Category: Tourist Attractions

Exploring Mount Airy and the Blue Ridge Parkway

Posted in North Carolina, Parks, Road Trip, RV Parks, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , , , 12 Comments
Andy and Opie
Andy and Opie

Many of us who grew up in the 50’s and 60’s have fond memories of watching The Andy Griffith Show. I loved watching Andy and Opie walking down the path with their fishing poles at the beginning of each of the older episodes. It was this image that was chosen for a statue in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

Mount Airy is the birthplace of Andy Griffith. A walk down Main Street is like walking through the fictional town of Mayberry. Just a few blocks from Floyd’s Barber Shop you can visit Wally’s Service Station and the Mayberry Courthouse.

After breakfast at the Snappy lunch (famous for their pork chop sandwich) we visited the Andy Griffith museum which contains exhibits from Andy’s long acting career. In addition to playing Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, he was in several movies and later played TV’s Matlock. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005.

Andy and Opie on the water tower in Mount Airy, NC
Downtown Mount Airy, NC
Old Menu at the Snappy Lunch in Mt. Airy, NC
Snappy Lunch in Mount Airy, NC
Andy Griffith Statue in Mount Airy, NC
The Andy Griffith Show

After the museum we walked through an exhibit about Chang and Eng Bunker, Siamese twins who settled in the area and raised their families in the 1800’s. We couldn’t leave town without stopping at Wally’s Service Station for a look around. After driving by Andy Griffith’s home place we drove north on Highway 52 for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Wally’s Service Station in Mount Airy, NC
Goober Says “Hey”
Darlin Truck in Mount Airy, NC
Goober says “Hey!”
Mayberry Courthouse
Andy Griffith’s Home Place in Mount Airy, NC

We turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Marker 199 in Fancy Gap, Virginia and continued going north. After stopping to take a short hike we arrived at Mabry Mill to discover that none of the facilities on the parkway are open until May 1. No worries. I was able to take pictures from the parking lot.

Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
Pilot Mountain from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Getting ready for a hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Spring trees on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
Stream on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
At the Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

We spent 2 nights at the Mayberry Campground in Mount Airy. 

Spring Road Trip

Posted in COE Park, Georgia, Road Trip, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , , , , , , 7 Comments

Our first stop on our spring road trip was in Appling, Georgia at one of the Corps of Engineers Campgrounds on the shore of J Strom Thurmond Lake. For three nights we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of our lake front campsite.

Looking at Winfield Campground Site 10 from the lake
View of J Strom Thurmond Lake from Site 10 at Winfield Campground
The lake was just a few steps from our campsite

When it is springtime in Georgia the Wild Dogwoods and Carolina Jasmine add splashes of white and yellow throughout the woods.

Wild Dogwoods
Wild Dogwood
Carolina Jasmine drapes many of the trees
Wild dogwoods bloomed all through the woods
A small Wild Dogwood
Carolina Jasmine was in full bloom

We took a short drive to Harlem, Georgia to visit the birthplace of Oliver Hardy. He was born there in 1892 and moved to Milledgeville, Georgia with his mother after his father died. He attended the Military College of Georgia there and the University of Georgia for a short time. There are images of him all through town and in October the whole town celebrates with a Laurel and Hardy Festival.

Oliver Norvell Hardy was born in Harlem, Georgia in 1892
Even the water tower in Harlem honors Oliver Hardy
Laurel and Hardy Museum at Harlem, Georgia
One of the many displays in the museum
Mural of Laural and Hardy in Harlem, Georgia
Mural of Laural and Hardy in Harlem, Georgia

On Saturday we took a drive to Modoc, South Carolina to meet with friends Bill and Carol who are work campers there. We had a great time catching up with them and making some new RV friends.

Stubbs the Cat, Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska

Posted in Alaska, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , 1 Comment
Stubbs the mayor cat

We met Stubbs, the cat who is the mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, when we were browsing in one of the shops in Talkeetna in July, 2013. Stubbs was adapted by the manager of Nagley’s General Store in 1997 and has served as honorary Mayor for 16 years.

Stubbs lives at Nagley's Store in downtown Talkeetna, Alaska
Stubbs lives at Nagley’s Store in downtown Talkeetna, Alaska

Stubbs is now recovering from a dog attack that occurred on August 31. We found out about the attack by accident when Henry came across an article in the Wall Street Journal from October 15 about Stubbs.

After the attack Stubbs spent nine days in a veterinary hospital and is now recuperating in a room above the general store. People from all over the world have donated money to help pay for his hospital bills.

After reading the article in the Wall Street Journal, I did a search and found other articles about the attack in USA Today, Time and the Anchorage Daily News.

Three nights in Palmer, Alaska

Posted in Alaska, Historic Sites, Tourist Attractions, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , , 3 Comments

I’m sure many of you are getting bored to tears with all my posts and photos so I will condense our three nights in Palmer into one post.

Day 60: Sunday, July 14, 2013. Talkeetna to Palmer, Alaska. Big Bear RV park, Site 56. 145 miles traveled. We are actually closer to Wasilla but the RV park has a Palmer address.

Moose cow and calf crossing the road
Moose cow and calf crossing the road

After all the excitement and fun we had in Talkeetna we hated to leave but there is still more of Alaska to see. The drive was uneventful except for seeing a moose cow and her calf cross the road in front of us.

Our first order of business after getting set up was to go to Walmart a mile down the road to get some much needed supplies. When we got back we met some fellow Titanium owners from Missouri who were parked in our row.

Day 61: Monday, July 15, 2013

Our plan for a drive on Hatcher Pass Road was shortened by fog but we enjoyed our drive as far as the Independence Mine

Henry and Blondie at the Little Susitna River
Wildflowers by the river
It was foggy all day
Marmot on top of one of the old buildings
Independence Mine State Historical Site
Old Mine Train
Henry and Blondie exploring the Independence Mine in Alaska
Wildflower
Independence Mine

Day 62: Tuesday, July 16, 2013

A trip to the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska and then a shopping trip to Fred Meyer for our final grocery shopping before heading to the Kenai Peninsula.

At the Iditarod Trail Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska
Dog sled team running down the track
Two of the Alaskan Husky puppies
Iditerod dog team taking a break
Beth with one of the puppies

Day 59: Blondie takes a ride on the Alaska Railroad

Posted in Alaska, Restaurants, Tourist AttractionsTagged , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Day 59: Saturday, July 13, 2013

Nothing could top the thrill of yesterday’s flight-seeing tour to Mt. McKinley and the Ruth Glacier so we decided to take a relaxing railroad ride.

We enjoyed breakfast at the Roadhouse Cafe, another restaurant featured on Man vs Food. After filling up on their delicious sourdough blueberry pancakes,  we wandered  through the Talkeetna Cemetery to see the memorial which honors the memory of the mountain climbers who lost their life attempting to climb Mt. McKinley.

Mount McKinley Climber’s Memorial in the Talkeetna Cemetery
The placques display the names of all the climbers who lost their lives on McKinley
Mt. McKinley Climbers Memorial

Our train adventure was aboard the Alaska Railroad’s Huricane Turn Train. It is one of the last flag stop trains in the country. Passengers can get on an off all along the route. Anyone going camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, or taking provisions to their cabin in the wilderness can get on or off wherever they wish. Since it is a sightseeing trip the baggage car has open doors so passengers can watch the view without looking through a window. The baggage car was piled with back packs, suitcases, and supplies.

We found out when we arrived at the station that we could bring Blondie so Henry ran back to get her before boarding. She was one happy dog when she knew she wasn’t going to be left behind.

All Aboard!

All Aboard!
Blondie wanted to look out the window
Mt. McKinley from the train
Conductor Warren loves his job
Beautiful wildflowers beside the track
Ponds beside the train tracks

Our conductor Warren shared stories about the area and about the railroad. The scenery was spectacular with more views of Mt. McKinley. The train stopped on the bridge over Hurricane Gulch before reversing directions to make the return trip to Talkeetna.

A couple of miles before Hurricane Gulch, we got off the train to stretch our legs
A passenger train goes by on the other track
Shadow of the train on the bridge over Hurricane Gulch
Henry enjoying the train ride
A ride on the Alaska Railroad to the Hurricane Turn
Beth boarding
We stopped at Indian Creek to look at salmon

On the return trip we stopped at Sherman, Alaska to meet author Mary Lovel and buy a copy of her book “Journey to a Dream” which tells the story of moving to the Alaska wilderness with their four children 49 years ago. She signed each book and even handed out a pen with her name and email address.

Home of author Mary Lovel in Sherman, Alaska
Mary Lovel signs her book for Beth

The conductor Warren was disappointed we had not seen any wildlife. Near the end of the trip he spied a moose in a field and ran through the car to tell the engineer to stop and back up so everyone could see the moose. The moose was having none of that and ran back into the woods before I could get a picture. Other than the moose I saw a pair of swans swimming in one of the many ponds we passed.