To ease into our journey, we started off by retracing some of our cross-country route from last spring. Revisiting places gives us the chance to do things we missed the first time around. For example, the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee, where we discovered the bicycle to outer space pictured in the header of this post.
But First, A Note From The Present Moment
In writing this blog, I’ve tried to avoid “catch-up” posts that threaten to overwhelm me and you with a tidal wave of information. But the reality is that despite paddling as hard as I can, my life doesn’t currently allow for much blogging time. Managing my parents’ situation has become a part-time job, and occupies a huge amount of real estate in my brain.
Why not just return to Florida, you ask? 1) Because the temperatures have been in the 100s; 2) Because the humidity is about 800 percent (a bit of an exaggeration, but not much); 3) Because this is yellow fly/mosquito/horse fly/chigger and every other horrible biting bug season; 4) Most important, because I can manage the situation with more sanity from a distance than I can amid the tempest, where I don’t have one moment to myself to rest and regroup.
As an aside, I just found out that July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Oh god. As if I didn’t already feel uncomfortable about my current cell phone behavior. I spend several hours on the phone every day managing my folks’ situation. I take calls while hiking, in restaurants, in museums, and on one memorable occasion recently, as the Maid of the Mist tour boat was approaching the base of Niagara Falls. “I’ll call you back!” I yelled to my mom’s nurse, just as the spray drenched me and my phone. (To be clear, I do exercise the basic courtesy of moving outside or away from other people when taking a call, but still…)
We are hoping that we can keep my folks relatively stable until we return in December. Despite the many distractions, we’re managing to (mostly) enjoy every day.
Savannah, Georgia
We fell in love with the languid southern charms of Savannah on our first visit last spring. This year, we returned specifically for the Savannah Music Festival, a two-week extravaganza of all kinds of music that takes place in early April each year. We attended several music performances and spent the rest of our week wandering the town squares and visiting a few of the sites that we missed the first time around, including the trio of Telfair Museums (a random mix of classical art, a historic home and slave quarters, and a modern art museum); Civil War-era Fort Pulaski; and historic Tybee Lighthouse.
And we ate. Savannah has great food choices. And we walked and biked the trails at Skidaway Island State Park, which once again, was a lovely place to stay for our visit to Savannah.
Click on any photo for a larger image
Farmers’ Market Savannah
Aiken, South Carolina
In a former life, Eric was a golf pro. Although he gave up golfing many years ago in favor of hiking, biking, kayaking, and birding, he still harbored the desire to someday attend the Masters Golf Tournament. In April, his dream came true when our friends Martin and Julie invited him to a day at the Masters. He had a blast—although the tournament doesn’t allow photos, which in my mind defeats the purpose of going, LOL.
As for me, I enjoyed a delightful tour of Aiken with Julie, including an afternoon stop for Southern sweet tea at the gorgeous Willcox Hotel. We spent a fun couple of days with our generous friends, and are looking forward to when our paths cross again in our travels.
Oak canopy in Aiken
Greenville, South Carolina
We spent a couple of days in Greenville last year and really liked it. We returned this spring specifically to bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a rails-to-trails path that travels along the Reedy River, including views of the beautiful downtown falls. Greenville is a cool little town, the biking trail is excellent, and Paris Mountain State Park is sweet, with miles of ruggedly pretty hiking trails.
Asheville, North Carolina
We loved our week in Asheville last year and we were looking forward to returning this year, where we again spent a week at Mama Gertie’s Campground in nearby Swannanoa. We tried a variety of hiking trails recommended to us by the National Park for early spring beauty, including the Pink Beds Loop Trail, the Graveyard Fields Trail to a waterfall, the Craggy Pinnacle Trail (which would be amazing when the rhododendrons bloom), and a hike to Black Balsam Knob with wonderful views.
As we discovered last spring, the hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway are mostly views of stick covered mountains in mid-April. We want to return in the fall one of these years to see the mountains in their most colorful clothing, or in June when the rhododendrons are blooming. But we did discover the fabulous University of North Carolina Arboretum, with acres of beautiful botanical gardens and miles of natural trails. We enjoyed it so much, we went twice.
