B actually had a deal with them for their clients so we decided to go. They have a patio so Daisy Lynn was allowed to be with us.
Any further away from the restaurant and we would have been sitting in the parking lot. We were the only ones out there and it was this dark. I could not see a thing. It was really strange. See that pink plant? We were sitting right there.
The food was not that good and it might have been a good thing we could not see it…
The cost was exorbitant…
The bugs were beyond frightening…
This was 3 days later. OMGAWD!!!
4 paws down…
A million bug bites later I still have scars…
GAWD I guess I was dinner for all the bugs…
More loving leaving Circa 1886 later – much later – never again…love, Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB feeling sorry for their MOM…)
Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Lily Book Tour Lovers…Wow – I am really dragging this out aren’t I? I had to laugh because when I started writing this I thought of the olden days when people would get home from a trip and invite friends and family over for a slide show of their adventures. Half of the people would be sleeping and the other half were acting like they cared. So funny! So, whatever half you are in thanks for coming to our slide show. hahaha By the way I still do slide shows for friends and family;)
So, we are now wrapping up Charleston, SC. We absolutely love this city. There is so much to do and so much more to discover.
After we got home from the carriage ride we gussied up and drove down to Battery Park. Keep in mind you could probably spend at least a few days just in the park and it is perfect for walking hounds! I am standing in front of the Pink Palmer House that was bought for 6.5 million back in 2016. We parked a few feet down the street and walked past all of the mansions.
This is what it looks like from the water view. It is so pretty. We had a perfect time and the weather was great.
This is where I wanted our carriage ride to go but it turned out better for us on foot. We went at our own pace and wound up at white point gardens in battery park.
Everywhere you turned there was outstanding beauty. We only had a day and a 1/2 and we needed about 5 days to do it right. Still, we got in as much beauty as possible.
Right around the corner from where we parked is a section called RAINBOW ROW. We had to see that. My pictures did not turn out so, I borrowed one from the internet to show you just how cute this street is.
Then we did what you do in the later afternoon – you head off to the Mega Yacht Dock.
OMDOG!!! So much fun. There were lots of mega yachts and even more dashing young men polishing mega yachts.
This one came in from high seas due to weather – They were flying the New Zealand flag.
It was time to head on out – we had dinner reservations at Circa 1886.
Daisy was ready to turn around.
I was in agreement with her and said, “Ya seen one Yacht ya seen them all”… We were laughing so hard it hurt…
More loving laughing later…Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB in little rainbow cloud yachts…)
PS – I have to do a blog on Circa 1886 – People rant and rave about it but we thought it was awful. Our advise – Skip it and don’t waste your money.
Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Charleston SC lovers…Did someone say, “dog friendly carriage ride?” Yes, indeed! Normally, I am not a fan of horse-drawn carriages but in Charleston SC horses have rights. They are strictly cared for with laws and rules that must be followed to insure their health and safety.
Our particular horse, Mr. Gentleman, was somewhat famous in Charleston because he is so smart and regarded as a celebrity. Little did Mr. G know that he was going to be hauling another celebrity around…our very own Mayor Daisy Lynn Rudert…
Daisy laid on the floor between Grandma and me. You can see Grandma’s foot. I had a tight grip on her lead but she was as calm as an angel. She seemed to love the clip clop of Mr. Gentleman as she watched the world go by.
This is a better picture…The tour was amazing and our guide was actually a history professor at the College of Charleston. Wow! Can you believe our good fortune. Just so interesting and fun. He was Mr. Gentleman’s biggest fan.
As per usual, folks were taking our picture and pointing and smiling at Daisy Lynn. She is such a good traveler.
Our tour was an hour-long and it went by in seconds. Before we knew it we were back in front of the stunning John Rutledge Inn…
Just look at Mr. Gentleman. He was such a good boy. I love him and our history professor.
Now for a few more shots of our beloved John Rutledge…
Hey, the day is still young and Mansion Row overlooking Charleston Harbor along with the Mega Yacht Dock beckon us.
More taking advantage of every moment later…Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, Mr. Gentleman, (Chaps and Emma ATB – on mega rainbow yachts…)
Howllow Fellow Basset Hound and continuing on with the Lily Book Tour – tour lovers! Saint Augustine, FL to Charleston, South Carolina is our next adventure. We have been having so much along the way and still so much fun yet to come. It has been about a year since this tour and we are getting ready to take another one but I will save that for later.
