West
This is another giant chunk of North Carolina, including a lot of wonderful destinations from the Appalachian mountains to the edge of the Piedmont plateau at Chapel Hill. The cities of Asheville, Hickory, Statesville, Salisbury, Winston-Salem, High Point, Greensboro, Waynesville are all found in this octant. We are finally visiting many of those locations and collecting the memories of our adventures. Keep checking back for new additions.
River House, August 11-14th, 2008:
Linda has fond memories of a quiet spot in the far northwest corner of North Carolina, the River House. It overlooks the Grassy Creek near Jefferson and provides first class amenities, entertainment and fine dining. This was a perfect place to celebrate Linda's birthday.
River House, Grassy Creek
Aug. 11th
This unassuming Holy Trinity Church
is a local attraction
that holds marvelous frescoes of Ben Long.
The Weigh Station is now a serviceable lodging.Aug. 12th
Landmark in W. Jefferson
We find mist on the mountain above our lodge.
Queen Anne's lace
The original barnBlowing Rock
Blue Ridge Parkway,
Aug. 13th
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After spooking a flock of wild turkeys
Mist blankets the mountains.Blue Ridge Parkway
Aug. 13th
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Brinegar's cabinShelton Winery
Harvest Grill
our tour guideShelton Winery
Grassy Creek
Asheville, September 7-9th, 2007:
We visit Asheville again to see Sam's favorite rockabilly guitar wizard Bill Kirchen on Friday night. But since the hour is late and it's past bedtime for a number of us we leave the pub and enter the street. We were greeted with the beat of the drums from blocks away. The Pritchard Park Drum Circle was jumping with hundreds of people. The throbbing went on and on...like Asheville's own Carnival...a great experience.
The next day we're off to explore the NC Arboretum a few miles away. This is a perfect hiking destination with trails of different lengths. We hiked the Carolina Mountain Trail and the Bent Creek Trail about 1.7 miles. The falling water was always within earshot and it was cool under the heavy shade of trees. In the heat, that was enough of a hike for us.
That night we dine at the Magnolia Raw Bar and Grill for a selection of exquisite dishes. I had the filet mignon and Linda had the skewered shrimp and Divers scallops. The chocolate dessert (filled with genache) and topped with whipped cream was everyone's choice. Yummy.
Asheville
Sept. 7th
Interior of Mast General Store
Landmark Bascilica of St. Lawrence
Lily and Beth ordering
Drum Circle
Hippy mecca today
Drum circle on Youtube.com
The North Carolina Arboretum
Sept. 8th
Earl, Mary and Beth
Joan and Jane
MATA
Black snake
Marvelous Bonsai House
The Quilt Garden
Linda's pic of Dave
Asheville
Magnolia's Raw Bar & Grille
Linda's pic of Joan and Dave
Asheville any way you like it
Waynesville, March 24-26th, 2006:
On returning from our previous trip to Brasstown, Linda and I passed through the town of Waynesville and stopped to admire this little gem nestled in the mountains. Now we've finally returned to Waynesville. The weather was much the same as it was on our trip to Abingdon, Virginia in March of 2005. Snow was falling then and snow was falling this trip. Linda's first chore was to purchase a pair of rain pants from the Mast General Store. Very nice ones they were.
Our stay at the Prospect Hill B&B was made quite pleasant by the Framptons, Dennis and Judith. We stayed in their Paris suite which had a private bath and a sitting room. The comfy four-poster bed was fitted with a lace cover made by Judith. Linda found much needed sleep between the down coverlets. The Prospect Hill is a short walk from Main Street where all of the action is. Judith made breakfast of poached eggs and toast the first day and Dennis made a Briosche the next day: wonderful fare accompanied by orange juice, cranberry muffins, cakes, yogurt sprinkled with fresh fruit, excellent bacon, coffee, tea; the works! And some fine conversation made it all the more pleasant. Dennis spent a number of years in Belgium and is quite a linguist and literati. Observe his website at http://prospecthillnc.com for it promotes their business and features his book reviews and daily blogs as well.
