Trips & Treks

Canada: Ottawa, the Capital

2011-07-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

To see more photos of Ottawa, visit: https://picasaweb.google.com/mandolinartist/Canada2011OttawaGatineau#

After visiting Niagara Falls, we drove to Ottawa, the capital of Canada, located in the province of Ontario. While in Ottawa, we crossed into the province of Quebec and visited Gatineau, a small town near Ottawa that is more in touch with the French side of Canada. While in the capital, we visited Parliament, the National Gallery of Art, a church and basilica, Supreme Court and the Byward Market, an area with shops and restaurants. We also toured the Royal Mint and learned that the Queen of England's face is on all their coins since she is recognized as their monarch merely for ceremonial purposes. Another highlight of the trip was taking a boat ride on the Rideau Canal, a canal that runs through town near the University of Ottawa and their military facility, like our Pentagon. Food in Canada was much like food in the USA. We did not try their famous 'poutine,' fries with gravy, cheese, sometimes fish or beef and other condiments... We did discover "Real Gelato" and really enjoyed their Maple flavored gelato. Finally, a treat for me was seeing several examples in shops, museums, and around town of Inuit Art, traditional Canadian art that shows animals in an abstract way as if their bodies are puzzle-like and made up of organic shapes. Ottawa, even though a city, didn't seem like most, large cities we have visited. People were generally friendly and many shops and place closed around 5pm-6pm 'business' time.

Canada: Niagara Falls

2011-07-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

For more photos, visit: https://picasaweb.google.com/mandolinartist/Canada2011NiagaraFalls#

We visited Niagara Falls in June. The area around the falls on the Canada side is like a city park, and along the opposite street are hotels with direct views of the falls. On the USA side, New York State has a state park with several areas for viewing. While in Niagara, we took a boat ride that gets as close to the falls as possible. In fact, we wore plastic ponchos because the mist will soak you! We had lunch at Skylon Tower, which gives an aerial view of the whole city, and we drove to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a small, 'old town' area with shops and restaurants. Several streets throughout the town of Niagara Falls have attractions, shops and restaurants like a tourist, beach town. Surprisingly, the weather was very much like home, with temperatures in the 80s and humidity during the day.

Virginia: Memorial Day Weekend

2011-07-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

We went to visit relatives in northern Virginia for Memorial Day Weekend. During our visit, we saw the Farm Museum of the Northern Neck, visited George Washington's Boyhood Home near Fredericksburg, and toured George Washington's Sister's Home in Fredericksburg.

The Farm Museum of the Northern Neck

Kenmore, George Washington's Sister's Home

The Site of George Washington's Boyhood Home

Myrtle Beach: Spring 2011

2011-07-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

We spent a long weekend in April at Myrtle Beach. Temperatures were very much like Spring with cool evenings. We enjoyed the view, walks in the sand, and a little shopping. We stayed on the south end of Myrtle Beach, which was fairly quiet.

Atlanta, GA

2011-05-04T16:29:00.001-07:00

For Spring Break, we...

hiked Stone Mountain, GA and saw their train and relief sculpture on site,

visited the High Museum of Art and explored paintings, sculptures, glass, and other art through the many floors and wings of the museum,

toured the Margaret Mitchell House and saw the apartment in which she wrote, Gone with the Wind,

explored the Georgia Aquarium in Downtown Atlanta,

toured the CNN Building and witnessed a broadcast of the news,

and enjoyed the artifacts, sculptures, and fun at the World of Coke.

Towns in the Mountains of NC

2011-05-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hendersonville, Edneyville, Chimney Rock

Above is the former county courthouse and the current Henderson County History Museum.

An Apple Orchard

An Old Cider Mill, turned into a gift shop and tourist attraction, just outside Bat Cave, NC

A View in the Town of Chimney Rock

Summer Vacation 2010: 5th Anniversary

2011-03-17T20:08:00.001-07:00

St. Augustine, Florida

We traveled to St. Augustine, FL during the summer of 2010. St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who was a Spanish explorer. St Augustine is the oldest town in the United States. For more information, click here.

The Oldest Jail

The Oldest House........The Oldest School.......... The 1st Lighthouse in Florida

The Alligator Farm near St. Augustine Beach: Scott rubbed a snake during a demonstration.