We really like Asheville. Excellent food, good music, cool architecture, great bookstores, friendly locals. I like to take photos of the restaurants we discover so that I can remember them. Getting Eric to hold still when food is in front of him is always a battle of wills.
Norris, Tennessee
Just like last year, we stopped at Norris Dam State Park for a couple of nights between Asheville and Nashville. The network of hiking trails is decent, but the main attraction is the nearby Museum of Appalachia. It’s one of the most unusual museums we’ve visited. (Seriously, where else are you going to see a bicycle intended for the moon? Or a guitar made from a toilet seat?)
The Appalachian Museum is a Smithsonian affiliate, but it started off as the single-handed effort of John Rice Irwin, a native of the area and cultural historian who spent half a century collecting historic buildings and artifacts, along with the stories of the Appalachian people told in their own words.
For example, the work of Brother Harrison Mayes, a coal miner and evangelist who was inspired to create two-ton concrete signs promoting God, with the intention of planting them in every state, country, and on the moon and planets. He managed to get about 2000 of them completed (although he never did make it to the moon). Here’s the part I love—Brother Mayes believed in the equality of all people, religions, and races (although he did plant his signs along highways without permission, and left notes warning people that they would go to hell if they removed the signs).
Nashville, Tennessee
We visited Nashville last year and had a great time, despite the crowds. This time, we made sure we planned our visit when there weren’t any big events going on. Unfortunately, it made no difference in terms of crowds or traffic. Nashville is undergoing some obnoxious growing pains.
But we persevered, and visited the excellent free Tennessee State Museum; the Parthenon, which houses the city’s art museum (and where we caught the wonderful show of International Mosaic Artists); and enjoyed a fun evening of music at The Listening Room, which showcases local singer/songwriters and is removed from the insanity of downtown.
We only spent one day in Nashville this time and spent the following day hiking the trails at beautiful Radnor Lake State Park where we soothed our spirits in nature. And somehow, we managed to score a premium lakefront site at Seven Points COE campground. The park is relatively convenient for visiting Nashville; the only drawback about the campground is that there are no hiking or biking trails.
Bardstown, Kentucky
Last spring we spent a few days in Louisville, bourbon tasting and attending the Kentucky Derby festivities. This year, we spent several days in Bardstown, visited a couple of distilleries, and spent an afternoon with our delightful friends Greg and Lori, who have recently built a beautiful home in nearby Danville. Greg’s lovely mother Barbara joined us for a fabulous dinner of fish tacos and mango slaw.
As for our bourbon tasting, we enjoyed our tour of Maker’s Mark but didn’t care for their bourbon. We loved the bourbon made by Bardstown Bourbon Company, though. We had a tasty lunch at the sleek new Bottle and Bond Kitchen (associated with the distillery) where we had a fun conversation with the master distiller and came away with a souvenir bottle of smooth, delicious bourbon. That has come in handy on a couple of occasions when I’ve needed to add a shot to my morning coffee to fortify myself for the day ahead (just kidding). Although it does sound mightly appealing some mornings, which always start off with a couple of hours of parental care phone calls. (For our adventures in Bardstown, we stayed at the pretty little My Old Kentucky Home State Park.)
A patchwork barn in Kentucky
Eric read over this post before I hit “publish” and said, “Wow, I’d forgotten about some of the things we did!” An unexpected benefit of this blog is being able to look back on the past few months and to realize that we have, indeed, had many great times along with the challenges.
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Safe travels.
Thanks, you guys. Hope you’re having a wonderful summer! :-)
Being a blogger myself, I know what it took to write this post. Thank you! I hope you enjoy your east coast adventures. Perhaps our paths will cross this fall when we’re in Maine.
And laurel if you’re in Maine so am I! (Portland) at my folks summer lake house and you’d be so very welcome:)
Laurie, I think this must be from you, my anonymous friend…we would love to see you…will you be there in September? oxoxo
Janie, thanks so much for your kind comment. As you said, it took a lot to write this post, but I don’t want to forget what we’ve done. Despite the challenges, I still like having a journal of our travels and of life events, including the difficult moments.
It would be great to see you in Maine! We’ll be there in mid-September.