This certainly is a place we would like to return to again. We certainly would like to bring the MATA hiking group as there are marvelous hiking trails close by in the higher altitudes of the Blue Ridge (>5700 ft).
Brasstown, October 17-22nd, 2005:
This is my second trip to Brasstown. This time for a class in The Gentle Art of Bonsai. My classmates spanned the age groups from Krysta who was just out of college to June representing the elders. I'm just building the chart of pictures and need input from my classmates. Give me your insights and feelings as to what you experienced at the Folk School. Send me any pictures that show things I may have missed. I'd appreciate your input at this formative stage.
Brasstown
Oct. 17th
Our early morning hike at 7:00 am
Followed by some music and story telling at 8:00 am
...and we are off to classes
The Gentle Art of Bonsai
9:00 am
Our teacher, the gentle giant, Tim Ryan
John is curious at the early stages of making a Mugho pine bonsai.
June watches as Tim cuts away 2/3 of the roots.
Packing some soil around the roots
11:13 am
...and by 2:20 pm Tim has finished clipping a Ilex Crenata 'Soft Touch'
Detail of library
Our next early morning hike
Oct. 18th
Each morning our hikes were led by Jenn from Manitoba.
A little mandolin, guitar and story telling before breakfast
Krysta studies her juniper
Back in class
9:09 am
Coreographing a juniper (Juniperus Procumbens 'nana')
Dea captures the mid-stage
It gives Tim great pleasure.
9:58 am
Onlookers wishing they had taken the course
Linda at her loom, making a Scandinavian rag rug.
Weaving Room
Totem just at dawn on our hike
Oct. 19th,
7:28 am
Posing at the "Monet" bridge
Fiddler, J.D. Robinson, doing his early morning stint.
Looking for Bonsai at the campgrounds.
Lewis Nursery (North Georgia Master Gardeners)
12:58 pm
Young squirrel under the benches
Inspecting a water wheel for possible installation at the Folk School
The Aesthetics of Solitude: Wabi Sabi
Oct. 20th
Krysta likes this one.
Tim's masterpiece in Chinese porcelain (Rhododendron 'Gumpo')
We visit Dea's house, just a mile away from the Folk School.
Even I get to smile for the camera.
Little Brasstown hike
Oct. 21st, 7:23 am
Followed by this very accomplished young musician
Brilliant sunrise at the mess hall
We seem to be on our own now.
9:58 am
John seems content for this portrait.
Krysta and all of her creations for the week.
Sonia
2:06 pm
Karen
June
Becky
Dea
Jane
We all pose for our pictures with bonsai.
2:24 pm
And now the men...
Honored Sensei
John
Dave
Before graduation ceremony
4:17 pm
Linda and weaving friends
Teacher, Linda and her rag rug for the week
Fiddler's entertain
Asheville, North Carolina, July 8-10th, 2005:
The time of year and the circumstances of your visit often will govern the things that happen on a vacation trip. I was pleased to have Deb and Jay accept my invitation to visit Asheville. It is a place that we enjoyed on our last visit and it certainly would be on the top of the list of places to retire to. However, we were unprepared for the excitement that we experienced this trip. The restaurants were numerous and provided a wide variety of styles. Entertainment seemed to be on every street corner. The drummers could be heard all over town.
Blue Ridge Parkway
July 8th
Folk Art Center Visitor Center
Asheville
Limones is just across the street from the drummers seen below.
Asheville
Afternoon
Cathedral
Grove Arcade - America's first indoor shopping mall
Linda approaches from the left.
Grove Arcade
Architectural detail
Flatiron Building
On our way to dinner
North Ridge B&B - Victoria
Drummers perform Friday evening
Walking around town
Arcade again for Deb and Jay to see
Touring Biltmore Estate
July 9th
Those black spots on the picture are intolerable gnats.
