We’re currently on the Atlantic coast of north Florida; the events covered in this post (Nov 16-22) occurred before the recent snow storms hit the Carolinas. We left Gaffney, South Carolina soaking wet, but happy that Betsy had come out of the Freightliner shop in good shape. We camped at Carowinds Campground, just south of … More Friends and the Carolinas
With Betsy’s annual check-up completed and her new “shoes” installed, we were excited to end our “parking lot camping” and get back on the road. Our destination this time was Pilot Mountain, near Mount Airy, North Carolina. Pilot Mountain is capped by a prominent pinnacle called the Big Nipple, or Big Pinnacle. That’s the knob of … More Tackling “The Big Nipple” – Pinnacle, NC
We did so much hiking while at the Blue Ridge Mountains that I couldn’t fit them all in one post! Maybe not surprising, when you consider the Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long with limitless hiking opportunities. However, during our 10-day stay we drove and hiked on only about 69 miles of its southern end. … More Final hikes at the Blue Ridge Mountains – NC
Hike them! After being tourists in Asheville for a couple of days, we were back to what delights us the most – submerging ourselves into nature through our hiking – this time in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were thrilled when we learned that our home base in Candler, Western NC was only 4.5 miles from the access road … More Want to really see the Blue Ridge Mountains?
While in North Carolina last year we had two opportunities to visit Asheville and the Biltmore Estate, which several friends advised us to do. But we never made it, due to the distances involved and other things we had planned. Well, this year we were back in the area waiting to take care of Betsy’s scheduled annual … More The Biltmore – America’s largest private house
Yep, that’s how Asheville was promoted in the late 1800’s, as a place of relief for tuberculosis patients. It’s one of the things we learned about the city during our two-hour narrated trolley tour. Asheville was a destination for health seekers, and it rose in prominence as a curative place for tuberculosis. The city’s location – nestled in between … More Asheville, NC – Nature’s Health Spa
There was lots more to do at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – more than I could fit into a single post. I have to say that despite going through and around the Smokies for the 10 days we were there, we barely scratched the surface. We were based near the town of Cherokee, about 5 … More So much more to do – Great Smoky Mountains National Park
With Steve’s mini-project out of the way, lets talk travel again! I was surprised to learn before we arrived at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) that this is the most-visited National Park in the USA. Hmm… and all along I thought that honor went to my favorite – Yosemite National Park in California – which is ranked … More The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
[Posted by Steve] In between our bursts of travel to new areas throughout the country, we like to occasionally settle down for a while to not only vegetate a bit, but also to take on some of the little projects and upgrades that have been added to our “wishlist” along the way. Of course, I do all … More Blocks and Sunblocks – New add-ons for Betsy
Lowes Travels 