Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast Coffee Talk

B and B Etiquette and True Guest Stories

2009-11-16T11:01:00.022-05:00

B&B Etiquette and True Favorite Guest Stories - yea really truly...

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is family owned and operated – meaning cleaning, bookings, yard work, phone calls, cooking, banking, errands, food shopping, vacuuming, pruning, mowing, website maintenance, marketing, painting, renovations and restorations etc is all done by your innkeepers Shellie and Tony (and their two daughters when time allows away from Marching Band 3 hour daily practices, music lessons, homework, reading, walking Junie B Jones our dog and other household chores).

Another inn-mate of mine is going to blog about B&B Etiquette and I don’t want to ruffle any feathers so I will keep it simple then tell a few true guest stories – our guests always love hearing guest stories.

First and foremost – if you cannot check in at check in time, please call BEFORE check in time to let us know, that is prior to 4pm. We have no problem at all with late check ins, we have them all the time, to make your drive less stressful and our wait less stressful – just give us a call. Remember we are up early preparing breakfast, working all day and if you check in at 11pm – we will be asleep – guaranteed. zzzzzzzz
Second – this is your lodging, please come and go as you please – you will have the access code to the front door and enjoy yourselves! Just make sure you show for breakfast – if you can’t make it just let us know the night before or early. Or else the yummy food will be wasted and the cook unhappy (that would be me).
Third – we don’t bombard you with little notes all over the inn, so use common sense and you will be fine. We’re casual here.

Now for the true favorite guest stories – gee where should I start? I have quite a few...but not a lot of space here so I will just give you a handful.

The Sleep Walker. We know she was sleep walking as someone mentioned they are messy-sleep-eaters those sleep walkers. We awoke to her banging on our innkeeper quarter’s door at 3am in only a tshirt and undies asking if we had seen her son? Was he in THERE with us? No, we told her, no one in here but us innkeepers. She was obviously not all there, had a kind of glazed look on her face and proceeded to go into the parlor to munch on her snack

s and soda and then wandered back up to bed, leaving abig mess on the coffee table behind, never mentioning it again. Just suffice it to say Tony avoided her the next day as much as he could. My father – always the kidder, called and sang Mrs Robinson into the phone to Tony just to give him the mickey.

The Make Up Artiste.

The lovely guest with the truckload of makeup and accessories. Her husband made exhausting trip after trip from the car (or was it a bus?) with case after case or makeup bags, implements and beauty products. She woke up at 3am (we know as the bathroom is over our bedroom) and began the process, he came down at 9am for breakfast to join the other guests, and just brought coffee back to her from time to time. Oddly enough when she “appeared” she did not visibly look like she had any make up on. She was a true artist!

The Broken Bed. Cell phones are wonderful things, and thankfully we do have excellent coverage here. At 2am we get the embarrassed call. “Um, um, we broke the bed” he said quietly stuttering into the phone. Once again, Tony to the rescue. He races up to inspect the damage – the mattress had fallen down through the slats on this king sized bed. He quickly races out to the shop and comes back with a 5 gallon bucket. A bucket? You are thinking? What the!

Our dear friend who is Battalion Chief in the Tacoma Fire Dept presented us with a slide show years ago of the Oklahoma City bombing to which he responded as FEMA. One of the photos showed half the building being held up by a simple 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot. Never underestimate the strength of a simple bucket and inngenuity!

Mr Ten Towels. He was a very eccentric movie producer here filming a documentary. He told me he must have at minimum ten towels to stay here. Why? He did not say, nor did he ever say. I provided the towels and pictured a trail of them from his bed to the shower and back. I never did find out why he required ten towels. He was an enigma.

The Special Ops Recruiter – still a mystery to me. He was retired special ops and a saturation diver, in other words - he was one tough cookie! He recruited other retired Navy Seals and Army Rangers to deliver armored equipment to Afghanistan to our troops - while there, he said they ran a few maneuvers just for fun. He was a very interesting fellow and at check in when I asked what time he wanted coffee in the morning, I already knew the answer…5am. Okay sure thing, I said. The only issue with super early coffee is waking up other rooms. He assured me THAT would never happen. I believed him. Of course being a very old house, the stairs creak like an oversized elephant stomping going down them, even for a 90 pound weakling, and this man was no weakling let me assure you, he was a big guy. I came in at 6am and the pot was drained…I had envisioned him sliding down the banister in stealth mode.

Honey Leave Me Be. Showering in another guest room, yes, you read that correctly. When I caught the dude and said “WHY? JUST TELL ME WHY?!” His humble reply “My wife was in our shower and she said to leave her be."

Lock Your Doors. Here come the Alaskan honeymooners - the reason we keep all of our doors locked on unoccupied rooms. Many guests want to see the other guest rooms and find it strange that we, and other innkeepers keep the other rooms locked up. It takes well over an hour to clean a guest room after a guest checks out, what will we have to do when we find another guest has used all the beds in other rooms? Yes, this is a true story. So please don’t take it personal when you find the other rooms locked up tight.

VIRGINIA IS FOR B&B LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Fly Fishing - The New Wonder Drug

2009-11-15T18:57:00.005-05:00

Diary of a Fly Fishing Novice

Fly Fishing - The New Wonder Drug By: Dennis Von Linden

I was too busy to see it, but my family sure did. I was becoming a grouch, gaining weight, burned out from working 30 years for a large pharmaceutical company. My wife decided that it was time for this NJ boy to take a trip down to Virginia to visit our oldest son at James Madison University (Go Dukes!) and to wander the back roads to get away for awhile. So we loaded up the truck and down route 81 we went. It was in Virginia that I discovered the secret elixir that actually reverses aging. The fountain of youth called fly fishing. I’ve always loved fishing with my Dad, but as time rolled on and deadlines loomed, trips become few & far between. Getting to the Jersey shore to enjoy surf casting or party boat fishing became increasingly difficult. Work timelines seemed to replace tight fishing lines more often than not.

“If you're too busy to go fishing, you're too busy”
Jed Clampett

One winter, while sitting in Barnes & Noble, sipping a Café Mocha, I happened upon an article in a magazine about fly fishing and became intrigued. Actually it was a picture that drew my attention to the article. A man, standing next to a frozen waterfall, fishing. I thought, wow, I’d love to be there right now. It appealed to me on several levels. First, it was fishing. Second there was an aesthetic quality about it. The beauty of the hand tied flies and the natural places they could take you. Lastly was the solitude. Coming from the metropolitan area, I would love to just stand knee high in a river and get away from it all. Away from everyone!

I normally try to do things on my own through research and practice. But getting older and less patient, I broke down and decided to book a fly fishing guide to speed up the learning curve. There was a shop in Harrisonburg Va., the same town that JMU was in. I called to book a date. The young man on the other end of the phone asked questions for several minutes. To better understand what type of client I would be, I latter found out. My wife mentioned I talked longer to him on the phone than I normally do with her. He learned I was a novice and would be content with any fly fishing experience he could provide. Well, it rained hard for 2 days before my trip. When I called to confirm the day before, he said he cancelled all his other appointments. The rivers would be too swollen and the experienced flyers probably wouldn’t be satisfied with the current conditions. I on the other hand, would take any fishing I could get and was still on. He took me up to the mountains of the Winter Green Ski resort where we fished a small but fast moving river for Native Brook Trout. The rough water would act as good cover for a novice. He taught me the subtleties of ‘high sticking’, proper fly presentation and the hand work needed to land these lighting quick fish. I’m proud to say I landed 6 native Brookies that day, I’m not proud to say how many I missed. But I can say that these fish are the most beautifully colored creatures one could hope to lay eyes on. Not many people would say a fish is pretty, but the dark green backgrounds with yellow and pink dots, some with blue halos are exquisite. After my lesson, I came to the realization that I had not thought about work or deadlines all day. I was completely focused on these ‘purty lil fish.’ I spent a whole day without tension, heartburn, and no stress headache. This Fly Fishing beats pharmaceuticals any day and no side effects or hefty insurance bills to boot! Could this be the new wonder drug everyone is searching for?

“Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after”
Henry David Thoreau

My son’s sophomore year we decided to hit the back country roads again. This time after visiting the future biology teacher at JMU, we wound up in Syria Virginia. Home to Graves Mountain lodge, Syria Mercantile and the Rose and Rapadan rivers. I signed up for a two day fly fishing school offered at the lodge to further my education and my relaxing. Each day consisted of an hour of slides in the classroom (lounge) and 5 hours out on the Rapadan River, way up in the mountains of the Shenandoah National Park. The 30 minute drive up into the park was rough, and we left paved roads and all signs of civilization behind quite quickly. Along the way we actually had to stop and move fallen trees off the road to pass. Once we arrived at the guide’s spot, the hike down into the river was even more physical. But once you descended into the ravine, all other thoughts seem to fade away. The sound of rushing river water being pushed left and right by car sized boulders and ancient trees was just awe inspiring. I found myself taking breaks from the fishing to just sit and take in the sounds and the scenery. The river’s music was more than any i-pod could aspire to.

I had quite a day, catching and releasing several fish. I’m learning more each time out. Unlike the last time I fished, in a rain gorged river and turbulent water, here I actually had to stalk the fish like I was hunting. Climbing behind boulders, casting into clear calm pools of pristine water, trying not to spook the Brookies. You can’t always see them, but their there. If you don’t believe me, just stick your head out from behind the boulder and you’ll see several fish dart for cover. Now that you just calmed that pool for a half hour, might as well move on to the next one. After landing several Brookies and covering about a quarter mile of what seemed like Pleistocene epoch terrain, I decided to hike back up to my truck. As I ascended out of the river and up the ravine, I noticed there were downed trees everywhere. Turns out a recent Nor’easter took the tops of many of the older dying trees. They were scattered about like a giant bunch of Pick-Up-Stix® . It seems one of the prevalent trees to the Blue Ridge Skyline, the Eastern Hemlock is being systematically destroyed by an invasive bug from Asia called the hemlock woolly Adelgid. This slow growing, 160 foot giant may have met its match in these tiny little bugs. It was first observed in 1988 but is now in all sections of the Blue Ridge and threatens to eliminate all eastern hemlock stands in the park. Hopefully Biologists can find a way to save these beautiful native evergreen trees.

As I was climbing up over a huge tree, I found myself perched on the trunk, facing a giant rock with a large hole excavated out from underneath it. As I straddled the tree in my waders trying not to snap the tip of my pole, I began to hear rustling from underneath the rock. I remember thinking, oh no, please lord, not a bear, not a bobcat, and before I could get my legs over, it jumped out on to the log next to me, looked at me for a second then jumped off the tree and sailed across the river. It covered the ground that just took me 30 minutes of bush whacking, in 30 seconds. What had just made me fill my waders with liquid other than river water was a huge turkey. I had never seen one in the wild before. I was quite impressed with its size and its flying ability. My heart was racing but I realized I had a big smile on my face (something that doesn’t happen much anymore). As I waited for my pulse to slow down I peeked under the rock and found a large round nest of twigs and leaves with a clutch of large speckled eggs neatly arranged. I pulled my camera out of its waterproof pouch and snapped a few pics for the great ‘fish’ story I would be able to tell. My first day on the river was eventful and had gone by quick. I didn’t even think to eat the lunch I packed. But I also didn’t think about things back at the office, and that was a plus.

“Fly fishing helps you understand just how important your big, real life problems… aren’t”
Keith Myers

The second day on the river I caught and released a few more Brookies. I used both dry flys and nymphs. I even honed my skill at anticipating the strike and setting the hook rather than ‘corn fielding’ the fish (setting the hook so hard the lil’ guy gets airborne and flung across the river). As I was enjoying the scenery I thought to myself, I could get used to this fly fishing thing. Being out in God’s country, taking in the vistas, catching a fish here and there and all the while, lowering my blood pressure. I’m not sure why insurance companies don’t reimburse their clients for fly fishing trips. Doctors should start writing brook trout prescriptions as preventative medicine. If you get a chance to visit the Shenandoah National Park, it’s well worth the trip. But be prepared. It’s not for the weak of shock absorber or the weak of knee. Hiking up and down to the river with waders and fishing gear was no easy stroll…but it may be one of the most rewarding experiences you ever have. It may even make you smile again.

“Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God”
Tony Blake

Note from your Innkeeper Shellie at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast - Roanoke is actually the end of The Shenandoah Valley. Our Franklin County is on the eastern slopes of The Blue Ridge Mountains - the foothills. There is great fly fishing near here on the Pigg River at Waid Homestead - this is about 8 miles from us, and also the Smith River where they catch citation brown trout. Smith River: great tailwater, good hatches in trophy section. While the little brook trout are indeed lovely, it’s the tawny gold browns below Philpott Dam that have earned the Smith River a place on the nation’s list of well-known tailwater fisheries. For 15 miles, the chill waters issuing from the base of this 200-foot dam nurture brown and rainbow trout, providing a year-round fishery. Species: Brown, rainbow. Angling methods: spin, bait, and fly-fishing. (Click here for more info on the Smith River)

VIRGINIA IS FOR FLY FISH LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Article from Virginiawind.com click here

Best Punkin' Pie and Other Punkin' Desserts

2009-11-13T09:46:00.007-05:00

CAKES

COOKIES

PIES

Your innkeeper at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast will attempt to go pumpkinny this November and December and make a few of these recipes. If you try any, please drop me a line and let me know how they are!

VIRGINIA IS FOR PUMPKIN LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Recipes Courtesy of http://www.recipe4living.com

Cahas Mountain: you say kuh-hoss I say kuh-Hayze

2009-11-11T19:23:00.011-05:00

Blue Ridge Country

"The highest to which man can attain is wonder." ............Goethe

Cahas Mountain Summit - Virginia Mountain Peak Information

Cahas Mountain is a mountain summit in Franklin County in the state of Virginia (VA). Cahas Mountain climbs to 3,553 feet (1,082.95 meters) above sea level. Cahas Mountain is located at latitude - longitude coordinates (also called lat - long coordinates or GPS coordinates) of N 37.11736 and W -80.015592.

Anyone attempting to climb Cahas Mountain and reach the summit should look for detailed information on the Cahas Mountain area in the topographic map (topo map) and the Callaway USGS quad. To hike and explore the Virginia outdoors near Cahas Mountain, check the list of nearby trails.

Peak Type: Summit

Latitude: 37.11736

Longitue: -80.015592

Peak Elevation: 3,553 feet (1,082.95 m)

Nearest City: Boones Mill (4.8 miles away)

View Cahas Topo map here info from here.

A different kind of mountain

Compared to many of the peaks that surround the Roanoke Valley, Cahas (it's pronounced ka-HAZE) is unusual. The mountain is utterly rural, unlike peaks closer to Roanoke, which suburban sprawl is gnawing away. A threadlike Wade's Gap Road climbs and descends Cahas with serpentine twists and hairpin turns. At midday on a Saturday, hardly any cars passed us on our way up the mountain or, a bit later, on our way down.

There's a good chance Cahas will stay that way. In 1996, the federal government designated the mountain a Rural Historic District; since then, little seems to have changed. Cattle pastures claim most of the Callaway (south) side, and apple orchards dominate the Naff (north) side. The gaps of land between the occasional farmhouses are large and open.

The mountain had fleeting fame, back in April 1996, when it separated the men from the boys during a 113-mile stage in the Tour DuPont. Lance Armstrong, who in future years would win two (update from Shellie - he's now won SEVEN) Tour de Frances, won that particular race from Mount Airy, N.C. to Roanoke. Cahas was the first of two tough mountains the cyclists climbed before wrapping up the race in downtown Roanoke. The other was Lynville Mountain.

