Fairfield Inn & Suites Wytheville

... bridge, and then back again, and then that was it. As my dad likes to say "Poppetje gezien - kastje dicht". Loose translation would be something like "Ok, we've seen it - now lets go".

From there we opted to take some alternate roads and make our way as far North as we could towards the Natural Bridge. We ended up spending the night in Dublin, VA.

Again we had great weather today. When we got back on the ...

... in the movie. I had a four course meal for dinner included in my room rate, so i had soup and salad and ricotta and spinach shells, and the ultimate chocolate cake. I even saw a wedding there as i was sitting reading. So that just shows how lovely a place it was and how fans of the movie still do come back to this place and relive it for themselves. It was fantastic and i would go back anytime. Can't wait to see everyone, Love, Toni xoxo

... at a decent hour so we can SWIM! I'm so excited to be going to the beach. I haven't been to the beach in years.

It just really sucks that we're driving to OBX. Five people in on car is a bit... claustrophobic.

Tomorrow will be amazing though.

Last night we celebrated Tyler's birthday with a delicious and beautiful chocolate cake, complete with sprinkles and then Jordan, Rachel, Becca, Jacob and Logan treated us to a great concert. We share the house and the work with a group from Olive Mennonite Church in Elkhart so we have been enjoying getting to know them as well.

We left with blessings and good wishes, had great weather, wonderful company, resonable traffic (with one exception) and pleasant kids with no exceptions.

After stopping in Charleston, we made our way into the mountains via the West Virginia Turnpike, a truly amazing drive. Upon arriving at Pipestem State Park, we checked into the executive suite at the resort. Why the executive suite, you ask? Why not! Acutally, it was the only room left with the "canyon" view. Our terrace was practically hanging over the side of a mountain into a beautiful ...

... I followed my feet down to the pier(s) and snapped a few hundred pictures of this and that. Just past the town is a really creepy, old abandoned cannery outpost. The buildings were positioned every which way and as I looked through the windows into the vacated space I couldn't help but use my imagination. It's strange how something that must have once been so ...

... we didn't want to help fund this hostile takeover. But here we were, in West Virginia, starved, tired, and dirty (shall we add homeless to that as well?). We were desperate, and there it was - the oasis called Wal-Mart. Tossing our principles aside for a loaf of bread and some lunch meat, we cruised down the bright, open aisles of Wal-Mart. Wow - only $2 for Pepperidge Farm Cookies? Only 76 cents for a head of broccoli? Only $2 for ...

After our crazy one year cross-cultural experience... all us SALTers went to Akron to debrief before going home. It was a nice safe little bubble where we could talk and talk and talk about our shared experiences. And we got some awesome food like the salad bar!

... my daylight's short, 5 hours is all that's left. In West Virginia now, the wind is blowing really fierce, it has a bite, like snowclouds do. Ride. Virginia now. Ten states on this trip. The Shenandoah Valley, open wide, cedar trees are everywhere, it's easy breathing here. Will I make it home tonight? The truck ahead, initials, G. O. D. (Most truckers think that's what they are!) They've taken over roads, I'd vote to separate the business from the ...