MOUNTAIN MUSIC

Sunday, July 8th - It was a beautiful day and we decided to sit back and enjoyed this performance of folk music.  We even joined in when the audience was asked to create lyrics from their favorite colors and together everyone sang.  According to the brochure, some of today's music maintains a similarity to the 19th century styles dominated by fiddle and banjo, with a blend from varied influences.  The music was brought to the mountains from the early settlers and over the years evolved into distinct styles from diverse ethnic groups of European and African identities.  

Peaks of Otter community began in 1766.  There were 20 families in the mid 1880s.  Visitors came to see the abundant wildlife (we did not see any), the high mountains, and as hunting destinations.  For hikers, the area offers extensive trail system and three peaks - Sharp Top at 3,875 elevation, Flat Top at 4,004 and Harkening Hill at 3,364, for conquering.  The visitor center was closed so we did not get to see the exhibit of early life in the mountains and the development of the Appalachian trail.    

Saturday, June 30th - After Ruby Falls, we went to Rock City and slowly "hike" up to the top of Lookout Mountain.  The view from the Observation Point was spectacular.  With the help of the plaque at the base of the See Seven States Flag Court, we could only see where the States were just in general directions.  It was time for lunch so we sat down on the Cliff Terrace patio listening to the music, enjoying BBQ pork sandwiches and cold lemonade.  These are the New Binkley Brothers playing one of the songs on their CD, "Old Chattanooga" or was it "Ragged but Right"?  For a second there I got so excited that we were being entertained by ZZ Top but when I saw they were not sharp dressed men, I knew they could not be from the same band!

MITCHELL AT MARBY MILL (BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY - MILEPOST 176, VIRGINIA)

Sunday, July 8th - We attended 8:30 Mass at Holy Angels Church in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  It was Father "Zyandrewski" last day as he was being transfered to another parish.  We jokingly said to him after Mass that we could have made some pierogies for him if we did not rush to get back to STL.  Upon hearing about our road trip, a nice lady told us to be sure to stop by Mabry Mill at milepost 176 to see the restored mill and exhibits on rural life in Appalachia.  The Mill is one of the most popular gathering places anywhere on the parkway.  

The Blue Ridge Parkway Travel Planner stated that this century old gristmill is the most picturesque spot on the entire parkway.  Mitchell agreed. 

Ed and Lizzy Mabry built this mill and ground corn for their neighbors for three decades.  In addition to the mill, visitors could also see a wheelright shop, sawmill and blacksmith shop.  It was pretty crowded when we were there, so we did not try to watch the blacksmith demonstration and the ladies spinning or making baskets.

2,982 MILES

2,982 miles - that was the total mileage we drove in 9 days during our recent road trip last month.  (We were tired and wanted to get home so we did not drive around for an extra 8 miles to make it an even 3,000 miles as suggested by Qaptain Qwerty - haa haa).  For all the miles we drove, we only added North Carolina to our list of States we visited.  We still have about 13 more States, mostly in the northeast (i.e. Maine, New Hampshire), northwest (i.e. Oregon, Idaho) and Hawaii, to complete all 50 States for our From Sea to Shining Sea Adventures.

We started driving on Friday, June 29th from St. Louis with a stop in Metropolis, Illinois so my husband could take pictures of his precious Mustang in front of Superman sculpture.  We spent the night in Manchester, Tennessee.  The next day, Saturday, June 30th, after a visit to Ruby Falls and Rock City in TN, we continued to Atlanta to visit my sister CH.  We met for dinner and CH proudly showed us her new home and the neighborhood of Atlantic Station.  (I was there last November but it was my husband first time in A-town.)
After 9:30 Sunday (July 1st) Mass at the Cathedral, we went to the King Center.  We took the above photo of the Olympic Flame from the 1996 Summer Games but it was too hot to walk around Centennial Park.  We went to Varsity to get their famous "dawgs" for lunch.  In the evening, CH treated us to a very nice dinner at South City Kitchen in Midtown. 

Monday, July 2nd - On the way to Savannah, we stopped by Stone Mountain Park.  For the last 10+ years I had been telling my husband about "the best salmon I've ever had" and he agreed after our dinner at the Old Oyster Factory in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  We spent the night in Charleston, South Carolina.  The next day Tuesday, July 3rd, after the trolley tour, we drove to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my husband's brother PP and his wife. 

It was a beautiful sunny day while we celebrated July 4th with PP on board his sail boat.  (I ate a light breakfast and my motion sickness was under control.)  The next day, Thursday, July 5th, we went to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.  (Alisa, I am sure even the good people in Ladue would feel like paupers touring this lovely chateau!)   

Friday, July 6th - to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary, CP reserved a private caboose on the Great Smokey train ride just for the two of us.

It took us two days, Saturday July 7th and Sunday the 8th to complete our drive some 470 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway as it "winds and twists" along the mountain crests from western North Carolina to Virginia.  Opie was not home when we stopped by Mt. Airy, aka Mayberry, the hometown of Sheriff Andy Taylor, my favorite television classic, The Andy Griffth Show. 

Along the drive, we stopped at Mount Pisgah, the town of Little Switzerland, and Mount Mitchell. 

Our beloved Benjamin had a great time (he is such a good kid always smiling) while posing for a picture next to the marker of the highest elevation of Blue Ridge Parkway Motor Road.  Monday, July 9th we started heading back to St. Louis thru Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and finally home around 5:30 p.m.  It was a shorter road trip compared to when we drove 3,838 miles last year covering Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Colorado.  Our Route 66 Adventure in 2010 totalling 4,437 miles would be the longest road trip from Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California.  That was a lot of driving but having two cool cars (the T-bird and Mustang) made it more enjoyable and we are still "happily" married - haa haa!  I promise to post photos and sharing many interesting stories.