St. George Street............The Waterfront

St Augustine has many historic places and things to see, like the original city gate, (a brick, wall structure,) the first pharmacy, museums, and other sites. The Spanish influence can be seen in the architecture as well as the street names. St Augustine has modernized to a degree throughout the years, but you can still enjoy stone streets, narrow drives, and the waterfront.

Summer Vacation 2010: 5th Anniversary

2011-03-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Disney World

Magic Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

Epcot

Hollywood Studios

The Resort

Salisbury, NC

2011-01-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

We spent the afternoon of New Year's Eve in Salisbury, NC, a small town in the piedmont area of North Carolina. We wandered around downtown, in and out of shops, visited the local mall, and had dinner in town. Salisbury is the home of Cheerwine, originally called Mint Cola, so Cheerwine signs are found around town. We were sure to visit the soda fountain at the Drugstore to have a traditional Cheerwine Float.

We also saw the original bell tower of the Presbyterian Church that was destroyed in a fire.

Finally, along our downtown path, we found a large mural on the side of a building that depicts life over the years in Salisbury. We also discovered several relief, clay sculptures that honor the history of the Salisbury Cotton Mill.

Floyd, VA

2011-01-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

We spent a fall weekend in Floyd, VA.

We lodged at Hotel Floyd. The office is seen in the above photo as well as the doorway of our suite. We enjoyed the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and trees.

We had a wonderful time listening to music at the Country Store. We were surprised to find out that the Country Store was 100 years old in 2010.

We had good food and fun as we walked around town visiting shops and stores, such as Nancy's Candy Store.

We found out about local history at the Floyd County Museum.

One highlight of the weekend was a jam session in a local music store. We just wondered in, and I offered to play mandolin so the shop owner could play fiddle.

It was a very enjoyabe, relaxing weekend.

Tangier Island, VA

2010-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

In early August, we took our last adventure of the summer to Tangier Island, VA. We left Reedville, VA on the Chesapeake Breeze Cruise Ship that took an hour and a half to arrive on the island.

The population of the island is around 500 people, who originate from the United Kingdom, predominantly Scotland. The island is only 7 acres in size.
Tangier is very isolated with the only ways on and off the island being by boat or airplane. With this transportation, (and Cable Television and Internet set up in the spring of 2010), islanders keep up with the rest of the world.

As far as attractions, Tangier Island has 4 or 5 gifts shops, 4 restaurants, and a couple places to stay the night, including the Bed and Breakfast.

Tangier Island is known for its seafood, but I actually had a chicken salad wrap, but it was a very unique, sweet chicken salad with perhaps honey in the recipe. We also had ice cream from a local ice cream shop that had a very modern, soda shop interior decor.

Much of the economy is based on the fishing industry, particularly crabbing, with some money being made from tourists. Most people on the island drive golf carts, and some people offer guided tours on extra long carts. I was interested to actually see speed limits signs with a speed limit of 15 mph! (We did see 2 or 3 trucks on the island.)

For years, the island had only one church, the Methodist Church, but now the Methodist Church and a New Covenant Church exist on the 7 acres.

The island also has a police force made up of 1 person. However, the most unusual aspect to Tangier Island is the accent, which sounds very similar to the accent of the people who settled Tangier Island in 1686.

Overall, we had an enjoyable experience, other than the fact that is was extremely hot and humid in late summer.

For more information about Tangier Island, visit the wikipedia link here.

To hear the unique accent of Tangier Island dwellers, watch a short video here.

A September 2010 Weekend

2010-10-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Blacksburg, VA: The Town & Hiking at Dragon's Tooth

Salem, VA: Exploring Dixie Caverns

Details from New Years 2010

2010-10-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

After visiting some relatives for Christmas 2009, Scott and I spent a few days in Alexandria, VA to ring in the new year. It was the coldest I have ever been in my entire life. I was dressed in layer after layer, but the wind chill factor was below zero. Needless to say, it was a trip to remember!

We also took the Metro into Washington, DC to see some sites.

Most of these pictures were taken at a wax museum.

We made a stop in Fredericksburg, VA on the way home!

