Anniversary Trip: part two

Mr. Price did an excellent job of scouting out a place to stay during our anniversary adventure. He found a custom built cabin on the outskirts of Abingdon named Old Fairview Cabin. It was the perfect location, only a few miles from downtown. Close enough to drive in for lunch or dinner, yet we still had the experience of being in the countryside.

For less than the price of a four star hotel (my usual favorite), we had a small cabin that included a kitchen and living room. It definitely had a rustic feel, which I really happen to dig. But it also had granite bathroom countertops, hardwood floors and stone wall backsplash. The carpentry was executed beautifully.

The owners were very hospitable. The cabin is located near their more modernly designed home. The wife of the couple greeted us as we arrived on Thursday, and checked up again on Saturday evening.

Old Fairview Cabin is a wonderful place to stay when exploring the Abingdon community, and just a short drive from many of the Virginia Creeper Trail starting points. You can view more pictures of the cabin at their website, here. If you ever take a visit, please tell them we sent you!

Anniversary Trip: part one

To celebrate our second wedding anniversary we decided to take an adventure. We biked part of the Virginia Creeper Trail! We've had it on our list of things to do since moving to Virginia, and thought we'd better try it before we embark on the adventure of parenting.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is located on a 34-mile stretch of old railroad bed between White Top and Abingdon, Virginia. The trail is part of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, which is a nonprofit organization that is creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines. This portion of the railroad was likely named Virginia Creeper because of the train's slow speed through this mountainous area.



About 100,000 people bike this trail each year. Once you take a look at our pictures you might understand why. Along the trail there are beautiful mountain scenes and trestles. There are also bathroom and food stops along the way.




You can bike the entire trail in one trip or just a section at time. There are several places to rent bikes with shuttle services that will take you to your starting point.

We biked the easiest part of the trail, which lies between White Top Mountain and Damascus. You can almost coast this entire 17 mile section.

We rented bikes from JC's Outdoors in Damascus, and they shuttled us and three other couples to the top of White Top. The total cost for the bikes and shuttle was only $50 for the two of us.




The trail starts off on flat terrain, but its not too long before you are just coasting.




There was a great place to stop and take in the scenic mountain views about a mile from the starting point. There were already several people there having a picnic.





After a quick stop, we jumped back on the bikes, enjoyed the lovely scenery, and stopped for the occasional photo op. Three miles later we reached Green Cove. This old station now offers snacks, food, restrooms and a little history to visitors.






The trail was so fun and beautiful, but it was a cold and windy day. The day started off with beautiful sunshine, but we were under the trees for the most part. Toward the end of the trail, the sky became overcast. Luckily seven miles from Green Cove, there's the Virginia Creeper Cafe where you can grab a bite to eat and refuel (and for us, warm up)!





The cafe is known for their World Famous Chocolate cake. I couldn't pass that up!



From the cafe it's only six more miles to Damascus. This section of the trail does require more pedaling and was definitely a workout for me, but still worth it. We were running a little late so we didn't stop very much during this section. There seemed to be more water stream views. There's a small waterfall somewhere along this section. But with the threat of rain and being late to return our bikes, we didn't stop.

Although it was a bit colder than I would have liked, we still had a great adventure. Biking is such a nice way to view the local terrain. The trip wouldn't have been complete without getting a souvenir sweat shirt at the cafe. It saved the day!

Cash Envelopes

I feel blessed that Matt and I have very similar views about money and debt. Before we got married we created a budget, and we have successfully tracked our spending in an Excel spreadsheet for the past two years. But sticking to our budget has been another thing.

We don't go out and spend money on frivolous or expensive items. Nor do we usually go in debt, but we seem to always go over budget in our dining out and grocery category each month. This means that at the end of the month we have less to save or invest. I feel discouraged when we can't get a handle on the amount of money we spend on food. Of course food is a necessity, but when we don't stick to our food budget, I feel as though I am not being a good steward.

Mr. Price recently suggested we try the envelope system, and I thought it was worth a shot. It seems like such an old school idea. And I think I had the impression it was for people who had trouble balancing a checkbook. We've been using the cash envelope system for two paychecks, and, for lack of a better phrase...it has been AMAZING!

It has really opened my eyes. I was skeptical that we could do it, because at times, we've gone over our food and dining budget by $50 to $100. The first time we used the envelopes, we came UNDER budget! I was completely surprised.

Dave Ramsey was right - if you have cash in your pocket, you are more likely to think twice about how you spend it. You don't experience any pain when you whip out your debit card to make a purchase like you do when you hand someone cash for a purchase.

Not only does using cash envelopes help us stay on budget, but it also makes balancing the checkbook at the end month a little easier. Not to mention that many banks will soon be charging a fee for using a debit card.

I am a huge fan of the envelope system now! Hopefully we can keep up the good work. If you are interested in learning more specifics or about our Excel budget spreadsheet please e-mail us.

Playing Catch Up

My blog posting has been pretty light over the past few months. Therefore I thought I'd write a brief catch-me-up post. Hopefully this will get everyone up to speed and I can begin posting more regularly.

So here's what we've been up to...

We've gone to the cash envelope system and it has worked wonders! I will have a detailed post about this coming up soon.



We tried a new-to-us restaurant in downtown Roanoke. Thelma's Chicken & Waffles is just the place to go for some good southern cooking. Mr. Price actually ordered chicken and waffles. I opted for the vegetable plate and still had trouble finishing my meal.






Mr. Price celebrated a birthday, and this year I actually got him a gift. I am such a slacker when it comes to getting gifts for people, even my husband. But this year I planned it perfectly. I had a portrait of his dog painted.




We celebrated two years of marriage! The second year was just as wonderful as the first! This year we took a little trip to Abingdon, Virginia to celebrate.




Lastly, I'm finally getting a baby bump! Sorry we didn't make a big announcement about my pregnancy here on the blog, but I'm sure I'll start sharing more soon.