From Grandma's Lace!!

Last weekend our Harley Group headed to the mountains of NC for the annual Station's Inn trip.  It's a time for food, fun, fellowship and riding.  This year Harley Man was the Road Captain for one of the group rides and we decided to head back to Floyd, Va with 25 of our H.O.G. friends.  We wanted the chance to share all we found in Floyd on our first trip!

The first time we visited Floyd, I entered a little shop, New Mountain Mercantile, full of pottery treasures and more.  I fell in love with the lace-impressed stoneware pottery displayed in the store but didn't purchase any...why, I have no clue!!!  I found the pieces to be so beautiful and reminiscent of the lace patterns my grandma had around her house.  Once we returned home, I regretted not owning a piece of that pottery.  Hindsight, as they say....

This time I was determined to purchase at least one piece.  Actually, I wanted to purchase several pieces but space was limited on the motorcycle so I settled on a small pottery piece...a coffee cup.  To me it is just unique pottery and I plan to return one more time...in a car...so I can purchase a few more pieces plus a piece of two from another potter.

My photo doesn't do it justice!!

The stoneware is from Blue Heron Pottery and made by Jayn Avery in Floyd.  The clay actually looks like cloth and Jayn uses lace (many of which belonged to her grandmother) to make impressions in the clay.  When I first saw the pieces, I thought they were actually cloth made to look like lace!! The way this potter molds and folds the clay is so unique and if you didn't look closely you'd swear it was cloth!  This is pottery made to display.  Even better, her pieces are food, oven and dishwasher safe.  Just beautiful craftsmanship!!

If you'd like to see her pottery, go to http://blueheronpotterystudio.com/ or go to Blue Heron Pottery on Facebook.  I can't wait to return because these are two more pieces I so wanted to buy!  Maybe one day I can commission a piece made from my own pieces of lace!



She'll Be Riding In The Mountains

I don't know about you but for me I love to discover places in the mountains to visit!!  It's just totally amazing what lies in those hills!  If you leave Tuggle's Gap and continue on Hwy 8 you'll arrive in the small town of Floyd, Virginia.  Floyd is filled with food, crafts, music, refreshments and places to stay. 

We decided to visit Floyd (based on all my prior research lol) to do a little sightseeing and discovery.  Floyd is so quaint and I couldn't wait to walk around once we parked the "bikes".  With a population of 432 people, Floyd is full of local talent!  Our discovery of downtown took us inside the Community Market which was closing up for the day but allows local artisans to exhibit their work; inside The Republic of Floyd Emporium where you can find beer/wine selections from all over the world; inside Floyd's Country Store where they serve up pintos and cornbread-have nightly music sessions-have all types of locally made items, inside Hotel Floyd where you can stay in one of 14 themed rooms filled with local furniture and artwork; inside New Mountain Mercantile where local artwork and pottery is sold; inside Nancy's Candy where you stroll around inside a true candy store filled with locally made truffles, flavored fudge and so much more; inside Blue Ridge Restaurant where you find delicious home cooking for lunch; inside Dogtown Roadhouse where you can sit down to enjoy a "refreshment" or woodfire pizza; inside The Station filled with various businesses featuring local furniture/crafts/artwork, inside Oddfella's Cantina which serves lunch and dinner while local musicians entertain you and so much more!!!!!  Floyd also plays host to Floyd Artisan Trail Tour (June 10-15), Floyd Fandango Wine and Beer Festival (July 3-4) and Floyd Fest X (July 28-31), Mountain Music Jams (on Sunday afternoons) and more during the year.

After a good night's sleep, we were up early and eating a delicious breakfast at Tuggle's Gap Restaurant (the french toast is delicious with a hot cup of coffee and some orange juice).  Then it was time to check out and head down the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We stopped at Rakes Mill Pond to look for trout (where mill customers waiting for their grist could fish), then Mayberry Trading Post (once a post office built in 1892) where you can buy delicious apple pies like grandma makes, then Meadows of Dan to fill the bikes up at  Poor Farmers Market (they have gorgeous plants, local produce, cornmeal...you name it-they have it) and guess what.... next door is Nancy's Candy candy factory-where all that delicious fudge I bought in Floyd is made!!!

Once we'd filled the bikes up and finished our snack, it was time to head on down the Parkway for a leisurely ride home.  If you want a beautiful place to visit and love a small town atmosphere...Floyd, Virginia is the place to go.  Just be sure you travel on the Blue Ridge Parkway at some point to discover other sights to see!!  You won't regret the trip one bit!!!!!