Tag Archives: North Carolina

Places I Love

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Every week, I visit I Heart Faces and promise to participate in the challenge, but I then I get distracted and forget to submit my photos.  But not this week!  Although this week’s challenge seemed relatively easy, it was difficult to narrow down my favorite places.

 

England
About 5 years ago, we traveled to Chester, England for my friend, Suzie’s, wedding.  During our holiday, we drove to Edinburgh, Scotland (where Allan was born), York (the city where I completed my final teaching internship) and visited Whitby (Allan’s hometown).  Although I had seen many pictures of Whitby, it wasn’t until I physically stepped foot in the town that I understood why Allan gets homesick.  Since my college days, I have always loved England, but I fell in love with little quaint little sleepy seaside town.  Honestly, pictures do not do it justice and simply cannot reflect the beauty of Whitby.  Someday we’ll own a small little cottage summer home there visit again.

 

 

 

New Orleans
Can you believe I spent a weekend in New Orleans and this is the best picture with “faces” I can find?  These cute little Jamie Hayes voodoo dolls were more willing models than my DH.

 

 

This southern city is truly full of soul in more ways than one.  New Orleans has the best food, best music and the best people.  I’m planning a trip back to the Big Easy for my 40th birthday in 2011.

 

 
BTW…Good luck to the Saints in the Super Bowl!  Who dat?!

 

New York City
Last year, we were fortunate to spend two kid-free weekends in New York City.  Our May trip was Allan’s first time in the Big Apple.  He usually doesn’t like having his photo taken, but he willingly posed for this shot.  Look closely at the photo to see why Allan thought he was being so clever.

 

 

The Beach
I love the beach and so do my girls.  Thank heavens we live in a state that is almost surrounded with soft sand and beautiful blue water.  I can’t wait for the warm weather to arrive so we can start packing the beach bags and head for the waves again.

 

 

Disney
Living in Florida, you either take for granted that you live in a state with miles of beautiful beaches and Mickey Mouse or your take full advantage of it.  It’s been a year since our last trip to the Magic Kingdom and I miss the magic. Therefore for Mother’s Day this year, I requested a weekend at Disney.

 

 

 

Camping
Both Allan and I camped as kids, but until our friends, Erika and John, reintroduced us to the idea of camping a few years ago, we had forgotten how much we loved it.  Now, we camp a couple times of year with our friends and it’s something we all look forward to, except when it’s raining.

 

 

North Carolina
We can also thank our friends, Erika and John, for our love for North Carolina.  For the past three years, our two families have enjoyed sharing a cabin and playing in the snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  However, last month was probably our final trip to the mountains for awhile.  We’ll have to see if our next little one will be an intrepid traveler, car sleeper or car screamer like his/her sisters were as infants.  Another car screamer would make me head for the hills for sure!   Fingers crossed we can return to North Carolina in 2011.

 

 

 

 

Hooters
So, I cheated a little with this one, because my friend and absolutely FABULOUS photographer, Kelly, took this family photo.  I really love Hooters, however, my pregnancy nose can’t stand the smell of chicken or fried food, so I’m really missing sunsets over the Gulf and hot wings and pitchers of beer at the New Port Richey Hooters these days.  Food aversions really stink.  (No pun intended.)

 

 

 

Home
Dorothy said it best.  There’s no place like home. As much as I love to travel, it feels so good to come back to the comforts of home after any trip.

 

 

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A Hidden Gem

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17

After our visit at Black Bear Books, Allana begged us to take her to Doc’s Rocks Gem Mine the following day and we happily obliged.

 

However, before Ms Walker’s (owner of Black Bear Books) recommendation of Doc’s Rocks Gem Mine, we were a little apprehensive of the many mining establishments located in the Boone area.  Jaded from growing up in Florida and numerous tourist traps in our area, I assumed a North Carolina mining experience might also fit into that category.  My assumption couldn’t have been farther from the reality.