Love the picture of the oak trees in Aiken. Also the dogwood at the Aiken State Park. Looks so lovely! Greenville looks like a wonderful place to bike. I think I need to go to Ashville just to eat! All the pics of your meals look fabulous. We love bourbon, so I’ll have to be on the lookout for some Bardstown Bourbon.
While I love being able to search your blog for ideas for our future travels, I wish you would publish a printed travel guide. :) If I owned a copy, it would be full of Post-it notes!
Don’t worry about falling behind. For those of us who don’t know your current location, these posts are just as informative as if you’d written them the day after your visits. My husband rarely looks at my travel pictures until I publish a blog post. Like Eric, he often forgets about our trips until he sees the pictures. It’s fun for us to re-live the trips even after a year!
Les, thanks for being so supportive! There is no way I can keep up with our blog, even under the best of circumstances. I’m delighted to know that you find it helpful. It’s fun for me to think of you with your Post-it notes. :-)
Definitely, plan a trip to Asheville and Greenville when you get the chance. And in Kentucky, we liked Bardstown Bourbon, but we enjoyed the bourbon at Angel’s Envy even more (we visited last year in Louisville). It’s exceptionally smooth and delicious.
We’ve had Angel’s Envy and agree it is very smooth. Would love to visit the distillery some day!
Wow! There is so much goodness in this post – beautiful photos of intriguing places and endless additions to our “to-do” list (some of which are coming up soon!) You really have managed to see and do a lot, in spite of all the other things you are dealing with. It is truly impressive. I think I would just sleep.
You are not the first person who has recently noted Nashville’s growing pains and it really is unfortunate. We loved our visits, but managed to be there when it wasn’t too out of control. It sounds like it’s getting exponentially worse. Like so many places, it seems it may become a victim of its own success (for people like us, anyway).
Thanks for the additional tips on Asheville. We’ll undoubtedly be tracking down many of your restaurant recommendations (and I, too, will be hoping to get a good photo before Kevin starts eating :)) Speaking of which, while it is awesome that Eric got to go to the Masters, is an adventure that cannot be photographed even “an adventure”???
:)
Laura, I believe photos MUST be taken for an adventure to be considered “real.” :-) Eric told me they don’t allow photos at the Masters because it might interfere with the golfers’ concentration. Well, that’s just not a good enough reason, haha!
You are going to love the food and brewery choices in Asheville, and I’m sure you’ll be adding to our list when you visit. It’s such a fun town. As far as Nashville, I’m sad to say that I don’t think we’ll be going again.
When I was writing this post I was kind of surprised at how much we’ve done, given the hours that are consumed by my parents’ needs. It seems to be good therapy for me to have interesting distractions and to spend a lot of time in nature, even if I am interrupted by the damned phone.
Glad you are focused on self care and personal sanity while “managing” the parent unraveling. Much love to you through this transition. It’s intense, and powerfully transforming. Keep embracing the beauty.
Nancy, thank you, my dear friend. It really is an intense time, and I’m just trying to walk through it the best I can. Balancing my needs and my parents’ needs is not easy, as you know. But I need to stay sane and healthy or I won’t be helpful to anyone. Much love to you and Bryan, too—I hope you’re having a wonderful summer!
What a delightful post, Laurel. Blessings to you for caring for your parents; it certainly isn’t an easy task. Guess we will have to widen our selection in our liquor cabinet, should we meet up with you two. Maker’s Mark is ever present. :). Have fun in the Maritimes! e sure to check out The Barn at the Normaway Inn on Cape Breton Island for the weekly Three Fiddle Ceilidh. It is outstanding.
Diana & Jim, thank you for the suggestion for Cape Breton Island. Your timing is perfect. We’ll be there in a couple of weeks and are so excited about the music and everything else!
Thank you for your kind words. And when we meet up, we’ll share and compare bourbons. I think Angel’s Envy is our favorite of all!
Once again it looks like your careful research and planning, along with previous experience, have really paid off in making for an amazing travel adventure. Best wishes for a season of safe and sane travel, happy parents, and no mechanical snafus.