Hillsville, VA 2010 Labor Day Weekend Flea Market

2010-10-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

We usually attend the annual Hillsville, VA Labor Day Weekend Flea Market. The VFW in Hillsville has been holding this event for 43 years. It has grown to 700 vendors and 1600 spaces. The entire town is open and rented or used for this event. The VFW building itself holds a gun show. I was originally introduced to this event by my great uncle who formerly traded guns and knives.

Fall Football

2010-10-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Scott and I attended two Wake Forest Football Games in September: Wake vs. Prebyterian and Wake vs. Duke. During the 1st game, Wake won by about 40 points, but it was still fun to be in the stands and seeing the action in person. During the Wake vs. Duke game, it was quite a close game, but Wake still won, despite the rain! (Yes, we got soaked!)

Eastern NC: Spring Break Trip 2010

2010-08-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

Back in the Spring, we explored the coast of North Carolina, particularly New Bern, the 2nd town in North Carolina. Around New Bern, we visited several areas within a short driving distance: Atlantic Beach, Bath, Beaufort, and Pine Knoll Shores. New Bern was the 2nd town in North Carolina and the original State Capitol of North Carolina, after Governor Tryon chose this location for his mansion. Bath, the 1st NC Town, is only an hour away.

New Bern means New Bear, so all over town, artists have designed and decorated several different bears to decorate the streets of the town. This is also part of the 2010 Celebration that commemorates 300 years since New Bern was founded.

For more photos of our Eastern NC Adventures,

visit my Picasa Web Gallery here.

Charlottesville, VA

2010-08-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

For a 4-day weekend in July, Scott and I visited the Charlottesville, VA area with two friends. Our friend, Dean, is finishing up licensure to be a history teacher, so we took him and his wife on a tour of historical places, particularly 4 homes of previous presidents. We visited Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson's country home, Ashlawn-Highland, the home of James Monroe, and Montpelier, James Madison's home. We also explored the Rotunda of UVA, the University of Virginia, and took a detour through Schuyler, VA to see the Walton's Mountain Exhibit and real-life home of the Hamner Family, the inspiration for The Walton's TV Series.

Monticello

Poplar Forest

Ashlawn-Highland

Montpelier

UVA Rotunda

I'm volunteering for some street entertainment in Downtown Charlottesville.

Schuyler, VA... Home of the Hamner Family aka The Walton's

Our trip was fun and very informative. The summer weekend was bright and beautiful with great weather, but it was very hot. One day, the temperature was over 100 degrees with high humidity.

Cone Mansion

2010-07-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

In May, Scott and I stopped off on the Blueridge Parkway, near Blowing Rock, to visit the Cone Mansion. It is a breath-taking landscape, and the house is now used as a finecraft outlet.

3rd Annual Laurel Hill Highland Games

2010-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Ferris Park: A Birthday Picnic

2010-07-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

For Scott's birthday back in April, we began festivities with a relaxing, Saturday afternoon at Ferris Park. The weather was great and the view gorgeous, especially overlooking the lake and watching ducks.

Mayfest 2010

2010-07-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Annually, we attend a festival in May, held in Pilot Mtn, NC. We enjoy food, music, performances, arts and crafts.

Here are views from around Main Street during the event.

Raleigh, NC

2010-05-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Catching Up with Friends

Around the weekend of April 11, Scott and I met some friends in Raleigh. Lauren and Kristin are friends from college, and over the years, we both have gotten to know them and their husbands and families. Over the April weekend, we visited the Arboretum in Raleigh, which is sponsored and supported by NC State University. The Arboretum is a facility with indoor rooms and activities as well as many outdoor displays of unique plants, shrubbery, trees, and bushes.

Aaron & Kristin of Kristin Byrum Photography & Bamboo Studios

...................Bennett, Aaron & Lauren

The Arboretum .............................................Aaron, Aaron & Scott

Most of the photos were taken at the Arboretum, but the group photos were taken in Aaron and Lauren's front yard. Check out more photos of Raleigh and the Arboretum here.

Visiting Relatives in Virginia

2010-04-25T18:37:00.000-07:00

Just after Christmas 2009, we visited relatives in the Northern Neck area of Virginia, which is along the northwest coast of Virginia. It is a rural but historical area with coast line, bodies of water, large forest areas, and many old churches. We spent a little time sightseeing but mostly just visiting with family.

