I cannot share enough how much we have enjoyed hiking in the cool, lush green, wonderful smelling mountains! Sharp Top is a must do trail for anyone visiting the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Located at MP 86, the Peaks of Otter are certainly a highlight! There are trails to the top of Sharp Top and Flat Top and we had to choose one due to time constraints. We chose Sharp Top, the most popular
for good reason. The summit offers an impressive 360 degree view of the Peaks of Otter area and even on a cloudy day with a low cloud ceiling, as it was on our walk, it was awesome!
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| Sharp Top Mtn, only 1.5 miles to the top but an elevation change of 1300ft! A nice leg stretch! |
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| we did have to be extra cautious, wet and slippery! |
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| yes, I'm cold! Prob 42 degrees and windy! But worth it!! |
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| a visit to Peaks of Otter winery after our hike;) all fruit wines and mostly too sweet for me but interesting! |
Just an hour away from our campground was Appomattox Court House so we drove there one day to
get our history fix.
On April 9, 1865, Confederate commander, Robert E. Lee, surrendered his men to Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all United States Forces. The end of the Civil War. The actual surrender did not happen at the courthouse but at the home of the McLean family very close by. As always, when we visit a well known historical site, we find out many interesting details that we would not otherwise have known.
One can walk the village and go into the court house, McLean house and other historical buildings
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| the McLean House |
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| McLean House parlor where the terms of surrender were written by Grant |
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| Appomattox River |
On our walk there, we ventured out a bit and passed the Charles Sweeney Cabin. Notable in that the Sweeny family were musicians and entertainers and son Joel played a 5 string instrument that he modified to a 4 string and popularized what we all know today as the banjo! Fun fact:)
More wineries than
breweries in this area....
darn:)
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| Rebec Winery-we bought an herb-infused wine here! |
we have have to keep that trail in mind if we pass through there this summer
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