To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be th

My husband and I spent the night recently surrounded by autumns color show in a rustic cabin tucked in a secluded glade just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, VA. The cabins were built to house workmen while the Parkway was being built in the 1930's. Though updated with electricity and cold running water, the bathrooms and showers with hot water were located in another building centrally located to the cabins. No TV, or telephone (cell phone had no bars either) made for a quiet evening.
A fireplace would have been nice...I forgot to request a cabin with fireplace...will not do that again..as the temperatures dropped below freezing that night. But all in all it was an amazing adventure. It turned out to be a three dog night, and our Barkley was just not dog enough to keep us warm enough. We three snuggled under wool blankets and down sleeping bags to stay warm in an authentic metal bed that creaked and talked to us each time one of us moved.
The adventure came when nature called and a trip to the bathroom was needed. A coat thrown on and a short hike to the warm bathroom was not the unpleasant experience I thought it would be. And being out in the open, so far away from city lights...the nighttime sky was simply amazing! I was less concerned about the cold and more mesmerized with the depth of the universe that was before me.
The creaking screen door, boiling water to wash our dishes, only the essentials in the cabin, leaving the protection of our shelter to retreat to the bathroom, and the quiet...amazing quiet, except for the singing crickets and birds all made this stay so very special.