Primland
After our day at VIR, my wife and I set out for Primland, a resort located in Meadows of Dan, VA.
The drive between VIR and Primland is approximately 90 miles.
The last third of this trip features fantastic sweeping turns and stunning views as you climb to over 2,700 ft. in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In fact there are still 6 miles of curves with hardly a straight section between the North Gate and the Lodge at Primland.
Primland North Gate.
Along this route there are several warning signs for various wild life including bears and dear. We encountered wild turkeys:
Primland is a small world class resort with phenomenal service that is truly in the middle of nowhere. There is basically no AT&T cell phone reception and the resort can only be reached in good weather. The resort started out as a private hunting retreat (still a heavy focus of the resort) and then developed into a world-class golf resort and spa. I am an avid golfer and who’s wife doesn’t love the spa?
Approaching the Lodge at Primland.
The Lodge at Primland.
The first two nights that we stayed at Primland we rented a suite in one of the three Fairway Cottages (each cottage has two suites). The cottages are located a short distance from the Lodge (which also has rooms) and a golf cart is provided to travel back and forth. The fit, finish, and furnishings in these cottages are spectacular. The buildings are designed to be eco friendly and feature radiant floor heating and recycled wood. The bathroom in the cottage was actually about the size of our condo’s living room. Here are some pictures:
Primland Sparrow Cottage.
1M's parking place at the cottage.
Sparrow East living room.
Sparrow East kitchen.
The second day we were at the resort, a surprise snow storm hit the mountain. I knew there was a reason I kept my winter tires on for a track event
:
1M covered in snow.
Luckily for us, it quickly warmed up the next day and I got to play golf the remainder of the time while on the resort.
Mountain golf at its best – the Highlands Course is ranked #2 in VA and the #13 public course in the USA by Golf Digest.
Primland also features fantastic and unique food!
Here I am pondering my choice of afternoon snack among some of Primland’s specialties - Truffle French Fries, Hush Puppies with Maple Sugar Butter (the best hush puppies ever), and Pig Candy – fried bacon that is then caramelized in maple syrup.
Moonshine distilling is a huge (illegal) industry in this area of VA. The Lodge at Primland is actually located on Moonshine Drive. The bar features several different varieties of legal moonshine.
Primland is also the only resort in North America that has its own observatory.
Large telescope under rotating observatory dome.
For our last night at Primland, my wife and I decided to stay in the Golden Eagle Tree House. This unique lodging is situated over a 2,700 foot cliff partially in a tree near the 4th green of the golf course. In order to get to the Tree House I had to trade my 1M in for a Ford Explorer (provided by the resort) and for good reason.
1M now parked in front of the Lodge.
Ford Explorer.
Logging trail to Tree House.
Extremely steep grade.
Greater than 2,500 ft. drop only a few feet away from trail.
Golden Eagle Tree House.
While the furnishings inside the tree house were not quite up to those in the Fairway Cottages, they were still excellent. However, who cares what your furnishings look like when this is your view:
View from Tree House deck.
Sunset from Tree House.
Blue Ridge Parkway to Blacksburg, VA
While my wife and I were sad to leave Primland, we were excited to meet up with our families for dinner in our hometown of Blacksburg, VA. It also happens that you get to Blacksburg from Primland by taking the Blue Ridge Parkway.
More awesome roads, curves, and no cops (at least on our trip)!
Some scenery along the route:
Another Wild Turkey.
Mabry Mill – a circa 1910 sawmill that is popular tourist stop on this section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
One of the many scenic overlooks on the way.
Heading Home
After dinner and some March Madness watching action in Blacksburg with our families it was time to head back home. However, since our dog was boarded at the kennel and I had the 1M, I could not pass up taking the “alternate” route to I-81. This route was my favorite road growing up and features an awesome tunnel and many great turns including five hairpins that let you feel the 1M’s differential work its magic.
1M at Home. Does BSM stand for Black Sapphire Metallic or Brown Sapphire Metallic or even perhaps Bug Sapphire Metallic?