More recently, Gabel, his hand-built home and the amazing stone tower have put Cahas in the news. In a story last year, the 47-year-old bachelor told The Roanoke Times' that he's put about $19,000 into it. That doesn't include the thousands of hours he spent collecting the rocks from a nearby creek and hauling them up the mountain in a beat-up car, or building it. When it's complete, he plans to let families and married couples use it.

"The greatest purpose I have for this is to bring people together,'' he told the newspaper. As a teacher, he says he sees the harmful effects of families whose members don't communicate and don't spend enough time together.

Gabel is a quiet and friendly guy who doesn't seem to mind visitors and likes to show off his unusual work. When we stopped along the road at the top of the mountain to rest, we couldn't see his tower through the trees. But he could hear us talking, and shouted an invitation to visit. It was the highlight of the ride.

The ride

From Roanoke, take U.S. 220 south to Boones Mill. We parked on the side of a small road directly behind the Texaco gas station and convenience store on the right side of 220. Bethlehem Road intersects U.S. 220 here, and it's where you'll begin the ride. Warning: the first three miles of the ride has hardly any shoulder and a fair amount of traffic. But the cars thin out soon afterwards. There is one convenience store on the left at around the 15-mile point.

Information from Karma of Cahas by Dan Casey

From the Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 139 Cahas Mountain Overlook. The scenic route to Cahas Mountain from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is via Grassy Hill Road - Grassy Hill is the small mountain you can see from our parking area or from The Cascade Room or Sierra Suite (better known mountains). It is approx 11 miles to Cahas Mountain in Boones Mill from Rocky Mount. If you don't plan on riding or climbing it, I suggest you view it especially in the Fall for some jaw dropping views. Virginia will do that to you - take your breath away!

VIRGINIA IS FOR BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Top fall pic courtesy of Sean Pecor his blog is here.

Coming up at Kirk Avenue Music Hall in Downtown Roanoke

2009-11-10T11:22:00.009-05:00

Jer Coons
Wednesday, November 11, 7:30 pm $5
http://www.myspace.com/jercoons

Make sure you catch this rising star at Kirk Ave!

Jer Coons is instantly familiar and engaging. (His songs) all stand alone as well-executed pop songs, crafted with maturity well beyond Jer's years. His backing band of musicians - keep the songs radio friendly without playing anything they can't recreate live; a feat that many bands spend their whole career trying to achieve.

Movement Magazine

Jer Coons could definitely be Mr. Mraz's voice twin... Both sing laid back summery songs. Both have a soothing tone to their voice...the song Legs is a warm acoustic ode to losing the one you love to someone else. Another highlight is the catchy Secrets, which just has one of those great melodies. Digging for Days

USAF Heritage of America Band
Thursday, November 12, 7:00 FREE

http://www.heritageofamericaband.af.mil/

The Gibson Brothers with Trent Wagler & The Steel Wheels
Friday, November 13, 7:30 $10
http://www.gibsonbrothers.com/
http://www.trentwagler.com

Bluegrass fans: Do NOT miss The Gibson Brothers or Trent Wagler & The Steel Wheels. Come see why everyone raves about them:

"The Gibson Brothers have not only revisited their previous high watermarks, but have also thrillingly exceeded them." Bob Allen, Bluegrass Unlimited

"Beautiful. Timeless. Wrenching." Bill Eichenberger, Columbus Dispatch

"The Gibson Brothers deliver their tales of rural life with a mixture of pain and joy that rings truer than the romanticism of most bluegrass." Geoffrey Himes, Washington Post

"A new musical high." Ron Wynn, Nashville City Paper

"This record is incredible.” Juli Thanki, PopMatters

Bill Kirchen and the Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods
Saturday, November 14, 8:00 $15
http://billkirchen.com

Bill Kirchen was the first to play Kirk Avenue Music Hall, for LOTS of good reasons. All it takes is a spin of Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods or a night with Bill Kirchen as he tears the roof off any place he appears to agree with what the Austin American-Statesman says: “Bill Kirchen rules. It’s just that simple.”

Tenderhooks, The Circus, The Judys
Sunday, November 15, 7:30 $5
http://www.myspace.com/tenderhooks

The Tenderhooks create "classic, timeless songs that belie their tender ages. Like the best bands, they are a product of their influences (which range from Pere Ubu to Emmylou Harris), yet sound like none of them. Their third and latest release, New Ways to Butcher English, is an artistic triumph..." Metro Pulse

Next Week:

Chris Knight

Wednesday, November 18, 7:30 $20

http://www.myspace.com/chrisknightmusic

http://www.chrisknight.net/

Christabel & the Jons

Thursday, November 19, 7:30 $10

http://www.myspace.com/christabelmusic

Robbin Thompson

Saturday, November 21, 8:00 $15

http://www.robbinthompson.com/

Check out more upcoming great shows at www.kirkavenuemusic.com. Also remember to tune into Roanoke's great new radio station: 101.5 The Music Place!!

Reserve your seats with Gary at kirkavenue@gmail.com.

Directions to Kirk Avenue. 22 Kirk Ave. Roanoke, VA 24016 | Phone: 540-589-0546| Email: kirkavenue@gmail.com

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is just 25 minutes drive to Kirk Avenue Music Hall, there is onstreet free parking and a lot directly across the narrow street for $2 after hours. There are plenty of super restaurants downtown Roanoke. We recommend Alejandro's for CA style Mexican food with their salsa bar, fish tacos and more (127 Campbell Ave SE, Roanoke).

Mill Mountain Coffee is our #1 pick for a great cuppa- just two doors down from Alejandro's which is close to the Market Square in downtown Roanoke (112 Campbell Ave SE, Roanoke) . Remember - the city lots offer free parking after 5PM each evening.

VIRGINIA IS FOR MILL MOUNTAIN COFFEE LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

What are YOU doing this weekend?

2009-11-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

Fresh Original Traditional Straight Ahead Bluegrass

Fiddlin’ For the Free Clinic

Saturday Nov 14th!

Exciting news for all you bluegrass and country music lovers on November 14th at Franklin Co. High School Auditorium there will a concert to benefit the Franklin County Free Clinic.

Who will be performing? Bluegrass legend Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice will be the highlight of ”Fiddlin’ for the Free Clinic”.

There will also be music from several area bluegrass bands and health and safety booths available that provide health care screenings. This will be part of the Free Clinic’s all-day expo to raise awareness about the clinic and to encourage donations to keep the clinic running.

Tickets for the concert are $5, with all the proceeds going to the clinic. For more info. call 540-489-7500 ext 5. Anyone interested in making a donation to the Free Clinic of Franklin County can also call that number or mail a donation to the clinic at: 200 Dent Street, Suite C P.O. Box 764 Rocky Mount, VA, 24151

With growing numbers of people affected by economic distress the Free Clinic has added expenses in trying to keep offering services at little to no cost to persons in need. This concert will not only help the Clinic and those in need of their help, but also promises to be a ton of fun for those of you who love music.

You can walk to Franklin County High School from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast - the walk back up the hill will get your blood pumpin'.

A little bit about Junior Sisk and Rambler's Choice:

2009 IBMA AWARD NOMINEES

Junior Sisk "MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR"

Junior Sisk And Ramblers Choice "EMERGING ARTIST"

"Blue Side Of The Blue Ridge" "ALBUM OF THE YEAR"

"Leavin' Baker County" "SONG OF THE YEAR" Listen to them here.

VIRGINIA IS FOR JUNIOR SISK LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Information from http://www.smithmountainhomes.com/news/

Visit The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail

2009-11-08T10:56:00.005-05:00

The Dixie Bee Liners "Down On The Crooked Road" music video

Visit The Dixie Bee Liners Website here. We have permission from Brandi Hart to play their music for our guests here at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. Check out our listing of local wing dings and toe tappin' events on our music events page.