Nancy, I appreciate your good wishes for my parents, our travels, and our sanity. :-) We’re having a wonderful time in our east coast adventures, even with the added challenges of my parents’ situation. We had no idea that we would love this part of the country so much!
I so enjoyed this post.. it is so chockfull! Yes, one of the best things about blogging is that it provides a record, an online diary.
Ah, the heat. I think everywhere in the world is boiling hot right now. Here in Viet Nam we are at 101 degrees and that is without the humidity! But at least we don’t have the bugs and mosquitoes. Amazing that you are able to be on the phone with your mom while being on the road and it sure sounds like it is a good compromise. I call my parents every few days but my younger sister who lives nearby does all the “heavy lifting.”
We visited Asheville some years back when our youngest son was finishing up his internship at an organic farm and we spent a weekend there in the FALL. We seriously loved it.. the combination of the great foodie culture, the outdoor beauty and the quirkiness of the place just won our hearts over. And Eric deserves a medal for his patience! ahaha.
Peta
All the photos are lovely… So many great visuals here. I love the photo of you having lunch at the Collins quarter. You look amazing!! And oh.. that polenta pizza! Beautiful trails, patchwork barn! and azaleas.
Such a rich adventure.
Thank you for your kind words, Peta. We are having a rich adventure, and are so grateful for this opportunity we have for travel. And I’m very grateful that I’m able to manage my parents’ needs from a distance. So far, so good!
We really want to visit Asheville in the fall. It must be glorious with the leaves changing colors! It’s such a great town and seems like it would be such an easy place to live, for many reasons including the fabulous food choices. Your current adventures in Vietnam have me craving Vietnamese food. :-)
I feel for you when you say you are managing your elderly parents from a distance. My sister bears the brunt of it with my mom. I try to give her a break on our annual visits. Now that we have a house, I will be bringing her with me when we return from Turkey in November. I look forward to having her with me, but it is not going to be without its challenges…chiefly downtime to regroup.
I had to laugh at your “doesn’t allow photos, which in my mind defeats the purpose of going” comment. I am totally in agreement. And the “for insurance purposes” excuse doesn’t wash with me … what about all the postcards and booklets they sell filled with the same photos we’d be taking!!!!
“Getting Eric to hold still when food is in front of him is always a battle of wills.” … A battle I share. But later, when I can answer a question about the restaurant, he’s glad for the photos.
A great many places seem to be experiencing those “obnoxious growing pains” unfortunately. A result of over promotion of something good leads to it being a not so good experience anymore. But one has to grin and bear it sometimes…or skip it at other times.
Erin, you seem to understand exactly the dilemma of wanting to spend time with parents and needing space while caretaking. It’s not easy to find the balance—but it’s definitely easier when I’m not there in the midst of it. And also harder in some ways. I wish you all the best with your mother.
Haha, it sounds as though our guys have a similar reaction to our wanting to “document” our restaurant experiences, LOL!
I really love how some of the most interesting museums are free (or donation requested). I especially applaud states that make their state history museums free to the public — educating citizens about your state’s history is an important public service, and the experience shouldn’t be reserved for people who have the means to pay.
I’m glad to see that you’ve had the chance to meet up with so many friends along the journey this spring. Surely that helps you manage the frustration and anxiety of dealing with your parents’ situation.
I won’t be telling Ken about Eric’s visit to the Masters, to save him the intense jealousy that it would cause.
Shannon, we’ve also found that state museums are often excellent—Tennessee’s was exceptional and presented the unvarnished truth about the history of the state (including the beginnings of the despicable KKK). I was disappointed that we inadvertently missed a tour of the capitol building because we also like doing that to get a sense of a state’s history. And I don’t think we’ll be returning to Nashville.
As you said, meeting up with friends has provided a welcome distraction from the ever-present reality of my parents’ situation. And our daily adventures are good medicine, as well.
I wrote once about us being “those people” when it came to having our cell phones out in restaurants or other public places where it would appear to passing strangers that we were more absorbed in our devices than one another. But you well know that in our chosen lifestyle, needing more “together time” is never the problem! It is a good lesson for everyone that we never know another’s circumstance, and other peoples’ opinions of us are none of our business :) You are a good daughter and an inspiration to the rest of us with your perseverance.
