Goldvein This Week: Monroe Park meeting tomorrow
Birthday wishes go out this week to Jason Cook and Austin Williams, both born on July 19. Happy birthday to both of these great guys.
Coming up tomorrow, July 17, is the Friends of Monroe Park monthly meeting at 7 p.m. More volunteers are always needed and appreciated.
The plans for the Goldvein Jubilee are in full swing. There will be a car show, gold panning, live entertainment, a parade, a petting zoo, pony rides, carriage rides, face painting and great food. If you would like to help in any way, please call Bob at (540) 752-5330.
This Saturday, July 19, Morrisville United Methodist Church will be holding a one-day-only Vacation Bible School. Registration begins at 8:45 a.m., and the theme is "Beach Party." The day will be filled with music, crafts, fellowship and more.
All families are invited to the closing for an ice cream social. Call the church at (540) 439-2594 for more information.
Grove Baptist Church will be having its VBS July 21-25 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The theme is "Quest for God's Ten Commandments" and classes will be for kids ages 3-12. For more details, call the church at (540) 752-5806.
The Ratliff family has not taken a full vacation this summer, but have taken a couple of long weekend trips, both of which have featured biking.
Memorial Day weekend, they camped and biked with Boy Scout Troop 161 on the C&O Canal. Their camp was at Fort Frederick State Park in Maryland.
Fort Frederick dates to both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War and features the reconstructed fort walls and barracks, as well as reenactments.
On the first day, the Scouts rode from near Sharpsburg to Williamsport, lunching at the Cushwa Basin Visitor's Center, where they had fun exploring the museum and shops. The afternoon ride continued to Fort Frederick.
The next morning's ride was from Little Orleans to the town of Hancock, where lunch was eaten in a local park. After lunch, the ride continued back to Fort Frederick. The next morning they broke camp and returned home. Over several trips through the years, some of the Scouts have ridden all 184.5 miles of the canal.
Their second trip occurred over Father's Day weekend, when the family traveled to Abingdon for a family reunion. While there, they decided to bike a 17-mile portion of the Virginia Creeper Trail.
They chose to have other family members drop them off at White Top, but you can opt to have one of the many bike shops in Damascus drive you and your bike there. Except for a downpour during the middle of the trip, it was an enjoyable downhill coast to Damascus, with a stream beside the trail for most of the trip and many trestles to cross.
After returning to Abingdon and getting cleaned up, some of their party decided to relax by taking in a play at the Barter Theatre, The reunion rounded out the visit, and they returned home on Father's Day.
They also biked on the Fourth of July, but it was only a three-mile trip at Prince William Forest Park with a picnic following.
Many thanks to Kanoa Ratliff for e-mailing me about her family's adventures this summer. Please call or e-mail me with your vacation news.
This week's quote is in honor of travelers everywhere: "The interminable distance was in itself an unforgettable experience. It gave us an impression of the lavish immensity of our own country as nothing else could." — Emily Post
Have a wonderful week.
Goldvein columnist Pam VanScoy can be reached at (540) 439-0686 or pamvs2000@yahoo.com.