August 2020


The end of last summer was a time that begged for travel....just safe, socially distanced travel. My roommate and I decided to take a road trip. First we headed down 81 to Southwestern VA, then to Asheville, NC and across NC to the Outerbanks for the final few days before heading back to Maryland.


The first stop was Tazewell County in southern Virginia. My roommate had ancestors who lived in this area and wanted to see it first hand. Instead of staying in a hotel we chose a perfect little AirBnB cabin nestled in the blue ridge mountains in a charming little community called Burke's Garden.


Burke's Garden felt like what they referred to in Holes as God's Thumb. Nestled in Southwestern VA, surrounded 360º by the Blue Ridge Mountains, this really felt like a slice of heaven. That is if you like being removed from everyday annoyances like traffic, over population... cable and high speed internet. I was defintely ok with this fact, especially with a place this beautiful!


This place has a very tight-knit community and it feels so peaceful and safe. Safe enough for there to be a sign with the names of the people who live there and arrows pointing to their houses!

My roommate, Sarah, loves cows and naturally found a few to befriend.


Fun fact: The AirBnB we stay in didn't have more than 3 channels on their TV until 2008!


The road to get into the garden was wild, but had some truly wonderful views of rolling mountains and farmlands. If you ever find yourself near Tazewell, VA, I recommend you make a detour.