The History of Virginia Highland Haven Airstream Park

[BoldAdventure]

Just saw this on Facebook - this video is really neat. I love how Airstreams foster community.

"A park stockholder recently produced a video showing the early history of Virginia Highland Haven Airstream Park. It is comprised of restored early slides and pictures of the park plus a retouched video presentation of the park's history made in 1989 by one of the first stockholders. It is amazing to see how a small group of Airstream enthusiasts were able to realize a dream in the early 1970's. Thanks to their efforts, and those who follow, Virginia Highland Haven remains an Airstream exclusive camping destination open to anyone with a trailer or motorhome produced by Airstream. Here is a link to the video:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N017DbKtc8U

[Larry C]

I've been wanting to check this park out for a couple years. We're currently on an extended summer trip, for about 4 months. We will be heading there from Elkhart, Indiana in about 10 days or so.
Planning on staying there a couple weeks. I talked to the host this morning. They're only about 5 miles or so off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Roanoke. We went past the area a couple years ago when we drove the Blue Ridge to Ashville...
Maybe we'll have the opportunity to see y'all there?

Larry

[txdxrider]

Great info- we are just outside of Knoxville, TN heading there tomorrow for a few days on the way towards DC, Cape Cod and Nova Scotia...

[Larry C]

We should be arriving at Highland Haven late Wednesday or mid-day, Thursday.
We're wanting to hit a few miles of the 450 mile garage sale on Hwy 127 in Ohio
on the way.
We're driving a red Dodge and 34' Airstream.....Beagle Bailey Cook will be with us.
Looking forward to Highland Haven.

Larry

Originally Posted by txdxrider

Great info- we are just outside of Knoxville, TN heading there tomorrow for a few days on the way towards DC, Cape Cod and Nova Scotia...

[txdxrider]

Originally Posted by Larry C

We should be arriving at Highland Haven late Wednesday or mid-day, Thursday.

We're wanting to hit a few miles of the 450 mile garage sale on Hwy 127 in Ohio

on the way.

We're driving a red Dodge and 34' Airstream.....Beagle Bailey Cook will be with us.

Looking forward to Highland Haven.



Larry

Nice, we have a white Suburban and a 31' Excella 500....3 boys and husky... Looking forward to cooler temps..

[Danattherock]

Originally Posted by txdxrider

Great info- we are just outside of Knoxville, TN heading there tomorrow for a few days on the way towards DC, Cape Cod and Nova Scotia...

Sounds like a great trip, minus DC

We lived on Nantucket for four years before returning home to NC four years back. Wife and I were travel ER nurses for ten years, mostly Alaska and Nantucket.

A few must dos..

From south to north starting in York,Maine

Nubble Lighthouse
Eat at White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport
See South Portland Head Lighthouse
Cabelas nearby if that's of interest
Freeport,Maine is LL Bean headquarters. Neat town.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Rockport Maine
Camden Maine
Bar Harbor eat lobster 'in raw'
Acadia Of course, Mt Desert Island is beautiful.


Dan

[txdxrider]

Originally Posted by Danattherock

Sounds like a great trip, minus DC

We lived on Nantucket for four years before returning home to NC four years back. Wife and I were travel ER nurses for ten years, mostly Alaska and Nantucket.

A few must dos..

From south to north starting in York,Maine

Nubble Lighthouse
Eat at White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport
See South Portland Head Lighthouse
Cabelas nearby if that's of interest
Freeport,Maine is LL Bean headquarters. Neat town.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Rockport Maine
Camden Maine
Bar Harbor eat lobster 'in raw'
Acadia Of course, Mt Desert Island is beautiful.


Dan

Thanks for the input- will definitely add these to the list of sites...

[Danattherock]

Cool thread Boldadventure.

Wife and I watching video when 8 month old daughter and 2.5 year old son go to bed. I had told her about it recently. And an Airstream only park in Tenn I had heard about here. In Townsend,Tenn but can't recall name. Been to the town a few years back tracking down a fly rod while we were camping in Bryson City,NC. Pretty area and they got one of nicest fly shops in area.

