The hotel has done some major renovations over this last year. There have been some alterations such as the library and the bar have switched places. There is also new carpeting and upholstery. The renovations haven't taken from the hotel's rustic charm.
One thing they are trying to change is the way the lake drains. Apparently, they are plugging the holes in the hope the lake will fill up again. We've never seen it full except in the movie. I would like to see it with water in it some year.
One thing that has really changed for the better this year is the new chef, Michael Rork. He's a recent import from the Maryland shore and his menu includes some our favorite dishes, including shrimp and grits, and fried green tomatoes.
Since we'd come up a day early this year we had some unstructured time during the day on Friday. In the morning we walked around the grounds a little then decided to see what Pembroke looked like. We drove down the mountain and proceeded to Pembroke. It didn't take long to drive through the town so we also drove through Blacksburg and Christiansburg. We managed to make it back up the mountain in time for lunch.
After a relaxing afternoon we had dinner. Then, we went down to the Ballroom where they had set up to view the movie "Dirty Dancing". It's interesting to watch a movie with a group of fans who, like us, know every scene and every line of dialog. Some of the favorite scenes were like listening to the lines delivery by a chorus.
As the credits started to roll, we headed to the Activities Barn for the dancing. Not much has changed there. They still have a really good dance floor. There was a nice, cheery fire going in the stone fireplace. The entertainment line-up was a little different this year. There was a live band instead of a DJ and karaoke. The band, named Ratatouille, had 7 pieces and played mainly jazz. We listened and danced until the end, then walked back to the lodge for some sleep.
Tomorrow I'll add some pictures and describe the main event dance on Saturday night.