The Streets of Kilmarnock, particularly Lee's Restaurant (serving excellent, homestyle cooking)

Uncle Jim, Cousins: Elizabeth, Melvin, Bill, Mindy, Mike

St. John's Episcopal Church of Warsaw

Hanover Baptist Church

Ella, Colin, Scott, Clare, Cindy, Cathy (more cousins) in Westmoreland Park

Chris is helping the kids hunt for fossils in the sand!

The wind was cold coming across the water and between two cliffs.

The Northern Neck of Virginia and general northern Virginia area covers several small towns and communities. For the most part, it is flat; you can see land, water, and forests for miles and miles. George Washington was born in this area, and Robert E Lee lived in this area as a child. It is an area with traditional cultures and dialects reflective of "southern gentlemen and southern belles." For more information on the Northern Neck of Virginia, see our older post here.

UNCG vs ASU

2010-02-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

Scott and I visited Appalachian State University on Saturday, January 16th to see the Spartans take on the Mountaineers. Although the game was very close, tied at many points, and the Spartans were in the lead a few times, ASU Mountaineers won. We had a blast, even as the visiting team and smaller crowd, and we displayed our blue and gold, Spartan pride, despite the fact that we had an upset.

RJ Reynolds Homestead

2010-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

Early Fall 2009

Scott and I ventured to Critz, Virginia, not far outside Martinsville, VA and in the Spencer, VA area, to visit the Reynolds Homestead. The Reynolds Homestead was the boyhood home to RJ Reynolds. Richard Joshua Reynolds was born in 1850 to Hardin and Nancy Jane Cox Reynolds. Hardin was a farmer, merchant, banker, and tobacco manufacturer. The homestead, Rock Spring Plantation House, is fully-restored, after being built in 1843 and is considered a state and national landmark. On the grounds, we also saw the family's original brick kitchen, milk house, icehouse, granary, and cemetery. R.J. Reynolds left Critz in 1874 and began his tobacco company in Winston-Salem, NC.

The Reynolds family has been very influential in southern Virginia and northern North Carolina. The family built and donated a school, Nancy Jane Cox Reynolds Elementary School, to the Westfield, NC community in 1923. The school was built on the site of Nancy Jane Cox's homeplace.

The Reynolds Homestead is currently owned by Virginia Tech as a research facility, using the grounds and forest surrounding the house. Click here to visit the Homestead website.

Click here to find out more information about Richard Joshua Reynolds' tobacco company.

Click here to find out more information about Reynolda House, the home of RJ and his wife Katharine, built in 1917, which is now a tourist attraction and art museum in Winston-Salem, NC.

A view of the Left Side

The child's chair folds from a highchair into an upright chair.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-02-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

November 2009

Over Thanksgiving Weekend, Scott and I attended a wedding in the Dale City/Woodbridge area of Virginia, which is half an hour outside of DC and near Alexandria, VA. On the way to the wedding, we stopped in Guinea, VA, just off Interstate 95, and toured a plantation office building in which Stonewall Jackson died.

As I am sure most of you know, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He was accidentally shot at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863. He survived but had his arm amputated. He died 8 days later, on May 10, 1863, from pneumonia complications.

The bed is the actual bed in which he died. The clock on the mantle was present then as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After our stop on Friday, a wonderful rehearsal dinner, (by the caterers for the Redskins,) and some time with family, Scott and I attended his cousin, Larry's, wedding. (The bride's sister is the official caterer for the Washington Redskins.) Check out a few details of their evening wedding with red, black, and white trim...

Danville, VA:

2010-01-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

October 2009

For my birthday this year, we took an overnight trip to Danville, VA. Danville is a small town along the Dan River. We enjoyed a view of the river and a short walk along the river. We did a little shopping in a modern, commercial area as well as enjoyed downtown Danville, particularly the mural and site of the Wreck of the Old '97.

Danville is very historical. When Richmond, the Capital of the Confederate States, fell during the Civil War, President Davis spent a week in Danville at the home of a local merchant. Today, the home is a museum and art gallery. Danville is also home to a National Cemetery.

