“What is and never should be” is playing in my ears as I think back to my visit to North Carolina. And how appropriate, as on that last day we found an outdoor concert by the Continuous Blues Band and that was one of the last songs they played!
What Can I say? The trip was brilliant! I was convinced the south was still fighting the war, but I’ve got to say I’m feeling more confident now that people have moved on. Hey yeh 150 years later, but it’s a move.
I loved NC! The people were really really friendly and accommodating. Mostly we kept running across people who had been born in NY.
Probably one of the most accommodating was a Charlotte Police Officer who gave us an escort to the parking spot. How? We pulled up to him as he was riding his segway and asked for directions to the parking garage for the restaurant McCorminck and Schmick’s. He started telling us how to make an illegal left to turn around and then he noticed that there was a spot across the street and he said “follow me”! So yeh, that’s the police escort we received.
Wednesday we visited Latta Plantation and I was fearful at first. How do you represent such a tainted part of our history? Not to fear it was shown in its sterile and historical form by a black tour guide who was a history major who taught SS in Louisiana! (and he was cute to boot). Not much was known about the plantation. The folks who owned it in 1800 had about 30 slaves and raised cotton in an area predominately known for tobacco. Their house was tiny, but more typical to the era. I think “Gone With the Wind” tends to taint our perception of what the antebellum south looked like.
Which reminds me...farms. I’m not sure if I saw one! Seriously, and we drove out west to go to Cherokee. I never saw a filed of cotton or tobacco! I think Charlotte has severe suburban sprawl issues. It was created community after created community separated by shopping centers.
The trip was filled with friendship, laughs, lots of food, too many curvy roads (which added to the laughs) and a touch of serendipity.
Barb and Linda designed an excellent itinerary that made use of our time, but also gave us time to kick back and be with each other. Our first day we met Barb’s cool friends who were very much like our group in NY. The next day was off to the Biltmore, then on to Cherokee to Harrah’s Casino.
Which reminds me...farms. I’m not sure if I saw one! Seriously, and we drove out west to go to Cherokee. I never saw a filed of cotton or tobacco! I think Charlotte has severe suburban sprawl issues. It was created community after created community separated by shopping centers.
The trip was filled with friendship, laughs, lots of food, too many curvy roads (which added to the laughs) and a touch of serendipity.
Barb and Linda designed an excellent itinerary that made use of our time, but also gave us time to kick back and be with each other. Our first day we met Barb’s cool friends who were very much like our group in NY. The next day was off to the Biltmore, then on to Cherokee to Harrah’s Casino.
The Biltmore was strange in a way. A castle that no one really made a home, but like a museum and pretty to look at. The gardens were spectacular and I never grew tired of trying to imagine what I would put in my own garden back home. After lunch at the Biltmore (we skipped the winery as it has this long snaking line just to buy an over priced bottle), we headed on our GPS guided route to Cherokee. Cherokee is 20 miles from the Tennessee border and wow, yeh, it is in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The route we took brought us down Route 19 through Maggie Valley. Thank god the rented GMC had new brakes cos we were using them all 10 miles down hill….winding and winding…thought we’d never stop. Thought I’d about pee my pants laughing so hard. Sometimes you gotta laugh or you’ll cry. By the time we reached the casino I was weaving when I stepped from the SUV.
The hotel there was nice, big rooms and nice service. The casino was pretty typical reservation sized, not Vegas, but it had plenty of video poker machines to keep me and the other girls occupied.
Tuesday we made our way back to Charlotte via the longest GPS convoluted off road journey possible (look, you do 4 hours in the “way back”). Stopped in sheville, which is a college town and has a feel to it that made me think of Ithaca, NY. Saw Barb’s son’s family at their house, and then ate out at an Italian restaurant called Bravo’s (which was really really good….see there are Italians in NC, even if the place was a chain).
The route we took brought us down Route 19 through Maggie Valley. Thank god the rented GMC had new brakes cos we were using them all 10 miles down hill….winding and winding…thought we’d never stop. Thought I’d about pee my pants laughing so hard. Sometimes you gotta laugh or you’ll cry. By the time we reached the casino I was weaving when I stepped from the SUV.
The hotel there was nice, big rooms and nice service. The casino was pretty typical reservation sized, not Vegas, but it had plenty of video poker machines to keep me and the other girls occupied.
Tuesday we made our way back to Charlotte via the longest GPS convoluted off road journey possible (look, you do 4 hours in the “way back”). Stopped in sheville, which is a college town and has a feel to it that made me think of Ithaca, NY. Saw Barb’s son’s family at their house, and then ate out at an Italian restaurant called Bravo’s (which was really really good….see there are Italians in NC, even if the place was a chain).
Wednesday found us out shopping at Concord Mills, visiting Latta Plantation, then ending the day at Downtown Charlotte.
Thursday was the last day. We took a cruise on Lake Norman. That was so gorgeous and peaceful. Had a nice lunch at North Harbor Club and then back to the hotel for a little R & R. We ended the night at Boardwalk Billy’s with an outdoor table right across from the band!
Great times!
Great times!
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