 

After Doc welcomed us, he offered brief instructions on how to mine.  Doc encouraged the girls to select the heaviest bucket as it would increase their chances of finding something worth keeping.  He also explained to the girls that since the buckets are full of soil, many guests often find roots and earthworms as well as great rocks.  He strongly instructed the girls not to discard any rocks, because “you never know what you are looking at” and to leave the inspecting to the experts.  “Sometimes a rock is just a rock, but sometimes a rock can also be a gem.” Doc continued by telling us about all the wonderful treasures they find at the end of the day when they clean the flumes because guests simply toss rough looking rocks and unpolished gems aside.

 

After carefully assessing the weights of the pails, I purchased each girl a $10 shovel (a small pail full of dirt).  Allana, my little geologist, dug right into the fun.  She carefully sifted through her dirt by rinsing each portion in the heated flumes.  After picking out all the best rocks, she brought her small scraps to one of Doc’s assistants for a final inspection.  The gentleman praised Allana on her excellent work because she didn’t leave much behind for him to find.

 

 

As Allana sifted and searched through her dirt, Allan and I helped Emmalynn.  My sensory needy, tactile child loved playing in the dirt and splashing in the water.  She scooped out huge piles of dirt faster than I could sift, but thankfully, we didn’t miss much either.  Emmalynn found tons of amethysts in her pail, which amazed us since purple is her favorite color.

 

 

Once we finished mining, Doc gave a quick geology lesson.  He shared the origins of the gems and which mines they are commonly found.  He explained how they are formed, the difference between ingenious, metaphoric and sedimentary and the hardness of each stone.  As he sorted our findings, he shared the value of each gem.  We could not believe the assortment of gems we found between the two buckets: emeralds, citrine, rose quartz, white quartz, a garnet, a sapphire, a ruby, amethysts, and a number special stones such as ametrine (a bend of amethyst and citrine)!  Doc pulled aside a few of the gems which would be stunning once cut: garnet, ruby, sapphire, ametrine, and amethyst.

 

 

Since the majority of the findings belonged Allana, we requested her permission to cut a few of the gems and she permitted us to cut an emerald, the garnet, and an amethyst for Emmalynn.   Allana also wanted to cut one of the citrine stones for herself, since citrine is her birthstone.  At the end, we explained to Allana that she could keep some of the fun rocks, but the remaining valuable stones (the sapphire and ruby) would be kept in a safe once we returned home.  After all, we’ll need those to pay for books for college someday!  ;-)

 

At the end of the day, my suspicions of a mining field trip were proven inaccurate.  Doc’s knowledge and expertise combined with his passion for rocks made for a gem of an experience.  We will definitely return for another mining excursion during our next visit to Boone.

 

A week later, stones arrive at our house and we were thrilled with the outcome.

 

Black Bear, Black Bear, What Do You Read?

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Stumbling upon quaint mom and pop shops makes visiting small towns a real treat and Black Bear Books in Boone, North Carolina is no exception.

 

After freezing our snowballs off snow tubing, Allan and I decided to warm up in a bookstore that touted “FIREPLACE” on its marquis.  Sipping hot chocolate next to a fierce fire while reading a local newspaper seemed like a delightful way to defrost.

 

Upon entering the bookstore, we were surprised by its large stature.  At the back of the store, the girls quickly located the children’s section complete with stacks of award winning literature, a train table and wooden puzzles.

 

In such a cozy atmosphere, we found it all too easy to settle into this homey bookstore.  Once we found the regional children’s literature section and a collection of the owner’s son’s favorite books, the girls and I swayed in wooden rocking chairs as we read books from each collection.

 

The owner, Karen Walker, welcomed us into her second home with free hot chocolate for the girls and coffee for Allan.  Her hospitality warmed us better than the fireplace.

 

Ms Walker shared some of her favorite children’s books with the girls and her own life’s story with Allan and me.  We enjoyed a brief history lesson of her family and the remarkable journey that brought her to settle in Boone.

