Walk 'N' Wine.

On Saturday I dragged Steve on a outing with Blacksburg Rec Centre. ;-) It was called Walk 'N' Wine. The first part was a hike (around 4 miles) to a the 2nd tallest waterfall in Virginia, followed by a visited to a nearby vinegar, AmRhien. 

It took about an hour on the bus from the Rec center to get to the start of the hike so I just chatted to people. Once again it was an interesting and diverse group. Though no one else from VT which is very unusual.

Start of the trail

I didn't take many photos on the hike to the falls. It was cold! And I forgot to pack my gloves. But I did get a few.

Random house craving

Forest

Fall color

When we got to the falls, I was a little disappointed as it was on the over side of the gorge and it hadn't rained recently so it wasn't very impressive. Still, we sat and ate lunch and it was a better view than my normal lunch view (i.e a wall!).

Bent mountain falls.

Playing with the camera

On the way back, as a group we decided to take a different route which was longer but went near the creek, which was nice. Though he did say there were no hills. And he lied!!!!

Showing Christmas ferns

Our guide, Travis (who I shared a canoe with on the last trip), showed us the local fauna. He even gave out a sheet of leaves, though he missed off Poison Ivy, one I would very much like to know what it looks like!!!

Berries

The creek was a little way off the trail but we all clambered down as it was very pretty. I took some time to take photos and was the last one down there. (I got back up the trail pretty quickly when I realized in case they left me!)

Bottom Creek

The trail (Knight's trail) also went past an old Scout pond, used for swimming.

Pond

Color

At the beginning of the hike, Travis had explained how this was public land so there shouldn't be any hunting. But it was surrounding by private land and they do hunt there (and bullets don't respect those lines), he did have hunting vests for those who wanted them. At that point, someone came down a nearby drive in full hunting gear. I was pretty much first in line. And had to get a photo in my very fetching "I'm not a dear so please don't shoot me" vest.

My fetching "Don't kill me - I don't taste good" vest

After the hike, we went to a vineyard, conveniently placed at the entrance to the hike, and did a wine tasting. We all very much felt we had deserved our wine and most of us got a glass after the tasting to enjoy. Like most VA wines, they were for the most greatly overpriced. But I did get 2 of the sweet wines which were very nicely priced. And one was said to go really well with ice-cream in a peach wine and ice-cream smoothie (so that has to happen!) and the other great with chocolate. I couldn't go wrong really. (Though there was a nice white, I can get an equally good one cheaper elsewhere and frankly the reds were not good!)

Inside AmRhein

Harvest bird saying hi.

I spent the evening, guess what, working. I am crazy busy at the moment. Sunday was fun at RAD and on the radio - explained in my next post! :-)