We all slept in this morning, which was quite welcome after our week-on-the-go parading around Maryland and the surrounding states/commonwealths.
Moxie33
Dad and I drove down from our Airbnb to Moxie33, a local bakery and coffee shop right next to Kline’s Dairy Bar, where we visited last night. We got a few flavors of sweet rolls (one caramel pecan sticky bun, one peaches and cream, and two browned butter cinnamon rolls) and some coffee to bring back for breakfast. Mom and Dad got mochas, Faith got an Americano, and I got black coffee. Everything was very good, and gave us a much-needed jump start to get us moving; we were all very tired.
App State at James Madison
Dad and I loaded up my car and drove into Harrisonburg to the campus of James Madison University (JMU), to tailgate with some friends and see some of the campus. JMU (ranked #18) was hosting ESPN’s College GameDay, which had been in Boone last year after our monumental victory over Texas A&M. The Dukes boasted an undefeated record for the 2023 season, and our Mountaineers hoped to spoil their chances at a perfect season.
JMU’s stadium, Bridgeforth Stadium, is very nice (other than being purple), but is strangely lopsided, with most of the stands in one large half-bowl on only one side of the stadium.
Meanwhile...
While Dad and I were at the game, Mom, Faith, and Walker spent the day shopping, browsing a large bookstore, and relaxing at the Airbnb.
Victory
The game went into overtime, but the Mountaineers managed to secure the victory with a goal line touchdown pass to Kaiden Robinson to end the game. There was a sizable crowd of App fans, up in the nosebleeds and the celebration was a lot of fun. It had gotten quite cold by the end of the game, but there was plenty of standing and jumping around to keep us warm.
Here are some highlight videos from the game, and a recording of the entire TV broadcast.
Romano's // Kline's
After the game, we drove back to Massanutten, picked up dinner from Romano’s Italian Bistro, and took dinner back to the Airbnb. We got a bacon/pineapple and a meat lover’s pizza, and two Caesar salads. After scarfing down the pizza, Dad and I went back out to Kline’s Dairy Bar to get more soft serve, per Mom’s request. This time, we got two pints to go: chocolate and chocolate brownie batter. It was a very good meal, and we were happy to finally have some hot food after a very tiring and cold day.
Mom enjoyed her birthday dinner and dessert, but she especially enjoyed spending the day with Walker (and Faith)!
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “the victory celebration”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the browned butter cinnamon roll”.
Faith
The best thing I saw today was… “the book fair”.
The best thing I ate today was… “custard”.
Jerry
The best thing I saw today was… “an App State victory”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the cinnamon rolls”.
Amy
The best thing I saw today was… “the giant bookstore”.
The best thing I ate today was… “cinnamon roll and pizza”.
Conclusion
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Tomorrow, we’re headed back to North Carolina via Roanoke.
– The Churches