Followed by a tour of the house. No AC just fans.
Hike down to the Boat House
Saw some big fish in there.
Shindig on the Green
Evening of the 9th
Gathering in front of City Hall
Lots of dancing and behind the scenes mountain music.
Brasstown, April 10-15th, 2005:
Linda was enthralled by the atmosphere at the John C. Campbell Folk School when she took a rag rug weaving course there a few years ago. The down home feeling with country music morning and evening; hearty meals and comrades in crafting, your cares can soon melt away. The absence of radio or television was not missed since you are busy with other things.
Linda was always trying to find courses that would satisfy both of us. But we never found a photography course being offered at the same time as her weaving. However, having tested herself on our trip to Scotland last year with Northwest Frontiers, she talked me into another active adventure: Naturalist Rambles in the Southern Appalachians. Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains it is a perfect launching place for exploring the surrounding mountain trails.
Brasstown
April 10th
White Trilium near Orchard Cottage
Intro to Campbell routine
Sun sets on our first day.
The John C. Campbell Folk School of Brasstown, NC offers Arts and Crafts Classes, Courses, and Instruction
More Folk School in the morning
April 11th
The Morning Walk is about as much exercise as the crafters get.
David Brose
Three of our hikers: Jane, Pam and Kathy
We leave the school to pursue nature in the Nantahala Wild Areas
Chunky Gal Trail
9:00 am
Our First wild thang! Trout Lily
Liz Domingue leads our hikes
I've seen Bloodroot before but not Bear Corn.
More Chunky Gal
11:39 am
Bill examines the Wooly Adelgid with a magnifying glass.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Website - USDA Forest Service
Yet mo'
2:14 pm
Oh, the obstacles to knowledge - 5 miles!
Morning Song
April 12th
Breakfast and we are off to the Zell Miller Trek in Georgia.
Booby Bush
Travel Golf: Brasstown Valley Resort
9:43 am
Alder cones
Southern Wood Violet
Pennywort
Another fallen tree to crawl under
Zell Miller was a lifelong resident of the Resort.
Lunch
Liz advised us to have raingear handy at all times. We needed it today.
Southern Appalachian Wildflowers Photo Gallery by Rich Stevenson at pbase.com
1:12 pm
Red Trilium
We ascend into the fog.
The waitress took this photo of the merry group.
We deserved a beer and nachos after a 6 miler.
Tray Mountain (AT)
April 13th
5:54 am
Started out nice enough.
North Georgia Internet Magazine - Tray Mountain
10:44 am
Smiles before the rain
High Shoals Trail
Halberd-leaf Violet
Blue Hole and High Shoals waterfalls
1:51 pm
Wagon Train Trail
April 14th
We have to climb up there?
Brasstown Bald
Highest point in Georgia - 4784 feet
10:53 am
!Bill walking above a fantastic view and Liz adjusts the Nikon."
That tower is mighty far away now.
Barry finds an Earth Star fungus...
12:21 pm
and explains the Fusiform Rust of pine trees.
Jane finds us a morel. Discoveries abound!
Fusiform Rust
3:12 pm
Bird's Foot Violet bicolor
Liz recites the list of species
Pam toasts...er.. burns a marshmallow
White Pine Cabin Murphy Vacation Rentals Wonderful Mountain Privacy on 52 Acres
Thank you Barry for hosting the bonfire.
April 15th
Sherpa Guides | Georgia | Mountains | Blood Mountain
A more liesurely hike with nice overlooks.
The view from the top of Blood Mountain
10:45 am
Liz and Pam absorb the scene.
The Group
Liz followed by Pam and Linda
Mountain Crossings @ Walasi-Yi
By the end of the week I was actually getting into a groove, feeling better than I have felt since our hikes in the Highlands and Hebrides in Scotland. This experience gave us many moments in which we could imagine how it was to be a child seeing things for the first time. For a photographer that is a treat.
