# 62 Grayson Highlands State Park, VA

We have decided to spend another month at Fort Chiswell RV Park here in Max Meadows, VA.  We would like to spend more time visiting family plus we get to continue enjoying the beautiful southwestern area of Virginia.

We have explored the areas of Floyd, Big Walker Mountain, Narrows, Pearisburg, Polaski, Hillsville, Newbern, Claytor Lake, Draper Mountain and the Draper Mercantile.  We know about the New River Bike Trail and hope to bike a section of it before we leave.

Wildflowers along the roadside have been abundant!  We saw this mix of day lilies while traveling to Floyd.

We found this hidden lake to be the quietest place.
 Gatewood Park and Reservoir outside Pulaski, VA

We also visited Eggleston, VA.  It was here where we learned the amazing story of Mary Draper Ingles.  She was captured by the Indians about 260 years ago.  She traveled over 800 miles on foot through the wilderness to get back home. To learn more about this incredible story, I downloaded onto my Kindle, Follow the River by James Alexander Thom.  After reading this historical novel, I gained a new perspective of her courage and perseverance.

To celebrate the July Fourth Holiday we visited Grayson Highlands State Park.

 We hiked the Twin Pinnacles Trail.  The park ranger said it was the "premier trail" of  the park.

While on the trail, we saw this tree growing on top of the rock.  Can anyone tell me how this tree was able to do this??

Once we got to the pinnacles, we saw the views of the northwestern mountain range. The bald, cleared areas you see are Christmas tree farms.


Our next hike that day was the Cabin Creek Trail.  Ronnie neglected to tell me it was rated as "difficult".  We made it, wasn't too strenuous.  I carried a backpack of snacks and we were able to enjoy a picnic at the base of the waterfall.

In the clear creek below the falls, we saw trout and crayfish.

Today, we took a drive back to Eggleston.  In my research about Mary Draper Ingles, I read about a restaurant in town called The Palisades.  It sounded like an interesting place so we thought we would give it a try.  We were pleasantly surprised, this restaurant was very good.  As the saying goes.. "You can't judge a book by it's cover." Ronnie describes the interior as "modernized old" as that part had been renovated. The owners kept the quaint character of the building's facade.

We selected wood-fired pizza although the menu had other excellent choices.

Ronnie selected the Southwestern pizza.

I selected the vegetarian pizza.

Our waiter brought us a sample of the sweet mesquite popcorn they serve at the bar and our dessert choice of homemade pomegranate chocolate chip ice cream was so creamy and good.  And yes..we have dinner for tomorrow....

A view of the New River Palisades.