I did all of my research on the historic city and picked the John Rutledge House Inn as our next treat. Wow, we have stayed in some really cool places and the John Rutledge House Inn was just out of this world!!!
Can you believe this staircase? Wow – the flowers were in full bloom and it was breathtaking. This place is rated as one of the best Inns in the city.
Daisy Lynn is resting her belly on the cool steps. Silly hound dog…
It almost took as long to research this trip as it did to take it. Traveling with a dog I found out is much more enjoyable if you do your homework. Proper Prior Planning for sure! The John Rutledge has carriage houses behind the main house that are dog friendly. We all loved the carriage house and would have picked them over the main house we think. Not for sure but we sure loved our rooms.
Right around from the JRH Inn I had dinner reservations booked at 82 Queen. What a gorgeous summer evening for a stroll to one of the most elegant dining experiences in Charleston. The she crab soup is famous and has a link to the JRH Inn. We were told that the soup is from the 1880s recipe of the head cook at the JRH Inn!!! Wow…
If you can possibly swing it make sure you sit outside with or without a dog. OMDOG!!! Amazing ambience as the twinkle lights come on under the massive magnolia tree. Charleston, SC at it finest. Just magic.
One happy Grandma after downing the best she crab soup in the world!
I tried to make it but it did not match 82 Queen. Must have tasted better under that giant magnolia tree. I can’t wait to go back.
We took a relaxing saunter back to the JRH Inn and just took it all in. The horses lilting by with a slow pace. People laughing and sitting a spell. I just don’t want to forget a single thing.
This is our courtyard and our carriage house is right behind me on the left.
The only downside was that there was not a nice place to potty Daisy Lynn out. I had to go out the back gate over to a Church grassy area. I did not like that but whatcha gonna do? It is what it is.
Tonight we had extra chocolates on the pillow and a breakfast menu to hang on our doors. Tomorrow holds a full day of soaking in Charleston and we need a good nights sleep…
And sweet dreams of breakfast delivered to our doors.
Extra bacon please…
Did someone say, “private dog friendly carriage ride?”
More loving proper prior planning later…Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB enjoying massive rainbow magnolia trees…)
OK, let’s get this out of the way. Yes, it is haunted and Grandma saw a ghost.
It used to be a military fort. Grandma saw the Spanish soldier. She said that he was very nice. Just standing there. He turned around and left her room. She was not scared. She saw him the first night we where there.
So back tracking a little bit. We checked in just in time for our wine and cheese party. This patio was right around the corner from my room and the Inn Keepers do all of the gardening. They even grow the most beautiful orchards. It was just perfect to unwind from our drive in from Lauderdale by the Sea.
After our wine and cheese we decided to explore the oldest city in America and it was like we were in a fairy tail! Oh it was so much fun. This picture is taken on the oldest street in America. It is called Aviles Street. If you look right behind me on the left you will see the restaurant Cellar 6.
It was a Saturday night and the beautiful people were arriving to this extremely hip and trendy place. (Including us…hahaha)
We were just early enough to snag a table outside with Daisy Lynn. Just our wonderful luck.
This picture does not really do the place justice so here is an artist rendering of what it really looked like. The green umbrella is where we were sitting. Wow!
All the carriage rides come down this street…
Dinner was AhhhhhMAZING…
Daisy Lynn was a huge attraction as you can imagine. After dinner we walked back to our enchanted and haunted B&B. The city was sparkling with twinkling lights and you could hear the horses clopping along. People were laid back window shopping and there was a warm breeze coming off the ocean. Just magic.
This is the Lightner Museum…It is right across the street from our B&B. See the round tree to the left with the peak of the roof lit up? That is our Old City House Inn. Location, location, location baby doll…
Then it was off to bed. We were all dog tired and ready to jump into dreams…
Dreaming of more exploring tomorrow…and soldier ghosts…
Part 2 of St. Augustine coming soon…
More loving our Saint Augustine later…Cat, Grandma, Daisy Lynn, (Chaps and Emma ATB exploring right along with us…)
PS read my downside to Saint Augustine in the comment section…
