Roanoke, VA-Lynchburg, VA 10/10 85 driving miles; 6 walking miles

Bouyed by the clickety-clack of tap shoes, the soothing pull of a fiddle bow backed by the rich thumbing of a big base, all brought into harmony by the strumming of strings (Mandolin, banjo, and guitar), we ambled down the mountain twisting and turning like a legend. Like Ed says, "We can share the knowledge but we can't share the exoerience." Sad, but true because the experience made me tremble if not in humility at least in awe. Driving in the dark in the rain late at night on unfamiliar mountain roads tested my skills. Thank God my moonshine intake was limited to nothing. We made it safely to Roanoke where we stayed in a 1.5 star hotel near the airport that was vastly overrated. It was pitiful even by our rock bottom travel buddy standards. Maybe it was because of the eye strain I suffered from driving, but when I surveyed the clientele in the lobby, I began to seriously suspect that our car would be a wheel less hulk stripped of valuables and perchedatop cinder blocks when we came out in the morning. My fears proved baseless; however, we now have a new benchmark low for inhospitable lodging. We awoke to the remains of yet another rain system, but undaunted we made our way Valhalla Winery, which is perched atop Chestnut Mountain just outside Roanoke. If the fog hadn't been so dense, we'd have been treated to a panoramic view stretching thirty-five miles or more. As it was, that was the only downside. We were warmly welcomed by today's "best" human (Lisa Soltis), Economic Development Specialist for Roanoke's Department of  Economic Development. I didn't quite get why she was pouring wine at the winery (Maybe she likes wine), but she treated Ed to anexcellent  tasting session and gave us a tour if the winery's "cave", which is where they age the barreled wine. It was fun. We then made an uneventful drive to Lynchburg so we'd have a shorter day tomorrow for our visit to Appomattox and Richmond. Though mild by out recent adventures, the day's experiences still proved that life is good, especially today.

You'll have to imagine the view.

Art shot of the day: freshly harvested vines.

Ed bought one of each.

Lisa, our quintessential Southern hostess (Just her side job).

The cave.

Downtown Lynchburg is undergoing a renaissance. This posh hotel used to be a shoe factory.

Several of the old factory buildings are being renovated.

We missed it, but judging by the space, the local farner's market is vibrant.

As in most Virginia towns (And all across Anerica), fallen heroes are revered.

Selfie of the day: Come visit Lynchburg's Amazement Square. Note: Many towns have a sculpture theme. Lynchburg has pianos tucked away in various places around town. They invite, "Play me."