You know what they say — pictures or it didn’t happen! LOL We often see sites that we don’t take pictures of, though, and we’ll say to one another, “This is just for our eyes.”
I’m glad we don’t have plans to visit Nashville. :( Savannah, on the other hand, is a city I’ve always wanted to see. Someday…
Joodie, I know cities aren’t high on your list of places that you want to visit, but Savannah is lovely and interesting. And so is Asheville! Actually, we thoroughly enjoyed every place we visited on this east coast sojourn so far, except for Nashville. Nope, not doing that again.
You are so right about not judging other people who are on their cell phones because we don’t know their circumstances. Although unfortunately, it seems like most people chatting away on their phones on trails, in restaurants, or in other public places are just being unconscious and rude. I wish I didn’t have to answer my phone. It really takes away from being present in the moment. :-(
As always, your travel posts are so relevant to us, as we pursue similar areas.
Next year, our plan is to depart Cedar Key in mid-April and return to Savannah, a city we fell in love with on two previous visits. Then, we hope to check out Charleston, and finally, after so many recommendations, Asheville. It should be a fun few weeks of very slowly making our way back to our northern base camp. Your recaps of your visits will help us a lot.
Continuing to keep you and your parents in our thoughts during these difficult times of transition.
Karen, thank you so much for your kind thoughts. It is a difficult time of transition, and I’m trying to pace myself for the long haul.
Your plans next spring sound wonderful! Savannah, as you know, is beautiful. I could return there again and again. And you’ll love Charleston and Asheville. Those are two more of our favorites. Let me know if you need other recommendations! I wrote much more extensively about our visits in our previous posts from last spring.
We really have to get back and spend more time in Kentucky! You captured this gorgeous area perfectly. Nashville was our favorite city in our first 18 months of travel, but the signs of super development were clear. I hate to think of it getting as bad as Austin, TX. The Listening Room sounds perfect.
I know it’s draining, but I’m so glad you’re continuing your travels while accomplishing parent care. Your list of reasons would keep me out of Florida too!!
Jodee, yes, the reasons for not returning to Florida right now are daunting. Fingers crossed we can hold out until December when the weather is more reasonable, hurricane season has passed, and the bugs have abated!
We were very happy to discover the Listening Room in Nashville. It was a peaceful and fun evening away from the craziness, and we even found reasonable parking on the street!
I love this post and the places you visited for once again you brought good memories of our time in the east although I have no intention of going back there !
Wow you had the chance to get inside the Parthenon, we did not have time then.
Makers Mark is our favorite distillery on our Bourbon Trail although I never care to drink that one.
I know exactly why Eric could not hold still for like Steve they are our reluctant models!
Ha ha ha, I echo Erin’s comment, your lines tickled me too.
You are such a good daughter, and a good model for those RVrs who also have to think and take care of aging parents remotely.
Thanks, MonaLiza. We’re doing our best to continue on with our lives while helping my folks. It’s challenging, as you know.
We are enjoying the east far more than we anticipated—so far, the weather has been good and the crowds haven’t been bad, other than in Nashville. And there’s so much beauty and so many interesting places to see! There are a lot more potholes in the roads here than in the west, though, LOL.
Wishing you abundant patience as you deal with your parents from afar. This has got to be immensely difficult and a struggle to determine if you really need to be there in person or not. A big hug to you!
Thank you so much, Lisa. You are absolutely right—it’s very difficult to determine if we actually need to be there. So far, it doesn’t seem as though we do—I can manage everything from a distance. And having a bit of distance allows me some respite and time to regroup. I appreciate the hug. :-)
You visited many of the spots we found as we traveled up and down the coast. Greenville was a new stop the last time we went to Gaffney for service. What a neat town. I wish we had had more time toe explore further but we did get to follow the trail along the water. I loved the various falls through the rocky ledge.
It was so awesome that Eric got to attend the Masters. Lucky guy!
I can just imagine what you are going through with your parents. My mother was doing well and I almost went crazy finally getting her to an apartment that was more what she could manage. It was a huge relief to get her settled with help around and no stairs to fall down. I hope you can keep things under control til you get back. You most definitely don’t want to return to Florida now!! Take care we are thinking of you.
