Dennette's Destinations

08/19/2022

I think it's time to do some traveling. Where should I go?

11/09/2020

More pics from Foster Falls.

11/08/2020

Foster Falls day trip (176 Orphanage Dr., Foster Falls) with my best friend, Tisha Freeman Wallace , and my son, Thomas Lilly, October 23. Foster Falls is located near Galax, Virginia, in New River Trail State Park. It was truly a beautiful fall day. According to Wythe County tourism, http://visitwythe.us/new-river-state-park-horse-bike-canoe-or-kayak-livery/, New Trail is 57 miles long, passes through four counties, has two tunnels, and almost 30 smaller bridges and trestles to go through. It is also located next to Shot Tower Historical State Park.

There is so much to do at Foster Falls. They have primitive campsites, hiking/biking trails, guided horseback tours, canoe, and bike rentals. They even have a gift shop. Of course, the most important recreational activity is no activity at all, relaxing by a river.

The Village of Foster Falls was named after an early settler and farmer. Because of the high iron content in the area, there was an iron furnace built-in 1881 by Foster Falls Mining Company. The furnace was the last of the cold-blast charcoal fueled furnaces. At one point, the mining company employed 80 men and produced 3,000 tons of pig iron annually. The iron was shipped to Baltimore, Cincinnati, and St. Louis.

This brought folks to the area and a railroad track complete with passenger and freight station. This brought other businesses to the area. By 1895 Foster Falls had a population of 296, a victorian style motel (pictured), a post office, a gristmill, sawmill, general store, a distillery, and approx. 100 houses (https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/SlideShows/Foster%20Falls/FosterFall_slide_2.html).

After the furnace closed down in the mid-1900s, the town started to die down. The hotel was eventually turned into a co-ed orphanage in 1938. There was a fire in 1940, and in 1962 the orphanage closed, leaving the hotel abandoned once again. But never fear, there is work underway to restore the old hotel for lodging.

If you are a history buff and love to hike, this is the perfect place to go. For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Historic Preservation, https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/SlideShows/Foster%20Falls/FosterFallsSlide16.html. This is a great place to take the kiddos and get out of the house.

09/15/2020

Here's a short video of Dismal Falls. See my previous post for all the great info on this waterfall.

09/15/2020

Haven't posted in a loooonngggg time. With the COVID scare, my family and I have been simplifying our life. This weekend we camped at our favorite campground, Wytheville KOA. These folks are some of the nicest people you'll meet. So, what's in Wytheville? Really nothing except being surrounded by many, many parks. But more on the campground later.

My husband and I drove up to Bland County and did a short little hike to Dismal Falls, 395 Dismal Creek Rd, Virginia. It's up 1.5 mile bumpy, rutted, rocky dirt road. According to Virginia.org this waterfall is 40 ft. wide with a 12 ft. drop into a whirlpool.

Now for the personal experience. It's a beautiful waterfall, and to us it was worth the walk. There are 2 access points to this waterfall. One to the lower part and the other to the flat upper part. Getting to the lower part is not suggested if you have bad knees or leg issues. At the time of our visit we didn't know about the second access which is apparently much easier.

Another word of caution my husband brought to my attention. Don't go after a heavy rain. With the dirt road being so steep it would be pretty slick. Heavy rains would make walking to the lower part of the waterfall treacherous.

My husband would also like to add to the venture riders, it's surrounded by a 20 mile dirt road.

04/01/2018

Happy Easter & God Bless.

12/31/2017

Wishing everyone a happy & safe New Year.

07/28/2017

Welcome to Dennette's Destinations. For those of you who know me, know I love to travel. Sharing my experiences is more fun sometimes. I may travel alone, it may be just me & my awesome hubby or the whole family. I look forward to sharing what we have learned while out & about. Oh, one more thing, my travels usually consist of places that are not as well known, you know, "off the beaten path." Places may include parks, restaurants, events/festivals, or some roadside attraction that looks really cool. I hope to have my blog finally published soon. I will keep you updated. If you have any unique places you have been to I welcome any suggestions, just post them on here. Look forward to hearing from you.

02/15/2017

01/15/2017

You know me I love new places & I love eating. Grumpy Monk was a new experience. We had a wonderful experience here wut our shrimp po boys.

01/01/2017

Happy New Year from the Lillys. I have a great feeling about this year.