Mabry Mills and vineyards

This past weekend I hired a car and managed to get out a bit. Friday night (when I picked up the car) involved a trip to Walmart. Not very exciting but I did find pumpkin flavored marshmallows! They actually taste like ginger bread to me but still good! I also got some bits for Thanksgiving. And takeout from Red Robin.

Most exciting Walmart find!

On Saturday, after brunch with Cait and a trip to Bollos (for treats) and Home depot (window insulation - not very exciting but my bank account will thank me later),  I headed to the south section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have been wanting to go for Mabry Mill for a while, apparently the most photograph place in Virginia for a while. Though my photographs don't look like any I have seen. It has been a little chilly recent!

Mabry Mill and frozen pond

Really big Icicles. 

And I mean huge!

All over the place.

A small broken off section, with my bag for scaling purposes.

I want to go back when it is open. (There weren't many people there but I was not the only one very sad when the restaurant and bathrooms weren't open.) In the summer that have demonstrations and activities on. And I had been planning on the hot chocolate. :-(

Cart

Mill pond.

More ice

I loved the wheel and icicles though.

It's been very cold.

And had a lot of fun watching the ducks ice skating.

Much sliding involved (though annoyingly more graceful than me on ice!)

The mill

After the mill, I attempted to get to a winery I have been wanting to visit for a while. But my GPS said not happening. Maybe next time. I ended up at Chateau Morissette. This is the local wine you find in the supermarket. And not very good. Still the tasting room was pretty.

Chateau Morissette

Inside.

I ended up with some sweet wines, including a ice wine which were ok and pretty cheap (VA wines are usually seriously overpriced). And I got some final christmas presents so not a bad stop. After the vineyard I went to a Meade winery. It was an interesting trip. (Alongside "find fastest route" on my GPS, I want a setting saying "Route I am most likely to live through". Currently we disagree on what route that is!) I also spent most of that trip wishing for a bring orange car as it was as hunting area.

I was a bit nervous when I got there and it looked like someones house. Thankfully there were other people there doing a tasting so I figured I was in the right place and my GPS hadn't sent me to the middle of nowhere. (Seriously around some of these places you have to be careful. They will come out with a shotgun if the think you are trespassing.)

The Meade winery

Different Meades

Meade is a honey wine and I didn't realize there were so many different types. (Honestly I went there hoping they were selling the honey too. But it seemed rude not to try them as I was there!) I got 2 different ones, a pumpkin spice Meade and a raspberry Meade.
I just managed to get to my last stop before they shut (and 2 other groups had the same last minute idea) at Foggy Ridge Cider.

Outside

Inside

Tasting options

This was the first good cider I have had in a while. (Most of the cider here is apple juice - I have been disappointed here more than once.) I got a few plus the one on the end in the photo above, an apple brandy. very tasty.

I ended up sitting outside for a while before driving home for obvious reasons!

On the evening, it was work and takeout. (Most places here don't deliver, assuming everyone has their own car so I took advantage and got thai from my favorite place.) And some more wine, of course. :-)