Asheville’s growth in the 1920s was exponential. Paths that had been used to bring hogs, cattle and produce to market were improved and turned into roads. The age of the automobile had arrived and that allowed more visitors to pour into the city. Asheville was booming. In 1901, George W. Pack donated the land whereContinue reading “North Carolina – Asheville: The City’s Colorful Revival”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
North Carolina – Asheville: Three Men Who Left Their Mark
Asheville means something different to everyone you ask. Many immediately think of the Biltmore mansion, others say its food, craft beer brewing, distilleries and music. Some people mention the beautiful mountain scenery while outdoor enthusiasts wax on about local trails, tubing, fishing and hunting, and many are drawn to the city for its art, architecture,Continue reading “North Carolina – Asheville: Three Men Who Left Their Mark”
Tennessee – Cades Cove: The Heart of the Smoky Mountains
Before we began spending time in East Tennessee, I thought of a cove as a place people went fishing or swimming, but here in the Smoky Mountains I’ve come to learn that coves can also be areas of land or valleys surrounded by mountains. Cades Cove Loop Road takes visitors on the 11-mile, one-way, one-laneContinue reading “Tennessee – Cades Cove: The Heart of the Smoky Mountains”
Georgia – Athens: A City that Grew Around a College
Back in 1785 when the Georgia legislature selected the site for their state university, the city of Athens was called Cedar Shoals and it was little more than a remote trading post on the Oconee River. Just nine years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Georgia was the first state to make suchContinue reading “Georgia – Athens: A City that Grew Around a College”
Georgia – Atlanta: Scott’s Antiques and Stone Mountain
We were headed down to Atlanta to have lunch with friends and decided to take a little extra time touring since we hadn’t been out in a while. As it turned out our visit was perfectly timed with the monthly opening of Scott’s Antique Market so after lunch we drove over to see what treasuresContinue reading “Georgia – Atlanta: Scott’s Antiques and Stone Mountain”
Virginia – Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction
When we were planning a stay with our friends Mark and Kathy at their Grand Oaks Air B&B, they said that they had something special for us to see and that we had to stay until Thursday. This was intriguing. We didn’t ask questions and did not attempt to do any research to find outContinue reading “Virginia – Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction”
Virginia – Mount Solon: Grand Oaks and Lots More
We took exit 240 and began following three-digit state roads. Near an especially early looking farmhouse with its cut stone foundation and ancient barn we came to Mossy Creek, an area first settled in the 1740s. An aging historic marker told of the Mossy Creek Iron Works that was established in 1775. “The ironworks becameContinue reading “Virginia – Mount Solon: Grand Oaks and Lots More”
Virginia – New Market
It was dark and dry when we left Maine at four in the morning. We made it around Boston and all the way through Hartford to Danbury before the rain started. With all the rain there wouldn’t be any bold displays of fall color as we drove along the steep ridge above Wilkes-Barre. We’d beContinue reading “Virginia – New Market”
New Speed Limit
We have some friends who live in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. When the highway narrows down to two lanes we know it is time to turn down their road and then we drive for a couple of more miles on a narrow, curving road with no shoulder. Once we get to the deadContinue reading “New Speed Limit”
Maine – Portland: The Old Port and Other Favorites
Now that we have rambled in other parts of the city, we will return to the Old Port with its quaint streets, mid-19th century buildings and layers of Portland history. Boothby Square, just a block up from the waterfront is bordered on one end by the Customs House. It is quintessential Portland with cobblestone streets,Continue reading “Maine – Portland: The Old Port and Other Favorites”
