My Reading Blog

What a fantastic week we had!  Our son and daughter-in-law invited us to Pigeon Forge for the week where they were meeting up with several of his Army buddies that served together in Germany.  They try to get together every couple of years.  It was interesting hearing their stories of when they were mere lads of 18 & 19 year olds!  Of course, hubby shared many of his stories from when he was in the Air Force.  They talked well into the night(s). We took a trip up to Clingman's Dome - needless to say, I didn't make it to the top, but we still had some fantastic views at the beginning of the trail. We spent one day at the Biltmore Estate.  The gardens were beautiful, the house was unbelievable and the wine tasting was outstanding! And, the best part of the tour, was the Chihuly Glass Exhibit that was placed throughout the gardens and around the house. We spent a day visiting with Len's cousin and his wife wh...

Last weekend we met our son and daughter-in-law in Branson for some fun, shopping and good eats.  While we have lived in the Ozarks for over 18 years, we had never visited the campus of College of the Ozarks which is located just outside of Branson.  We had heard about the college and the wonderful restaurant, but had never taken the time to visit. We had mentioned it the last time we were there, and our daughter-in-law remembered.  She made reservations for Friday evening.  What a wonderful experience it was - the menu was extensive and made for a hard choice of what to eat. So for those who haven't heard of the College of the Ozarks, let me explain.  It is a college of about 1500 students, totally tuition free (yes, let me repeat that - tuition free).  The students are required to WORK rather than pay for their education.  They work 15 hours per week at a campus job - which could be raising and feeding the animals, crops, work in the bakery or re...

We saw lots and learned a lot of history on our travel in the New Bern area.  Our final days moved us to visiting a 95 year old friend in Burlington, NC (near Greensboro).  She had just moved into a Senior Living Complex and was excited to show us her new abode.  We got the grand tour, chatted up a storm and went to lunch.  She is very hard of hearing, so by the end of our visit my voice was gone.  But we so enjoyed our time with Pearl.  She's happy, healthy and well cared for. Our next stop took us to Asheville, NC where met up with Len's cousin and his wife.  They sold their home in Texas and have decided that the Asheville area is where they want to build their next home.  We stayed overnight in downtown Asheville, ate at a Cuban restaurant with a great view of the mountains and sunset and ended our day at one of the many chocolate lounges.  A glass of Malbec and dark chocolate - nothing compares! The next day they took us to Henderson...

Yesterday, I wrote about Tryon Palace in New Bern, NC and will continue on our journey.  The downtown area is quaint and well cared for.  There were many shops and restaurants and yes, the birth place of Pepsi Cola with a soda shop filled with memorabilia. We walked the streets, ambled into the shops, toured the art galleries and ate at several of the restaurants.  We would have walked along the waterfront, but the wind was blowing mightily and it was COLD.  We had anticipated and hoped that we would have warmer temps, but their weather was much the same as ours in Arkansas. So we looked at the rivers and marinas from the car as we traveled along. We had planned to take a day trip to the Outer Banks, but again the weather was not conducive to going and they had closed the roads on the Outer Banks because of the winds, waves and sand.  So we opted to go south to Beaufort and Moorhead City.  Beaufort is another small coastal town.  Unfortunately, man...

A week ago last Friday, we packed the car and headed to North Carolina for a week away from home.  Our next door neighbor has family in Birmingham and asked if she could ride along.  Birmingham was south of the route we were taking, but her son said he would pick her up south of Nashville.  So the three of us were off bright and early on Friday. The drive was uneventful (which to me is the BEST). We dropped Lavon off and continued on our way across Tennessee, stopping at several wineries along the way before we stopped for the day - 9 hours broken up with stops.. Left early on Saturday to Knoxville, Asheville, Winston-Salem, Greensboro then south of Raleigh-Durham.  No we didn't stop, just passed thru so we could get to our final destination in New Bern, NC,  where we stayed at the Fairview Harboures   New Bern is a riverfront town tucked away on the Neuse and Trent Rivers. New Bern was founded in 1710 by Swiss baron Christopher de Graffenried and is ...

We are currently vacationing in New Bern, NC.  Our condo balcony overlooks the marina located in a cove of the Neuse River.  As I sit on the balcony, basking in the sunshine, the wind is gusting up to 15-20 MPH and this is what the sounds reminded me. Sun shining brightly in the sky Wind blowing mightily Sail boats lined up in rows Masts protruding upward toward the sky Rocking gently to the sway of the waves Moorings rubbing and pulling against the piers Wind swirling, howling around the bay Vibrating across the ropes and masts to make mournful voices singing Wood and metal coming together to join in the song Sounding like a multitude of wind chimes Calling to their owners Pleading Questioning Saying The wind is blowing The sails are waiting to be hoisted Let's go Out to sea Winter's almost over It's almost spring Time to stretch and travel But, alas No owners appear No sailing today The winds too strong The temp is ...

