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.
After a wonderful breakfast, we decided to take a tour with the animals at The Kentucky Castle. The property consists of 110 acres in which to farm and raise animals. We visited with the critters in the stable area as well as the fenced in area near the castle. Goats, sheep, donkeys, llamas, cows, and horses were all in need of scratches behind the ears. A totally enjoyable experience!
We like to stay in wacky places when on the road. For our 34th wedding anniversary, we picked The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky for an overnight adventure. But not just any room would do. We chose to sleep in one of the tower suites!
We found a gem of a toy train museum in Versailles, Kentucky. Nostalgia Station Toy & Train Museum occupies a former Louisville and Nashville passenger station, which was originally built in 1911. On display are toy train items from the 1890's to the 1990's. There are two operating vintage dealer type layouts. Other items in the museum include Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx, Bing, Carlisle & Finch, Dorfan, and Hafner trains and accessories. You can also find items available for purchase. What a neat way to spend an hour or so.
Anakeesta is a fun little park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They are expanding constantly. You can see beautiful landscaping and the views of the Smoky Mountains are the best in Gatlinburg. Take a leisurely ride up the mountain by using the chairlift. For the thrill seekers there are agility courses, gravity coasters, and ziplines. While we were there, they had a display of critters all built from Legos. We try to make the trip here to visit every couple of years or so. It's fun for the whole family!
There is always something new to see on the grounds of Haywood Community College.
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.
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.
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.
We often find ourselves walking the trails around Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina. It is a great resource and usually not crowded.
We took a short trip over to Wildcat Ridge Farm to visit their Peony Gardens. It's a nice garden near the Pigeon River. The garden is small, but it is pretty. If you visit, be sure to have a high clearance visit as the driveway is gravel and it is rutted.
