I have seen deer plenty of times, yet a spotting still makes me very giddy and excited every time it happens. However, I have never, ever seen an elk, my friends. Not even once. So, you can probably imagine my absolute excitement when we spotted not one, not two, but five elks! FIVE! I mean, honestly. I don't know why I was in such utter shock and disbelief, but I was. And, really, that just made our sightings so. much. better.
The sighting took place at Cataloochee, which is a portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The history there is sort of unbelievable. Over one thousand people were displaced in the 1900s because the area was taken over by the government as national park land. Most homes and landmarks were destroyed in order to preserve the natural state of the area. Some years later, it was determined that the buildings on the property were actually quite interesting and historical, so a handful remain. I can't imagine the simple and beautiful lives these families led before they were asked to relocate. These people had a community, a network that they knew and relied on. Churches and barns and small family cemeteries. The fact that the government took over this land in order to preserve its pristine beauty is absolutely wonderful, but I found myself wondering if the families who built their lives on the land ever found as beautiful a settlement. It would be hard to believe they did.
P.S. That concludes my North Carolina posts. I hope you enjoyed them! I certainly enjoyed recapping them and nestling that special memory here in my blog archives! xo, R.
I wanted to live here. I would have moved in right then and there had the option been available to me. I mean, it would be impossible not to be inspired here. Penland School of Crafts was started by a little lady in the early 1900s and still serves its original purpose. Artists can come from all over to take classes that cater to a various number of trades (ceramics! letterpress! metals! painting + drawing!). Anyone can come and take a class here! I think that's awesome. Plus, I think it's neat that it's still functioning and supported by people who believe in allowing artists to express their talents in the most beautiful of places. It all made me feel very happy!
Hello, my sweet readers. I hope you had the loveliest weekend! Today I have another post from our North Carolina trip and I happen to be very fond of this particular day! Why? We found the most wonderful cafe I've been to in a long time. The Nutmeg Bakery Cafe is home to the best bagel I've ever tasted (and I've had a New York bagel!) and our sandwich had a piece of pecan smoked bacon on it that was out of this world! I love breakfast sandwiches, but I am now indebted to this one, specifically. I'm anxious to go back to North Carolina if only for one of these sandwiches, and that's crazy talk, my friends!
After we got our breakfast sandwiches (and the smell wafted temptingly through our car) we headed down the Blue Ridge Parkway until we discovered a lookout point that would be suitable for our breakfast picnic. The Blue Ridge mountains are honestly breathtakingly beautiful and I think they are a sight which everyone should behold at some point in their lives. True, natural beauty at its finest. xo, R.
Some things are just meant to be. We happened upon the Whistle Stop Cafe (feature in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes") completely by accident and it ended up being one of my favorite parts of our trip. The mashed potatoes were some of the best I've had, ever.
Little towns that look like they're stuck way back in time absolutely fascinate me. I always imagine the people that lived there, walked where my feet are walking, touched the handrails I'm touching. I can almost get a sort of eerie feeling when I think about it too hard. Even though it's sort of eerie, I also sort of love it. Thinking about people from the past has this way of making me feel connected to everything.
The thing about road trips is that you can find all these neat little places to stop that you wouldn't have found had you been traveling in an airplane or a bus or a train. My sister remembered this little pecan place so we decided to make a pit stop. The butter pecan ice cream was a dream! It was even better eating it in the pecan tree orchard outside. xo, R.
As I child, I remember walking into Cracker Barrel and being completely awestruck. I wanted every single thing the gift shop had to offer. The candy section sent me into a bout of sweet euphoria and it was music to my ears when my parents told me I could pick out a handful of candy sticks for the impending ride. We have always stopped at Cracker Barrel on the first leg of a road trip. As a matter of fact, we have met family members at Cracker Barrels around the state for various occasions for years and years. The thing about Cracker Barrel is that there's nothing really special about it, but that's what makes it so great. The rocking chairs. The giant checkers. The pegboard game. The biscuits. The hodge podge of gifts packed into the entrance. The smell. It always smells the same.
We haven't gone on a true family vacation since the summer of 2007, so we were all giddy when this impromptu opportunity came up. And you better believe that Cracker Barrel was one of our very first stops along the way! There are no surprises with Cracker Barrel. You know exactly what you're going to get as you walk up to porch and see the line of rocking chairs. It was almost as if our road trip didn't truly start until we pulled up to Cracker Barrel and ate a hot breakfast.
