It’s the first Wednesday of the month, so it’s contest time, following a tradition that began last month! But first I want to bore you with some tales of out latest vacation this week to Mountain Lake Lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. We drove down Sunday and stopped at Luray Caverns on the way, which was expensive to get into , but spectacular to see. The organ they have down there that has strikers on pistons that strike tuned stalactites is a marvel. That was something to see, and we saw signs for half a dozen other caves and caverns on the drive south, buncha copy cats! Anyway, Mountain Lake Lodge is the place where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed back in the 80s, had we known that, we might have gone someplace else! We ate in the dining room where Baby 
got put in the corner…big whoop…crappy movie. Anyway, it was a very nice place, and we had it mostly to ourselves. It takes exactly one CAO Columbia Vallenato to hike the trail which goes around the lake. Spectacular morning cigar, the lake, not so much. It seems that once in a while the lake drains itself, it’s on a fault. It probably drains into one of those caverns they like so much around there. Anyway, it apparently emptied itself out in 2009 and is starting to fill back up. The pictures of the resort with the lake make it look pretty cool, the lack of a lake wasn’t so cool, although if the place weren’t called Moutain LAKE Resort one may not notice. They did have a pool and a Jacuzzi that were deserted save for my wife and I, and one Tortuga Reserva Cedro Belicoso is just enough to get a little sunburn. No pictures, I left my phone in the room. We did some more hiking around the property, 
and the food was very good in the restaurant in the lodge. There wasn’t a lot of night life with only 18 guests registered either. On the way home we stopped by Jefferson National Forest and hiked the two miles to Cascade Falls. It takes exactly one Leccia Luchadore El Hombre to hike two miles, and the El Hombre remains one of my favorite cigars, even in the morning it was a great walking stick. The falls were pretty cool, 66′ drop and lots of cool little falls and rapids on the hike up. The weekend was a nice getaway with some exceptional cigars.
Contest
A few months ago I received some pretty cook stuff from Ventura Cigar Co. in support of their really good Psyko Seven Maduro. I tried to find these guys at the IPCPR show, and managed to get in the Phillips and King booth (their distributor) when they were giving away a Rolex watch (I didn’t win), so it was crowded. I had some tobacco infused coffee which was interesting, but didn’t manage to find the Ventura guys. I’ll catch up with them someplace, I suppose. Anyway, the goodies in today’s contest are a nice ceramic Ventura ashtray, a Ventura single torch lighter with a flip out punch, a fun set of Rorschach Inkblot test cards so you can find out if you have an Oedipal complex or not, and two coffin boxes containing two Psyko Seven Maduro Robustos each (total of 4 cigars). The usual rules apply, must be over 18 and must not have won in the last months (sorry Matt Wells!). Leave a comment here to enter. I’ll announce a winner next Wednesday, September 9, 2015.
Until the next time,
CigarCraig
Digging how you are able to rate distance by cigar! Great contest…Thanks!
You rock Craig
Thinking a remake of Dirty Dancing but as a horror film. “No one lives if Psycho’s in the corner.”
Very nice, i have been meaning to try the psyko
Great contest! Love the Psyko 7 Maduro.
Thanks Craig!
Psyko Seven Cigars and Swag – nice, Cigar Craig!
The psyco cigars are awesome, I wanna win!
I’m digging the Rorschach cards and the ashtray!!
Nice smokes and swag! Hoping I’ll be the lucky one this month.
Nice Cigar I have been looking for them
Cool contest. I have never won a contest like this before, so it would be a great first!
Great cigar, have always enjoyed them.
Nice swag..that CAO Columbian looks really tasty.
As always, thanks for the contest Craig! I have a feeling its going to be me this time 😉
I haven’t had the Maduro yet – curious to see how it smokes
Thanks for the great contest!
Thanks for sharing your getaway experience. I never thought of meausuring distance in cigar time…..vey interesting concept. Nothing better than a lake resort sans lake. I would think that would be explained during booking process. Thanks for another contest…goood luck to all!
