Damascus Adventure Part 2: Around Abingdon and Damascus

The two Virginia towns of Abingdon and

Damascus are very different, but we love

them both. A year ago we stayed in Abingdon,

where there are all kinds of shops and plenty

of great restaurants.  This year we stayed in

Damascus, just 15 miles away.  While it

doesn't have many stores and most of the 

eateries are seasonal or don't serve dinner,

we were enthralled with the atmosphere of

the town.  We spent plenty of time in both 

places, and this post will show some of the

sights around the towns.

Our first meal was dinner at JJ's.  We had catfish and
meatloaf and we both raved about the quality as well
as the reasonable price.  The guy at the bike shop had
recommended it highly.

On a chilly morning we spent a couple of cozy hours
at the Damascus library.  We love to do that when we
travel.  Judy found many interesting things, and I mainly
read up on local history of the Virginia Creeper railroad
and trail.

This memorial beside the town park and library was
called the Wheel of Freedom.

The Appalachian Trail goes right through the town park.
Damascus is known as the friendliest town on the trail.
Hot Springs, NC might put up an argument.

This town mural shows the surrounding countryside.

Damascus is all about trails, for sure.

128 Pecan is the only restaurant that we ate at a year
ago and returned to.  We wanted to check out some
new places, but couldn't resist this one because it
reminds us of our dear 195 in Southern Pines.

I never thought a burger, fries, and Caesar salad
could seem so gourmet.  But it did.

Judy loved her pork loin, asparagus, and wild rice.
And she graciously shared some of the pork with me.

We made sure we could finish our trail bike ride in
time to get to Abingdon's Tuesday farmers market.

Judy was delighted with several non-perishable
items she picked up (AND paid for).

Here are some sunsets we viewed on our

evening ride from Abingdon back to our

lodging in Damascus.

Another old caboose in Abingdon.

We didn't eat full lunches.  Two days we had energy
bars and fruit.  But on Wednesday we happened upon
a little shop called The Cupcakery.  Couldn't resist
photographing this clever plaque.  We wish the
place success.

You may know how much I love "Gypsy Trips."

Also called wild goose chases.  Well, I knew of

a little community called Alvarado which is on

the portion of the Virginia Creeper Trail we didn't

ride on.  Last year, we failed to locate it using a

map of local roads.  This year we used the same

map, but had success coming from another direction.

Notice how placid the waters are as the river becomes
the headwaters of Holston Lake.

These trail maps are very helpful, and make you
realize how the contour of the mountains made
construction of the railroad such a monumental
task, requiring such a volume of bridges and trestles.

The old Alvarado station has been restored and is
open on certain days, but not daily in the off-season.

Read this plaque if you're interested in how places
get unusual names.

From Alvarado, we would hike (not bike) about
a mile and a half to the longest trestle on the trail,
over 600 feet (that's two football fields).

It's always exciting to arrive at a landmark that you
have been anticipating and have never seen before.

Some bridge.  At every bridge and trestle, I tried to
envision old steam locomotives making their daily runs.
The mountainous terrain limited speeds to 10 to 15 miles
per hour.  And the 120 mile round trip from Abingdon to
Damascus to Todd, NC (near Boone) and back again
would consume from 8 to 16 TONS of coal per trip!

A recent dry spell had contributed to a low water
level where the Holston River enters Holston Lake.
Note the cracks in the mud.

A shot of that amazing bridge from the western side.

As we retraced our steps we observed the transition
of the river to its true character.

This caboose greets folks at the Damascus town park.

I had wondered if this little engine was built for parades
or such, but it actually was used for hauling logs in the
mountain lumber camps.

This trestle is also in the town park, traversing
Laurel Creek. One of the many peaceful settings
in this quiet town.

We ate our final dinner at the place we were

staying, the Damascus Old Mill Inn.  We were

extremely pleased with our meal.  I got Old Smokey

Yardbird, which was chicken glazed with house

sauce, cheddar cheese, and crumbled applewood

smoked bacon.  They also had seasoned criss-

cross potatoes.  They were like Chik-fil-a waffle

fries on steroids.  Seriously.  Judy got Sally P's

Chicken.  This was a chicken breast seasoned and 

braised in a buttery white wine sauce.  Her veggies

were also very good.  A fitting way to end our

culinary experience.

We were here between the summer season

and leaf season, which is just the way we

wanted it.  Things were slow and quiet.

At other times, the towns and the trails

can be like Grand Central Station.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

But we were quite pleased with the

weather, the food, the lodging, and the

 activities.  We highly recommend it all.