Pam, you are so fortunate that your mom willingly moved to an apartment that was more suitable for her needs at this time in life. My dad’s insistence on staying in their home is creating enormous challenges, particularly given that they live in such a remote area.
Meanwhile, we’re enjoying our journey, and I’m tenaciously getting caught up to the present moment! There are so many great places on the east coast. We were happy to repeat our route two years in a row!
Such a wonderful recap of some special memories. The Parthenon is an incredible building and the views inside are really special. Radnor Lake area is such an awesome park and a great hike around. Years ago, it was not a park and you could drive through the area anytime. I am glad they made it a park and are protecting the area and environment.
Thanks for sharing your memories, and safe travels.
Gerri, we were delighted to discover Radnor Lake on our first visit to Nashville last year. It’s such a beautiful oasis of nature near the city and a great place for a hike. The birds love it there, too! And yes, the Parthenon is wonderful. Such a cool venue for Nashville’s art museum. Hope you two are doing well!
Glad we are getting caught up with you. We are always surprised at how much we got to do when we look back. Love the memories.
Haha, yeah, I’m trying to get caught up with myself, Deb. It is amazing to look back and to see how much we’ve experienced.
I’m a sucker for those southern, Oak draped canopy roads….They’re so beautiful and just beg to be photographed.
The dolphin downspout caught my eye too! I took the same photograph when we were there a few years ago. Great city to experience, up close. Nashville….well, I share your feelings and experiences.
Speaking of the same….we, too, stayed at Mama Gerties!
Our dear friends, Cindy P and Walter, live in Harrodsburg, KY – just next door to Danville! Our favorite Bourbon “tasting” was at Woodford.
Enjoy the rest of your travels, “stay Calm” and all will work out. Hope we see you down the road!
Oak draped canopy roads, dolphin downspouts, Mama Gerties…we share similar sensibilities, Sue! Although we already knew that, right? :-)
Woodford Reserve is on our list for a future Kentucky visit. It looks so appealing! If you ever get the chance, I think you would enjoy both Angel’s Envy and Bardstown Bourbon, and the food at Bourbon and Bond is excellent.
I’m using my Calm mug every day. Every reminder helps! We can’t wait to see you three down the road…time with good friends is the best antidote of all to stress.
Oh so much here to think about. Remarkable life you are leading in spite of the daunting issues with your parents. You are such an inspiration, Laurel. I am also in that camp that says it didn’t happen if I didn’t take photos of it! What I have found is that I am so saddened by the lack of photos from the years when my kids were young, when I was young and too poor for film and processing, and especially now it seems that the photos are the triggers to the memories. I NEED the photos to help me remember what happened, and even more important somehow, the sequence of things. As you said, the blog is great for that. Would have been wonderful if I had blogged as my kids were growing up.
It is great to see your travels in this part of the South. We will go to the Maritimes eventually, but who knows if we will ever make it back to the beloved Southeast with those moss draped oaks. I so love Florida, but like you I won’t go there in the summer no matter what! But how else will I ever again get that fabulous shrimp??! I thought of you yesterday, by the way. Mo and I packed up the boats for a half day trip to Rocky Point and this time we kayaked up Crystal Creek to the Wocus Cut which was really full! and then back down Recreation Creek. So looking forward to some shared time on that water with you two eventually.
Sue, I’ve heard that this spring/early summer has been absolutely perfect in southern Oregon. I can only imagine how idyllic it was kayaking at Rocky Point! We have so many wonderful memories of many days spent there. We’re looking forward to sharing kayaking time with you and Mo on the fabulous Wood River. Next September, for sure!
I understand exactly what you mean about wishing that we had photos of earlier times in life. And not only photos, but our blog is so helpful for remembering what we’ve done, where we’ve been, and when we did it. Eric and I have tried to piece together travel that we did pre-blog, and we just can’t do it. Looking back over our blog and photos, we can relive our memories in vivid detail. Although it’s a lot of work (as you know!) it’s worth the effort. Thanks for reminding me as I continue to try to catch up…