Sometimes, experiences...and places...are just so treasured and held dear, that they have to be repeated. For my side of the family, that was/is the yearly trek to our valley in Colorado. For the Virginia Pedersen clan, Cass, WV is quickly becoming that place.
Cass, WV was cemented in our family's hearts with our first trip there last year. Click here to read that post. As we drove away...and for weeks afterwards....Jeffery was adamant that Oma and Papa should join us the next time we went to Cass. He was certain that they would love it as much as he did/does. So....last Christmas, Dave and I approached my parents with the offer of joining us on a trip to Cass this summer...and within short order, they happily agreed. They decided to make an almost month long road trip of it; seeing parts of the southern US like Natchez and Savannah and Charleston, staying with us for a week, and then traveling through the midwest to see family. All told, they traveled 6,400 miles. Whew!
But I digress. Jeffery had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Oma and Papa would be arriving at our house....in their car....and that we wouldn't be picking them up from the airport. But arrived they did and we had a nice weekend.
We made my parents swear that they wouldn't let Jeffery and Jakob know of the real reason they were visiting....only 6 weeks after they had last been here in April. We have found that in dealing with exciting adventures, it is best to keep the boys in the dark for as long as possible. You don't deal with the questions or the poor nap times/bedtimes that way. :)
Oma went to Mass with us and then she and Jeffery made Ginger Snap cookies....because all Harris/Pedersen vacations require freshly baked cookies. :)
And then, early Monday morning, we loaded up the cars and left for Pocahontas County, WV. Oma and Papa are very brave souls. They insisted that the boys drive with them in their car. Dave and I had a 3.5 hour car ride by ourselves. It was BLISSFUL! We talked about Hebrew scripture and the Pentateuch, the upcoming Brexit vote, and ideas for summer day trips with the boys. All without them chiming in. Now, each car had a walk-talkie so we could communicate with each other and Jeffery had a grand time using his NASCAR lingo on his device but aside from the few interruptions, it was just 3.5 hours of conversation with Dave. BLISS!
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| Jeffery doing his "I just won a NASCAR race" impersonation out of Oma and Papa's sunroof. |
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| Exploring Shay #3....a display engine |
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| Exploring Cass |
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| Enjoying the beautiful playground on the banks of the Greenbrier River |
The following morning was beautiful. Oma worked on her crossword puzzles (seriously....those confound me), I sipped my coffee, the boys ran up and down the boardwalks...and we prepared for a fun day.
Papa, Dave, Jeffery, and Jakob all rode the train to Whitacre Station that day....the short excursion. Jeffery was so excited for Papa and Oma to see the train come in to the depot, hear the whistle, and show them the gears. He was definitely in his element.
Mom and I waved goodbye to everyone and then we jumped in the car for our own adventure.
Being in the car right next to the locomotive was a little intense for Jakob...but everyone had an amazing time.
And everyone came home covered in train soot. Dave had to give Jeffery a bath immediately upon returning to the cabin. (I think the picture below may be one of my favorites of him ever taken.)
Mom and I headed back into Virginia. About an hour and 15 minutes away, is the historic Homestead Hotel in Hot Springs, VA. Dave and I (and Jeffery) went a long time ago just to check it out and I knew my mom would love the country and the grounds. So I suggested we have our own little adventure and go explore. I will tell you....there isn't much to explore in Hot Springs. Not much at all. But we had a lovely time poking around the hotel. We had a delightful lunch overlooking the grounds....where I had the best white sangria I've ever had....and then we drove back to Cass. Mom drove...and she says it was the most fun road she's ever driven on. We both were wishing for a sporty convertible...and she's determined to go back with dad sometime in the fall. We had a great day!
Nights at Cass are peaceful and relaxing. After dinner, you venture outside to watch the fireflies and to see the deer come up in to the woods across the street. We had beautiful weather during our stay...some nights were down in the low 40's and the days were in the 60's and 70's. The skies were brilliant and it was, as my dad calls it, "Chamber of Commerce Weather". :)
The following day was spent taking the tour at the Green Bank Telescope....the Largest Movable Structure on Earth. Mom and Dad were floored at what they learned and just thought the whole day was fantastic. The boys loved riding the bus again....and you should hear Jakob say "telescope". :)
Our last full day in Cass was a big one. As an entire family, we took the train to Bald Knob....the 5 hour excursion and the one that we'd never done. Jeffery's been talking about going to Balduh Knobuh (his pronunciation) since last summer....and you should have seen the jig he did upon learning of our destination that day. Pure joy!
Bald Knob is the 3rd highest peak in WV....at something like 4K+ feet. (Don't laugh you west coasters.) On clear days, like the absolutely gorgeous day we had, you can see the Green Bank Telescope in the valley below....and mountains in Virginia and Pennsylvania. It was stunning. And it was such a great trip.
That night, we ventured up a mountain to the popular Snowshoe Resort for dinner. I've always heard about Snowshoe while living in VA....but, to be honest, expected a "Snowbowl in Flagstaff" scenario. A lodge with a ski lift and that would be about it. Imagine my surprise....imagine how all of us were surprised...to find a mini Vail or Aspen, Colorado but on top of the mountain instead of at the bottom. It was amazing! And the views were beautiful! Next time we go back, we are definitely spending more time at Snowshoe!
And then...just like that....it was time for everyone to part ways. My parents traveled on to Chicago the next day, while we went home. Our little "cabin" had been perfect for 6 people. It had been homey and comfortable and fun and relaxing and supplied everything we needed. Aside from Dave beating everyone at Settlers of Catan for the 5th straight time (he took a broom around the house, obnoxiously pointing out that he had swept us all)....it was just a magical vacation that was everything we had hoped it would be. When including other family members who are coming a long way to join you on a vacation, you just cross your fingers that everything is perfect. And truly....it was. The weather, the location, hearing the mournful and haunting whistles of the trains throughout the day, the food, the experiences, Oma and Papa sharing this experience with their grandsons....it was all just absolutely perfect.
So....goodbye Cass! You can be assured that we will be returning!!!!!! The Virginia Pedersen (and the Harris) clan love you so!
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