Galax 2019

Since 2015, I was interested in attending the Old Fiddlers' Convention - Bluegrass Bands and Oldtime Bands. It started after I saw a video featuring a bluegrass band called No Speed Limit. I was very impressed by the singer, Amber Collins, who is no longer with the band. But the video was more about the event than the band and that's what piqued my interest. Then I read about Galax, Virginia, the World's Capital of Oldtime Mountain Music and the home of the Old Fiddlers' Convention.

All this inspired Norma, Daphne, and me to do a road trip mini-vacation in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina. Our prime motivator for visiting this area was to attend the 84th Annual Old Fiddler's Convention. This is the world's oldest and largest Old Fiddlers' Convention.

Norma, Daphne, and I got a late start. We left after the morning rush hour traffic but before the afternoon traffic. It was a six hour drive to Felts Park in Galax. After finding parking, the three of us went to purchase tickets. But they wouldn't let Daphne in. My heart sunk. A few weeks ago, Norma sent an e-mail to the organizers to inquire about dogs but received no reply. She assumed there wouldn't be a problem with dogs entering because the event was at a public park.

We walked around Galax while we thought about what to do. We passed some pig statues in front of a BBQ restaurant. Daphne didn't know what to think of them.
The town was very nice and people were friendly. According to a sign:
Its original name was Bonaparte, which was changed to Galax, the name of a mountain shrub abundant in the vicinity. In 1904, a spur of the Norfolk and Western Railroad came here, bringing the town into existence. It was incorporated in 1906.

Eventually, we decided to attend the event for a couple hours and leave Daphne in the car. We had a shady spot and could lower the windows a few inches. The sun was also low in the sky. In the parking lot, there was an attendant to help keep an eye on things. I felt bad leaving Daphne behind and couldn't really enjoy the music because I kept thinking of her.

That evening, we checked into our mini-cabin at Fancy Gap Cabins and Campground. The night was cool and our cabin was at a quiet, remote location. I had some of the best sleep I'd ever experienced.

We awoke to a beautiful morning in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just outside our cabin were peach trees with ripe fruit, ready for picking. We ate some for breakfast while we watched a coyote running on the side of a hill. Then we explored the campground. There were some wooded trails but they were not well maintained nor particularly interesting.
We crossed into North Carolina to visit Mount Airy.

If I had to pick a recurring theme for this trip besides music, it would be Andy Griffith. Norma and I are big fans of the Andy Griffith Show. I grew up with it and enjoy watching reruns with Norma. That show largely introduced me (and much of America) to bluegrass when the Dillards were featured as the Darling family. Today I am a bluegrass fan and the Dillards are my favorite bluegrass band.

On this trip, we got to see what influenced Andy Griffith and the writers of his show.

Andy Griffith was born in Mount Airy. In the Andy Griffith Show, he is from the fictional town of Mayberry and the closest town to it is Mount Airy. But the real Mount Airy is a popular tourist destination for fans of the show.

Andy Griffith was a talented musician, earning a Bachelors of Music degree and serving as president of the Univerisity of North Carolina chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, America's oldest fraternity for men in music. On his show, he often played the guitar and sang. He was strongly influenced by the mountain music that was popular in his part of the country...and this music was the reason why Norma and I planned this trip.

We really enjoyed exploring the town. At Wally's Service Station, you can take a squad car tour in a replica of Deputy Barney Fife's or Sheriff Andy's car.
There was no town llama in the Andy Griffith Show but maybe there should have been. Notice that Daphne is sticking her tongue out at the llama.
Here's Norma and Daphne at Wally's Service Station. Someone that works in this building gave Daphne the red bandana she is wearing. It says "Mayberry K-9 Unit" and has the sheriff star logo.
This is Daphne and me in the Mayberry jail. Like Otis, we can leave whenever we want since the key is within reach.
Daphne and I got a taste of what it's like to be Andy. On the back of the "Sheriff" desk sign it reads "Justice of the Peace."
We also stopped in at the Andy Griffith Museum, Siamese Twins Exhibit, Betty Lynn Exhibit, and the Old-Time Music Heritage Hall at the Historic Earle Theatre. There was so much to see there.