Asheville, May 19-24th, 2003:
Linda had us scheduled to attend the NCANPHA (NC Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aged) meeting during the week before Memorial Day. On May 19th of 2003 we set out for the town of Asheville, as far away as you can get from Durham. As we drove into town we found a parking spot on Battery Park Ave. and went into have brunch at a friendly looking sidewalk restaurant on Page St. Great omelet. We then had time to circumnavigate the Grove Arcade and take a look at St. Lawrence Basilica and Linda zeroed in on her goal for the day, Earth Guild. She was hankering for some weaving supplies but I found a trove of soap-making stuff; a great craft supply store. We headed back to where we parked in front of the Old Europe Cafe. Setting up camp at the Grove Park Inn and didn't have much time to rest before having to man the registration table for the Association at 3:00 pm.
Asheville
May 19th, 2003
Grove Park Inn
May 20th, 2003
Biltmore Estate
May 20th after noon
Visit Biltmore Estate's website
Biltmore Estate
Later
Virtual tour of downtown Asheville
Asheville
May 21st, 2003
Our next stop was a revelation. It was an aerie overlooking the Snowbird Mountain range and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. Linda had heard from her friend Nancy that this was a remarkable place; indeed it was. The views were spectacular. A short hike takes you to a sunrise viewpoint and a short hike in the other direction takes you to sunset. On our way up to sunrise point I found a twig bearing the unmistakable leaves of the American Chestnut tree sprouting from a rotted stump. I had never seen one and there it was. We were fortunate on our hike back from sunrise overlook to find a little lady decked out in field vest, binocs with a well-thumbed botany book under her arm. This find beat the chestnut leaf since she and her husband, Nancy and John Rennie, were to be our naturalist guides for the rest of our stay at Snowbird Mountain Lodge. She confirmed immediately that we actually had seen an American Chestnut sprout. A European blight destroyed the American Chestnut which had once comprised 60% of the trees in the Appalachians.
John C. Campbell Craft School
May 22nd, 2003
Snowbird Mountain Lodge
May 23rd
Snowbird Mountain Lodge website
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
May 24th
Hiking in Graham County, NC
Our hike in the Joyce Kilmer forest was made quite enjoyable by John and Nancy Rennie. Their years of wandering and studying these forest have made them amazingly informative. Thanks, John and Nancy Rennie for being there at the right time for us.
Valdese, NC, July 19-21st, 2002:
An invitation to visit Valdese from Earl's cousin was accepted by a dozen of our members. Valdese, for those of you who are not familiar with the small towns in North Carolina, is just down route 40 from Morganton near the Catawba River. It has a history which revolves around the Waldensian movement which began in the 13th century when these earliest Protestants were persecuted by Louis XIV of France.
In the 19th century the real estate developers of Morganton invited these industrious people to make the leap to the new world. Many of the Waldensians, with few prospects in their crowded homeland in northern Italy, accepted. They became a vibrant force in that part of North Carolina and you can learn of their fascinating history in a play which is re-enacted during July and August. The play, "From This Day Forward", is in its 35th consecutive season and is presented by the Old Colony Players. You'll be shocked, beguiled and fascinated by this exciting play complete with live firearms, swordplay and even a battle scene. The visit to Valdese also brought us some enjoyable hikes and noshes including a great blueberry pie. We started with a stop in Blowing Rock on Friday morning.
Blowing Rock, NC
July 19th, 2002
Valdese
July 20th, 2002
Waldensian Heritage Vineyard & Winery
July 20th
Hiked past the Sarah Lee Bakery in Valdese
We cooled our heels while tasting and buying.
"From This Day Forward" by the Old Colony Players
Morganton
July 21st
Where to stay in the Valdese Morganton area
Thanks to Judy and Tom for planning this fine weekend.
We wish we had more people like Earl's cousin and his wife to plan and execute a weekend like this. Can't thank Tom and Judy enough for hosting and guiding us