After all the fun we had in Virginia we headed to North Carolina at the same time that Hurricane Florence was heading there. We figured staying outside of Charlotte in Statesville would be far enough away that all would be well. Lucky for us, it turned out to be, though we had our moments of doubt as we drove south on I77 and all the signs said to be cautious heading into North Carolina. Plus, most of the traffic on the interstate were electric trucks from around the country heading south in preparation for the storm. We took a chance leaving our rig for the weekend of the storm while we did a quick trip to PA to see family. When we returned, the only things we saw were our sewer hose had been blown over and every can and jar in the refrigerator had fallen over. People around us said there was some rain and wind but nothing too bad.
While in Statesville we got to see Jeff’s niece Jessica and her boyfriend Cory twice for dinner. Both go to UNC Charlotte. We also made a trip to Charlotte to check out the combined Victory and Southern Tier breweries. We used to like going to Victory in Downingtown and enjoyed Southern Tier when we traveled through New York.
On our quick trip to PA we had the chance to see our grandson, Arturius, play soccer with his travel team and play some mini-golf with him.
We took a trip to Asheville one day where we toured the Biltmore and stopped into the Basilica of Saint Lawrence. The Biltmore House is a Chateauesque-style mansion built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895.
The Basilica of St. Lawrence was designed and built in 1905 by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino.
On a couple of occasions we took the dogs for a hike through Lake Norman State Park. Lake Norman State Park is on the largest man-made lake in North Carolina.
Jeff is a racing fan and so we took a ride into Charlotte to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors drivers who have shown exceptional skill at NASCAR driving. Jeff had fond memories of watching NY 61 Richie Evans and going to places like the Langhorne Speedway.
Mayberry was a fictitious community that was the setting for the Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD. The belief is that Mayberry is based upon Andy Griffiths hometown of Mount Airy NC. Jeff and I took a trip there one day to reminisce on the show from our childhood. They have preserved many of the places from the show and offer a map of a walking tour. They also have a museum to Andy Griffiths lifetime work.
After leaving Mayberry, we took a side trip to Pilot Mountain State Park. Pilot Mountain has been an iconic landmark for Native Americans, early explorers and wildlife. The centerpiece of the park is a peak known as Big Pinnacle which is one of the most recognizable mountain formations in North Carolina. It rises to an elevation of 2421 feet. It was part of the ancient Sauratown Mountain range. We did not have enough time to hike it that day, but we did drive up and climb up to the lower pinnacle overlook for a closer view. There we were able to see into Virginia and watch the older men passing their time counting the numbers and species of birds flying by the peak.
Continuing on our historical vein, we took a ride to Cowpens National Battlefield where we saw a short film on the battle and then walked the battlefield. The battle of Cowpens took place on January 17, 1781 and was a decisive victory for us Americans vs the better trained British Army during the Revolutionary War. In fact, the character of Major Tarleton in ‘The Patriot’ is based on “Bloody Tarleton” and Mel Gibson’s character was based upon a combination of General Morgan and Francis Marion (the swamp fox). The battle of Cowpens was over in less than an hour. During the battle General Daniel Morgan effectively used both militia and Continental Troops to envelop and rout the British causing Tarleton to flee after most of his army was killed or captured.
Another historical place we visited was Fort Dobbs. On the day of our visit, they happened to be doing a re-enactment. Fort Dobbs was used for defense of the frontier during and after the French and Indian War. It was built to protect the British settlers and served as a vital outpost for soldiers, traders, and colonial officials. This fort was abandoned after 1766 and disappeared from the landscape. Archaeologists and historians have recently located the exact spot where the fort stood and are in the process of reconstructing it.
Old Salem reminded me of Williamsburg VA. It is a historic district of Winston-Salem that features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. It shows the culture of the Moravian settlement in North Carolina during the 18th and 19th centuries. The people who work there are dressed in period costumes and they are bakers, gunsmiths, carpenters, etc. using the tools of yesteryear.
I would like to leave North Carolina and you with a piece of beautiful music played on an 1800 Tannenberg Organ.
Fran and Jeff’s Retirement Adventures 