Check out my Picasa Web Gallery of Danville Photos

Click here for more information about the Wreck of the Old 97

Warsaw, VA: Scott's Aunt Turns 94

2009-11-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

In mid-October, Scott visited Warsaw, VA, in the northern Neck of Virginia, for a birthday party and family reunion for his great aunt, Alma. He visited with cousins who traveled to Warsaw from all over Virginia as well as New York and Colorado.

Click Here to See Photos from the Party

The Northern Neck of Virginia is full of history. During Scott's long weekend in northern Virginia, he also visited several historic sites, particularly Christ Church and Morattico Baptist Church.

Click here for a slideshow of these two sites.

Hiking @ Pilot Knob

2009-11-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hiking at Pilot Knob... enjoying the warm weather... photographing the view with the fall colors... spending time together and with a friend...

Stokes Stomp 2009

2009-10-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Each year, the Stokes County Arts Council sponsors a festival on the Dan River in Moratock Park. People from all around come for the 2-day, weekend event to experience the food, music, arts and crafts. It is a time for local talents to exhibit their talent in music and art as well as for area schools to participate in the Saturday morning parade and band performances. This year, the Stokes Stomp celebrated its 35th year of celebrating the arts. Check the site here at the Stokes County Arts Council for more information on the Stokes Stomp.

This year, I attended the stomp for a few hours on Sunday afternoon with my friend, Natalie @ http://natalie-elizabeth.blogspot.com/.

It was such a warm afternoon for early fall. We enjoyed some time wading in the Dan River...

Hillsville, VA 2009

2009-10-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hillsville, VA holds an annual flea market during the weekend of Labor Day. It began as a fundraiser for the local VFW but grew into a whole town event. Hillsville does not look like the same town with and without the flea market. Hundreds of vendors and thousands of people participate in the event. Attendees find everything from a gun and knife show to antiques and wholesale items.

I took a couple photos of the street, but you really cannot get an idea of the crowd. On each side of the street, yards, fields and parking lots are packed.

My great uncle and aunt, Gaylon and Novella, first took my siblings and I to the Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market when we were children.

For more information, visit the following sites:

History of the Show

VFW Flea Market Site

West Virginia

2009-09-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

On our way to West Virginia, Scott and I discovered a Native American Village, in Virginia, that was just discovered and opened for tours in the 1970s. The village was named Wolf Creek, but the name of the tribe that lived there is not currently known. Click here for more information.

This trip was our last 'hoorah' before the end of the summer, and Scott and I spent a few days in West Virginia. We stayed in a lodge at the Pipestem Resort State Park. Accommodations included a restaurant, indoor and outdoor pool, game room, sauna, gift shops, a reading area, paddle boating, miniature golf, etc.

We even took a hayride around the campground area.

It was a relaxing trip as we viewed and photographed a family of deer from our 2nd story balcony and watched the sunset behind the mountain.

We also drove a short distance, around 30 minutes north, to Beckley, to visit Exhibition Coal Mine. We entered a real mine, no longer functioning, on a trolley and viewed originals and replications of the houses, a school, and other buildings on site for the coal mining families.

It was a relaxing and historical trip!

Chimney Rock & Lake Lure

2009-08-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

Scott's cousins took their vacation in the Chimney Rock/Lake Lure area. The cousins are twin sisters. They are both married and have children. Their mother also came along for the vacation. Chimney Rock is a mountain, park, and village in western North Carolina. Lake Lure is a lake and town just east of Chimney Rock.

We stayed with Chris, Cindy, Clare & Ella in a cabin in the woods.

Our biggest event, as we visited for just 2 days, was gem mining with the whole family.

Click the Photo for a Slideshow of more photos!

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games 2009

2009-07-26T18:58:00.001-07:00

The Highland Games is one of several gatherings for Scottish families/clans, Scottish American families/clans, or general interested tourists to experience traditional Scottish music, food, and competitive games. The Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, in Western North Carolina, is the largest Scottish Games Gathering in the United States and is held annually every July.

July 4, 2009

2009-07-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

During the weekend of July 4, Scott and I visited relatives in northern Virginia. For the evening of July 4, we drove into Washington, DC, our Nation's Capital.

The National Archives had a special exhibit of archives, letters, and other documents that are not usually on the tour. We also visited the rotunda, which is the room where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are stored and displayed.

