Day 20

 Thursday, May 21, 2026

A relaxing start to our day as we left the campground around 10 AM and headed into Floyd for breakfast at “Cocoa Mia”, a new dining experience for us.  This place is very typical of the avant garde atmosphere of Floyd, and as the name suggests, they specialize in chocolate. It was tough to decide what to order , but we managed.  Both of us selected a mocha coffee , Joni selected a blueberry scone and I chose a slice of chocolate cake.

Check out the door stop!

During our breakfast we engaged in lively conversations with both the owner and one of his customers.  Such interactions are one of the big joys of travel.

 

The owner, on the left, is originally from Connecticut, but moved here over 20 years ago.

After breakfast we walked the streets, discovering what’s new in Floyd since our last visit three years ago.   Joni did some shopping and I updated our blog.  Our campsite is way off the grid so connecting with the internet is not attempted for things like downloading photos.

 

 

Around 1 PM we headed for a new lunch destination, Chateau Morrisette, which produces 60,000 bottles of wine per year and is now the largest winery in Virginia.  The vineyard is located on a beautiful property just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 15 miles south of Floyd.  The restaurant and tasting room are in separate buildings, each distinctively beautiful.  This vineyard was very reminiscent of some of the vineyards we've visited in France and in Traverse City, Michigan.

Our meal was delicious and equal to the beauty of this vineyard.  We each had a glass of their wine.  Joni passed on an appetizer, and for her main course ordered stuffed chicken.  I ordered crab cakes for a starter, and meat loaf for my main dish. Neither of us cleaned our plates, but that was not a reflection of our meals’ taste.

CRAB CAKES: Blue Swimming Crab, Remoulade Sauce,Cabbage Frisee Salad.

BACON WRAPPED MEATLOAF: Grass Fed Ground Beef Wrapped in Bacon, House-Made Barbecue Sauce, Red Smashed Potatoes, Green Beans.

STUFFED CHICKEN:Chicken Breast Stuffed with French Onion Cream Cheese, Bread Coating, Potato Au Gratin, Asparagus Puree, Truffle Hot Sauce, Green Beans, Parmesan Cheese.

Leaving the winery we decided to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, seeking an overlook, of which there are many, where we could just park our van and enjoy a siesta while our food digested.  We both fell asleep and did not wake up until 5 PM.

We then returned to Floyd in order to attend Honky Tonk Thursday at the Floyd General Store. Listening to the musicians and watching the dancers is one of the treats that brings us back to this special little town.  I suspect that all the dancers are just local folks, out for a fun evening, but they know how to dance.

The band, High Hopes, sounded great and their interpretation of honky tonk music was right on the money.  If they had a CD to sell, I would have bought one.  After performing for one hour, the band took their first break, and Joni and I returned to our van and headed back to our campground.  It was now raining  and getting dark, so we took the 30 mile drive through winding mountains more slowly than we would have during daylight.