Exploring North Carolina with KathieyV

I had the opportunity to attend the Southern Women's Show in Raleigh NC this year.  I have heard talk about it over the years, but I have never been.  I had a couple of free hours on the weekend of the event and decided to check it out.  If you go, you can find a few local and national celebrities, health related products, makeup, fashion, food, wine and the list goes on and on.  Here is a link that you can check out to decide if you want to attend next year.   Southerns Women's Show  (The dates for next year are already up) The Food... Stony Mountain Vineyards   in Albemarle NC.  Here is a quote from their site... "Welcome to Stony Mountain Vineyards - a family-owned boutique winery dedicated to the passion of winemaking. Come have a glass of wine on our deck and share our panoramic view of the Uwharrie Mountains and the lower Yadkin Valley." Rock of Ages Winery  in Hurdle Mills NC.  Here is a quote from their site... ...

WINKLER BAKERY 521 SOUTH MAIN STREET Constructed 1800, restored 1968 One place Gale and I knew we had to visit was the bakery in Old Salem.  I have enjoyed the Moravian cookies over the years but everyone has told me I had to try the sugar cake. Look at all the temptations....Yummy:-) A bit of history.... The sugar cake was amazing.  We took it back to our room and enjoyed the yummy sweetness in front of the beautiful fireplace in our room.  We also shared a bottle of local wine.  What a lovely day:-) Happy Travels Everyone! KathieyV:-)

This time last year Erica gave me a wonderful Mother's Day/Birthday Gift.  She knows I love horses and so she purchased a 2 hour private ride at  C & C Farm  in Louisburg NC.  Here is what they say on their site... "C&C Farm offers a relaxed, family oriented environment for equine enthusiasts.  We offer riding lessons, trail rides and pasture boarding on our 65 beautiful acres."  Beautiful horses....  Erica getting ready for the ride...  Our guides.  They were great.  Very nice people.  We were in good hands...  I like this quote from the site... "Most of our horses have been raised on the farm since they were born so we have a very close relationship with all of them and their unique personalities" Alive, well, and smiling after a wonderful ride:-)   You will never meet a kinder lady then the one in the photo below.  There is no doubt that she loves her horses and all the crit...

Several weeks ago Cindy and I found ourselves on an adventure.  We were at   Fearrington Village  in Pittsboro NC.  I love that place.  If you go you will find quaint little shops, a bookstore, a spa, several places to eat, and of course the   belted cows .  We were visiting  Fearrington Village for the  Folk Arts Festival .  After enjoying some of the artsy items and exploring the shops we decided it was time for lunch.  After checking our options we selected  The Granary . Here is quote from their website... "Offering a casual dining setting, The Fearrington Granary serves up lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Whether you’re grabbing dinner with friends or celebrating a special event, make every meal a treat."   (They have a full bar and of course a wine list:-) Quote from their site.... “The Granary is a neighborhood gathering place,” says  Chef Colin Bedford , who designs and updates the menu seasonally...

There are a ton of wineries in NC.  Childress is one that Cindy and I had the opportunity to visit last Nov.  It is beautiful. We signed up for the winery tour.  One of the first things they asked was "is there anyone here who has not heard the Childress name?"  I think Cindy and I were the only ones to raised a reluctant hand.  The inaudible gasps were deafening.  We soon learned he is a NASCAR guy and NASCAR is huge in NC.  Here is a quote from their site.... "By opening the doors to Childress Vineyards in 2004, NASCAR team owner Richard Childress fulfilled a longtime dream that grew from the days when he first began racing in California and visited wineries with friends. What began as camaraderie and good times soon became an engaging passion for world-class wines and then the vision to build a world-class winery. " We visited right before Christmas.  I loved the entry door. Let the tour begin.... (The photo bel...