Rocky Mount is the start of The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail. We are one block from the Depot and the first roadside kiosk on this cultural music trail. Visit the website here.

VIRGINIA IS FOR CROOKED ROAD LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Family of former soldier discovers precious keepsake

2009-11-07T11:59:00.011-05:00

New Testament contains letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Mary Michaelsen was going through an old box of photos she found among her mother's things when she came upon a treasure. It was a small New Testament belonging to her grandfather John Spreng.

"I love to collect old Bibles and books," said Michaelsen of Moneta.

When she opened the worn-looking book, she became excited. On the first page, there was a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed to U.S. Armed Forces members.

"I was just so impressed by a president taking the time," said Michaelsen. "I've never seen that done before. As commander-in-chief, I think that's such an amazing thing."

The Bibles, commonly known as Soldier's Bibles, were distributed by the Gideons to servicemen before they were deployed overseas during World War II. Similar pocket-sized Bibles were distributed by various organizations, some with letters from the seated presidents, throughout America's history, from the Civil War through the current wars in the Middle East.

Spreng received his New Testament courtesy of his sister Elizabeth on Aug. 1, 1942, according to writing on the inside cover. By then, he had long since left the military and was working as a night watchman for Doubleday Publishing Corp. in New York.

Michaelsen said her grandfather was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1918 during World War I. He was 32 and his wife was pregnant with their first child. When he returned home one year later, he spent one month at Ellis Island to be checked for diseases. By the time Spreng saw his firstborn, she was 6 months old.

Although Spreng wasn't living in foxholes when he received the pocket-sized New Testament, Michaelsen said it appears he still read it often. The pages are yellowed and the words "New Testament" and "Psalms" and the Gideon stamp on the cover are barely legible.

Michaelsen said it was a treasure for the entire family, including her mother Margaret (Spreng) Winter. She's 88 years old and since her husband died about 10 years ago, Winter spends half the year in Moneta with Michaelsen and the other half in Florida with another daughter.

Winter's belongings were split between the two homes, among them the photo box where Michaelsen found the New Testament.

"I guess it was a keepsake for him," she said. "My grandparents were great Christian people."

Now it's a keepsake Michaelsen will one day pass on.

(Note from your Innkeeper - I wanted to share this heartwarming local story with y'all. Moneta is on the North side of Smith Mountain Lake - approx 40 minutes drive from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. Moneta is where they filmed the movie starring Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray 'What about Bob.' It is also home to the newly created Mayberry Drive in - with old 50's diner. It is a huge retirement area on our Smith Mountain Lake. HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY TO ALL OUR VETS!)
VIRGINIA IS FOR KEEPSAKE LOVERS
Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

By Laurie Edwards courtesy of SmithMountainLake.com. Photos courtesy of Mary Michaelson

Birthplace of Country Music: Bristol Tennessee-Virginia

2009-11-06T16:43:00.014-05:00

Bristol has long been known as a hub for traditional mountain music. In the summer of 1927, Ralph Peer, a record producer from Victor Talking Machine Company, traveled to Bristol and set up a portable recording studio four blocks east of this location. During his twelve days in Bristol, Mr. Peer recorded seventy-six songs by nineteen different acts capturing a wide cross section of traditional Appalachian music, including old time dance tunes, ballads,

gospel songs, blues, and others. These sessions also produced the first recordings of the Carter Family from nearby Maces Spring, Virginia - "the First Family of Country Music" - and Jimmie Rodgers - "the Father of Country Music."

Music Historians consider these recordings to be the beginnings of the commercial country music industry and in 1998 the United States Congress declared Bristol the "Birthplace of County Music."

While Peer's 1927 recordings stand as a milestone in the development of country music, the musical heritage of Bristol continued after those recordings. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, radio programs in Bristol, most notably WCBY's Farm and Fun Time, became popular and assisted in the development of a new genre of music - bluegrass.

Today, the rich musical heritage of Bristol remains vibrant. Bristol sits in the middle of Virginia's Heritage Music Trail The Crooked Road, with the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance as a major venue along the trail. Dozens of musical venues in Bristol or nearby offer tradtitional Appalachian music on a regular year round basis with many of these concentrated in downtown Bristol.

The area in front of this mural has become a center for many of those community events. The stage in front of this mural plays host to a variety of weekly musical events from May through October. The area houses one of the main stages from the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival, held annually the third weekend of September. From April through October, a local Farmer's Market operated twice weekly. It is also a stop on the downtown audio walking tour. For more information about our region's musical heritage, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ralph S. Peer (within shouting distance of this marker); Shelby's Fort (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jimmie Rodgers (approx. 0.3 miles away); Overmountain Patriots of the American Revolution (approx. 0.3 miles away in Virginia); Bristol Sessions (approx. 0.3 miles away); First Country and Western Recording (approx. 0.3 miles away); Birthplace of Bristol (approx. 0.3 miles away); Bristol (approx. 0.3 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Bristol.

Rocky Mount is the start of The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail.

We are located on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We sit at 1200 feet in these rolling foothills, just 15 miles to three exits/entrance to The Blue Ridge Parkway. The first drive up Kiosk for this music trail is one block behind The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast, it sits right outside The Depot (a local spot for bluegrass and traditional concerts put on by Footlights of The Blue Ridge - see our Music Events page for more information on local wing dings in the area.

Our Franklin County boasts more official Crooked Road designated weekly jams than any other county on the Crooked Road Music Trail). If you have never had biscuits and gravy while listening to toe tappin' mountain music - then I suggest you start this music trail right here in Rocky Mount. Visit the Dairy Queen on Route 40 West any Thursday morning Sept thru June and you will see what I mean!

VIRGINIA IS FOR COUNTRY MUSIC LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Article mostly from http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=24031

Cheerwine - a southeastern drink aka "the Nectar of the Tarheels"

2009-11-04T14:15:00.017-05:00

I passed a truck with the words - CHEERWINE printed on the side as I took Sierra to the orthodontist today. It reminded me of a book I read where the main character was always mentioning having a bottle of Cheerwine. There was also a mention of a Cheerwine cake in one of Jan Karon's Mitford Series books. What the heck is it?

So here I am, with the full scoop for y'all. Not being raised in Virginia, but I got here as quick as I could - I had no idea! So if you are not from these parts then I will also enlighten you as well...from Wikipedia:

Cheerwine is a soft drink produced by the Carolina Beverage Corporation of Salisbury, North Carolina. It has been produced since 1917. When the Maysville Syrup Company of Maysville, Kentucky went under in 1917, L.D. Peeler and other invested businessmen moved the company to North Carolina and renamed it the Carolina Beverage Corporation. That same year, Peeler purchased a recipe for a cherry flavored soda from a Saint Louis flavor salesman, which eventually became Cheerwine. Though it had been around since 1917, Cheerwine first became a registered trademark in 1926.

Cheerwine has a very sweet cherry flavor, is burgundy-colored, and has an unusually high degree of carbonation compared to other soft drinks. The product was named for its color and taste; the company website states that "it made sense to name a burgundy-red, bubbly, cherry concoction—Cheerwine." The "Retro Cheerwine" variant is sold in glass bottles and is sweetened with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The company also markets Cheerwine flavored ice cream, sherbet, and cream bars.

Cheerwine is available in most of the southeastern United States, from West Virginia south to Georgia, but is better known in the Carolinas and Virginia. Other spots to find Cheerwine are the many "specialty soda" stores throughout the country, such as The Fondren Beverage Emporium in Jackson, Mississippi.

In April 2005, other regions of the United States began to bottle Cheerwine; mainly through Pepsi distributors.