 

Allana curled up in the corner of the children’s stacks reading book after book while Emmalynn played with the puzzles and I snuck away for a few minutes to explore the adult fictional regional section since I prefer bringing books home as souvenirs rather than t-shirts or trinkets.

 

 

While exploring the store, I discovered the employee’s favorite picks, which included some of my favorite reads, such as Pillars of the Earth and Wicked.  Meghan, a young sale associate, offered a brief description of some of the other books spotlighted on the shelves and explained that Ms. Walker holds a contesteach month to see which employee’s picks sell the most books. By choosing Tom Robbins Jitterburg Perfume, we helped one associate get a little closer to winning the prize.

 

 

I returned to the regional fictional literature to continue my hunt for a book set in the Appalachians.  After reading the titles and their summaries over several times, I found one that offered just the scenery I craved: Cataloochee.

 

 

For the girls, I grabbed the Appalachian ABCs and coincidentally, Emmalynn and Allana both selected regional books as well.  Allana chose Jack and the Dragon, which tells the adventure of an Appalachian folk hero.  Emmalynn picked Blue Bowl Down.  Its lovely sing-song pattern deserves a banjo accompaniment.

 

 

Ms. Walker continued to pour the hospitality along with the coffee and our visit at Black Bear Books lasted nearly two hours.  So taken with Allana’s love for reading, Ms. Walker offered her a free copy of one of her many Magic Tree House Books and Allana chose Magic Tree House #17: Tonight on the Titanic.

 

 

As we wrapped up our visit at the register, Allana noticed Ms. Walker’s collection of gems.  Allana expressed her love for rocks and Ms. Walker insisted that we pay her friend, Doc, a visit at his gem mine before we left Boone as most of the gems proudly displayed in her case came from Doc’s Rocks Gem Mine.  Excited about the prospects she would find there, we promised to take Allana the next day upon Ms. Walker’s recommendation.  To hold them over until then, Ms. Walker gave each girl a gem, however, Ms. Walker and our experience at Black Bear Books was the most precious gem we uncovered that day.

 

 

***Photo of Karen and Chris Walker and their son, Caleb, was borrowed from The Mountain Times.***

Tons of Tiny Tannenbaums

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While visiting Ashe County, N.C., my family and I were amazed by the number of Christmas tree farms cascading along the mountainside. Later, we learned that Ashe County is one of the nation’s top producers of Christmas Trees, particularly the Fraser Fur.

 

We couldn’t help loving these tiny tannenbaums!

 

 

 

Totally Tubular

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16

We love to plan winter trips to North Carolina to offer our girls a chance to play in the snow.  The weather during this year’s trip to Boone, North Carolina called for snow showers, but to this Florida girl it felt like blizzard conditions.  Unfortunately, the heavy snow and wind made it difficult to do anything outdoors.  As much as we wanted to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit Grandfather Mountain or climb Chimney Rock, all those activities were simply out of the question due to the weather.

 

Snow tubing at Hawksnest Resort in Seven Devils was also on the top of our tourist “To Do List”, however, that didn’t seem to not be in the cards the first few days of our trip.  Each day, we visited Hawksnest’s website for updates on their activities, but the weather conditions made driving to the top of the mountain and snow tubing far too dangerous.

 

Of course, when we finally made it to Hawksnest, the girls had a fabulous time!  Emmalynn and I rode together the first few times until she decided she was brave to tackle snow tubing alone.

 

 

Feeling a little less adventurous, Allana rode with Dad a few more times.  Once she noticed Emmalynn’s lack of fear, Allana attempted once alone and then her fear slipped away down the slope as well.

 

 

 

Since I lacked the specifics on how to snow tube, the friendly Hawksnest staff gave me a few pointers along with a big push down the slope.  Of course, when one staff member heard I was from Florida, he teased me relentlessly.  Hey, I know water sports not winter sports!

 

 

The trick to snow tubing is to use your heel as a break.  Given my height, I discovered I lacked the ability to break.  I heard a rumor that if you ride on your belly, then you could use your toe as a break, but I wasn’t willing to try belly tubing with a bun in the oven.

