Sunday, October 14, 2012
Mountain Journey 2011
Twas the week before Thanksgiving and we are traveling once again to our favorite spot in the North Carolina mountains, Montreat. This is the first year that all of us are officially retired. What a great day for camaraderie and travel! Many plans have been discussed and ideas bandied abut. Who knows what we will do?The South Carolina Home apartments have under gone a great transformation. There are new appliances, new cupboards, new wardrobes. The apartments are truly lovely. My only concern is the lighting. There is very little lighting to brighten our corner when we are creating magnificent crafts.
We visited Waynesville, North Carolina. It is a neat town about an hour or so from Black Mountain. We dearly love the shops along their main thoroughfare which were being decorated for the holiday season. We especially like the shop where delicious chocolates are housed. Yum.
One of us purchased an apple peeler corer machine which is supposed to make quick work of peeling the luscious fruit. But it took us quite a while to figure out that darn machine. (We have since decided that the use of any machinery will not be a part of our list of crafting activities.)
On our way home we stopped at the Moose Cafe which is at the Western North Carolina Farmers' Marker off of I-40. The breakfast was delicious. Their biscuits and apple butter are the best.
We traveled down the mountains to another delightful spot: The Dish Barn The selection of dinnerware and other knickknacks is wonderful.This was another wondeful, relaxing trip. Looking forward to next year.
We visited Waynesville, North Carolina. It is a neat town about an hour or so from Black Mountain. We dearly love the shops along their main thoroughfare which were being decorated for the holiday season. We especially like the shop where delicious chocolates are housed. Yum.
One of us purchased an apple peeler corer machine which is supposed to make quick work of peeling the luscious fruit. But it took us quite a while to figure out that darn machine. (We have since decided that the use of any machinery will not be a part of our list of crafting activities.)
On our way home we stopped at the Moose Cafe which is at the Western North Carolina Farmers' Marker off of I-40. The breakfast was delicious. Their biscuits and apple butter are the best.
We traveled down the mountains to another delightful spot: The Dish Barn The selection of dinnerware and other knickknacks is wonderful.This was another wondeful, relaxing trip. Looking forward to next year.
Labels: apples, Montreat, South Carolina Home, Waynesville
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Call of the Mountains 2010
What another wonderful trip we had this year. The scenery was beautiful , the friendships warm, and the shopping great!
We departed from Sandy's place around 8:00 AM and headed up highway 61 via a special route Judy was used to using. We stopped in Spartanburg at the Cracker Barrel for some lunch. We arrived in Black Mountain around 2ish. We shopped in our usual little treasure troves of goodies. We drove up the mountain to our lodgings and unpacked stuff and made our beds. It was cool but not as cold as in older times. But we discovered later that evening that the Kiwanis Thrifty shop had moved from its old location down the hill. Oh well change can sometimes be good. We dined at the Coach House. Most of us indulged in various fried seafood. Yes, seafood in the western North Carolina mountains.
Saturday morning we indulged in hot coffee and some of Sandy's wonderful pumpkin muffins. I did bring a loaf of apple bread which we also partook of. We discussed the possibility of adding craisins to the bread.
We set off (after a stop at the service station) for Waynesville. What a wonderful shopping area. We plan on returning and wander through the stores we missed as well as the ones we visited. There is a wonderful chocolate store! We lunched at Cafe 50 and the food was scumpcious. We also very secretively bought a coconut cake to celebrate Sandy's and Eileen's birthdays.
We returned to the Mountain after stopping at the local Pizza Hut to get pizza to take with us. Of the six of us four are retired math teachers who spent part of the evening after we ate and celebrated the birthdays teaching Connie to do those number puzzles.
We arose Sunday morning to a glorious day. As we sat breathing in the mountain air Connie spotted a momma deer and her two babies. That sightinh was a first for us. Reluctantly we traveled down the mountain and onto I-40 towards the WNC Farmers' Market. We stopped at the Moose Cafe and ate breakfast. Boy, do those folks know how to feed people! We walked through the market. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin sourdough bread at the bakery.
We left the market and headed east to our usual apple spot and the dish barn. After gathering our fruit we headed for our final destination- home! I hope next year's trip is just a wonderful.
We departed from Sandy's place around 8:00 AM and headed up highway 61 via a special route Judy was used to using. We stopped in Spartanburg at the Cracker Barrel for some lunch. We arrived in Black Mountain around 2ish. We shopped in our usual little treasure troves of goodies. We drove up the mountain to our lodgings and unpacked stuff and made our beds. It was cool but not as cold as in older times. But we discovered later that evening that the Kiwanis Thrifty shop had moved from its old location down the hill. Oh well change can sometimes be good. We dined at the Coach House. Most of us indulged in various fried seafood. Yes, seafood in the western North Carolina mountains.
Saturday morning we indulged in hot coffee and some of Sandy's wonderful pumpkin muffins. I did bring a loaf of apple bread which we also partook of. We discussed the possibility of adding craisins to the bread.
We set off (after a stop at the service station) for Waynesville. What a wonderful shopping area. We plan on returning and wander through the stores we missed as well as the ones we visited. There is a wonderful chocolate store! We lunched at Cafe 50 and the food was scumpcious. We also very secretively bought a coconut cake to celebrate Sandy's and Eileen's birthdays.
We returned to the Mountain after stopping at the local Pizza Hut to get pizza to take with us. Of the six of us four are retired math teachers who spent part of the evening after we ate and celebrated the birthdays teaching Connie to do those number puzzles.
We arose Sunday morning to a glorious day. As we sat breathing in the mountain air Connie spotted a momma deer and her two babies. That sightinh was a first for us. Reluctantly we traveled down the mountain and onto I-40 towards the WNC Farmers' Market. We stopped at the Moose Cafe and ate breakfast. Boy, do those folks know how to feed people! We walked through the market. I bought a loaf of cinnamon raisin sourdough bread at the bakery.
We left the market and headed east to our usual apple spot and the dish barn. After gathering our fruit we headed for our final destination- home! I hope next year's trip is just a wonderful.
Labels: apples, ducks, Montreat, mountains, swans. Lake Susan, western North Carolina
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Montreat 2009
The trip this year was later than usual. The air was crisp. We arrived around the middle of the afternoon. After unpacking and making our beds we climbed up the stairs to the big front porch. We sat in the rockers and watched the sun slide down behind the mountains. It was a gorgeous sunset.
Early Saturday morning we ventured out to the stamp store in Swannanoah. It was a good time as we learned to make several different cards. Then we shopped downtown Black Mountain. There were a few new stores. We went to both chocolate stores- one is very expensive and has lots of different truffles. The other has ice cream, delicious candies and caramel apples. Saturday evening we dined at the Red Rocker Inn. The meal was scrumptious. And on Sunday we traveled to the WNC Farmer's Market and then to the dish barn and the apple stand. The drive home was a slower one as it was raining.
Early Saturday morning we ventured out to the stamp store in Swannanoah. It was a good time as we learned to make several different cards. Then we shopped downtown Black Mountain. There were a few new stores. We went to both chocolate stores- one is very expensive and has lots of different truffles. The other has ice cream, delicious candies and caramel apples. Saturday evening we dined at the Red Rocker Inn. The meal was scrumptious. And on Sunday we traveled to the WNC Farmer's Market and then to the dish barn and the apple stand. The drive home was a slower one as it was raining.
Labels: apples, mountains, Red Rocker, vacation
