One place that my wife, Fyllis, and I visited promised a “luxury boutique” that has won accolades as among the best resorts in the country. The other invited us to “experience the simple life.”
These very different settings stretch along the Virginia–North Carolina border. Together, Patrick County, Virginia, and the Primland resort offer an inviting getaway with an eclectic appeal. Primland combines touches of elegance with a friendly, casual atmosphere and opportunities to enjoy activities not found at many resorts.
The surrounding area of Patrick County offers an immersion in a locale where people cling proudly to their strong Appalachian heritage and colorful past. Much of the traffic in the region consists of trucks carrying freshly downed trees, horse trailers, and an occasional plow heading for a farm.
Country stores left over from earlier times attracted our attention and in some cases our cash. We were experiencing the lure and lore of Appalachia, a place that is as much a lifestyle as a destination.
The rambling Poor Farmers Market lives up, and down, to its claim to be an “old-fashioned country store.” Homemade jams, jellies, cakes, and pies share shelf space with bags of grits, barrels of beans, and sacks of locally grown fruit.
Jams, jellies, and a taste of history tempt those who stop at the Mayberry Trading Post. Corncob pipes, wooden toys, and quilt patches serve as reminders that the store opened in 1892 and once also served as the local post office.
Some flour sold at the Trading Post was ground at Mabry Mill, which has been in operation since 1905. The water-driven gristmill is the main attraction along a walking path that also leads to a blacksmith shop, tiny cabin, moonshine whisky still, and early farm implements.