The three of us headed back to Galax. Our plan was to do the same thing as yesterday...that is, leave Daphne in the car while we went to hear music at the Old Fiddler's Convention. We could leave the event and return whenever we wanted so Daphne would never be left alone for long...one or both of us would be checking up on her.

But before we left Daphne in the car, we wanted to make sure she got some good exercise. So we walked about two miles on the New River Trail. We started at the southwestern terminus in Galax. This is a 57-mile long rail trail. Don't be surprised if we return with our bicycles and do the whole thing someday and stay at least one night at New River Trail Cabins.

In the below picture, Norma and Daphne are crossing Chestnut Creek.
The creek looked inviting. We pondered doing a boat trip via New River Outdoor Adventures or one of the trips through the state park, but instead we focused on the music and hiking.

After wearing Daphne out a bit, Norma and I went to hear more music at the Fiddlers' Convention.
How was the music? It varied quite a bit.

Prior to this trip, neither of us really knew the difference between old time music and bluegrass. I definitely prefer the latter.

This event was a competition so I'm guessing most of the bands were amateurs. I did not recognize any names.

Almost all the bands were from Virginia or neighboring states. None were from Maryland. But there was one band called the "Wombats" from Australia. They were pretty good.

The name of the event has "fiddle" in it, which I like, but I prefer the banjo.

While I enjoyed the music, I was expecting more. With all they hype, I suppose my expectations were inflated.

In North Carolina, Norma, Daphne, and I walked the 4.5 mile long Stone Mountain Loop in Stone Mountain State Park. This park has several trails but the one we did is the most popular. It was fairly crowded.

We started from the upper trailhead and did this hike as a counter-clockwise loop.

The bare, rocky terrain on Stone Mountain reminded me of parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in northern California.
At the top of this page is Daphne and me on Stone Mountain. According to Blue Ridge Heritage - Stone Mountain State Park, this 600-foot granite dome is estimated to be 300 million years old.

Here's a view of Stone Mountain from the historic Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mountain farm built in the 19th-century. The elevation of the mountain is only 2,305 feet but the summit rises 700 feet from its base.
Daphne and I took a break in the lowland section of our hike near a creek.
Daphne found what I believe is a northern water snake, about three feet long.
I was hoping to get a tongue shot but I missed it.
A lot of people were cooling off at the 200-foot-tall Stone Mountain Falls.
Daphne found this four-foot long eastern diamondback rattlesnake. She stopped to look from a safe distance. I knew from her expression that she found something interesting which prompted me to investigate further. If you compare this photo to the closeup of the other snake, you can see the stereotypical differences between a venomous versus non-venomous snake. Yes, this is venomous.
According to Wikipedia - Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the heaviest, though not the longest, venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake.

We had a hard time getting from Stone Mountain State Park to the Blue Ridge Music Center but we eventually made it in time to hear a little live music from some old timers. Here, I got some authoritative information about bluegrass:
Bluegrass is a concert music developed in the mid-1940s after World War II. Unlike the dance music of the traditional old-time string band, bluegrass is music for listening. It was made possible by microphone technology that enabled the combination of story songs and rural dance band instrumentation. The microphone is essential to bluegrass, and in its own way bluegrass is as technologically dependent as rock and roll. Ballad-style vocals are mixed with a successtion of between-verse instrumental solos, or "breaks," on fiddle, mandolin, banjo, dobro, or guitar.
- from sign at Blue Ridge Music Center
We ate dinner in Hillsville, Virginia at 508 N Brews & Co.. Then we went for a short walk on the Beaver Dam Trail.

On our final day, we were in no rush to get home. We certainly didn't want to hit the northern Virginia or Washington, D.C. traffic. So we took our time and saw plenty of things along the way.

