Still Day 3. Detour To Wintergreen Between Thai-Mex And Blue Ridge Parkway.

While we were still on the Skyline Drive, I noticed some buildings on the top of a ridge way off in the distance. (Notice top left.) I wondered what they were.

Fast forward to getting off at Rockfish Gap, travelling to the non-existent Rockfish Grill, eating at the Thai-Mex II restaurant, then backtracking to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Along the way back, we decided to make a slight detour to Wintergreen Resort, since it was right along the way - just a few miles up a mountainside. I had always heard about Wintergreen and in my mind, I incorrectly thought it was a big lodge on top of a mountain. I imagined a huge fireplace with a roaring fire with ski bunnies sitting around drinking hot toddies and a blinding blizzard outside. We went up and up the winding roads to the top, all the time I was waiting to see this beautiful mountaintop lodge.

Oh wait. What is this glimpse through the trees? I have Mr. Hawthorne pull over so I can walk down into a perfect stranger's backyard to see what it is. Hey, I have a big camera around my neck so it's OK. Plus, it didn't look like anybody was home.

Well, jeeze. It's a bunch of crappy condos on the top of the mountain ridge. The same crappy condos I saw from the Skyline Drive miles away.

To the right is a ski-lift.

And look at these cute little critters in the backyard.

This, my friends, is Wintergreen Resort. The whole place is dotted with ugly houses off the road, then this horrid, depressing, abysmal architecture crowning the glorious mountaintop. This is sad. Way to screw up the pristine natural beauty of a mountain ridge.

More ugly. This was quite a disappointment. I was really expecting something nice.