Thursday, 10 November; Applewood B&B, Williamsburg, VA: Our last morning of grand comfort. We are here using our remaining Stash Tea 2-nights-for-one coupon. Our room, the Tree Top Suite, is a converted attic that has a cozy bedroom with a fireplace, and a long adjoining room with a television, a trundle bed, some antique furniture, a case of books, and a few art prints ranging from a Monet to black and white photographs of Cambridge, England, to two needlepoints, one of the 18th century Bruton Parish Church, just a few blocks down the street.
Denise Fleck, our innkeeper, has been very kind and gracious, taking time to sit with Pat and talk about the house and her experiences with running a B&B. She also makes wonderful chocolate and such treats she sets out in a glass covered dish for us to eat. As I write, I can smell something from Smithfield Ham working its way into our 09:00 breakfast.
But let me catch up.
Sunday morning, 6 November, we rose early, had our last breakfast at the Charleston Holiday Inn Express, and, the day being clear and cool, decided to walk the kilometer or so to the train station. We were there early for our 08:20 departure, our last ride on the Cardinal.
The ride was beautiful with the path lined with fall colors, mostly tending toward brown. We followed the Kanawha River up a gentle canyon, past the confluence of the New and the Gauley Rivers (to make the Kanawha) at Gauley Bridge, and under the 876’ New River Gorge Bridge, the second highest bridge in the country. The train was full of photographers shooting through the streaked windows. Right under the bridge, they all suffered stiff necks from trying to see straight up.
We arrived at Richmond at dusk and took a $30.00 cab ride (including tip) to the hotel. We left Richmond Tuesday on Amtrak for Williamsburg, arriving at the station early to collect our tickets. This time, the ride to the station cost a mere $3.00 on the city bus.
Richmond has two stations, an old, once grand downtown station and a newer suburban station about six miles out of the city. As the automobile fades, people move back into the city and more housing is created for them, these suburban stations may prove to have been not so good an idea.
We walked Richmond on Monday, probably the most interesting volkswalk we have ever done. The walk included the sites we usually find, but Richmond has also an updated canal system that has been turned into a walking path, and a section on top of a flood wall along the James River. And, more importantly, the walk begins and ends at the Legend Brewing Company with a good menu and even better ales. All this and the day, mid 60s and clear, made the walk both unique and wonderful.
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