 

I quickly learned the importance of lifting my rear when approaching blocks of ice on the slope…the hard way.  (No pun intended.)  The bruise on my backside would become a lovely North Carolina souvenir.  I went snow tubing and all I got was this lousy bruise.

 

I also tried my butt hand on the tallest slope (~1000 feet), but preferred the smaller slopes. The height didn’t bother me, but the constant spinning at full speed down the slope reminded me of the Mad Tea Party Ride at the Magic Kingdom. Since I felt as though I would produce chunks on the slope other than piles of ice, I stopped myself about 3/4 of the way down and walked the remainder of the way.

 

After riding solo, the girls wanted to try tubing together, but only one ride down the slope proved that to be a bad idea.  When the girls hit an ice wall, Allana lost control and Emmalynn was propelled out of the tube.  She landed face first on the slope.  Thankfully, the staff ran to Emmalynn’s rescue and carried her to the bottom.  Poor thing scratched her face, bruised her forehead and was terrified to go alone again.  She rode with Dad for the remainder of our session.

 

Two hours later at the slopes, we were all happy that we finally hit the slopes in more ways than one and ready for more snow tubing hot cocoa and delicious cookies as big as our head at the snack bar.

 

Musical Monday: Peace Love Happiness

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This Musical Monday comes from the Blue Ridge Mountains.  As I sit by the computer, my thoughts drift into a peaceful panoramic view of snow covered mountains.

 

Spending the first week of the New Year with good friends in a cabin tucked into in the mountainside is wonderful way to begin a new year, a new decade.  Near a blazing fire, we share many laughs and good cheer as we toast love and friendship.  Despite the subfreezing temperatures outside, our cabin is truly warm.

 

Holding a hot cuppa this morning, I stare into the mountains and I reflect on my life.  I am blessed to know real peace, love and happiness.

 

May you also know peace, love and happiness this year.

 

Wordless Wednesday: D.E.A.R.

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I’m a bit behind in my blogging and still need to post my pics from our North Carolina trip in December.  While I get my act together work on a post about our trip,  I thought I would share one of my favorite pics from the trip.  I call this Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.).  Allan is reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to Allana outside the Cataloochee Mountain Cabin.

 

dear

So, This is What Goofy Feels Like Then?

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Although this week is intended to be a “rest week” with short runs according to my BFF Hal, my training has been next to obsolete, but filled with lots of rest.  At least, Hal would approve.

 

For about a week, I have had this dizzy, light-headed, drunk feeling.  At first, I thought the thin N.C. mountain air was getting to me, but the sensation never ceased when we returned home to Florida. 

 

Sunday, I attempted an 8 mile run, which was a sad attempt for sure!  Then, I had all good intentions to try to run on Tuesday with hopes that the dizziness would be gone, but no such luck.  So, instead of running, I visited the doctor.  The good and bad news is that I have fluid in my ear, which thankfully, will drain on its own, but I have fluid in my ear!  I am still dizzy!  UGH!!!

 

Worried that my lack of running would affect my performance this weekend, I decided to quit whining about being dizzy get a grip on myself stand my ground (so to speak) and just run.  I ran 6 miles this morning at a 9:56 minute mile pace and it felt good.  I didn’t feel tired, strained or faint from the dizziness.

 

My 6 mile run gave me the little extra confidence I needed to face this weekend.  I feel ready.

 

On side note, I became overwhelmed with emotion during my warm-up. I thought to myself: This is it.  Race day is almost here.  I’ve trained a year for this event and it’s two days away.  Wow.

 

Not the most profound thoughts, but very emotional nonetheless.  My thoughts hit me like a tidal wave and my eyes filled with tears. 

 

I have achieved a goal that others only dream about.

 

(Oh yeah, you read that correctly.  I indeed broke all grammar rules and ended my sentence with a preposition.  When your lazy ass runs a marathon, then I will happily revise my grammar.)