North Carolina, Family, Friends, Nostalgia

Always so much fun returning to North Carolina to see family and friends. And a special shout out to my brother and my sister-in-law for allowing Lenny and me to crash at their place for an extended period of time while also providing all the amenities of a 5 star hotel. Thank you so much Uncle Bob and Aunt Kim!!!! My time in Raleigh included much longer get togethers with my mother, my aunt, my kids and their kids, plus some excellent time breaking bread with special friends Rob and Martha. Even had the opportunity to celebrate a birthday dinner with my former spouse. Thanks Lin, it was a very nice evening and a wonderful chance to reminisce. Hope we can do it again in the future.

It's impossible to go to Raleigh without stopping at my favorite biscuit place and indulging with a steak and cheese biscuit and coffee. Thank goodness they don't have one of these in Sheridan Wyoming. Otherwise, well, you know where I'd be a few times each week.

One of the BEST highlights of this trip was watching my grandsons, Hayden and Hunter taking the field and playing. And they won both games. Well done H&H, you guys rock!!!! And you look pretty bad ass too.

Following my extended stay in Raleigh, Lenny and I headed West to Mayberry NC aka Mount Airy, NC. And while I did not see Andy, Opie, Officer Fife, or Aunt Bee, their spirit remains very strong in Andy Griffith's home town.

While Andy Griffith is the most famous person to hail from Mt Airy, Eng and Chang Bunker also resided in Mt Airy and were successful tobacco farmers and land owners. They moved to Mt Airy in 1845 and passed away in 1874. Who knew???

My first Harvest Host stay, after leaving Raleigh, was outside of Mt Airy at Round Peak Vineyards. A beautiful setting and a chance to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and to give ole Lenny a chance to stretch his legs and roam untethered.

Thankfully, he did not sample the grapes but instead, thoroughly enjoyed some free range time amongst the rows and rows of vines.

UH OH!!!! Another breakfast stop at Biscuitville in Mt Airy. Truth be told, I am addicted!!!

West Jefferson North Carolina

Welcome to West Jefferson, NC. These pictures do not even come close to doing the town justice, however, suffice it to say that it is perhaps, one of the prettiest small towns in Western North Carolina. And if that were not enough, the town's pride and joy comes in the form of several frescos which are beautifully displayed in a small church called St Mary's.

I was not familiar with the process of frescos, however, I knew one thing .....................it was not

THIS, and btw THIS is a horrible soft drink and should be removed from all store shelves immediately. Note to self, write a letter to Coca-Cola demanding they take immediate action to terminate this vile tasting fluid.

A MUCH better choice of fluids comes from my second Harvest Host location in West Jefferson, called New River Brewing. Had the most wonderful time talking with the bartenders and sampling some sort of blackberry skeeter something. WOW, one pint and I was feeling no pain. Was able to park my travel trailer behind the brew pub and spend the night in a deep, peaceful sleep. Love the town of West Jefferson!!!!

Leaving West Jefferson and heading towards Asheville via the Blue Ridge Parkway. Always a special treat traveling along an extended portion of the Parkway and does indeed offer "food for the soul" with each scenic viewing area/stop and a chance to see Mt Mitchell once again.

Limited selection of campgrounds in Asheville and so I opted to stay at a KOA in Swannanoa. Actually turned out to be very nice, although the campsites were small and real estate between sites was non- existent. Nevertheless, the view from my back window was wonderful and the site offered electric and water and was in a good location for exploring the area.

Lenny seemed to enjoy the view when he wasn't doing what he does best.....................

NAPPING!!!!! Gosh, wonder where he learned that from???

Of course no trip to the Asheville area is complete without spending some awesome times with my dear friend and former VA colleague, Mary B. Thanks Mary for a most enjoyable time trying new restaurants, wandering around Buncombe county, and sharing countless laughs and sampling desserts from the Well-Bred Bakery in Weaverville, my old homestead a few years ago. Weaverville is still a very inviting place and perhaps, one day, I will return to that location and walk around Lake Louise once again.

At the conclusion of my time in Asheville, my original plan was to continue traveling South, through Bama, the REALLY DEEP South, through Southern Texas and then begin heading North back to Wyoming. That route plan changed dramatically with the price of fuel jumping from an average of 3.12 when I started this journey, to a new high of 3.79 to 3.99 and climbing. Goes without saying that pulling a trailer with a 4 Runner is not the most fuel efficient method and so, I decided to slice a huge portion of my travels and return to Wyoming a bit early. However, stay tuned, my abbreviated travels back to Wyoming were interesting.