The good old days in Virginia apparently weren't so good (according to Mislaid)

Nell Zink's Mislaid begins as a promising examination of what life might have been like in 1960s to 1980s Virginia, but when the main character and her daughter suddenly decide to become blonde black people, it tailspins into a mess of a second half.

It peters out with no satisfying conclusion, which is a shame, because many vignettes within the thankfully pretty short novel are page turning, intriguing, and laced with smart literary references.

The story starts off in the 1960s at Stillwater College in Centerville, Virginia, where student Meg meets poet teacher Lee. They have a baby and get married and separated several years later. She runs off with their daughter and leaves him with their son. She then changes her daughter's identity from white to black, with not a lot of really clear explanation as to why. Years later they finally meet again through a chance encounter that involves their son's drug bust at the University of Virginia.

Zink gives us very little reason to care about any of the unlikeable characters and there's really nothing profound within the tricks she tries to pull regarding race, sex, and class.

The first chapter of Mislaid appeared in The New Yorker and certainly played a role in getting many people to want to read this one. But really, besides the editors at that magazine, Zink's fanbase mostly consists of Jonathan Franzen, who "discovered" her. I should have known not to read this book based on that information because I really don't want to like (even if I frequently have) Franzen's intellectually stuffed writing either.

My favorite thing about the book, actually, is the excellent mid-century, Archie Andrews/Mad Men-like artwork.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Luray Caverns is a Virginia Treasure

Growing up near St. Louis, we had close access to some of the best caves in the U.S.

Meramec Caverns in Missouri is known for its long, narrow steps down into its seven stories and is rumored to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad and a hideout for the Jesse James Gang.

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the longest cave in the world and was also a stop for slaves heading north in the 1800s.

So it was fun to have a cave-age child and stop in at an eastern cave, Luray Caverns near Skyline Drive in Virginia, on our way back from a family vacation at Wintergreen Resort.

Our young tour guide was excellent and he told us that no animals can survive in the cave. He also showed us the Stalacpipe Organ, which was set up over 3.5 acres of the cave and pings rocks throughout to get just the right sounds as part of the "world's largest instrument," according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

There's also the pretty sweet Luray Car and Carriage Caravan Museum on site that is free with the cavern ticket. Some of the highlights include a 1913 Stanley Steamer, an 1892 Benz, and Rudolph Valentino's 1925 Rolls Royce.

 

Rudolph Valentino's car

Vacationing at Wintergreen Ski Resort Without Snow

Emmet, Jackson, and Frances check out a snake on one of Wintergreen's trails.

I've been skiing a bunch of times out west, but only once in the east. That running total held with a trip to Wintergreen Resort in western Virginia that Rachel, Jackson, Tony, Terry, Emmet, Frances, and I won at last year's Takoma Children's School silent auction.

There was no snow and not many other tourists, which made the weekend a little odd but pretty relaxing. Or as relaxing as a weekend with three 5-ish-year-olds can be.

We took two decent-length hikes through the leafy, mountainous trails and mostly just explored the resort. There was also a kids' area that was pretty run-down and a miniature golf course that was probably the junkiest I've ever seen.

That said, it was a great place to take kids for a getaway from the Washington DC rat race.

Rachel wonders why the ball refuses to bounce off any of the walls at the Wintergreen miniature golf course.

Now I'm ready for a real ski trip, probably out west.

Jackson at the playground.

Emmet and Jackson get philosophical with each other at the playground.

Richmond, Virginia Walk Brings Charm of the South

This article was originally published at Mobility Lab.

I got to spend a night in Richmond, Virginia before a work meeting this week. It’s a place I had only previously known as the point on Interstate 95 where we always pass the big cigarette (also know as the headquarters of Philip Morris USA).

But west of 95 and downtown, there is a several-mile area called "The Fan," which gets its name from the way the streets "fan out" from downtown. Normally, my thing is to visit new towns and rent a bike. There is no better way to see the sights. You get better views because you're going slower than a car and you can stop anytime you like. You also get to see a lot more sights than if you're walking. And you get a little exercise along with your entertainment!

However, the Fan, despite my love of bicycling, is almost perfect for walking. I started my leisurely two-plus-hours walk in Carytown (bottom left in the pictured map, courtesy of the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau), made my way north along Boulevard, turned east on Monument Avenue headed towards downtown, then finished up by going south past Virginia Commonwealth University and back west along Main Street.

There were great sights all along the way. In hipster paradise Carytown, I ate oysters on the half-shell and corn ginger soup at Can Can Brasserie and then enjoyed strolling past the famed and beautiful Byrd Theater, known as the first theater in Virginia with a sound system and also supposedly haunted by its original manager.

Walking north past the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts connects me to Monument Avenue and thoughts enter my head about how crucial Richmond's role was in the shaping of the country during the Civil War. It was the capital of the Confederate States of America through much of the war, and the avenue features a who's-who of Confederate heroes memorialized with impressive statues: Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee (monument pictured), and J.E.B. Stuart. Incidentally, hometown tennis hero Arthur Ashe Jr. also has a monument nearby.

I could have continued along after the mouth-dropping mansions of Monument further east to downtown, but it was getting dark, so I veered south at VCU and headed back along Main Street toward my bed-and-breakfast near Carytown (Museum District Bed and Breakfast ... highly recommended). The college students were out in full force along Main Street, as there are dozens of bars and restaurants, not to mention a lot of great graffiti art.

I turned in for the night looking forward to the next time I can get down to Richmond to explore more of the city. Downtown, the Virginia Capitol Building, the Hollywood Cemetery, the  Jefferson Hotel, and the whitewater rapids along the James River are high on my list.

Any other suggestions for places to walk, bike, and easily get to in and around Richmond? Please leave a comment below.