As for Virginia Highlands, I've joked with my wife that should be our maiden voyage when we get out riveted home base escape pod. That way at least we know someone will be able to retract our awning.




Dan

[txdxrider]

Originally Posted by Danattherock

Cool thread Boldadventure.



Wife and I watching video when 8 month old daughter and 2.5 year old son go to bed. I had told her about it recently. And an Airstream only park in Tenn I had heard about here. In Townsend,Tenn but can't recall name. Been to the town a few years back tracking down a fly rod while we were camping in Bryson City,NC. Pretty area and they got one of nicest fly shops in area.



As for Virginia Highlands, I've joked with my wife that should be our maiden voyage when we get out riveted home base escape pod. That way at least we know someone will be able to retract our awning.









Dan

We are on our maiden voyage and came here - view is amazing...

[Danattherock]

Looks like a relaxing area. Thanks for sharing some images.

Originally Posted by txdxrider

Thanks for the input- will definitely add these to the list of sites...

If your return trip has some time to kill, there are some amazing photo ops of what is basically a covered bridge tour of Vermont and New Hampshire. I put it together during one of our dozen or so off island week long trips. I still have particulars if that sort of thing interest you. Lovely area in the Fall, as is Mt Washington and the White Mountains. Next trip I make up there will be photographing moose in Baxter State Park, Maine in Fall. Such a beautiful corner of the country.

Sorry for thread derail


Dan

[BoldAdventure]

We really loved our stay at Virginia Highland, we stayed two weeks because the stock holders there were so wonderful, such nice people. And we made friends. And the girls were treated like grandkids.

[Chatooga11]

Be sure to check out the town of Floyd, Va while you are there. A few miles down the road from VHH. Live bluegrass and old time music every weekend at the general store. Open jam for pickers on Sunday.

[Danattherock]

I could see spending time at Virginia Highlands. Floyd is quite famous, and is part of a circle of bluegrass venues. I've heard the Barber Shop next to the General Store is fun as folks are warming up.

About two hours away is the famous Virginia Creepers bicycle trail. Very easy, one direction, forget which, is largely down hill. Lots of commercial shuttles and such on both ends. Damascus is one end, forget the other. Around 20 miles as I recall. Nice family or couple day for sure.

Anyone likes fishing, fly or spin, Pembroke,VA is about an hour away. There are a few great stretches of smallmouth fishing on the New River before it enters WV. My favorite is the 6 miles above Pembroke, with take out in town. There is one big gas station general store in center of Pembroke. They have guides, rent rafts, rent kayaks/canoes, and such.

We used their $25 shuttle service as we took one of our Sotar whitewater rafts, but will take kayaks or canoe next time. Pretty slow float and with kayaks you can go upstream and fish good spots again. Also, this area, the flat area in middle I should say, has BIG musky. We hooked a few nearing 30 lbs. Will be focussing on them with 10 wt fly rod next time.

There is also a nice kayaking or canoe stream near the Virginia Highlands area. Can't recall name but spoke with a guy who floated it. Anyone at campground or Floyd could tell you. Lot closer than Pembroke.



Dan

[CRH]

Virginia Highlands is about as nice as it comes. The shareholders are incredibly friendly and make you feel very welcome...My only real complaint is the lack of fire pits at each site. I can see why they don't have them. The trailers are fairly close together...Yeah, there is a community fire pit, however I haven't ever seen it used.

The stream is Little River......Whitetop is the community the Creeper Trail starts at.

[Danattherock]

Little River. That's it. Thanks.

[BoldAdventure]

Yup. I grew up in Virginia Beach, always escaping to the mountains on the weekends, all up and down. It's a wonderful area, if you are traveling VA, stop in.

[Alphonse]

Thanks to Florida55 for putting the video together!