Fathers Day With Family At The Black Bear Lodge In The Appalachian Mountains

Paul Askew - Max - Me - 2 Grandfathers
just happy to be there on Fathers Day

Black Bear Lodge - 4 cars from 4 different states -
Florida - Washington DC - Virginia - North Carolina
The Cornwall flag hangs proudly -
Lulu's great grandfather (James Cox) emigrated from Cornwall

When three big events - like Fathers Day - your youngest grandson's 1st birthday - and you oldest grandson's 9th birthday all line up - it is a special occasion. So - last weekend we rented the Black Bear Lodge in Wintergreen VA as a place for all the Everharts to meet and spend 4 days celebrating our good fortune.

I never met my grandfathers - both were dead before I was even a thought. One died in 1942 - the other in 1945 - and I was born in 1948. I always wondered what they were like - William J Quick and Roy S Everhart. I wanted to make sure the newest Everhart - Max - knew his grandfathers - and also knew they were good friends. Max's first year seems to have flown by - but when you approach 70 - they all fly by. My oldest grandson - Jack - is now 9 - and my only granddaughter Kate is 6. They are all such joys to us. The worst part of living in Florida - is being 800 miles away from the kids.

Lulu and I left Tallahassee in our Honda on Thursday. We spent a night in Charlotte NC on the way up and Columbia SC on the way home - 750 miles each way. The van was marvelous on the road getting 28 MPG - traffic was light - but we got lots of rain.

Paul and Evelyn Askew drove from North Carolina to share Max's 1st birthday. Max is Paul's first and only grandchild. Also we found out Paul and Jack are both born on June 20th.

On the way home we also stopped in Augusta to see Jack and Lottie Robinson - Robin's grandparents. You may remember Jack as the 1948 London Olympic Gold Medalist. I wish they were at the Black Bear Lodge with us. I showed them the pictures. I wish I got a picture of them too.

We rented Black Bear Lodge for $300 a night. It had 5 bedrooms and 5 baths. Everyone had a master suite. We enjoyed the fireplace and a big back deck overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. We hiked - cooked - ate - played games - and swam. Just a great time together.

See the lodge here - Black Bear Lodge

As you get older - you can count the number of Fathers Days on your fingers - and if you are lucky on your toes. Also when you are senile - the last one is always the best one.

The Everhart 9

Max opening up his new bike with Liz

We could see for miles - I swear almost back
to Andreas PA where I was born on the side of
these Appalachian Mts

Paul and Evelyn Askew - Max's grandfather and step grandmother.

Three Everhart boys and a lady

5 Everhart Men

The whole clan

Lulu and Michigan Rummy with her boys