As some of you may know, graduation is upon us! This past week has been a whirlwind of emotions from finishing up finals, saying goodbye to everyone, and crossing off items on our bucket lists.
One of the most popular JMU bucket list items is to go watch the Sunrise at Reddish Knob, a mountain on the border of Virginia and West Virginia. Naturally, my trip wouldn’t be complete without food, so at 4:00 am I groggily packed up a picnic and dragged Zack along with me.
The length of the drive isn’t bad; I think it took us around 40 minutes, but it’s terrifingly twisty. The roads are pitch black and unlit, and every couple seconds a new turn arrives, so please drive carefully if you go! Also, bring a blanket and dress warmly because even on the hottest of days it’s still a little chilly before the sun comes up.
Once you make it to the top, jump out of the car, and dramatically clutch the ground and scream “Land!!!!” (ok just me), the sights that greet you are incredible to say the least.
Get there 30 minutes before the sun is said to rise (we got there at 5:30) because the sky will gradually go from the deepest navy to tinged with periwinkle, and that’s something you don’t want to miss!
^^^ Someone reluctantly admitting that this may have been worth the early wakeup!
Everyone perches on the rock ledge to see the pink sun peek out from behind the mountains in a sight that left us all speechless.
To the left was a vast valley with fog trapped between the mountains reminiscent of an ocean, and to the right was a massive mountain range that became more illuminated each minute.
Of course I started to get hungry, so we drove down the mountain to a gorgeous lake for our picnic in the back of Zack’s car.
I laid out a spread of crusty bread, brie, truffle oil, avocado, fruit, jam, and mimosas for us to snack on.
We poured mimosas into mason jars, and experimented with different toast combinations. Brie and raspberry…
^^^skeptical that there isn’t any meat on his piece
Avocado toast with sea salt and chili flakes.
Topped with truffle oil!
Easily one of the best bites: the crunchy bread, creamy avocado, spicy chili, and earthy truffle is an unforgettable combination.
Zack bought the truffle oil on Amazon, here’s the link if you’re interested! It’s surprisingly affordable, and the slightest dab elevates scrambled eggs, alfredo pasta, french fries, pretty much anything to a new level.
Strawberries, black pepper, brie, and honey. Loved the combo of spicy pepper, salty brie, and sweet honey!
Stomach full and eyes getting sleepier each minute, we drove back through the magically lit mountains so grateful to be able to experience such beauty.
If you have a free morning, I couldn’t recommend doing this enough. It’s practically a free date, and you really get to know someone when you wake them up at 4am!
Very Nice
Thank You!