Season's greetings, readers! Welcome back to this, the 13th Traveling Totes adventures recap! Miss Luna C and I are deep in the throes of holiday prep now, but before it all completely escapes us, we want to recap our fall frolics. And please, even if you don't read the entire post, be sure to check our tribe's giveaway at the end. It's an item that'll be just in time for your holiday enjoyment.
Miss Luna C and I have been quite busy this fall and, even though we didn't get to trek to NYC for the first gathering of all the other gals and their totes, the tribe made us feel part of the experience with emails, photos and token exchanges during and after their trip. I'm not sure how that inaugural gathering can be topped, but ideas are floating for 2018. 🙂
Here's a recap of some of the ways Miss Luna C and I spent our fall months, with some links to more detailed prior posts on the topics:
September: Farmers' Market Pumpkin Pickin' - Front Porch Decor. Miss Luna C is a workhorse! She is perfect for hauling even some of the large pumpkins I selected for fall, but in the photo below, she was stuffed with all my baby boos.
Panoply Buying Trip in September. Miss Luna C is really great for hauling just about anything, and in mid-September, she was basically a picnic basket for snacks and hostess gifts taken to my Panoply sister's home in Cincinnati in prep for an antiquing adventure.
The week after returning home from OH, I had a dinner date with my girls, and a delivery to make to my oldest daughter from sister J. My oldest is saving bottle tops from various brews so her hubby can eventually make some sort of bar top. The tote handily did the job. Hmmm...beginning to see a pattern here of the tote carrying beverages.....
October: Fall Color in West Virginia.
Mr. P and I took advantage of fall color in our home state of WV in October, and Miss Luna C was actually my overnight bag. Mr. P offered to carry Miss Luna C numerous times. She's so heavy when she's loaded, one must be really careful not to blow a tire.
We drove to the Potomac Highlands region in the northeastern part of the state to tour (starting clockwise, top L of photo below) Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, Blackwater Falls State Park, Canaan Valley State Park and Smoke Hole Caverns.
A little trivia: did you know West Virginia is the only state entirely within the Appalachian Region? It's true! And not to typecast us or anything, but.....
November: Thanksgiving Getaway
Mr. P & I skipped town for a few days leading up to and including Thanksgiving. Our status quo get together with his family was interrupted this year, daughter #1 and her husband planned a trip to visit friends out of town, and daughter #2 and her husband were scheduled to work. So, what do empty nesters do? Road trip!
Where have all the other Traveling Tote tribe members been lately? Check them out at the links conveniently located below to see. We have a new member joining us! Please welcome Jackie with Miss Madi K at Purple Chocolat Home, and show her some love!
Here's a recap of some of the ways Miss Luna C and I spent our fall months, with some links to more detailed prior posts on the topics:
September: Farmers' Market Pumpkin Pickin' - Front Porch Decor. Miss Luna C is a workhorse! She is perfect for hauling even some of the large pumpkins I selected for fall, but in the photo below, she was stuffed with all my baby boos.
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| Capitol Market - Charleston, WV |
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| Antiquing in OH |
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| Dinner with my girls |
Mr. P and I took advantage of fall color in our home state of WV in October, and Miss Luna C was actually my overnight bag. Mr. P offered to carry Miss Luna C numerous times. She's so heavy when she's loaded, one must be really careful not to blow a tire.
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| She ain't heavy, she's my Luna C! |
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| WV fall getaway |
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| Appalachia at its best |
Mr. P & I skipped town for a few days leading up to and including Thanksgiving. Our status quo get together with his family was interrupted this year, daughter #1 and her husband planned a trip to visit friends out of town, and daughter #2 and her husband were scheduled to work. So, what do empty nesters do? Road trip!
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| Thanksgiving Getaway Route |
Day 1: Monday, November 20 - we headed to Morgantown to see the WVU Mountaineers play Long Beach (CA) State in a pre-conference basketball game. Bags carried into the coliseum can be no larger than the one pictured below, a 4.5" x 6.5" clutch, so Miss Luna C was a little put out. However, she had a plan.
