March 2019 USA travels

Chimney Rock NC

wildlife on the lake in Apex

31 March 2019 Sunday - Corbin to Somerset KY
Drove via Cumberland Falls, sometimes called Little Niagara/Niagara of the South/Great Falls, on the Cumberland River through the Daniel Boone National Forest. Weather has gone from 75 degrees on Saturday to high in 40's on Sunday with overnight lows in 20's, and with wind, what a change!

30 March 2019 Saturday - Morristown TN to Corbin KY (93 miles)
Drove the Cumberland Gap road, an important part of the historic Wilderness Road where ancestors of my mother travelled with Daniel Boone! It is located near the borders of Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Hiked the trail to the actual Cumberland Gap where they crossed! Overnight at the hometown of Colonel Harland Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken.

29 March 2019 Friday - Morristown TN
Hiked the trails of Panther Creek State Park, named for a panther killed by an early settler, and enjoyed the views of Cherokee Lake/Reservoir from Point Lookout trail at 1460'. Found early blooms of the trout lily (named for the leaves mottled with brown/grey which resemble coloring of brook trout) on the Trout Lily trail.

28 March 2019 Thursday - Asheville NC to Morristown TN (85 miles)
More winding country roads through the mountains and crossed the Appalachian Trail (routes 25W/70W/340N/321S/160N) with a visit to Hot Springs.

27 March 2019 Wednesday - Asheville NC
Just hanging out in Asheville!

26 March 2019 Tuesday - Hendersonville to Candler/Asheville NC (47 miles)
Drove west on 64 to Brevard then the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway (276) of the Pisgah National Forest (first national forest in the country from purchased land from Vanderbilt estate in 1916). Enjoyed short hikes to the many waterfalls of the Brevard area: Looking Glass, Moore Cove, Sliding Rock then onto the Blue Ridge Parkway to visit friends in Candler/Asheville. Mike and I drove to downtown Asheville for walkabout and to enjoy chocolate at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge and then to Grove Park Inn, built in 1914 by Edwin Wiley Grove, creator of Tasteless Chill Tonic, among many other things. This building is phenomenal, built in less than one year of very large granite stone boulders from Sunset Mountain. Home for home-cooked meal, wonderful day!

25 March 2019 Monday - Marion to Hendersonville NC (57 miles)
Beautiful very winding drive on route 64/74A with heaps of abandoned apple stands (season is August to October). North Carolina is the seventh largest apple producing state in the nation and Henderson county is the largest apple producing county in NC. Brief stop at the beach of Lake Lure (many homes around the lake) then another very winding three mile drive up to parking area of Chimney Rock State Park (I was first to arrive when they opened so not much traffic for arrival but quite a bit when departing and had an encounter on a curve with a big Sysco delivery truck). A bit spendy at $17 ($15 for seniors) for a hike to the top....500 steps one way 2280' elevation....with beautiful views of the valley and Lake Lure. Overcast then rain so did not do some of the other trails through the woods.

24 March 2019 Sunday - Cary to Marion North Carolina (180 miles)
Gorgeous sunny day for drive west on route 64 and I40.

23 March 2019 Saturday - Cary North Carolina
Morning sporting event with the grandkids.

22 March 2019 Friday - Cary North Carolina
Morning shopping at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, WalMart, and Trader Joe's....gorgeous sunny day again. Evening 12th birthday celebration for the eldest grandchild.

21 March 2019 Thursday - Cary North Carolina
A rainy morning then sunshine! My sister and I enjoyed lunch at Diced then ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

20 March 2019 Wednesday - Cary North Carolina
A drive to downtown Raleigh for research at the State Archives and Library. A few years back I had done research here for my father's ancestors but have recently found that my mother's ancestors were also from this area.

19 March 2019 Tuesday - Cary, North Carolina
Morning research at the Family History library in Apex then evening pizza with three of the five grandkids.

18 March 2019 Monday - Cary, North Carolina
Took my van to mechanic because they thought I had leak with exhaust but not true!

17 March 2019 Sunday - Cary North Carolina
Happy St Patricks Day! Watching my nephew's son play soccer

16 March 2019 Saturday - Cary North Carolina
Got my hairs done by my sister's beautician and she did a great job of color and cut, even though more spendy than SuperCuts!

15 March 2019 Friday - Cary North Carolina
Walk around the lake with my walking poles and knee braces before the rains begin.

14 March 2019 Thursday - Cary North Carolina
Shopping day at Target, Earthfare, Dollar Tree, REI, Trader Joe's!

13 March 2019 Wednesday - Cary North Carolina
Spent time with my sister and her husband going through all the papers that I had brought up from our mother's in Florida.

12 March 2019 Tuesday - Cary North Carolina
New radiator for my van then research at the Family History Library in Apex then delicious ice cream at Fresh in Cary.

11 March 2019 Monday - Cary North Carolina
Took my van to local mechanic and found that I need new radiator and work done on exhaust leak, but will need to have exhaust repair done elsewhere. Walk the lake to view heaps of turtles and heron feeding on fish.

10 March 2019 Sunday - Cary North Carolina
Morning visit to Fresh Market then walk the lake to view the turtles and heron.

9 March 2019 Saturday - Cary North Carolina
Catching up on stuff while my sister/hubbie and eldest son family are in Richmond for soccer tourney. Have driven about 5200 miles since leaving Juneau in October 2018.

8 March 2019 Friday - Cary North Carolina
Morning walk around the lake with my sister and two of her friends, overcast with rain. My sister and her husband drove to Richmond while I watched their workers work on new addition to their home.

7 March 2019 Thursday - Cary North Carolina
Morning shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joes, heaps of traffic!

6 March 2019 Wednesday - Concord to Cary North Carolina (119 miles)

5 March 2019 Tuesday - Forest City to Concord North Carolina (80 miles)

4 March 2019 Monday - Forest City North Carolina
Taking a day to just hang out and take a walk in the sunshine but very cold!

3 March 2019 Sunday - Forest City North Carolina
Meeting with an eighth cousin on my father's side of family! We had a great chat and Italian buffet lunch at Don's. Overcast day to start then heaps of rain.

2 March 2019 Saturday - Greenwood South Carolina to Forest City North Carolina (103 miles)
Another very foggy morning then sunshine but very much colder! Decided to drain the water from my tank, just in case, and happily washed some clothes!

1 March 2019 Friday - Thomson Georgia to Greenwood South Carolina (86 miles)
Spent the morning at the Courthouse in Washington Georgia, county seat for Wilkes County, where ancestors of my mother lived. I had planned to take a walk at either Elijah Clark State Park in Georgia or Baker Creek State Park in South Carolina, both near the Savannah River, which is the border of the two states....but not, due to heavy fog and heavy rain....did a drive through instead.