Return to Warm Springs

 

We booked an Airbnb for the weekend in Warm Springs with Tim and Kay as we had done last year in May. The Airbnb was a little cottage called "Cordwood Cottage" located right on Sam Snead Highway. It was four minutes away from the baths and similar distances to eateries, etc. On Friday night we dined on pub food at Bacova Brewery. On Saturday we dined at Country Cafe. I was surprised at how good the food was at Country Cafe given the simple and dated interior. I ordered Mediterranean Chicken, Steve has a prime rib, Tim ordered fried catfish and Kay had a salad with chicken on it. Everything was delicious. We ordered two desserts which were just ok. 

 Warm Springs is only about an hour away from home so we decided to mosey along back roads on our drive up and stop for a picnic. It is beautiful country in these mountains with gorgeous vistas and farms at every turn. We stopped at Falling Springs Falls to listen to the water tumbling over the fall. I would have loved to see the original two hundred foot falls as Thomas Jefferson saw it but alas, we only have an eighty foot waterfall now.

 

 

 We decided to have our picnic lunch at Lake Moomaw. The drive into the lake took us on a narrow gravel road that ran alongside the Jackson River. It was a secluded road with only a cabin here and there. Otherwise, I watched the sparkling river water scurry over pebbles. With water levels apparently low, it looked to be the perfect place for wading. Temperatures were hot, in the nineties, at home. But up here there was a brisk breeze coming off the lake and we donned our jackets while we ate lunch at a waterside picnic table. There was a nice camp store at the entrance to the park and after lunch, Kay and walked over and bought ice cream from the freezer chest. What child doesn't love the treat of choosing an ice cream from a camp store freezer chest?! It was still early in the season for the lake so it was quiet and peaceful on this day.

 

  

We took the baths on Saturday afternoon and it was very crowded. Because of the large number of bathers, they split us alphabetically into two groups with our group assigned to the Gentleman's bath. This is the original, smaller bathhouse with a rushing flume on one end in which you can sit and let the water give you a massage. We all agreed that the baths were not as relaxing in a crowd. Even though voices are to be kept at a whisper, some people cannot help but chitchat away. The ninety-eight degree, naturally heated water temperature was very soothing and I felt all my tensed muscles relax as I floated with my pool noodle. 

It was a nice getaway for all of us but especially for Steve as he has been working hard and traveling a lot. He is beginning to count the months to retirement and it seems that it cannot come soon enough.