Sunday, September 29, 2013

Out and About in Historic Abingdon, Virginia

After getting unpacked at Black Fort's Inn
B & B (see previous blog post), Judy and I
set out to see the town. Over our two day stay
we got very familiar with this historic place.

We started with a visit to the town welcome
center, where I got maps and information.

This little side street has a perpetual stream
running across it, with pedestrian bridge.

Abingdon is home to the Barter Theater,
State Theater of Virginia.

Just across the street is their second venue,
Barter Stage II, which offers up-close drama
in an intimate setting with stadium seating.
Not a bad seat in the house.

On the second day of our trip we opted to
go to a 10 a.m. matinee of "Little House on
the Prairie" in its opening performance.
The cast mingled with the audience, largely
school groups, both before and after the show
  Judy and I loved the creative production.


A 20 square block area of downtown
Abingdon is designated as the historic
district.  Virtually every old house and
building has its own story.

In front of the famed Martha Washington
Hotel, someone had erected this giant
LOVE sign.  It set a nice tone for this
welcoming town.

We were delighted to find the town's 
Farmer's Market open on the day we arrived.

What a wonderful site they have for their
local farmers to exhibit their wares.

Let's make a note of those times for
future travels here.

Since our breakfasts were included at
the B & B, dinner was our meal out.  And
we had two delicious meals at local restaurants.
The Wildflour Bakery was more than just a
bakery-- we went back for a great supper

We always like to check out local libraries.
This one was well-stocked and was open
till 8:30 at night.  Very user friendly.

I couldn't resist this cemetery that dates back
more than two centuries-- in fact, all the way
to the Revolutionary War in 1776!

The Cummings House is the restored home
of the very first minister of the Sinking Springs
Presbyterian Church.

I love the unexpected and imaginative settings
of many graves in old cemeteries.

This monument honors unknown 
Confederate soldiers buried here.

This is my kind of cemetery-- not that
I'm in any hurry, of course.

Our other fine dinner out was at 128 Pecan,
on Pecan Street, of course.  At both of these
fine restaurants, regular customers entering
at the same time as us assured us how pleased
we would be with our meals.  How right they
were.  Some of these folks were local, but
others were frequent visitors from out of town.

Besides the eateries I've mentioned, there
are other notable places of fine dining in
Abingdon.  Maybe we'll try them in the future.

Before returning home, we would take
advantage of the comparatively low gas
prices in Virginia.  We saw similar prices
in Tennessee, and closer to home, filled up
in Sanford for a mere $3.19 a gallon.
Now the prices in Southern Pines,
Pinehurst and Aberdeen were another
story, but I shouldn't need gas soon.
My next two blogs will wrap up the trip
by highlighting the outdoor opportunities
of the Virginia Creeper Bike Trail and
Backbone Rock Recreation Area.

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