We have always taken a week to travel in the winter months and get away from the cold.  We traveled to Florida for many years, but since my Aunt passed away, we decided to try other parts of the country. Several years ago to Las Vegas where we made the decision to purchase a time share.  Good, bad, otherwise.  Well, it's been all of that.  But last year we enjoyed a week in Angel's Camp, CA and this year we're traveling to New Bern, NC. Hopefully we'll find warmers temps, but if not, we'll enjoy seeing new places and investigating the Outer Banks.  And while we're there, we will visit a 95 year old friend.  She has been living with her daughter, but just this week she has moved into a Senior Apartment/Assisted Living.  So we'll get to see her new abode and have lunch with her.  Then we'll stop in Asheville, NC and meet up with Len's cousin and his wife.  They sold their home in TX and have purchased land just south of Asheville.  We ...

Last week we traveled to the East and slowly made our way to Williamsburg, VA with stops along the way to visit various historical sights.  Andrew Johnson's museum, home and National Cemetery in Greeneville, TN.  Then to Appomattox and reaching our destination in Williamsburg. Williamsburg is a large, spread out city now, but back in the 1700 & 1800's it was a small settlement.  What history lies in the Colonial Williamsburg!  We walked thru the village, talked with those portraying people from the settlement, learned things we hadn't heard before and had our memories jogged with what we had learned in school (many, many years ago). The weather was perfect, not too many people and so many things to see.  We even walked around the oldest university in the United States - William & Mary College - a beautiful campus. We went to Yorktown Battlefield. took in the movie and again, was taken back in time when this great country was begun.  How the ba...

After eleven days of travel, we arrived safely home yesterday.  It was a wonderful trip, filled with lots of sights, enjoying the company of our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters, laughing. relaxing and enjoying several boat rides. We traveled to Northern Michigan via Indiana covered bridge country, to meet up with Michelle and her family.  We wanted to seem some of the covered bridges, but arrived mid afternoon (that darn time zone change) with a storm brewing.  We happened upon the Bridgeton Covered Bridge and Mill, just before the sky opened up with a torrential downpour.  There was a young couple just leaving and they were giddy beyond compare.  I said to the proprietor that they must be newlyweds to which he replied no, but they had asked him to take some picture in front of the bridge and while he was taking the pics, the young man got down on one knee and pulled out a box.  She said "yes". Saturday we were on our way to Harbor Springs, MI t...

Earlier this month I wrote about anticipations and then followed up with one coming to fruition.  Today's slice is about the other anticipation of vacationing in California. We thought a break during the winter months in Arkansas would be just what we needed - some place warm and sunny. (However, the week we went, it was warmer in Arkansas!) We had been to Florida many times and thought we venture to a different part of the country.  This time heading West to sunny, warm California..... We left Arkansas on a sunny and potentially hot day for early February to arrive in Sacramento with some puffy cloudy and sun, turning the sprinkles by the time we got the rental car.  We headed southeast towards Angels Camp with a few clouds, but more sun following us.  Possibilities of warmth were in our thoughts. The forecast was not looking good for most of the week, but Saturday and Sunday were beautiful.  We headed to Big Trees State Park with the huge sequoias. ...

Ten days to spend exploring Boston and surrounding areas.  Arriving in Boston on Saturday, we drove down to Cape Cod to spend two days enjoying the sights and checking out the history of that area.  A stop a Plymouth to see where the Pilgrims landed a great start to our feast of seafood. We took a whale boat tour out of Provincetown, but the seas were very rough and unpredictable so our Captain had to turn around, but continued to search for whales.  Unfortunately, the whales must have decided it was too rough from them also, as we didn't spot any on our journey.  So onward we went, walking Provincetown and dining on some delicious lobster and then some more walking. Another day took us to Hyannis and a harbor boat ride to get as close as possible to the Kennedy compound.  On to a couple of museums and some more walking.  Along the way, we managed to find some fine dining places to quench our thirst and hunger for seafood. We then traveled to Laconi...

We've been talking about it since last Spring.  A vacation to some place we've never been.  The anticipation is building and we're counting the days - 18.  All the sights to see, where to visit, what do we really want to experience. Our son and daughter-in-law are going with us.  They've visited this city once before, but are just as excited to see it all again and more.  The hotels and flights are booked, many posts have been made to our special file on Pinterest. We're checking the weather, hoping it will be mild with no rain.  Contemplating what we need in our suitcases and carry-ons. In a couple of weeks we'll be driving to IL and then board a United airline flight to Boston. We're staying a couple of days in Cape Cod, then driving to Laconia, NH in the White Mountains to see the fall colors, covered bridges, a winery or two, small quaint villages along the way, a ride on the Cog Railroad and who knows what else we might find.  We'll head...

 The first morning we awoke to this beautiful sunrise.  What a great way to begin our time in Vegas. The front entrance of our resort We had brunch at the South Coast Casino complements of RCI and then listened to the time share pitch.  In the afternoon we took the shuttle to the Strip for see the Mat Franco Show.  What a fantastic magician and illusionist.  How do they do all that magic?  Guess it wouldn't be magic if we knew how it was done! Our sightseeing the rest of the week took us to Ethel M's Chocolate Factory - yummy and then to Parhump Winery - excellent wine.  We drove thru the Valley of Fire and Red Rock Valley, tried to go to Zion National Park (closed due to snow), toured Hoover Dam and other sites around Vegas.  We did go back to the Strip for dinner and a show.  We say Cirque du Soleil Mystere - totally amazing - so much happening at once that you didn't know what to watch. It was a great we...