A fan-created website, CheerwineFinder.com, was launched with the purpose of enabling people to find and identify local Cheerwine retailers. Visit the Cheerwine Website: www.cheerwinecorp.com

Now the goal for this innkeeper is to try to locate some CHEERWINE at a retail market and give it a try! If I find it, I will stock the guest fridge at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast with a few bottles or cans so you can try it too!

VIRGINIA IS FOR CHEERWINE LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Update: MMMM!!! I did it! I found them and am having a Cheerwine and guess what? It is really really good. It would be the original cherry cola, but not very cherry at all just lightly cherry flavored, very fizzy.

Very reminiscent of a soda fountain drink or a Shirley Temple. I have them in the guest fridge awaiting your opinion.

Meet Junie B Jones - Assistant Innkeeper and Brewster the Cat

2009-11-03T16:46:00.023-05:00

Much debate goes on amongst Innkeepers whether or not to post info about our beloved pet(s) on our websites, whether to leave it all off for the non-pet-friendly crowd, or just have a small blurb about them for those who may have allergies.

Without actually novelizing the website, I decided to use this medium to share a little bit about our two family pets. We love them, they are a part of our family.

Meet Brewster - longevity, spunk and attitude wrapped in a stripey ball of fur. Brewster is a worshipper of Tony, the ground he walks on, pillows he sleeps on, his truck pulling into the parking area, anything Tony - she loves and adores. So for that - don't expect to meet her or even see her. She keeps to herself until her King arrives home from work. She is the eldest of the kids here and just turned 16 (which apparently is equivalent to 74 years).

Meet Junie B Jones - Assistant Innkeeper.

We were told when we collected Junie from Jack Russel ls of South Carolina (a very reputable breeder) that she is a dog who does well with a job to do. So for that, she walks to the corner to post letters, chases those rascally squirrels out of our yard and greets guests on the sly, she has a super disposition, never pushy or hyper. She is not a barker, she is not a “horrible dog” as some guests assume when they hear those two words together “Jack” and “Russell” she is a sweet, smooth coat, short legged Irish Jack.

Neither pets go into the guest areas, but Junie does do her patrol around the grounds each day. The girls have dressed her up in all sorts of outfits and she just loves the attention. Here is the trick to winning her over – FEED HER. Like most dogs, all she cares about is food. Second trick - WALK HER. She is more than willing to show YOU our guest the ropes of Rocky Mount. The many hills on which this town and county seat is built! If you are interested, if you are missing your pup at home and need an interim snuggle - Junie is interested - just ask her and you will find out!

These are the pets of The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast.

Any cats you find outside you can take home with ya!

VIRGINIA IS FOR PET LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Coming Up at Kirk Avenue Music Hall in Roanoke for November!

2009-11-02T15:59:00.011-05:00

About Kirk Avenue Music Hall

Kirk Avenue Music Hall presents concerts in a relaxed setting, with the focus on the stage. Tables and chairs are arranged depending on the genre of music being featured. Capacity is 75 to 150 depending on setup. Sight lines and audio system make you feel as if you are a guest in the artist's living room...it doesn't get much better.

Kirk Avenue Music Hall financially supports the Music Lab at Jefferson Center by supporting high quality live music in Roanoke's historic downtown. A full cash bar is offered. Parking lots across the street. For ticket reservations, email Gary at: kirkavenue@gmail.com

Nov 4 2009 7:30P THE COAL MEN
Nov 5 2009 7:30P The New Familiars
Nov 11 2009 7:30P JER COONS
Nov 12 2009 7:00P USAF Heritage of America Band Free show
Nov 13 2009 7:30P The Gibson Brothers & Trent Wagler & The Steel Wheels
Nov 14 2009 8:00P Bill Kirchen & the Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods
Nov 15 2009 7:30P TENDERHOOKS / THE CIRCUS BAND / THE JUDYS
Nov 18 2009 7:30P CHRIS KNIGHT
Nov 19 2009 7:30P Christabel & The Jons
Nov 21 2009 8:00P ROBBIN THOMPSON

Kirk Avenue Music Hall is located in downtown Roanoke - approx 25 minute drive from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. Ticket prices are really reasonable - none of the shows above are more than $10 or $15 a seat.

VIRGINIA IS FOR GROOVY MUSIC LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Pickin,' grinnin' and politickin' at The Floyd Country Store

2009-10-31T11:28:00.013-04:00

I say it all the time, living here is always so full of surprises.

Our wonderful guests from Maryland who have been enjoying The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast all week - have been out and about daily doing this and that with no shortage of things to do in our neck of the woods – he graduated from Virginia Tech in 1980, so Thursday they went over to Blacksburg to try to find his old frat house.

Yesterday I printed out some Blue Ridge Parkway moderate hiking/walking trails for them to test - the Fall leaves are incredible and the weather dropped to comfy 60 degrees (perfect for hiking). They were going to go from there to Floyd for the famous Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store.

This morning they tell us and show us photos on their cell phone of what happened last night at the Floyd Country store: Last night they went over upon my recommendation (as Floyd is unlike any other place on the planet and most of our guests miss this fantastic stop on T he Crooked Road!) When the third band came out to play – they said everyone was having fun and flat foot dancing – here comes our Governor, Tim Kaine. He is on the stage jammin' with the band playin' harmonica. They got such a kick out of it.

(PS Yes, it was a Pickin’, grinnin’ and politickin’ stop for Democrat Candidate Creigh Deeds – who is from SW Virginia.)

VIRGINIA IS FOR HARMONICA JAMMIN' LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

(Photo courtesy of the Blue Ridge Muse)

Blue Ridge Parkway Walking, Hiking and Fishing

2009-10-29T15:50:00.020-04:00

Hiking Trails Along The Blue Ridge Parkway

The following hiking trails include only those that are about a mile or longer. Other easy to moderate "leg stretching" loops can be found all along the Parkway, especially to points of interest.

Milepost 6 - From Humpback Gap parking lot to Humpback Mountain hike part of the Appalachian Trail = 2 strenuous!
Milepost 18.5 - 20 - White Rock Falls Trail follows a stream to small falls = 3 moderate
Milepost 60.8 - Otter Creek Trail begins at Otter Creek Campground = 3.5 moderate
Milepost 63.1 - Otter Lake Trail goes around Otter Lake = .8 moderate
Milepost 78.4 - Apple Orchard Falls Trail = 1.2 strenuous
Milepost 83.1 - Fallingwater Cascades Trail - a National Recreation Trail = 1.6 moderate
Milepost 83.5 - Flat Top Trail leads to highest of three prominent peaks = 4.4 moderate
Milepost 85.7 - Abbott Lake Trail loops around Abbott Lake = 1 easy
Milepost 85.9 - Elk Run Trail is a self-guided nature loop from Peaks of Otter Visitors Center = .8 easy
Milepost 85.9 - Johnson Farm Loop Trail from Peaks of Otter = 2.1 moderate
Milepost 85.9 - Harkening Hill Trail from Peaks of Otter = 3.3 moderate
Milepost 86 - Sharp Top Trail from the camp store to the summit of Sharp Top Mountain = 1.5 strenuous!
Milepost 91-95.9 - Appalachian Trail to various overlooks = 7 moderate
Milepost 96 - Spec Mines Trail is a U.S. Forest Service trail = 2.8 strenuous
Milepost 97 - Appalachian Trail to Blackhorse Gap = .8 moderate
Milepost 121.4 - Roanoke Valley Horse Trail parallels Parkway = 18.5 moderate
Milepost 154.5. - Smart View Loop Trail around the picnic area = 2.6 moderate
Milepost 167.1 - Rock Castle Gorge Trail = 10.8 strenuous
Milepost 167.1 - Hardwood Cove Nature Trail = .8 moderate
Milepost 169 - Black Ridge Trail from the Rocky Knob Visitors Center = 3.1 moderate
Milepost 169 - Rocky Knob Picnic Loop Trail = 1 easy
Milepost 176.2 - Mabry Mill's Mountain Industry and Round Meadow Creek Loop Trails = 1 easy to moderate

Fishing & Swimming

A state fishing license is required and creel limits are enforced. Please inquire at Visitors centers or Ranger stations along the Parkway.

