Exploring North Carolina with KathieyV

July 26, 2018, is Watermelon Day at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh North Carolina.  I love watermelon and the farmers market so I decided to go.  According to the flyer, the event would include a "Largest Watermelon" contest with cash prizes, free watermelon slices, and recipes, and the NC Watermelon Queen would even be there.  First off I stopped to enjoy the free watermelon slices that were being handed out to the visitors. The watermelon was sweet and delicious. I decided to do an informal survey.  I was curious as to who likes to put salt on their watermelon.  Everyone I asked said they enjoyed salt on their watermelon.  I do too.  I wonder if that is a southern thing.  My dad was from TN and loved salt on his watermelon.  My mom was from PA, and she found the idea disgusting.  I found a quote on Baking Bites as to why some of us like salt on our watermelon.   "Salt makes watermelon taste sweeter by creating...

My first experience with  La Farm Bakery  in Cary NC was several years ago.  My daughters decided to take me to La Farm for a Mother's Day adventure. Here is a review of our experience. We drove up to the parking lot and it was packed. A full parking lot is always a good sign.  The bakery is lovely.  It has a welcoming rustic feel. They provide indoor and outdoor seating. Everything looked so good.... Here is a quote from their website "The La Farm Family welcomes you into our shop and into our kitchen,  where we take pleasure in sharing our recipes and our secrets.  Watch us in forming dough, toasting granola, decorating tarte aux fraises.  Then taste our artisan breads, tarts, pastries, sandwiches and  specialty products and experience the taste hundreds of years of French cuisine." You walk up and order your selections at the counter and then they bring the food to your table. Just what is B...

Its time to start planning your weekend.  Here are just a few things to do in NC this weekend... *July 21-29 you can go to  Tweetsie Railroad  in Blowing Rock North Carolina to watch K-9's In Flight. *June 23-July28 is the  Eastern Music Festival  in Greensboro North Carolina. *July 27 is  Symphony by the Lake in Blowing Rock  North Carolina. *July 27-28 in Maggie Valley North Carolina is the  Hillbilly Jam . *July 27-29 you can attend a  Watermelon Festival  in Fair Bluff North Carolina. *July 27-29 is a  Furniture Festival and Clearance Sale  in Hickory North Carolina. My Facebook Four Just for fun I thought I would look at the Facebook events in my area  and then select four that I would like to attend. The links for the event are below the photo. *July 25- Watermelon Day and Largest Watermelon Contest  at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh North Carolina. *July 27-...

Exploring North Carolina. My visit to  Patterson's Mill Country Store  in Durham North Carolina. You can see from the sign above that this store was established in 1973.  The feel of the store is one of being founded at least a hundred years ago.  When you go inside you are greeted with antiques, collectibles, old books and memorabilia plus they even have penny candy. Take a look at all the goodies. I remember the rotary phones. When I was very young, I recall we even had a party line.  Many times I would pick up the phone to find someone else talking.  The hand crank phone was before my time.  You can find both of these phones at the Country Store.  Yummy candy. Maggie would love this doll house! My Favorite part of the country store is the old pharmacy and turn of the century Dr's office. I can remember my dad and his many stories about Castor Oil.  He made it sound like Castor Oil coul...

I discovered a lovely park during my trip to New Bern, North Carolina.  The Union Point Park.  It is on the water, which is where I love to be. Below are a few of my photos along with quotes from Union Point Park websites. "Popular park along the Neuse & Trent Rivers featuring play equipment,  a large gazebo & a boardwalk." New Bern I liked the baby bear sculptures.  I know my grandkids would have loved to climb all over them.  "Union Point Park, which is a scenic six-acre site located at the point of the Neuse and Trent Rivers in historic downtown. The Gazebo – often used for weddings, festivals, and other special events – offers a magnificent and breathtaking view of the waterfront. Enjoy picnics, strolls along the river, a walkway that bridges the Union Point to Bicentennial Park, two boat launches, restroom facilities, picnic tables, a fishing pier, grills, and a small playground" Visit New Bern What a perfect day.  A boat on ...

I love the performing arts, and I love wine.  I thought I would look ahead into Aug and find some shows and wine events in my area of North Carolina that I would like to attend.  I wish I could attend every event but as my mom used to say "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride," another quote she used to throw around was "champagne taste on a beer budget."  I can dream though and sometimes dreams do come true. Curtain Calls *Aug 13 is  Beatles vs Elvis "A Musical Showdown"  at the Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh NC *Aug 17- Sept 2 in Raleigh you can attend the musical  "Sister Act" *Aug 7-12 the  Book of Mormon  returned to DPAC *Aug 15-17  Cirque Du Soleil  will be at PNC Arena in Raleigh *Aug 10 Movies by Moonlight  Beauty and the Beast Sing-A-Long  at Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary NC *Aug 15 at DPAC you can see  Lyle Lovett and his Large Band Wine and Food Wishes *Aug 1...

Caleb and I were spending two days together and decided to go on an adventure. Our first stop was the  Lazy 5 Ranch  in Mooresville NC After our visit to the ranch we stayed at a Greensboro Hotel and the next day we headed to  The Greensboro Science Center. Here is a quote from their website " The Greensboro Science Center is an aquarium, museum and zoo -- all in one location, for one price! Located in beautiful Greensboro, North Carolina, it's the perfect way to spend a day with your family and friends." Caleb and I spent most of our time at the Prehistoric Passages/Realm of the Dragons Exhibit. Caleb does have a passion for dinosaurs, so this was the perfect place for him. Here you see Caleb fighting off a T-Rex and I think a Compi. A modern day dinosaur... We loved the MeerKats...Adorable There were many other animals at the outdoor zoo. We were a bit crunched for time on this particular day.  I would love to g...