Picture of the day - September 4, 2005

The Thomas Family Reunion Hayride

The Thomas family of Rush Creek, Lodi and Widener Valley in southwestern Virginia has gathered for their 2005 family reunion this weekend, complete with the traditional hayride. As usual, on Saturday afternoon at 12:00pm three tractors fired up to pull three trailers full of riders down the backroads of this beautiful section of Washington County. The Thomas family hayride is literally a trip through Thomas family history. The route takes the riders up Loves Mill Road to Friendship Community, then right onto South Fork River Road where it follows the south fork of the Holston river to the Rush Creek "Ford". There, the tractors pull the trailers right through the middle of the river, stop on the other side, and let the passengers off to stretch their legs and/or "wade" in the river. After a few minutes of stretching and wading, everyone climbs back on the trailers and the hayride continues up Rush Creek Road where it passes the old Thomas homeplace as well as the homes of Thomas family members who still live in the area - for many this is literally a ride down memory lane... At the end of Rush Creek Road the tractors turn right onto Widener Valley Road, and after going a couple of hundred yards or so they turn left into the parking lot of Rush Creek Primitive Baptist Church. The hayride pauses in the churchyard for a few minutes giving the riders an opportunity to visit historic Rush Creek Cemetery - the final resting place of several Thomas family ancestors. After a few minutes it's back on the road for the return trip to the reunion festivities - the hayride continues down Widener Valley Road, Bucks Bridge Road, Monroe Road and back onto Loves Mill Road where it all started about three hours earlier. The Thomas Family Reunion Hayride is a journey of only 15 miles in three short hours, but it spurs memories that span decades and thousands of miles for those with roots in the area.   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles