North Carolina

Linda was born in Lumberton and her Dad's family is from close to there

Her Grandfather was a tobacco farmer and we have visited his farm

$Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\Family\Mcdonald\NC1family2.jpg$

Once she saw the Klu Klux Klan march through her Grandfather's land

She grew up in a place where African American's were not considered "real" people

$Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\North Carolina\1.jpg$

I think this has haunted her all her life

We have driven I-40 across the State and I-95 up and down the State

We bought a yellow mustang convertible in Durham and have spent the night in Raleigh

We visited Jim Bakers failed dream in Charlotte and

Have seen wonderful wild flowers in the interstate medium

I think Jim Baker was a victim of himself, his wife, his humanity, and

The greed around him

We liked Jim and Tammy

$Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\flowers\130.jpg$

While visiting a huge antique market in Charlotte we came across and

Bought a beautiful early 1800 Bible for $30

On the way home we discovered two tickets to a

1916 Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball Game

Ashville is the home of the Biltmore House and Gardens and a wonderful hilly town

The Biltmore is terribly expensive now but wasn't always that way

We used to take our children there and we explored all parts of the vast estate

I particularly love the green house with all the orchids and the maize in the back of the house

$Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\North Carolina\biltmore house.jpg$ $Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\North Carolina\3.jpg$

We have visited both at Christmas and seen the spectacular way it is presented

and at other times as well

Cherokee is one of our favorite visiting places

after traversing the Great Smoky Mountain National Park

This is one of the most beautiful mountainous areas of our country and we have visited often

We have been there when the colors were ablaze and when the snow was on the ground

We have seen the deer and we have gazed on the hazy mountains and climbed Mt. Pisgah

We have never been to the Smoky Mountains

when there was not the famous blue haze over everything

We have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way from Cherokee

to the end of the Parkway and camped along the way

We once camped on Bear Mountain and yes

a big black bear that made a lasting impression was our "guest".

This bear "ate" or at least did a good job of trying to eat a new Honda Goldwing Motorcycle

and a bag of peanuts on our table

There is a one way road down into Cherokee from there and

yes we have taken it more than once.

One other time we camped in a commercial camp spot in Cherokee

and went tubing in a nice rushing stream

$Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\North Carolina\45me.jpg$ $Description: C:\Users\John\Desktop\My Web Sites\images\Scanned Pictures\North Carolina\47.jpg$

There is a valley there, Maggie Valley, which once was a pristine beautiful place and

my sister so wanted to live there

While it is still pretty it has become much more commercialized

North Carolina is a mostly rural farming land where tobacco and cotton used to rule

Now a lot of the land is unfarmed and in land banks and poverty is very much present

It is green, rolling hills and some mountains and

I don't remember the people as friendly or unfriendly