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History had extended hours, so we spent the last hour of daylight venturing through the museum exhibits.

Our evening ended with a fireworks display behind the Washington Monument, over the reflective pool.

The crowd was enormous. We took the metro into town and spent an hour just inching closer and closer to the metro escalator as we were squished into the crowd trying to leave once the fireworks show ended. We spent another hour, in standing-room-only crowds, riding the metro out of town. (It is usually about a 30-40 minute event.)

Click Here for More Photos of the July 4th Celebration in DC

Savannah, Georgia

2009-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

For our 4th anniversary, Scott and I celebrated with a trip to Savannah, GA in June. Savannah is an interesting town with artistic, corporate, southern, and historical influences. Streets are lined with live oak trees, the GA State Tree, which are adorned with Spanish moss. Intersections throughout the city circle around squares and parks, often commemorating people of influence in Georgia. Savannah has a river running near downtown and is a major port for commerce. The area is extremely hot and humid in the summer. The city is home to several artists, many who attend the Savannah College of Art and Design. Nearby, Georgians can travel to the beach at Tybee Island, visit forts and lighthouses, or drive into South Carolina, home of Hilton Head Island and many plantations. Native Savannahians have managed to hold onto some of their traditional southern charm with their southern gentleman and southern belle accents as well as delicious cuisine.

For more photos, visit our web galleries:

Details of Savannah

Sites in the City

which include the Davenport House, the Gordon Low House, (home of the founder of the Girl Scouts,) the Jepson Art Museum, the Owen-Thomas House, (with balcony on which Lafayette stood to address the people of Savannah,) and the Pink House, which was white and turned pink from the brick color fading through white paint.

Forts

Old Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski

Churches

including First Baptist Church, First Congregational Church, (5th photo,) Christ Church, (Anglican, still separate from the Savannah Episcopals,) Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church, and Independent Presbyterian Church

Colonial Cemetery

shows photos of the cemetery grounds and some famous gravesites, including Habersham, an influential family in Savannah as well as Button Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence

Savannah River

View photos of a river boat tour, including a dolphin fin, as well as sites from River Street, with shopping, dining and history.

Tybee Island

Savannah's closest beach, about 20-30 minutes from downtown, is on Tybee Island. We enjoyed the calm water and small town. Miley Cyrus was filming a movie while we were in town, so we were able to see some details of how a movie is made, including the carnival and seafood festival that was staged just for 2 days of filming. We also visited the Tybee Island Lighthouse and battery and climbed 178 steps to see the view of the island atop the lighthouse.

South Carolina

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is a short drive from Savannah. We visited the island just for a day; it is basically one big resort. On our way home, we stopped at a visitor's center in South Carolina, which is housed in Frampton Plantation.

Wesley landed near Savannah when he arrived in the US.

Whitfield Square

James Oglethorpe, the founder and leader of the colony of Georgia, who would not allow hard liquor, slavery, lawyers or Catholics in the colony.

Scott and I enjoyed our adventures 'way down south.'

Dash Baseball

2009-07-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Scott and I took a short trip in June to Winston-Salem, NC to meet the new Dash Baseball Team and mascot. The game was fun with the antics of the announcer and mascot, even though the Dash lost.

Holden Beach: Memorial Day Weekend

2009-07-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Holden Beach is a small town on the southern coast of North Carolina. It is actually an island. A bridge from Supply, NC is the only way on and off the island, unless you are taking a boat.

It is very quaint and quiet. In fact, Supply is home to shops, bookstores and local artists, like the one who built this house out of bottles. Scott and I spent a long weekend there around Memorial Day. His aunt has a home nearby and was gracious enough to allow us to stay.

During our time there, we visited nearby Ocean Isle and Calabash.

Here you see Scott in front of a fishing boat in Calabash, which may have delivered the catch for our seafood dinner!

Mayfest

2009-06-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Every year in Pilot Mtn, a small town in the northern Piedmont/Foothills of North Carolina, vendors and visitors from all over attend Mayfest, a spring festival with arts, crafts, food, games, music, and more. See the flyer here for some basic information.

Main Street is closed down and covered with tents and vendors.

On a normal day, Main Street is home to traditional and historical shops such as the Drug Store/Soda Fountain, a few banks, the Hardware Store, and a Country Store.

