picking peaches

We love Hollin Farms and were excited to meet friends there for some peach picking last month. A lot has happened since then (like flying across the country and visiting six different states on a few whirlwind road trips) and it's overwhelming to think about getting caught up on the blog.

But for now I'll just remember this beautiful summer day with friends spent in the most gorgeous Virginia countryside.

The kids saw this open stretch of grass and just made a run for it.

The raspberries were so delicious. I'm pretty sure Oliver ate his weight in berries.

And a few iphone shots:

It's fun to compare photos from our last peach picking excursion seen here. And Hollin Farms is stunning in the fall too (as seen here and here). I love being able to look back on earlier adventures and see how much everyone has grown.

road trip part 1: Cyrus McCormick Farm

A few weeks ago we decided a road trip was in order. We decided to drive down to Charlotte, North Carolina, and see some things along the way. We started our drive Thursday afternoon and made our way down Interstate 81 in western Virginia. We hadn't been on this stretch of road for a few years and it is absolutely beautiful. The clouds were particularly stunning this day.

 

My friend Jessica makes this drive often and has found some hidden gems along the way. One of my favorite parts of the whole trip was a stop at the Cyrus McCormick Farm, just a few miles off the Interstate in a gorgeous country setting. We picked up some dinner and had a picnic at the farm. We had the whole place to ourselves and loved exploring the farm and the watermill. There was also a pretty trail through the woods for more exploring and lots of fireflies. We didn't intend to spend so much time here, but the setting was too peaceful and enjoyable to rush. 

 Oliver would not leave these geese alone.

We reenacted "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" on this bridge.

After getting all the kids in their pajamas, we continued a few more hours down I-81 and spent the night a few hours from Asheville, North Carolina, our next destination.