Photos from Waynesville's Smoky Mountain Christmas

Gather around downtown Waynesville, North Carolina for their Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration. We love Waynesville.

Attending the Waynesville Christmas Parade

Local businesses and organizations gather together each year to celebrate Christmas during the annual Christmas Parade in Waynesville, NC. This year all the available spaces were filled, and the parade lasted well into the night. What a great way to start the holiday season.

NC Arboretum's Winter Lights

A trip to the North Carolina Arboretum is becoming one of our yearly holiday destinations. While the lights are not a large display, they are pretty and the event makes for a relaxing walk.  Joining us this year were my sister and her friend. Pile everyone in the car since the entry fee is based on vehicle not how many individual people go with you. 

A Trip to the Carolinas Dahlia Society Show

The Carolinas Dahlia Society's annual show was held at the Haywood County Extension office in Waynesville, North Carolina. The free show was open to the public Saturday afternoon and we went to see all the different dahlia flowers that were being judged. It was a beautiful with various colors, sizes, and varieties of dahlias on hand.

A Trip Across Lake Lure Flowering Bridge

What do you do with an old decommissioned bridge that is scheduled to be demolished? Well if you are the people of Lake Lure you make a garden out of it. The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge was dedicated on October 13, 2013 and has been enchanting visitors ever since.  The 155-foot span is open 24 hours a day and every day of the year.

Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Shortline Museum

We took a detour to visit the Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Shortline Museum in Newton, North Carolina. It is housed partially in a former restored Southern Railway Passenger Depot. There isn't much there, but the people are friendly and it's a good place to take a break and stretch your legs. 

Gnome Pottery Class with Laurey-Faye Dean

We are always looking for something different to do. So, when we saw our friend Laurey-Faye of Hazelwood Pottery was hosting a gnome pottery class we signed up. Laurey-Faye is an excellent instructor. She gave us the basics and encouraged everyone to be creative and just have a good time. When we were finished with our creations, she gathered up all the gnomes to be fired in her kiln at her home studio. A few weeks later, we had the end results of a wonderful class.

Hugging Trees in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest

 When I was a kid in the 5th grade, I had to memorize a poem entitled "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. Forty+ years later I find myself in a wonderful forest dedicated to the man and his poem. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near Robbinsville, North Carolina is a magical place. There are over 100 species of trees here with some over 400 years old and 20-feet in circumference. A two-mile, figure 8 trail makes hiking this 3,800-acre forest very enjoyable.

We took a dam trip to Fontana Dam

 Fontana Dam in North Carolina is one of those places you go to say, "Been there, done that." At 480 feet tall, it is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States. When it was constructed between 1942-1944, it was the 4th tallest dam in the world. It is a pretty area but unless they are releasing water from the dam, it's not very exciting. A nice but small visitor center explains the operation and history of the dam. Worth a visit if you are in the area. Now, where can I get some dam bait? 

Road Trip Photos: Bloom with a View

 We really don't need an excuse for a road trip but the Bloom with a View event at the North Carolina Arboretum sounded interesting to us. After a short drive to Asheville, we were greeted by thousands of beautiful blooms in various planters.  Color was everywhere! It truly was an enjoyable trip. This will probably be a yearly trip for us as it is that impressive. 

Riding the Rails with Andrews Valley Rail Tours

 Once again, we found ourselves on the old Southern Railway's Murphy branch near Andrews, North Carolina. This time it was for opening day with Andrews Valley Rail Tours and the first official ride with their new railbikes. We were the only ones for our trip which departed from the Historic Andrews Depot. 

22nd Annual Asheville Orchid Festival

 We stopped by the North Carolina Arboretum for the Western North Carolina Orchid Society's 22nd Annual Orchid Festival. There were all kinds of shapes and colors of orchids to be seen. Various orchid related items and plants were also available for purchase. It was a very nice show and one we will attend again in the future.

Riding with Andrews Valley Rail Tours

Living near the old Murphy Branch of the Southern Railway, we were happy to see Andrews Valley Rail Tours start their business. By leasing an unused section of track from the Great Smoky Mountains Railway in  Andrews, NC, Andrews Valley Rail Tours provided us with a short ride behind a Fairmont speeder. The air was chilly and the cart was a bit rough but we totally enjoyed our ride. The tour starts from the Andrews Depot and runs for about 5 miles to the Historic Valley River Tunnel. The tunnel was hand dug by the Southern Railway in 1894 and is a bit on the spooky side. There was a short stop on the far side of the tunnel which allowed us to stretch our legs and explore. We then turned around and came back. What a fantastic trip! We will surely be back next year when they switch over to pedal rail bike tours.

Haywood Community College Dahlia Garden Photos

Do you like dahlias? At the end of summer, the dahlia gardens at the Haywood Community College, in Clyde, North Carolina, are in full bloom. There are two dahlia gardens on campus where you can find all sizes, shapes, and colors of dahlias. The gardens tend to be a bit muddy, if it has rained recently, so don't wear your good shoes. The end of August and the beginning of September are probably the best times to visit.

Wienermobile Visits Waynesville

Hotdoggers, Clara and Shelby, brought out one of the six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles to Waynesville, NC. A good time was had by all as we spun the prize wheel for some Oscar Mayer swag. I was able to add another whistle and a bag to my collection. These icons on wheels always bring a smile to my face.

Back at Haywood Community College

 There is always something new to see on the grounds of Haywood Community College.

Summer Visit to Blue Ridge Daylilies

Our Summer doesn't officially begin until we make a trip to Blue Ridge Daylilies in Alexander, North Carolina. This is one of my favorite gardens to visit each year and it is just a short trip from Asheville. You can also purchase many of the daylilies that are grown there. Don't miss it when the flowers are in full bloom.

Visiting the WNC Air Museum

We took a little road trip to the Western North Carolina Air Museum in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The small museum houses mostly flyable scale replicas/ experimental aircraft. While nice to look at, I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more actual vintage aircraft. It is probably best to visit when the museum is hosting a special event. 

Apple Valley Model Railroad Club

While in Hendersonville, North Carolina, we made a quick stop to visit the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club. They operate a sizeable HO-gauge layout in a former Southern Railway train station, that was built in 1902. Blue Ridge Southern now uses the tracks nearby. The club members are friendly and willing to chat about trains. It's definitely worth a visit.

Early Morning Trip to Haywood Community College

We often find ourselves walking the trails around Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina. It is a great resource and usually not crowded.