As you can see on the sign, Pilot Mountain was historically called Mount Pilot, as also heard on the television show, The Andy Griffith Show.

Photos on an Art Show Trip

2009-06-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Scott and I attended the annual Spring Art Exhibit of student artwork at the

Stokes County Arts Council.

http://www.stokesarts.org/

The Arts Council is in Danbury, the county seat of Stokes.

Here you see the "Old Courthouse,"

currently the Board of Education Building, which is directly across the street from

the Arts Council Building and a view from behind the Arts Council.

Students with work on display during this show are students at

the 3 local high schools, North Stokes, South Stokes, and West Stokes.

Biltmore Estate Flower Festival

2009-05-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

On April 25, Scott and I spent the day at the Biltmore Estate. We were able to take the rooftop tour, which gave us a view from several different angles that are not included in the regular tour, such as the views you see in the following photos.

The grounds and house were decorated with many different flowers, arrangements and bouquets in celebration of the arrival of spring.

Stoneville, NC

2009-05-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Stoneville is a SMALL town in Rockingham County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles, all of it land. (Wow, I was shocked!) The 2000 census shows that Stoneville has 1,002 people, 469 households, and 292 families residing in the town. In 1998, MUCH of the town was destroyed from a tornado. (Read more about it here.) However, they seem to have recovered well in the last 11 years. (Can you believe 1998 was 11 years ago?) Anyway, small, unusual towns are wonderful places for photographers to find and capture unnoticed compositions!

Below are a few scenes Scott and I found one Saturday in early spring....

Photo by Scott

Here is one of the well-known antique stores. It was not actually open, but the door blew open so we were able to get in touch with the owner, and I purchased an old Parker Brothers Game, "Masterpieces," in which you buy and trade artwork!

Photo by Scott

See my art blog, Forte & Motif, for a more artistic composition captured in downtown Stoneville!

Spring Break: Myrtle Beach

2009-04-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

Scott and I spent a few days in Myrtle Beach, SC for our vacation during spring break.

We stayed at Patricia Grand, which is on the northern side of Myrtle Beach.

It was a quieter area, and we found several more seashells on the beach.

The weather was warm with a mix of sun and rain.

Either way, we entertained ourselves at the local outlets and a few restaurants.

Throughout the weekend, we looked for photographic compositions as well as unique places and things to capture... (Check out my art blog, Forte & Motif, for more compositions.)

Scott was especially interested in old hotels that are closing...

The vacation was fun and relaxing!

Krankies Coffee

2009-04-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Check out a few scenes from a quick trip to Krankies, on a sunny afternoon, for a cup of coffee and a walk around downtown Winston-Salem, NC.

Most of my shots capture details of the building decor that incorporates aspects of the coffee grinding and brewing processes to contemporary art and interior design.

...A Final Reflection...

Duke University

2009-03-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 14, Scott and I took a day trip to Durham, NC,

specifically to visit the campus of Duke University.

(This had nothing to do with the fact that they just won the ACC; of course we could not have known this a day in advance anyway. Read more on the ACC here.) (Note: We are not necessarily Duke fans but in this case NC team fans...)

Duke University, http://www.duke.edu/, originated in 1838 and was established by Methodists and Quakers. At this time, "Duke" was known as Union Institute. It went through several changes and transformations over the next few years, and in 1859 became Trinity College. Quakers turned their attention to their own college in Guilford County and Methodists continued to support the institute in Durham. To read more on Duke History,

visit the Online Library Archives or the Wikipedia Article about Duke.

Much of the West Campus today looks quite traditional with original buildings and architecture, including Perkins Library, our main stop.

Here you can also see views outside of the library.

While Scott visited the special collections section, I spent time photographing the hallway.

The stairs and doorways are quite artistic in their styles and forms.

Finally, the lighting differences between the entry ways and library created an interesting effect for photographing.

Day Trip to Virginia

2009-02-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

A day begins.....

On Saturday, February 14, Scott and I had dinner plans, but for the day, we just got in the car and drove. We ended up in southern Virginia.

