When you launch full-time RV life in the middle of a pandemic, it ends up looking a little different from how you imagined it. Sure, many outdoor adventures can generally still happen, but you have to jockey for position on the hiking trail and keep your mask at the ready as you encounter fellow travelers. You pack a lot of meals instead of exploring small-town restaurants along the way, and you jump for joy when one of those little foodie spots touts touchless take-out so that you might enjoy the meal in your vehicle, even though you have to miss out on the atmosphere, people and beauty of the area you are visiting. Yes, Covid RV life is a little different.
So it wasn’t a big surprise when our first destination, in Waldo, Florida, was really a “stay-at-RV-home” kinda time. We were there for a month to take care of the last of our domicile to-do items (get Florida license plates on our truck), move our last baby chick out of our nest and into her own (she is attending college in Gainesville), and generally catch up on RV maintenance while trying to stay cool in the oppressive humidity and heat of Florida in August. We rested and recovered from the prior months of chaos (prepping the house for sale, getting rid of 90 percent of our belongings, organizing financially while quitting jobs and saying goodbye to family members) so we knew this would not be a “touristy” time for us.
We opted out of the giant Waldo Flea Market that was across the street from our campground – it would have been great fun if we didn’t see a need to avoid crowds. A visit to my daughter’s college campus was relegated to a drive-thru version, and we weren’t able to stop at the campus bookstore to buy the obligatory college t-shirt, as it was still operating under curbside pickup service. We couldn’t even go to the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo for a visit, as it was closed to the public during the pandemic. Outdoor fun was on hiatus for us, because frankly, it was just too dang hot to see the University of Florida Bat Houses and the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. With years of education ahead of her in Gainesville, we will happily visit on future trips to see our daughter.
It was in an unexpected place that we finally got to dip our toes into the tourist waters. We moved on from Waldo and made reservations for a quiet little campground near Wytheville, Virginia (pronounced “with-ville”) for four nights around Labor Day weekend, located in the rural, southwestern tip of the state, and it was just what we needed and wanted. The first morning, we were met with the first of falling leaves and a crispness in the air that were familiar signs of the fall season. Ahhhhhh! Let the tourists begin!
First stop – Wytheville’s Smallest Church! What a perfect stop on our first day of exploring North America as FT RVers! The church is just off Exit 73 of I-81 but also near I-77 and Route 11 in Wytheville, Virgina. Tucked between a small country road and corn fields, the highway traffic and billboards were close by but quickly forgotten as we pulled into the tiny parking lot, sufficient for perhaps three cars.
There are beautiful and well maintained gardens with flowers and small statues, a miniature bell tower, and of course, the tiny little chapel. The creators that were inspired to faithfully build this special place in 2010 thought of everything, even installing a rainwater collection system at the back of the church to make sure there is water onsite for the pretty flowers.
The good feelings we felt upon arrival grew even more the moment we walked through the doors. The details are fantastic – beautiful wood interior walls and peaked roof, ceiling fans to keep cool, three tiny pews, a petite pulpit, and a prayer book full of special intentions left by prior visitors. We added our own prayer – and sat for a short while just to feel the Holy Spirit come over us. It was a magical place to discover. Here is a little website with some information about Wytheville’s Smallest Church – http://www.wythesmallchurch.com/, a worthy stop if you happen to be headed through the area, even if just for a break from the monotony of a long drive.
After our visit, I was inspired to see if tiny churches might be “a thing”, much like tiny houses. I found this blog post that has now created a whole new special bucket list of tiny churches around the country that I hope we can visit along the way!
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/36537
From the website for Whytheville's Smallest Church ~ A Prayer Chapel in Wytheville VA dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you find yourself tired or confused, fleeing or seeking,this place is for you. Take a moment out of the everyday race and enjoy some time with the One that made you...HE is already here, waiting for you!
The next day of our tourist weekend, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful early fall weather and discovered the Big Walker lookout National Scenic Byway. The drive is outlined in several places online, but we liked this website for a mile-by-mile description. http://www.scenicbeauty-va.com/ We stopped along the route at the Jefferson National Forest at the Stoney Fork Campground. There was guest day-parking so that we could hike the marked trails with our two doggos and take a stroll through the campground as well. There is a creek that meanders all throughout the park, creating pretty photo ops, fishing spots and fresh, Covid-free air!
