MOUNTAIN GLORY FESTIVAL…MARION, NC

Saturday, October 8 – We wanted to take it easy today – a break from sightseeing – so we decided to head to Marion, SC, for their Mountain Glory Festival. It's held in downtown Marion where they close of the main street.

It had over 100 artists and crafters. food vendors, a quilt show, and a car show. There were three stages set up where Bluegrass, Gospel, and Country music performs entertained the crowds.

This gospel group was amazing! They sang barber-shop style. Marsha's dad would have loved them.

We remember buying a hobby horse for our girls when they were little. The horse is a thing of the past. Look what these kids have now. That is a cow in the background. What a hoot.

These ladies made the most original and beautiful baskets. Marsha doesn't have to worry about competition. They were weaving their baskets. The ladies said they tried pine needle baskets once and that was it…too hard and time consuming. Marsha just smiled.

We enjoyed looking at all the arts and crafts and even contributed to the local economy by purchasing a door wreath for the motor home and a walking cane. Paul is going to keep the cane in the car for use on the rare occasion when his replaced hip gives him a little trouble walking. Getting old is so wonderful!

We bought a Red Dirt Shirt…wherever we go, we will always have a part of NC with us. These 100% cotton shirts are hand washed and dyed in real North Carolina dirt! The dyeing agent is actually the iron oxide that is found in the dirt. They are really neat looking.

Of course it wouldn't be a festival or fair if you didn't sample the elephant ears. These were the biggest and best we have ever had. There was no oil for us to wipe off our hands. It was great!

We really enjoyed these small town festivals. This was one of the best we have attended.

We were home early and basked in the beautiful sunny day at the campground. Time for Marsha to work on her pine needle basket, and Paul did some MH maintenance and enjoyed his book. It was an absolute gorgeous day. The fall colors are getting pretty amazing.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all our Canadian friends.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

AMERICA'S FAVORITE SCENIC DRIVE

Friday, October 7 – We headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway to see the beautiful countryside and the fall colors. We are probably a week or so early for the peak viewing, but the trees are beginning to change and more so at higher altitudes.

Following mountain crests from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the gateway to Appalachian country.

The Parkway extends for 469 miles combining awesome natural beauty with the pioneer history of gristmills, weathered cabins, and split rail fences to create the country's most popular National Park area. It is said to be in one days driving distance to half the population of the U.S.A.

We started at Black Mountain, SC, and headed south on the Parkway through dozens of tunnels, winding roads, peaks and valleys. There are so many places to stop and enjoy the beautiful vistas.

We stopped at Sliding Rock Falls where brave souls can slide down the slippery rocks on their butt. Marsha loved the slide! (Just kidding. She would have frozen it off!)

Looking down the slide.

From across the water. It is 8' feet deep.

We stopped for a “Kodak Moment” at Looking Glass Falls. One of the most photographed waterfalls in the United States. The name "Looking Glass" comes from Looking Glass Rock, where water freezes on its sides in the winter and then glistens in the sunlight like a mirror or looking glass. Steps lead to an observation deck at the bottom of the falls.

We stopped just down the road for a picnic lunch Marsha had packed for us to enjoy.

There was so much to see along this drive! What a beautiful day, and what a beautiful area!

Heading home we decided to take the “back” way. No interstate. Instead we headed on a crooked mountain road that took us through many small towns and dozens of apple markets. This route is not for the faint of heart or those that experience car sickness.

Marsha loved this roadside market. It had tons of stuff for the kids to experience.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Thursday, October 6 – We drove the MH about three hours East to Asheville, NC, this morning. We are staying at Cove Creek RV Park which is about 25 miles east of Asheville. Pretty bare-bones campground, but they accept Passport America everyday all year round! We are certainly out in the country! Should be good and dark out here when the sun goes down. Beautiful countryside. The leaves are just beginning to turn colors. Will be astonishing here in about 10 days!

Looking up at our site

We took a ride to Asheville this afternoon to stop at the visitor's center and pick-up some brochures. We have too many things planned for the six days we will be here.....have to set our priorities!  While in Asheville we took a self-guided tour of downtown. They call it the Urban Trail/Public Art Walking Tour.

Most streets are narrow and crowded with stores, cafes and specialty shops.

Let me just say the hippie movement is alive and well in Asheville. There are hundreds of young people dressed accordingly (think 1966)  just hanging out downtown. The parks are full, the benches along the streets are occupied, they are playing musical instruments for handouts, many of the stores and street vendors target their eclectic choice of shopping, and there are an abundance of artsy shops, restaurants, and bars to hang out with their friends.

Can you see the tie dye clothing?

Indoor shopping.

Flat Iron Architecture is a replica of one used by a local laundry.

Appalachian Stage…five bronze figures of dancers and musicians celebrate the significance of Appalachian culture in the community. 

Cat Walk…this station is a favorite on the Urban Trail.

We did see some interesting historical sights. Our favorite was the Basilica of Saint Lawrence. What a beautiful church. It has some amazing architectural features. Especially, the dome in the main cathedral. It is constructed from individually laid bricks. How was that built and how does it stay up there? Amazing!

This is one of only 56 Basilicas in the United States. Basilica is a special designation given by the Holy Father to certain churches because of their antiquity, dignity, historical importance or significance as a place of worship.

The lunette over the main entrance represents Christ giving the keys of the kingdom to Peter and appointing him head of the Church.

The ceiling is a huge dome stretching out 82 feet by 58 feet and is considered the largest free standing elliptical dome in North America.

You can see the dome roof from this angle.

The walking tour was nice, but a bit confusing to follow. If you want to see the city though, this is the way to do it. It took us about an hour and half to see the sights.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!