We stopped at a town called Fort Chiswell. It is small, but with a major highway running through it. We stopped to check out an outlet center, which we thought was new, but we realized it is over 20 years old but with many stores closing due to the economy. However, the view was gorgeous, and there was an "interesting" graveyard/cemetery on the hill beside the outlets.

We drove further, to the next town and exit and stopped in Wytheville, (pronounced Withvul.) We explored downtown and enjoyed taking photos of historical sites and unique decor.

In Wytheville, our dinner plans changed when we discovered "Wohlfahrt Haus," a dinner theater. (Click here for more info.) We decided to have dinner here and see the play, "Smoke on the Mountain."

The drive was a day of enjoying sites of the Great Creation, exploring towns close to home but not yet experienced by us, and fun with laughing and always photography!

Click forte and motif to check out my art blog and see some of my more "artist" photos from the day.

A Day Trip to Lexington, NC

2009-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

A Small Town

~with Barbeque

~pig decor

~traditions

~banks

LEXINGTON, NC

The Candy Factory was one of our first stops on the Main Street area. It is set up like an old general store with a few antiques in the back.

Lexington was not very busy, especially on Saturday.

Many businesses were closed but we were about to sneak a peak of some of the "artistic" pigs in Uptown Lexington.

The town is full of traditions and history.

A Weekend Trip to Our State Capital

2009-01-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

Scott and I traveled to Raleigh last weekend to visit our friends, Aaron and Lauren.
(I first met Lauren in college; she transferred and graduated from NC State. She also met Aaron in Raleigh.)

(I doubt anyone guessed, but Lauren is around 6 months pregnant!)

We had fun at their house, playing with their animals, (Maxwell the Rabbit, Lyra the Macaw, Simba the Cat, Bailey the Dog, a snake and geiko, (what were their names, Lauren?)

My camera click and flash caused Lyra to drop her toy...

Aaron and Lauren gave us a tour of downtown, including a trip to the NC Museum of History and a view of the governor's inauguration parade. (We had no idea the inauguration was that weekend.)

To see more photos, click here for our Raleigh Picasa Web Gallery!

The Northern Neck of Virginia

2009-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas, we visited northern Virginia. Several of Scott's relatives live in small towns in that area: Warsaw, Farnham, Kilmarnock, and Dahlgren.

This area is the northern part of 3 peninsulas, traditionally called "necks" in Virginia, and runs along the Chesapeake Bay on its western shore. The Potomac River is northern border of this area while the Rappanhannock River runs along the south of the peninsula. Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties make up the Northern Neck. For more information, click wikipedia and check out the map.

The Northern Neck of Virginia is also historical. Robert E. Lee's boyhood home, Stratford Hall, (click here for info,) and George Washington's birthplace, Pope's Creek, (click here for info,) are in the area, not to mention several other historical sites and markers and churches that are a few hundred years old. Fortunately, this area preserves its history. Older buildings are well kept and functional; if they are not being used for their original purpose, they are often turned into museums, restaurants, or other businesses.

A Few Sites...

A Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Montross, VA

Views of a Shore Line

Kilmarnock Inn

An Old Theater in Mathews, VA

Biltmore Estate

2009-01-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

We visited the Biltmore Estate on Monday, December 29 with some friends. The estate is located in Asheville, NC.

For more information or history, visit: http://www.biltmore.com/

To see our photo album and slideshow from this trip, check out: http://picasaweb.google.com/mandolinartist/BiltmoreEstate#

Guilford Mill

2008-12-31T16:31:00.000-08:00

During the Fall, on one of our actual cold days, (you can see we are bundled up,) we took a day trip to Guilford Mill, while also passing through Madison, NC and then to Martinsville, VA. Guilford Mill is a historical mill that is still in use. It recently changed owners due to a death.

For more information, visit: http://www.oldmillofguilford.com/.

The following photographs show the mill and the area around the mill.

The front porch is nostalgic with antiques and traditional decor.

The mill is surrounded with a creek, an old bridge, and a fence.

Gordon Travels

2008-12-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

On this blog, Scott and I, Amanda, will post details of our adventures. We will describe our trips, post photos of places we visit, and include accounts of activities during our travels. For the most part, we travel up and down the east coast for vacations, breaks, and to visit relatives.

As a sneak peak, this is a photo from downtown Madison, NC. We took a day trip through this area in late fall.