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| Vera Bradley Collegiate Crossbody |
The next day, before leaving town, she got her due. Are you familiar with the NBA logo? Well, that guy is Jerry West, and he hails from West Virginia. His statue is just outside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. Miss Luna C was happy to have her photo taken with him, and now that I'm looking at the photo, I guess I should've smiled too. It appears I was on camera as well. 😲
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| Jerry West bronze outside WVU Coliseum - Morgantown, WV |
Day 2: Tuesday, November 21- traveling a little further north and west to Wheeling, WV, for its famous seasonal Festival of Lights tour, our early arrival kept us from being to able to check in, so what to do, what to do? Shopping, of course, and I chose Sibs Antique Store, where I found a most unusual 'car snack' tartan carrier, among other great finds. Below, one of the sibling owners (hence, Sibs), is showing how versatile the over-the-seat carrier can be repurposed as a backpack. 🤣
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| Sibs Antiques - Wheeling, WV |
We then checked in to our resort, the Wilson Lodge at Oglebay Park in Wheeling.
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| Oglebay Park - Wheeling, WV |
Our package included a guided night tour of this acclaimed, seasonal show of winter lights. It was truly spectacular, including the historic and original, early 20th century Oglebay Mansion, greenhouse. The displays of lights cover more than 300 acres of rolling hills of an area completely owned and managed by the citizens of Wheeling, a gift from the Oglebay estate.
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| Oglebay Park Festival of Lights - Wheeling, WV |
Day 3: Wednesday, November 22 - our next stop on our Thanksgiving getaway was Amish country in Ohio, just a couple more hours driving west and north. We stopped at the famous Lehman's Hardware, a family owned and operated store making life simpler since 1955.
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| Lehman's Hardware - Kidron, OH |
Amish buggies pulled by horses are a common sighting in this area, and handmade foods and goods are plenty available. I have a couple hand-wrought baskets I've bought on a prior trip, and I added a sweet egg basket as my token remembrance on this trip.
From Kidron, we drove about 40 minutes south to Sugarcreek, OH and checked in to the Carlisle Inn. This is part of what's known as Dutchman Hospitality, home to various inns, bakery/restaurants, theater, gift shops, and meat/grocery stores. This was where we had our Thanksgiving dinner, and our stay was so nice! Amish food is awesomely good, home-style cooking, and we loved it!
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| Carlisle Inn - Sugarcreek, OH |
Amish country is a special place, indeed. So special, Miss Luna C shopped a bit of real estate*. There was a church, a barn, a couple cottages and a grand manse. She had a hard time deciding, but thought they were all quite nice. I would be sad if Miss Luna C decided to leave me and buy her own house.😉
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| * Amish-made playhouses at Sugarcreek, OH |
We had a great Thanksgiving getaway, and certainly a fun way to kick off the holiday season!
NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!
The Traveling Tribe is offering another giveaway. Patti @ Pandora's Box is our giveaway sponsor this time. One lucky reader who leaves a comment on Patti's December 1 post will have their name thrown into the hat for an opportunity to win the following:
Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths
Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch
Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home
Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron
Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester
Linda G with Miss Poppy @ More Fun Less Laundry
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ "Pandora's Box"
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply (you are here!)
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch
Jackie with Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home
Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron
Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester
Linda G with Miss Poppy @ More Fun Less Laundry
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Patti with Miss Kenzie and Miss Taylor @ "Pandora's Box"
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply (you are here!)
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Until our next adventure (coming March 1, 2018), thank you for traveling along. It's a pleasure to have your company and visit! If you're curious, read all about the beginning of this tribe here.
Happy Holidays!
Rita C. with Miss Luna C at Panoply
Sharing: Amaze Me, DIDI, BNOTP, Show & Share, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, The Scoop, Dagmar's Home, Celebrate Your Story, SYS, SYC, Delightsome Life H&G, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm, Foodie Friday & Everything ElseRita C. with Miss Luna C at Panoply
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