The byway weaves and turns, and climbs to an altitude of 3405 feet. It would be a gorgeous drive any time of the year, but I did make a mental note that any part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia are a must-see future stop during peak fall colors!
Our final stop of the weekend rounded out our brief Wytheville visit with a piece of kitsch Americana – Big Walker Lookout. This quirky place is the oldest privately owned scenic attraction in the state and includes a small country tourist-stop store that sells, among other things, delicious ice cream (I recommend the Lemon Crunch!). Most weekends, they bring in a local artist or author to sell their wares and a band to play music for visitors. It was a little tricky to maneuver safely in a Covid world, as masks and social distancing were certainly not the norm in this area and our Sunday afternoon visit was perhaps their busiest time. The local Gospel band was a joy to hear on this sunny and mild September day and created a great atmosphere. There were locals that stopped by for the afternoon and a group of motorcycle club riders enjoying themselves equally.
The views from the top of the mountain were pretty, but what our eyes were immediately drawn to was the 100 foot observation tower looming above the scene. Constructed entirely of metal scaffolding-type material and wooden stair planks on a brick and cement base, it looked every bit of its age. Attached to the base of the tower was a swinging, suspended wire/rope bridge that rose out above the parking area next to the country store. It was all built as part of a creative, family-owned small business that was launched at the top of Big Walker Mountain in 1947 to capitalize on the beauty of the land. It worked, because here we were, all these years later, prepared to pay $8 each to be able to see the views above the tree-line, another 100 feet higher.
As we took to the stairs, it was apparent that this was going to be as tricky as we had expected – neither of us are fans of heights, and it took us at least 15 minutes of discussion to even decide to scale the tower! Our usual Covid safety measures such as minimizing the use of high-touch areas ended immediately, as we both took a two-handed death grip on every inch of railing to the top. The age of the tower was apparent, as was our awareness that at the time it was built, the safety standards we benefit from today were certainly NOT applied during construction, which really added to our wariness. There was “chicken-wire” style coverage below the railings and broken stair treads – both with gaps large enough that I was happy in that moment that I no longer had fearless young children that wanted to scale the tower.
There were a number of little children that blasted past us, up and down the tower – as our tentative climb continued. I giggled a little at the contrasting views observers must have seen from below, but we certainly still felt that our fear was reasonable and expected. We slowly and steadily took each step, breathing deeply through our masks, casting our eyes in front of us rather than down, up or across the horizon. Our breathing became heightened, our heart-rates increased, and we eventually conquered our fears and made it to the top! The views were beautiful, and we quickly snapped photos to document our achievement. We could feel the tower swaying in the breeze, so we maintained a steady grip on the railing and decided quickly it was time to go downstairs.
The trip back down the tower was unexpectedly easier than the trip up had been. As we descended, the band was singing and playing the beautiful strains of Amazing Grace (“Was Grace that taught my heart to fear; And Grace, my fears relieved”) – perhaps grace had gotten us up and down that tower! We were victorious and proud of ourselves, feeling as if we had just done something that was a little risky, certainly a little scary for us, and gave us a thrilling achievement for a Sunday afternoon.
It was at the landing as we left the tower to reward ourselves with an ice cream cone that we were faced with a new reality. Walking past us, toward the tower, was a group of several conservative religious, perhaps Mennonites, ready to make the same climb. Among them, a woman, wearing the traditional dark, plain dress, white hair covering over her little bun and even a mask for safety. This dear woman looked to be about 85 years old – with a slow gait and a hunched back from years of living – and she took to the stairs without hesitation. With our egos feeling slightly jarred, we smiled, took a deep breath, shook the jitters out of our knees, and were grateful to be back on solid ground. We will try to remember this adventurous old woman as we contemplate any future tourist stops that seem a little frightening to us – we tackled this tower – and we are now ready to let our adventures begin – through God’s grace and blessings!
Safe travels, and enjoy your own "risky" adventures!
