A Mother’s Day Adventure

 Mother’s Day has been bittersweet for me for quite sometime. I’m grateful for my mother and the the time I had with her. There are many good memories. But, my mother died in ‘86 and I have never had children, although that was the desire of my heart for years and years. God had other plans for my life. So, I decided to go on a Mother’s Day Adventure.

I left my apartment before 9:00 this morning and headed west on Rt. 58. As I neared the top of the mountain, it got foggier and foggier. I wanted to stop at Lovers Leap. I began to question myself…did I already pass it? I couldn’t see a thing. Eventually, I found it and very cautiously, I pulled over. All I could see was the cloud that encompassed the area. It was kind of eerie. 

The next stop was to be Mabry Mill Restaurant for some of their famous pancakes. There was one small change of plans. Since I wouldn’t be seated for an hour, I walked over to Mabry Mill to take in the sights and listen to the babbling brook. Yes, several things there are in need of attention and fixing, but it was still beautiful. I did get seated not long after I returned to the restaurant and I was served two of the biggest, fluffiest pancakes that I have ever seen. When I was finished eating, my bill was presented with a flower and a Hershey kiss for Mother’s Day.

The adventure continued…next stop, The Mayberry Trading Post. This is a quaint little store just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had such a good time browsing and picking out some treasures. There is a good combination of old and new. And, a few items brought back memories from decades ago. I will definitely return to do some shopping here. 

Afterwords, I drove for a bit on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped once in awhile to take pictures. The clouds had lifted and the sights were gorgeous.

Hmmm…..what to do next? I drove over to Chateau Morrisette Winery. I found a place to sit in the courtyard, bringing with me my basket of books. I read, listened to the relaxing piano tunes that were being played and enjoyed a glass of wine. It was such a sweet time. I was wishing for a hammock and a nap. 

I wasn’t ready to go home yet, so I decided to go to Goose Point Park. There is no “quick” way to drive from Chateau Morrisette to Goose Point Park. I drove through a LOT of Patrick County, which was filled with some amazing scenery. I arrived at the park, claimed my spot and read for a couple more hours. A family at the nearby picnic table invited me to eat with them. It was sweet of them to include me at their table. 

I returned home, ten hours after I left. It was so unlike me. I’m usually such a homebody on Sundays. Today, I needed this and God knew. He’s the one that put me on this adventure to make sure my heart and mind were where they needed to be. I thank Him for that.