Milepost 16 - Sherando Lake is a recreation/camping area in the George Washington National Forest. Swimming facilities include a sandy beach, a shaded grass area and a bathhouse with warm showers. More information.
Milepost 58-63.6 - Otter Creek runs 10 miles down the Blue Ridge to the James River, and Otter Lake is accessible from the Otter Creek Campground. Fishing only.
Milepost 71 - Petites Gap to Cave Mountain Lake, seven miles off the Parkway in Jefferson National Forest, is ideal for swimming and fishing! More information.
Milepost 84-87 - Peaks of Otter Lodge features a 24-acre lake stocked with smallmouth bass, catfish, golden shiners, sunfish and blue gill. More information.
Milepost 115 - Virginia's Explore Park offers fishing in the Roanoke River as well as kayaking and canoeing. More information.

Milepost Services

Park rangers are available at all the Visitors Centers, campgrounds, culture areas and Ranger Stations all along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Milepost 0 - Rockfish Gap leads north to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.
Milepost 5-9.3 - Humpback Rocks features Appalachian culture sites, hiking, access to Sherando Lake to campground with swimming, fishing and picnicking. There's also a gas station, gift shop, camp store and Visitors Center.
Milepost 58-63.6 - Otter Creek and James River for Appalachian culture sites, hiking, campground, picnic area, hiking, fishing, restaurant and gift shop.
Milepost 86 - Peaks of Otter features Appalachian culture sites, a Visitors Center, gas station, camp store, picnic area, campground, lodge, hiking and fishing. Shuttle bus to Sharp Top for a fee.
Milepost 120 - Roanoke Mountain features Virginia's Explore Park for Appalachian culture, campgrounds, picnic area and hiking. Roanoke is the largest city off the Parkway for The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast, restaurants, gas stations, markets and museums.
Milepost 154.5 - Smart View for picnics and hiking.
Milepost 169 - Rocky Knob features a Visitors Center, gift shop, cabins, campground, picnic area, hiking and fishing.
Milepost 176.1 - Mabry Mill features Appalachian culture, gift shop, restaurant and hiking.
Milepost 210 - Blue Ridge Music Center for Appalachian culture and outdoor amphitheater with performances throughout the summer.

Roanoke exit off the BRP is MP 121 to reach Highway 220 toward Rocky Mount. Smart View Recreation Area is MP 154.5 you can reach us going Five Mile Mountain Road to Rocky Mount. Or take Shooting Creek Road into Ferrum to us MP 159.5

VIRGINIA IS FOR WALKING, HIKING & FISHING LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

...and today October 28, 2009 - MEET VIRGINIA - SHE'S GORGEOUS!!

2009-10-28T11:27:00.005-04:00

(Please click on pix for larger view - I implore you!)

MEET VIRGINIA - SHE'S BREATHTAKING!!

You still have to time get out and see these leaves do their thang! A week further in these Blue Ridge Mountains to catch these leaves at their peak. The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is a perfect jumping off point to see surrounding foothills, piedmont and just 15 miles to The Blue Ridge Parkway. Don't miss it!

VIRGINIA IS FOR LEAF LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

There is nothing like October in Virginia!

2009-10-26T09:59:00.013-04:00

Click image for larger view

I took these pix just a couple miles from Rocky Mount yesterday on Chestnut Hill in Franklin County. There is nothing like October in Virginia! She'll take your breath away.

Franklin County is on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains - the foothills of the Blue Ridge here in Virginia. The farm pix are actually taken facing South toward Martinsville - away from the Blue Ridge Mountains and toward the Piedmont.

The first photo shows our little Rocky Mount amidst all that gorgeous foliage. The white building to the left is the courthouse/jail/Tony's work. The Claiborne House B&B is between that white building and the Rocky top you see in the center of the image.

VIRGINIA IS FOR FALL FOLIAGE LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

The Infamous Stringdusters will be performing at Kirk Avenue Music Hall in downtown Roanoke December 6th

2009-10-25T17:05:00.008-04:00

The Infamous Stringdusters will be performing at our Kirk Avenue Music Hall in downtown Roanoke December 6th at 7pm.

Tickets are just $15. Kirk Avenue Music Hall - 22 Kirk Avenue, Roanoke VA 24011 Phone: 540-589-0546| Email: kirkavenue@gmail.com

Kirk Avenue is a small relaxed setting that makes you feel as if you are in the artist's living room...excellent sound system and acoustics, beer and wine, more than reasonable ticket prices...it doesn't get any better than this! Enjoy LIVE MUSIC at its best! Email Gary and reserve your seats today: kirkavenue@gmail.com

Kirk Avenue is 20 minutes drive from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount. Book your room online and enjoy the show!

Click here for the full line-up at Kirk Avenue. All monies made from the bar go to support the Music Lab at the Jefferson Center. Here is the The Infamous Stringdusters website - and you can listen to them on their myspace page here.

Listen to the Infamous Stringdusters below as they played at nearby Floyd Fest.

VIRGINIA IS FOR STRINGDUST LOVERS

(PS not sure where they got their name, but having two daughters who play fiddle, I can attest to string dust! aka rosin)

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Wood Brothers Racing Museum

2009-10-25T08:31:00.000-04:00

One of the most successful racing teams in NASCAR history has a museum located in nearby Patrick County. The Wood Brothers Racing Museum is located just 30 minutes from Martinsville Speedway, just 20 minutes from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest continuously operating teams in NASCAR. Currently, The no. 21 Ford Fusion is shared among three drivers for the 2008 season which includes 1988 NASCAR Champion Bill Elliott, Jon Wood and Marcos Ambrose. The museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

21 Performance Drive

Stuart, VA 24171

Phone: (276) 694-2121

Website click here

Current news about the Wood Brothers click here

VIRGINIA IS FOR NASCAR LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast TODAY

2009-10-23T20:12:00.012-04:00

Our daughter took this photo tonight - October 23rd, 2009 of our place The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. (Click on photo for larger view)

We have a few days before the Fall leaves peak in this area - the hills are ALIVE! I will try to get some photos on Sunday when it is sunny and blue skies...it is spectacular!

The first week of November, if the truth were to be let out - is the primo time to see these mountains do their thang!!

Get in on some of this - book your room online and save $10 per night. Drive the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway or hit the rolling country roads of our Franklin County.

Meet Virginia - She's Gorgeous!

VIRGINIA IS FOR B&B LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Guest Comfort - Private Baths Since 1829

2009-10-22T09:28:00.014-04:00

Private Baths Anyone?

Hotels and motels have long competed for customers on the comfort and convenience of their rooms. Long before coffeemakers and hair dryers entered the picture, more basic things were offered as incentives.

This month in 1829, the Tremont Hotel in Boston became the first in young America to offer a private bathroom with each its rooms. With its 170 rooms, the Tremont was the first modern hotel in the country. Now, there are more than 46,000 hotels and motels across the country. Americans make about 350 million leisure trips a year, staying away from home about 4 1/2 days. On these trips, just over 40 percent stay in a hotel, motel or bed and breakfast.

You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.

So for those who think B&B's are all shared baths - this is America! We excel at what we do here - at The Claiborne House B&B every guest room has a private bath, cable tv, free WiFi, privacy and an exceptional hearty home-cooked breakfast! CONTINENTAL IS NOT SPOKEN HERE!

Book online and save $10 per night or see our specials page - 2010 is our 20th Year as a Bed and Breakfast in this beautifully restored circa 1895 Queen Anne Victorian!

