The oldest limestone caverns in the US are in Shenandoah Valley Mountains. It is supposed to be well worth the entrance fees. Somehow we skipped it… Maybe next trip!
We opted to spend the the day strolling through the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. This is an educational botanical garden and part of the James Madison University. The entrance is free and there were families picnicking, couples hanging out, students studying, young artists painting… Virginia is truly for lovers. We took a video of painted box turtles and large fish in the cool lakes. Click here for a video of the turtles. There were many trails following Oak Forests, Magnolia Forests, Large Bamboo Forest, Hollies, Ginko Biloba trees, and an amazing Rhododendron Forest. We spoke to a Rhododendron enthusiastic photographer who had been waiting all spring for a specific bush to flower. It was in full bloom that day! We recognized a lot of shrubs and trees that were in our previous house including unique Rhododendrons, Fir, Gingko, Magnolia, Holly, Oaks, Birch, Maple, White Pine and Cedars.
It seemed to be a perfect evening to end it with a nice meal. We settled on The Taste of Thai in Harrisonburg, VA. We forgot we are in America – the land of the High Fructose Corn Syrup. The meals may have started out authentic Pad Thai and Mixed Vegetable Noodles with Shrimp. Then they would have added 2 or 3 squirts of Corn Syrup. The serving was large and it tasted like a plate of dessert. I tried to pack the left overs and noticed the noodles were so sticky it was “pasted” on to the plate.
Meals like this makes one appreciate home cooked meals.
This was our first meal out. In the four days we have been out, we have prepared in house…
- Rice
- Lentil (Dhal) curry
- Quinoa Pilaf
- Stir Fry Vegetables with Pan fried Shrimps and Veggie Burgers
- Yellow Rice tempered with chllies, turmeric and curry leaves
- Yogurt Curry with Chickpea Flour
- Rapini and Spinach Curry
- Cauliflower pizza crust with fresh basil, mozerlla, hot and sweet peppers, black olives, Spinach, White onion and Mushrooms
- Pasta and Sauce with beyond beef patties
- Guacamole, refried beans, salsa and cheese dip with Nachos
Breakfast has been an array of choices from eggs, tofu scramble, toast, marmalade, oats, ancient grain cereal, grapefruit, granny smith apple, oranges, and Greek yogurt!
I am lucky I have my entire pantry with me. So in a whim I can make a cake for visitors, gift wrap some cookies to take with me when visiting someone, or prepare a gourmet picnic for our next hike. Call me if you want to unlock the equity in your home to open the door to your dreams.
Yasmin Virani
416-791-6441 your traveling mortgage broker.
TOMORROW we head to Coinjock, North Carolina! See you then