Adventure Trip Part 3

Dixie Cavern- Salem Va.
On our way from Stone Mountain to Roanoke, we took a quick stop at Dixie Cavern’s. It was a nice break from the heat to hang out in the “always 55° environment.” We had only one family to keep us company on our tour: a gentleman, his wife and his grandson. The gentleman was a retired professor from Virginia Tech and a paleontologist. This made the young tour guide nervous. It made our tour a little more interesting because anything the young guide didn’t know, the professor kindly filled in for us.

Roanoke, Va.

Upon arrival in Roanoke, we checked into a hotel. I do NOT recommend the Extended Stay America near the Roanoke Airport.


Mill Mountain Zoo, Roanoke, Va.

Roanoke holds a special place in my heart because my mother was born at Jefferson Hospital (no longer there) under the star.

We visited Mill Mountain Zoo, where we have been a few times before, but it’s been a while. When my mother was a little girl, her father rescued an injured Eagle from the Blueridge parkway and brought him to the zoo where he was cared for, and (as far as we know) where he lived out the rest of his days. His injury would be life threatening in the wild. My mother wanted me to ask about him, but he has apparently been gone a while, and no one had been there long enough to know.



I bought the boys snakes in the gift shop. We got one red one and one green one. Jacob got the green one and Elias got the red. We noticed, on the very long walk from the zoo entrance to the parking lot, that the red snake was missing an eyeball. I figured Elias was too young to care, so we kept going. About the time we got to the car Elias ( who was very sleepy) was having an absolute raging fit because he wanted Jake’s green snake. Jake was not willing to budge because he didn’t want one with a missing eye. Wearily, I gave in and asked, “will you stop crying if I go back and trade it for a green snake.” Elias stopped crying and sat still. I locked the two of them in with the A/c running so that I could sprint back. As I moved up the path gritting my teeth at the frustration I was feeling, I noticed a little blue card on the side of the path. LOL- I had dropped my credit card on the way to the car. Too funny, it was the only one I had to use for the whole trip. I giggled the rest of the way there and back. God works in mysterious ways. By the time I returned to the car, Elias was asleep.

http://www.mmzoo.org/- 50% off with your Boonshoft Pass