VIRGINIA IS FOR COMFORT LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Sources: www.440.com/twtd/archives/oct16.html 2002 Economic Census, NAICS 72111 Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1223

Road trip tool: Calculate the fuel cost of your planned trip

2009-10-21T18:42:00.003-04:00

A new Web site lets you calculate your gas costs for any trip: Moblu.

Enter your departure and arrival cities—plus the year, make and model of your car—don't forget to adjust the gas price to the current price in your area - - and Moblu will provide your estimated fuel costs and printable Google Maps directions.

I calculated a trip from our address at The Claiborne House B&B -- 185 Claiborne Avenue, Rocky Mount VA to Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Gas price for the 275 mile trip in Tony's Dodge Ram is approx $140. I then put in my Mini Cooper S on the same route with the higher grade fuel and it cost exactly HALF - $70 to get to Myrtle Beach from Rocky Mount.

This is a great tool for trip planning. Don't cancel your trip because of it! Remember how bad flying is these days - delays, lost luggage, stuck on runways in a cabin full of germs! Road trips are the way to go! Hit the Blue Highways and get off the beaten track and enjoy all our wonderful country has to offer!

VIRGINIA IS FOR BLUE HIGHWAY LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Blue Ridge Folklife Festival Schedule Oct 24th

2009-10-21T11:30:00.007-04:00

We have THREE rooms open for Friday Night only October 23rd if you would like to attend The Blue Ridge Folk Life Festival at nearby Ferrum College put on by the Blue Ridge Institute, there is nothing like it in THE WORLD! NASCAR in Martinsville (this weekend) will assure you no rooms left in the region - snap these up quick! Here is the line up:

MUSIC

The Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage is beside Garber Hall. The Blue Ridge String Band Stage is beside the Ferrum Fitness Center. The Religious Stage is in Vaughn Chapel. The Rockabilly Stage is in front of Swartz Gym.

Wayne Henderson & Helen White—Hot Picking and Old-Time Songs (Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage, 1:30 & 4:00)
The Dazzlers—'50s Rockabilly From a Band That Lived the Life (Rockabilly Stage, 3:00)
Rev. Robert Akers—Rocking Mountain Gospel (Religious Music Stage, 1:00 & 3:30)
The Spiritual Seven—Hard-Driving Electrified African-American Gospel (Religious Stage, 11:00 & 3:00)
Jeffrey Scott—Crisp Blues Picking and Singing in Virginia's famed Piedmont style (Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage, 11:30 & 3:30)
The Gerald Anderson Band —Sweet Old-Time Songs & Tunes From Southwest Virginia (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 11:00 & 2:30)
Rick Ward—Banjo Tunes & Ballads From the Carolina Blue Ridge (Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage, 10:00 & 3:00)
Switchblade Suckerpunch—Virginia Rockabilly in the New Millenium (Rockabilly Stage, 1:00)
Troy Brammer & The Virginia Partners—Old-Style Bluegrass (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 12:30 & 4:00)
The Moose Family Singers—Gospel Harmonies That Will Give You Chills (Religious Stage, 11:30 & 2:00)
The True Life Travelers—Heartfelt Country Gospel (Religious Stage, 10:30 & 4:30)
Buddy Pendleton & Friends—A World Champion Fiddler and a World Class Band (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 1:00 & 3:30)
Greenhouse River Band—Bluegrass in the Traditional Mode (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 10:30 & 2:00)
The New North Carolina Ramblers—Tunes in the Style of 1920s Greats Charlie Poole & Posey Rorrer (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 12:00 & 4:30)
Elder Gilmore Warren—Central Virginia African American Gospel--(Religious Stage, 1:30 & 4:00)
The Danville Carter Family (Jeremy Stevens and Daren Moore)—Musical Memories of Virginia's Early Country Supergroup (Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage, 1:00 & 4:30)
The Elkville String Band—Fine Old-Time String Band Music (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 10:00 & 1:30)
The Don Day & the Knights Band—Virginia Rockers From the Late '50s (Rockabilly Stage, 2:00))
Mount Zion Male Chorus—Moving African American Sacred Singing (Religious Stage, 10:00 & 12:00)
The Sheets Family—Old-Style Carolina Tunes & Songs (Blue Ridge String Band Stage, 11:30 & 3:00)
Silver Heads & Nimble Fingers—Classic Carter Family-Style Gospel (Religious Stage, 12:30 & 2:30)

DANCING

Mountain Dance Workshop—Different Styles of Blue Ridge Flat Footing, Buck Dancing, and Clogging (Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage, 10:30 & 2:00)

The Virginia Rockabilly Sockhop—Kick Off Your Shoes and Shake, Rattle, and Roll (Rockabilly Stage, 1 to 4 p.m.)

HORSE & DOG EVENTS

Virginia State Championship Coon Mule Jumping Contest—Blue Ridge Farm Museum, 12:30

Horse Pulling Contest—Blue Ridge Farm Museum, 1:00

Amazing Grace “The Amazing Painting Mule” Performance—Blue Ridge Farm Museum, 11:30

Auction of Amazing Grace’s Paintings—1:30 (after the horse pull)

Sheep Herding—Blue Ridge Farm Museum, 10:00, 2:00, 4:00

Coon Dog Bench Show—Beside Adams Lake, 10:00

Coon Dog Treeing Contest—Beside Adams Lake, Noon

Coon Dog Water Race—Adams Lake, 1:30

ANTIQUE TRACTOR & ENGINE ACTIVITIES

Corn Meal Grinding—Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Antique Engines and Tractors—Bassett Hall Field

Wheat Threshing and Hay Bailing Demonstrations—Basset Hall Field, 10:00, Noon, 2:00

Corn Shredding Demonstrations—Bassett Hall Field, 10:30, 12.30, 2:30

Rock Crushing Demonstrations—Bassett Hall Field, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00

OTHER ACTIVITIES, LOCATIONS & TIMES

“Virginia Rocks: A History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth” Exhibition—Blue Ridge Institute & Museum Building

Antique Quilt Show—Prillaman Barn at the Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Moonshine Still—Above Adams Lake

Moonshiners, Drivers & Revenuers Storytelling Sessions—Blue Ridge Music Styles Stage, 12:00 to 1:00

Crafts (Outside)—Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Crafts (Inside)—Ferrum Fitness Center on Wiley Drive

Foods—Vaughn Chapel Field, Blue Ridge Farm Museum, and Along Wiley Drive

Molasses and Apple Butter Making—Blue Ridge Farm Museum

Children's Games & Checkers Contests—Central Campus Corridor Above Library Parking Lot, Registration 10:00 to 11:30, Games 10:00 to 4:00. (Visit games area to inquire about individual game times.)

Car Culture Area—Field Below Adams Lake

Ferrum College Alumni Social Area—Franklin Hall, Virginia Room Patio (Lower Level), 10:00 to 5:00

For more information: 540-365-4416 or bri@ferrum.edu. Order advance tickets at 540-365-4412.

VIRGINIA IS FOR COON DOG LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Wine, Mead and B&B's Trail in SW Virginia

2009-10-20T17:10:00.005-04:00

I just found this fantastic personalized Google map from Jamie that included us - The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast on this totally cool Wine, Mead and B&B Trail of mostly SW Virginia or is it mostly Blue Ridge Mountains Virginia - throw in a little Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley for fun! Actually looking a bit closer I think it is a Wine, Mead and B&B Trail that is within 80-100 miles of Blacksburg Virginia. We are the orange dot to the right of the middle all alone over "Rocky Mount."

The author went to a heckuvalot of work and research to put this together, so I will honor her by adding it to the blog here for others to enjoy and possibly imbibe. ENJOY!

View blacksburg trip 1-17-08 in a larger map

Click on the map to get the actual addresses to each pinned location. Isn't the internet amazing.