Love the coverage of the vacation you and yours have been posting. I hope you know I was just kidding when I told her to feature less of you in the videos, right? Maybe =P
Take care of that thumb!
Great contest Craig!
I’ve got to visit that part of the USA Craig! Looks great….so do the cigars!
Glad you had a great trip, thanks for the contest.
I sure hope you didn’t try to put Jenn in the corner.
Did you guys try to do the lift?
Did you have the time of your life? Had you ever felt like that before? Did you see the writing on the wall?
Thanks for the contest Craig!
So I guess you’re not throwing in the Rolex as part of the prize package. That’s too bad.
I really like that CAO Colombia as well. I like the PSykO 7 but have not had the pleasure of trying the Maduro, so thanks for the opportunity.
Looks like a quiet relaxing place to visit. Thanks for the giveaway and good luck everyone.
I would love to try the psyco
Interesting way to mark distance and time: in terms of cigars. And, I’m not sure that I need to be anywhere near a cigar called “Psyko”, but … why not?
thanks for the contest, as usual craig!
Thanks for the prize Craig – looks great!
The Luchadore has become my go to cigar. I love it’s rich flavors. I’m glad to hear you’re getting 2 mpls, (miles per Luchadore ). I’m not getting quite that good of mileage!
nice blog
Excited for another giveaway! Thanks Craig and glad you enjoyed your break with your better half! Blessings! Lonnie
Thanks for the contest Craig….seems you had one helluva birthday week + heh. I have been very curious about the Psyko, but cannot find one that isn’t in the 6×60 format so I always pass them up.
These look like a more Mickey friendly size.
I support the idea of measuring distance by the amount of time it takes to smoke a cigar; “Oh, from Houston to Dallas? That’s a Padron 1926 #1 and a La Imperiosa Corona Gorda.”
We love your give=a-ways,thanks.
I’ve got a 5’er of Psycho’s, which I’ve yet to even try. One day, we’ll get to them…
Really love the anticipation of waiting for your news letter. Since I had back surgery it’s been my highlight. Great job.
Great vacation in my eyes. Thanks for the contest.
These look yummy.. i’m in for sure!
Love the Psykos!
nice contest! thx
Craig. I am a psycho. I hope that helps. Thanks for the contest!
Great contest Craig. That is a pretty sweet ashtray!
I think I am going to have to try your walking and hiking with a cigar trick sometime! I just sit and lounge. Thanks for the write-ups and the contest.
I’m feelin’ lucky this time !
Yiu can’t win if you don’t enter
I haven’t gotten around to the Psyko Seven yet, but have heard great things about it. Nice looking ashtray, too!
What a great giveaway Psyko Sevens are excellent smokes!! Thanks for the opportunity!!
Oh my! What a sweet prize!!
Love to kick it on the patio and have a Psyko Seven with my dad!!
Thanks for another Great Giveaway!!!!
nice contest!!!!!
At least you had alot of time together just the two of you. Haven’t had the Psykos yet, so hope I can win.
Great contest. Would love to win.
Haven’t had a Psyko, but I’d love to try them
Love the blog, love the giveaways!
Hi, new
I’m in, thanks Craig!
Psyko 7?!!!! Sounds perfect for a member of Cigar Asylum!
Thanks to the guys at Psyko cigars and to you, Craig, for the contest.
Let’s get Psyko!
Sounds like a good time was had! Good stuff!
Awesome contest and nice vacation spot. That CAO Columbia is a nice cigar.
Excellent giveaway great cigars
Great giveaway been trying to win hope this is my time
Awesome prize! I’ve heard good things about Psyko, but my local shop doesn’t carry them. Would love to win this!
Count me in!!
Thanks for the contest.
That Psyko7 Maduro is a great smoke and I’d love to have all that swag!
Condolences on not winning the Rolex.
Another fun contest, sign me up.
“He expanded his chest to make it totally clear that here was the sort of man you only dared to cross if you had a team of Sherpas with you. “
I hope you haven’t picked yet. Sounds like a fun vacation!
Would love the chance to puff on a Psyko! Good luck everyone.