Gender Reveal Parties? REALLY?!?!?!?!

Apparently, it is a new trend...

Rather than find out your baby's gender in a doctor's office, the docter puts the gender of the baby in a sealed envelope. The pregnant woman then brings that envelope to a baker, who will bake a blue or pink cake, according to what is in the envelope. The couple throws a big party with all their family and friends, and they cut the cake to find out what they are having... boy or girl?

What will they come up with next?!

The Waltons

While CJ was busy at the US Open (that is a golf event, in case you were wondering), I had a whole day to myself (what to do, what to do...). A recent blog post got me thinking about the TV show The Waltons, a show I often watched with my family in my adolescence. I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to drive down to Schuyler, VA and see Earl Hamner's childhood home and the place that began the Walton saga (since CJ had never watched The Waltons, I knew he would not find any of it very interesting).

When I arrived at the museum, I was surprised that it was set up in the Schuyler public school (the school the Hamner children attended). As it turns out, the school closed in 1991, and the museum was set up some time after that. Different school rooms were set up as various rooms in the Walton house (as seen on the TV show).


In this collage of pictures, you can see the set of John-boy's bedroom, the kitchen, and Ike Godsey's General Store.


The set of the living room



The current General Store


Earl Hamner's boyhood home (smaller than Hollywood's depiction of it)


The little, white, Baptist church


Here you can see how close the General Store was to the Hamner home... there was no traveling down the mountain to get there. It was practically in their front yard!

This is the actual camera and equipment that was used in the filming of the Waltons.

The Waltons (part II)

Anyone who has ever watched The Waltons, is familiar with the Baldwin sisters and "the recipe."

An actual distillary, though not actually the Balwins' (as the next picture explains)



a sign


THE Recipe

What I did not know was that the Baldwin sisters were based on a real-life mother/daughter duo, who really did make moonshine that was renown in the area. From what I was told, distillers usually used apples (apple cider) and fermented that. These two ladies used apricots instead, making all the difference (apparently).

A Day at the Vineyard

I guess when you own your own massively huge vineyard, you can name the streets whatever you want.

The Barboursville Vineyard

A random barn at the vineyard (not that I can think of any reason why a vineyard would need a barn, but it was pretty)

Row of Grape Vines

Childhood Flashback

I had a sudden itching to hear Rockapella sing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, so I looked on youtube and sure enough, it was there. Wow... it really brought me back!
Such witty lyrics... just read 'em for yourself. =)

Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina,
She's a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize,
She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Steal their Seoul in South Korea, make Antarctica cry Uncle,
From the Red Sea to Greenland they'll be singing the blues,
Well they never Arkansas her steal the Mekong from the jungle,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

She go from Nashville to Norway, Bonaire to Zimbabwe,
Chicago to Czechoslovakia and back!

Well she'll ransack Pakistan and run a scam in Scandinavia,
Then she'll stick 'em up Down Under and go pick-pocket Perth,
She put the Miss in misdemeanor when she stole the beans from Lima,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
Oh tell me where in the world is... Oh tell me where can she be?

Ooh, Botswana to Thailand, Milan via Amsterdam,
Mali to Bali, Ohio, Oahu...!

Well she glides around the globe and she'll flimflam every nation,
She's a double-dealing diva with a taste for thievery,
Her itinerary's loaded up with moving violations,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

A Few More Cavern Shots

This underground lake is actually only a little over a foot deep, but the reflections of the stalactites make it look much deeper (and cool too!).

Totem Pole Valley

The Bath Towel

The Wishing Well

They drain this pool of water once a year and collect the coins, which are then donated to various charities. They have collected over a million dollars (my contribution is 17 cents).

Luray Caverns

So, after almost six months in this area, I finally made it to Luray Caverns. It was amazing! I would highly recommend it.


A few shots from inside the caverns

Pluto's Ghost

Apparently, they named it Pluto's Ghost because Pluto was the Roman god of the underworld and it's a white rock formation (which stood out from the darker rock around it).

The Stalacpipe Organ

This organ literally plays the stalactites! Stalactites make sound when they are hit - they make different tones, depending on the size. The organ is connected to 37 different Stalactites with different tones. It played A Mighty Fortress is Our God. That was truly the highlight of the tour for me!

Fried Eggs

These were formed after two Stalacmites were broken off in the 1920s. They really did look like fried eggs (as you can see).