VIRGINIA IS FOR WINE, MEAD & B&B LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Roanoke's Millionaire Club - The Texas Tavern - Isn't she cute? It seats 1,000 people-10 at a time

2009-10-18T20:15:00.008-04:00

A trip to Roanoke would not be complete without a stop to the city's most unique and very popular restaurant THE TEXAS TAVERN. (Perhaps the smallest as well)

The Texas Tavern is the most photographed building in Roanoke.

The Texas Tavern is a favorite haunt for many, famous and infamous and regular everyday ordinary people. Within the walls of this tiny building sit an elite group set to solve world problems over a cup of buttermilk and a chili.

When Dad and I went to The Texas Tavern, Dad commented on how good the coffee was. Of course it is good, just like here at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast, it is percolated! So when you go, don't skip a cup of coffee after your meal, you will really enjoy it.

As we sat at the counter on our bar stools, the first thing I noticed was the

solid brass foot rest that runs the entire length of the counter was worn down to below half. Boy has this counter seen some business!

Here is some trivia for those who love trivia about The Texas Tavern:

Texas Tavern is open 24 hours per day-7 days per week, except Christmas.

The building has been painted approximately 65 times.

Approximately 1100 Tons of Pinto Beans have been consumed since 1930.

Approximately 1,260,000 pounds of hamburger meat have been consumed since 1930.

Approximately 9,460,000 hotdogs have been consumed since 1930.

Gerald Williams and Bill Ammons ate at the "Tavern" the day it opened and are still customers 74 years later.

A favorite sign or two at The Texas Tavern:

We seat 1,000 people-10 at a time.

We don't cash checks or play with bumblebees.

I have taken this information directly from their website and hope it brings many more interesting folks in to join Roanoke's Millionaire Club.

Famous customers over the years include the "3 Stooges", when in Lynchburg or Roanoke back in the vaudeville days, Glen Miller, the legendary band leader, Lynwood Holton, former Govenor of Virginia, M. Caldwell Butler, member of the House of Representatives, Clifton A. “Chip” Woodrum, Virginia House of Delegates and Vic Thomas of the same. John Payne (famous movie actor in the ‘40s and ‘50s) was a native Roanoker and “Tavern” fan.

Also, Billy Joe Burnette, a well known entertainer originally from Roanoke and a loyal “Tavern” customer, recently presented the Texas Tavern with an original platinum record of his hit recording “Teddy Bear”, a multi-million seller.

Also, very well respected and popular retired Judge Jim Brice has been a "Tavern" regular since the early '40's. When Debbie Reynolds was married to a Roanoker, she was a frequent customer.

Over the last 74 years many people from various walks of life have visited the Tavern. It is not unusual to observe a judge sitting on one stool having a conversation with some fellow just released from jail. Preachers sit next to sinners and “ladies of the evening” rub elbows with the country club set. Democrats speak to Republicans at the Texas Tavern!

Everyone is treated the same at the “Millionaires Club” for each customer is treated as if he is indeed a “millionaire”.

Many famous people have come in, eaten, and left without any fanfare. Always bring your camera, you never know who is coming next. The Texas Tavern is the most photographed building in Roanoke. (Yes, it was rumored that Elvis was seen at the Texas Tavern several nights ago). Also, at a recent (February 04) Alan Jackson concert, pictures of the Texas Tavern were featured as a background to loud cheers from his fans!

Amongst many other accolades Texas Tavern is a consistent winner in polls conducted by the Roanoker magazine in catagories such as "Best Late Night Dinner", "Best Chile", "Best Hotdog" and "Best Inexpensive Lunch".

Featured in Fodors travel guide for the Southern U.S.

Sample Texas Tavern's Menu:

Hamburgers

$1.20

Hotdog

$1.20

Double Hamburger

2.10

Egg Sandwich

1.60

Cheeseburger (small)

1.35

Denver (Egg & Cheese)

1.75

Cheeseburger (large)

2.25

Ham Sandwich

1.70

Ham & Egg Sandwich

2.10

Ham & Cheese

1.85

Cheesy Ham & Egg

2.25

Coffee

.70

Western

2.10

Chile (Bowl)

1.50

http://www.texastavern-inc.com/ Ph: 540-342-4825

All photo credits are given to our dear friend Jim Scott who stopped by for a visit and then hightailed it back to the NW.

VIRGINIA IS FOR FUNKY LITTLE RESTAURANT LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/

Shape Note Singing - a Southern Tradition

2009-10-16T16:11:00.018-04:00

Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational singing. Shape notes of various kinds have been used for over two centuries in a variety of sacred music traditions practiced primarily in the Southern region of the United States.

The idea behind shape notes is that the parts of a vocal work can be learned more quickly and easily if the music is printed in shapes that match up with the solfege syllables with which the notes of the musical scale are sung. For instance, in the four-shape tradition used in the Sacred Harp and elsewhere, the notes of a C major scale are notated and sung as follows:

A skilled singer experienced in a shape note tradition has developed a fluent triple mental association, which links a note of the scale, a shape, and a syllable. This association can be used to help in reading the music. When a song is first sung by a shape note group, they normally sing the syllables (reading them from the shapes) to solidify their command over the notes. Next, they sing the same notes to the words of the music.

The syllables and notes of a shape note system are not tied to particular pitches (e.g. fa to C); rather, they depend on the key of the piece, so that the tonic note of the key always has the same syllable (here, fa), and similarly for the other notes of the scale. Some refer to this as a moveable "do" system.

Shape notes proved popular in America, and quickly a wide variety of hymnbooks were prepared making use of them. The shapes were eventually extirpated in the northeastern U.S. by a so-called "better music" movement, headed by Lowell Mason^[6]. But in the South, the shapes became well entrenched, and multiplied into a variety of traditions. Ananias Davisson's Kentucky Harmony is generally considered the first Southern shape-note tunebook.

Currently active shape note traditions

Although seven-shape books may not be as popular as in the past, there are still a great number of churches in the South, in particular Primitive Baptist,Independent Fundamental Baptist, and Church of Christ, that regularly use seven-shape songbooks in Sunday worship. These songbooks may contain a variety of songs from 18th century classics to 20th-century gospel music. Thus today denominational songbooks printed in seven shapes probably constitute the largest branch of the shape note tradition.

In addition, nondenominational community singings are also intermittently held which feature early- to mid-20th century seven-shape gospel music such asStamps-Baxter hymnals or Heavenly Highway. In these traditions, the custom of "singing the notes" (syllables) is generally only preserved during the learning process at singing schools and singing may be to an instrumental accompaniment, typically a piano.

List of Shape Note Tune Books Here

Awake, My Soul - documentary movie about Sacred Harp music and Shaped Note singing
Fasola Home Page - a web site dedicated to Sacred Harp music

Listen HERE to a sample of "Where do I go from here Lord"

Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on the grounds of our local Ferrum College will have three stages of continual music all day Saturday Oct 24th. One stage is in the Chapel where you will hear A Capella sacred spirituals and Primitive singing such as the sample above. We have had guests come back humbled and in tears after hearing what they described as "angels singing."

"Awake, My Soul" is a feature documentary that explores the history, music, and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, the oldest surviving American music. While often linked only to its history, (e.g. the songs were used in the recent historical films "Cold Mountain" and "Gangs of New York") this haunting music has survived over 200 years tucked away from sight in the rural deep south, where in old wooden country churches, devoted singers break open The Sacred Harp, a shape note hymnal first published in Georgia in 1844.

In 1844, The Sacred Harp was just one of more than 100 oblong hymn books published in the U.S. It has been continuously updated ever since. The term “sacred harp” refers to the human voice — that is, the musical instrument you were given at birth.

Blue Ridge Institute is 8 miles from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. Route 40 is the end of our street - just go west 8 miles and you are there. Listen for the coon dogs and the fiddle music.

VIRGINIA IS FOR SACRED HARP LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net/