Galax, VA
I know I promised these ages ago - but here are vacation photos for you guys... Dave and I went to Galax, Virginia, home of the annual Fiddler's Convention. Dave wanted to play a lot of music. I was just game for vacation. Here are the highlights.
If a man's home is his castle, a girl's home must be hers too... With that in mind, I found an appropriate throne to rest upon... Dave said I couldn't have it if I couldn't fit it in the car... I might go back for it.
Our favorite place to eat was the Galax Smokehouse. I especially thought their logo was great - because it kind of reminded me of my band - three pigs and a lady. Hmmmmm. It's uncanny. The first little piggy wears glasses - just like Dave. The second little piggy is bald. Et tu, Fran? The third has a shock of black hair - just like Scott... Yowsers! Maybe the Perks and the owners of the Galax Smokehouse live parallel lives 8 hours away from each other. Maybe I need to dye my hair red and get a little orphan Annie dress.
Moving on. At the festival, Dave met one of his favorite young banjo players, Haley Stiltner. Here, he's purchasing her CD. I think it's kind of cool that he had her sign it. She looked like she wasn't really used to that sort of thing. (I personally politely refuse autographs, but then again, I haven't put out a rippin' banjo CD either.)
Here are some goofy festival photos - If you've never been to a music festival of any kind, you should go... Just to check out the digs. I can't believe how much decorating campers do - lights, inflatable flamingoes, impromptu stages, grills, manequins, mascots, signage, neon... Whatever the mind can conceive and the campsite can generate power for. Dave feels that the best camping is a hotel room. Where I agree, I can't help marvel at people's ingenuity.
Oh, and if you have anyting you wanna unload, the campground is a virtual Bazaar. Dave played a lotta banjos for sale in the campground. Below, you'll see someone carted not one, but THREE basses they needed some *fast cash* for. I ask you - who has a camper large enough to house humans plus three basses? Ah - the price one pays for money!
What surprised me the most about being in Virginia is A) how very, very serious everyone is about Bluegrass, and B) how very, very young the festival attendees are... This kid was pretty good. He also did a bangup - yet unfruitful - job of trying to sell me an upgrade to my guitar. Very cute... "What you need is the 180. I happen to have one riiiight here!"
Galax is kind of close to the town Andy Griffith grew up in - and later based the fictional town of Mayberry on. Naturally, everyone needs to cash in on TV land Reruns, so we found the Mayberry Station in walking distance from our hotel. You get one burger free with every one purchased and free french fries. Good thing they were closed when we got there!!! This was one of the silliest things we did on vacation. Here's Dave sitting on the 1960 Ford Fairlane (or whatever it is) - pickin' and grinnin'.
Our vacation ended in a big traffic jam out of Virginia. Dave decided to play with my camera as I read from a book I found at a Galax shop. It's called "On Bullshit," and it's a tiny little scholarly work written by an Ivy League postmodern professor who concludes that all sincerity is bullshit. Dave merely rolled his eyes as I read passages out loud. "He's kidding, right?" "Um," I answered, "Probably not, but it's pretty evident he has a sense of humor. This is me sitting in traffic, where we didn't move for about forty minutes. I have to say between the philosophy and the good company, it was the most pleasant traffic jam I've ever been in (East coast traffic jams are so much more gut-wrenching!)
I'm feeling all caught up now! Thanks for looking at my pics!
If a man's home is his castle, a girl's home must be hers too... With that in mind, I found an appropriate throne to rest upon... Dave said I couldn't have it if I couldn't fit it in the car... I might go back for it.
Our favorite place to eat was the Galax Smokehouse. I especially thought their logo was great - because it kind of reminded me of my band - three pigs and a lady. Hmmmmm. It's uncanny. The first little piggy wears glasses - just like Dave. The second little piggy is bald. Et tu, Fran? The third has a shock of black hair - just like Scott... Yowsers! Maybe the Perks and the owners of the Galax Smokehouse live parallel lives 8 hours away from each other. Maybe I need to dye my hair red and get a little orphan Annie dress.
Moving on. At the festival, Dave met one of his favorite young banjo players, Haley Stiltner. Here, he's purchasing her CD. I think it's kind of cool that he had her sign it. She looked like she wasn't really used to that sort of thing. (I personally politely refuse autographs, but then again, I haven't put out a rippin' banjo CD either.)
Here are some goofy festival photos - If you've never been to a music festival of any kind, you should go... Just to check out the digs. I can't believe how much decorating campers do - lights, inflatable flamingoes, impromptu stages, grills, manequins, mascots, signage, neon... Whatever the mind can conceive and the campsite can generate power for. Dave feels that the best camping is a hotel room. Where I agree, I can't help marvel at people's ingenuity.
Oh, and if you have anyting you wanna unload, the campground is a virtual Bazaar. Dave played a lotta banjos for sale in the campground. Below, you'll see someone carted not one, but THREE basses they needed some *fast cash* for. I ask you - who has a camper large enough to house humans plus three basses? Ah - the price one pays for money!
What surprised me the most about being in Virginia is A) how very, very serious everyone is about Bluegrass, and B) how very, very young the festival attendees are... This kid was pretty good. He also did a bangup - yet unfruitful - job of trying to sell me an upgrade to my guitar. Very cute... "What you need is the 180. I happen to have one riiiight here!"
Galax is kind of close to the town Andy Griffith grew up in - and later based the fictional town of Mayberry on. Naturally, everyone needs to cash in on TV land Reruns, so we found the Mayberry Station in walking distance from our hotel. You get one burger free with every one purchased and free french fries. Good thing they were closed when we got there!!! This was one of the silliest things we did on vacation. Here's Dave sitting on the 1960 Ford Fairlane (or whatever it is) - pickin' and grinnin'.
Our vacation ended in a big traffic jam out of Virginia. Dave decided to play with my camera as I read from a book I found at a Galax shop. It's called "On Bullshit," and it's a tiny little scholarly work written by an Ivy League postmodern professor who concludes that all sincerity is bullshit. Dave merely rolled his eyes as I read passages out loud. "He's kidding, right?" "Um," I answered, "Probably not, but it's pretty evident he has a sense of humor. This is me sitting in traffic, where we didn't move for about forty minutes. I have to say between the philosophy and the good company, it was the most pleasant traffic jam I've ever been in (East coast traffic jams are so much more gut-wrenching!)
I'm feeling all caught up now! Thanks for looking at my pics!
posted by Kell @ 10:57 AM
1 Comments:
At 7:42 PM,
Anonymous said…
Kelly, I've gotta know... the picture of you on the throne chair-- was that taken in a store called the Emporium? There may have been a sign also saying something about "Antiques Made Daily" I often hiked Old Rag Mountain nearby and always made a stop at the Emporium, a huge store with furniture (mostly), cement garden type things (bird baths, orgres), and Very Random Other Things on grocery shelves. Occassionally, the lawn by the Emporium had tents, trailers, and a carnival atmosphere with vendors selling hot dogs and slushies. I remember the furniture as gaudy as that you photographed. It was some small town VA, perhaps closer to the Shennandoah Ntl. Park than Mt. Rodgers State Park.
Things that make you go hmmm....
I always enjoy your posts.
--chris
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