Our first stop was at the Mayberry Trading Post, built in 1892.
How did the writers of the show come up with the name "Mayberry"? I'm not sure but my guess is that they liked the name of the Mayberry Creek Community just 22 miles from Mount Airy, across the border in Virginia. And just 20 miles from where I took this photo is the town of Floyd, Virginia. Coincidence?

I'd heard good things about traditional Appalachian music and dancing on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons at the Floyd Country Store but unfortunately, it was Monday and we were heading home.

Norma, Daphne, and I stopped at Mabry Mill in Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is about 26 miles from Mount Airy, North Carolina, where Andy Griffith is from. So again, there is a possible Mayberry connection since the two words sound similar.

According to park signs:
The Blue Ridge Parkway is the first and longest rural parkway in America. The 469-mile long Parkway extends through the southern Appalachians of Virginia and North Carolina, linking Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Mabry Mill is one of the most photographed sites on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Mabry family first settled the area in 1782, Ed Mabry built the mill more than a century ago.

Walking around, it became obvious why so many people want to take pictures of this area.

Next, Norma, Daphne, and I walked on the scenic 3-mile Black Ridge Trail loop route in the Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia. This trail is one of a set of trails called the Rocky Knob Trails.

On this trail, we saw a plant that looks like a paw paw tree but grows a pod that looks much different than a paw paw fruit. The park ranger could not identify the pod we brought back. Sorry I don't have a photo to show.

It was a nice walk but there was nothing spectacular, though we were able to see views of Rock Castle Gorge and the Piedmont.

We saw a beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly.

Our Black Ridge Trail hike took us through a cow pasture that reminded us a bit of some of the hikes we did in England in 2016 with Sara.

One place I had heard about and was wanting to visit over the last few years is Natural Bridge. So today was my chance.

This huge, rocky arch is a very popular tourist destination. So I was glad it was Monday and the crowds were small. According to a park sign,
The arch is composed of solid grey limestone. It is 215 feet high (55 feet higher than Niagara Falls), 40 feet thick, 100 feet wide, and spans 90 feet between the massive walls. The rocks that compose the bridge are early Ordovician, about 500 million years old.
According to another park sign,
This was Nature's working material. Her tool, Cedar Creek. A simple mountain stream flowing towards the sea. With these, Nature achieved her miracle.
Here, Cedar Creek winds around the boulders that comprise Natural Bridge.
According to a park sign,
About 1812, workmen from the Saltpeter Cave heard the waters of the Lost River, and blasted the opening to it that you see today. A water main was attached to transport water to the hoppers and kettles used to extract the nitrate from the cave.
Legend has it that, in later years, several unsuccessful attempts were made to locate the underground channels of the Lost River. Colored dyes and flotation devices of all types have failed to determine the source and final destination of this mysterious subterranean river.
The 30-foot tall cascading Lace Falls was within view at the end of Cedar Creek Trail in Natural Bridge State Park.
Swimming across Cedar Creek, we saw what I believe was a three foot long northern water snake, right under Natural Bridge.

What other wildlife did we spot?

Our last stop was a Monacan Village where we spoke to one of the tribal members.

I very much enjoyed our trip. I love the southern hospitality of the people, the small towns, and the slower pace of life.

The music was good but I think I preferred the West Virginia Barbeque and Bluegrass Festival, also known as Pickin' in the Panhandle, which I attended in 2009 and 2010. Sadly, I don't believe that exists anymore.

Next year, we plan to attend the Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival. Since it will be in Washington, D.C., it certainly won't have the bluegrass feel of something in the Blue Ridge Mountains but the commute will probably take about an eighth as long.
As of 2024, we still haven't been to the Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival. Unfortunately, their website says
Cancelled Due to Concerns of Coronavirus.

The pandemic ended so I really don't know if this festival is returning. Lesson learned: don't procrastinate!