Sylvan, Mightier than the Sword

Greetings from Charlottesville, friends! We spoke too soon about our excitement to be done with West Virginia... We spent plenty more time there today. But then we preserved and made it to Virginia with a sigh of relief.

By the time we finally got on the road this morning, the sky presented itself as unequivocally overcast. Although this did nothing to alleviate some of the dinge of Western Pennsylvania, it did deepen the green of the foliage along our way and to our pleasure. Don't believe me? Check this out:



The beauty of Pennsylvania exists, if you care to look hard enough. ;-) We recommend Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater should you choose to drive through the boonies south of Pittsburgh. Much to our surprise, it was a beautiful area. (It was also appealing to the mosquitoes, who evidenced themselves con mucho gusto.) The house was impressive, at least from the outside (for which we paid $6 each to walk around the exterior). We declined to return tomorrow for a $50 tour inside. Here's the gist: it's modern, the interior and exterior blend in complicated and provacative ways, and the home combines Pan-American and Asian accents.

After our stop, and a surprising vegetarian lunch in a Maryland artisan village (thanks, probably, to local Seventh Day Adventists), we drove for what seemed like a very long time through Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Fortunately, we were able to punctuate the monotony with an interesting bathroom trip involving quick dip in a bathtub. A very special bathtub...



(Can you read that? It says, "George Washington's Bathtub." We stumbled into Berkeley Springs, WV, off Rt. 522. It was a less radioactive version of Hot Springs, which we visited a few weeks ago. But also a weirder version, thanks to the prevalance of Geo Washington mentions, the swimming locals, and kids skimming for fish with collanders. The water cools as it reaches the pools, but leaves the springs at a constant 74.3 degrees. Aren't you glad you know that now? The caverns in nearby VA stay a constant 52 degrees. The things we learn from the GPS Points of Interest!)

Karen--I heard that you like fences. This one's for you. :)



And, to conclude, an artistic representation of stone work and impending autumn from Falling Water. Please, look up official photos of the home if you'd like. We're not taking any chances posting them, after so many warnings at the place. Just not a risk worth taking, you know? ;-)



Our next plan on the agenda is helping Matt and Ashley move to Montclair on Saturday. Until then, we're hanging south of the Mason Dixon line in the midst of Fay's wrath. Luckily, the car needed a shower after too many dusty days on the road. And we're excited to cook tomorrow!