Springfield Distillery, Halifax, VA

 We woke up to a bright sunny day today, even though it was a bit cool.  That made driving 200 miles a breeze.  We took off-interstate roads today which took us through several small picturesque towns and through very scenic hill country in central Virginia.

Tonight we are at Springfield Distillery, another Harvest Host.  Our neighbors are some Belted Galloway steers and two donkeys.  This is the first distillery we have stayed at.  My tasting session was 44 samples of their whiskey and a Manhattan.  There was a 4 year old, a two year old, one aged in wine barrels and a Maple Whisky.  The Vermonter had to see what they do with Maple in Virginia.  Actually, it was pretty good!  Not too sweet like many of the major brands I’ve tried.  It has a nice maple flavor in a good whisky base.  And since the 4 yo was $80 and the maple was $30 I am bringing home a maple.  My first souvenir of the trip.  They say the neighbor grows the corn across the road from them and then gets the distiller’s grains back for the cattle.  The young woman “tending bar” was very knowledgeable about the place, grew up nearby and now lives on site.

I’ve neglected some wildlife sightings.  When we entered Quattro Goombas there was a fox in the driveway.  Kind of scruffy looking, we kept an eye out for it but didn’t see it again.  There was a hawk in a tree right beside the interstate.  And today we saw a Red Tailed Hawk just a few feet off the road take off with his tail flared out showing the redness and with something in his talons.  We presume that was lunch.

Virginia has widespread winter weather advisories north of us.  We are so close to NC that we are beyond the worst of it.  Tomorrow there is freezing rain in the forecast in the very early morning, like 4-8 AM.  Supposed to be warmed up above freezing before 9.  We’ll just take a leisurely start to the day and leave when it’s no longer freezing.  We’re going to Cheraw State Park in SC for 2 nights.  Supposed to be warmer there after the rain stops in the mid-afternoon.  60 daytime and 40 @ night!  We may finally have gotten south of winter!  Followed by a sunny day on Sunday.  We stayed there last spring and have the same site on the waterfront.

They said we could park anywhere, so we backed up to find a level place.  Took some dancing around but we’re level and still hitched. 

Going to the tasting, and to get a jug of water

The neighbors

After supper walk

I’m the only one awake at 8:30!  

I guess that means I get to choose which photos to post

🤣