Melissa's Idea Garden

When I was a child, my parents and I often took rides into the mountains of Bedford and Amherst County on Sunday afternoons. As impressive as the surroundings are, there was something that stood out...

The above photo is from this website.

This thing resembles a huge golf ball perched atop of Apple Orchard Mountain. But it is really a FAA Radar tower that used to be part of a military base. The other buildings that were part of what used to be a military base have been dismantled and only the radar dome remains.

The radar dome continues to be a draw to hikers. Here's a couple of hikers you might recognize checking out the top of Apple Orchard Mountain.

For more pictures that Daniel and Jack took during their hike to the Radar dome, visit Daniel's blog post.

For more photos taken by other hikers, go visit this photo page.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last week I shared information and photos of The Peaks of Otter. Today, I wanted to tell you about one of the places we like to visit when we are at the Peaks of Otter.

The Johnson Farm is a loop trail, approximately two miles long, which follows a section of the Harkening Hill Loop Trail. Beginning at the north end of the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center parking area the trail takes you 1.1 miles to the Johnson Farm, which was started in 1852. Living history demonstrations are presented on a seasonal basis. Allow two to three hours for a leisurely visit.

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, Va: Week 5 The Johnson Farm" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Oops....I forgot last week to do my weekly report and by the time I remembered, it was too late to get something put together and our first week of school was about to launch. Sorry about that!

Bedford County is in the Piedmont (foothills) of Virginia). And the peaks of Sharp Top and Flat Top dominate the horizon. These are twin peaks and called The Peaks of Otter. These are favorite destinations on the Blue Ridge Parkway, not just for locals, but for people visiting from around the country. Both mountains have a hiking trail to the top and Flat Top is actually the higher peak, though the pointy top of Sharp Top gives the illusion that it is the taller of the two.

Here are some quotes about the Peaks of Otter that date back to the days of Thomas Jefferson.

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, Va: Week 4 The Peaks of Otter" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bedford County has many fun places to offer those who love the great outdoors. National Forest Land, the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Peaks of Otter and Smith Mountain Lake are just a few. Smith Mountain Lake is considered the Jewel of the Blue Ridge. Smith Mountain Lake is the most popular lake destination in the state of Virginia. It has over 500 miles of shoreline.

From Smith Mountain Lake.Com

Why is there a gorgeous, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake, with 500 miles of shoreline, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural southwestern Virginia? Because Smith Mountain Lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost 2.5 years later on March 7, 1966.

Smith Mountain Lake's surface covers 32 square miles. Its highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795 feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity production is 12-24 inches. During severe drought conditions, including 2007, lake levels have fallen by five feet. Under extreme flood control conditions, the water level could reach the top of the Smith Mountain Dam -- 802 feet above sea level. (The US Army Corps of Engineers publishes a daily water level report that is also available graphically over time.)

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, VA: Week 3 Smith Mountain Lake" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, last week, I told you a bit about the schools in this neck of the wood and my time in them.

I have attended church off and on since I was small.

I have attended:

Forest United Methodist Church
Shiloh United Methodist Church
Rainbow Forest Church of God
Mentow Baptist Church
Leesville United Methodist Church
Blue Ridge Community Church
Bethlehem Baptist Church

I have changed churches for a variety of reasons...pastor changes, church upheavals, distance from home after a move... And there is no shortage of churches in this area to choose from.

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, VA, Week 2" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As I was trying to think about what to write about this first week, I thought about my friend Carole's posts. Hers are a mixture of what she did today and information about where she lives.

I thought about Jen's posts on New Zealand. They were more informative with her connections thrown in. I wondered where to start...there are so many interesting things in this part of the world. As I was driving into town, I saw the perfect subject...a historical elementary school. So my first post is going to be about the schools I attended growing up (there are 5 because of moves and rezoning). Plus, with school starting up soon for both school kids and homeschool kids, school is on the brain, right?

Okay...here goes.

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, VA - Week 1" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I recently blogged about a friend who has joined some other friends in starting blogs to tell others what their corners of the world are like. She invited me to join in the 365 days in ______ movement, but I told her, I had a hard enough time keeping up with this blog.

However, I have been having a blast reading her posts (she is funny!) and I have also enjoyed reading other friends' blogs when they talk about where they live, so I think I will post once a week and include pictures of what we have done the previous week. I will probably do this on the weekend.

I thought I would have an intro today to whet your appetite and give you some general information about the county I live in. Be sure to come back on Sundays for more fun stuff!

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, VA - An Introduction" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)