Exploring North Carolina with KathieyV

" Just outside the entrance of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is Chimney Rock Village. A quaint, quirky community full of friendly folks, the Village offers an eclectic array of shops and eateries, as well as campgrounds, motels and the historic Esmeralda Inn. Be sure to take time to meander down the Rocky Broad RiverWalk, a beautiful path that winds around the Rocky Broad River." Quote from   Chimney Rock Park. Downtown Chimney Rock Village... A quote from  Chimney Rock Village "Our quaint and quirky village welcomes you with its delightful assortment of hostelries, eateries, attractions, shops and services; the friendliness of the Villagers; the permanence of the mountains; and a state park with an entrance right on Main Street. Come linger awhile with us." A few photos from my walk through the village... Entrance to Chimney Rock State Park is in Chimney Rock Village. Tidbits from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimney_Rock,_No...

A few weeks ago I took a trip to beautiful Lake Lure located in my state of NC.  Little did I know that there was a town called Buffalo under the Lake Lure waters.   I met a lady at a local restaurant that told me the town remains as it was, completely preserved under the water, an underwater ghost town.  On the Lake Lure pontoon boat adventure I took, I was told that Buffalo was burned to the ground just prior to the flooding. I went online to see what facts I could find about the town of Buffalo. Buffalo was a farming and mining community.  The population was approximately 150 people.  There was a church called Whiteside Valley Church of 1918 that had about 98 members.   The dam was built to generate electricity in the early 1900's, and just after the completion of the dam the town was flooded.    From what I could find online much of the town was torn down and relocated as were parts of the church.  The graves in the small grav...

I have lived in North Carolina since the early 90's.  I had heard of Lake Lure but have not taken the time to visit until now.  I don't know why I waited so long.  It is beautiful. I will share some of my photos and some tidbits I found online... A bit of history.... In 1925, the Morse family created Carolina Mountain Power Company and funded the construction of a dam on the Broad River (through a mortgage) which produced the  lake  after which the town is named. The full impoundment of  Lake Lure  was completed in 1927. Wikipedia  I decided the best way to see the lake was to venture out onto the lake.  You can take a pontoon boat ride with  Lake Lure Tours , and that is just what I decide to do.  It takes about an hour, and you have a cruise on the lake and learn a bit about the Lake Lure and its history. There are houses of all shapes and sizes on the lake. Lovely views from the pontoon boat... The Lak...

It was my final day of my mini-vacation.  I had climbed the stairs to the top of Chimney Rock, I had pontooned beautiful Lake Lure, and I had stayed at the lovely Esmeralda Inn.  Anytime I take a trip I do my best to visit a local winery, and I had been remiss in my tradition on this trip.   I could just go home, but that would be crazy if there were a local winery to explore. Well as luck would have it not far off my journey there was a winery. I consulted Google and plotted my course to  Burntshirt Vineyards in Hendersonville NC.  First I wanted to know where the name came from.  Here is a quote from their website... " Mountain lore has it that back in the day farmers would burn their fields to clear the land on Burntshirt Mountain for planting. They tossed their shirts in the fire for good luck and the fields yielded a bountiful crop!" I did not have a lot of time to tour or visit due to my pending long drive back home, but I did manage the wine...

It was my last day in the Chimney Rock NC area, and I decided rather than just going home I wanted to explore a bit more before I left the area.  I usually visit a winery on all my travels, and I did not want to change my tradition on this trip.  So I set my GPS to my winery of choice, Bruntshirt Vineyards, blog post to follow, in Hendersonville NC.  As I drove the country roads, I came across numerous roadside stands where the grand theme seemed to be apples.  Wouldn't it be fun if I just happened upon an apple orchard?   Well happy day,  I did!   Just a few miles from my original destination was  Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard .  It was like a miracle:-) Oh my goodness, the place was packed.   The friendly staff directed me to a perfect parking place in a field near the orchard.   Even with the large groups of people, they took the time to make me feel welcomed. Here is a quote from their website... " The Stepp family has be...