Happy 7th Anniversary Linda

Seven years ago today Linda & I were standing in front of a beautiful waterfall on a gorgious day in Maggie Valley, NC with quite a few family members present. The service done by Miss Caroline's Wedding Chapel and she really knows how to make everything special.

That evening all went across the street from our motel to "Carolina Nights" a dinner theater that served us a great dinner while we watched a live show of great music, dance, comedy and patriotic numbers.

In the morning we all went to Joey's Pancake House and that is all they do so they know how to do it to perfection and are only open to lunchtime. You are lucky to find a parking place there in the morning. After breakfast most everyone decided to start the long journey back to eastern NC except for Linda's daughter Beth and my grandaughter Ashley who accompanied us on our honeymoon to Gatlinburg, TN.

We made so many memories during that week and have a DVD of the activities including the complete wedding so we can go back and hear the sounds and enjoy the scenery anytime we want to.

Linda has changed this old man's life dramatically in a lot of ways. We have traveled to so many places and seen so many wonderful areas of this beautiful country and that is something I never did before meeting her. She helped me discover what living is really like. But that is Linda, always thinking about someone else.

The first seven years has had it bumps along the road but together we have weathered the bumps and came through stronger and happier.

Thinking back all I had heard her mention she wanted that she didn't have is a Verna Bradley purse so that is what I gave her and today we will be going to one of our favorite places to eat, Olive Garden. And while we are in the area we will be visiting Aunt Katie to make the day perfect. Happy Sunday everyone.

Have you ever been to.......

Edenton, NC. Let me begin by apologizing for the variety of sizes for the pictures. That is how they were saved in my pictures and I don't know how to adjust them without distorting them. OK now back to Edenton. What you see is an overhead view of the Trestle House Inn operated by a charming gentleman named Peter. It is a two story home with a "full" basement. I emphasize that because it actually comes out to where the parking lot is and that is where Peter resides. The home was built for a member of the Mafia and constructed with timbers from a train trestle shipped in from the west coast and the fireplace is constructed from stones the man gathered from various parts of the world. There is always activity out back to view many kinds of water fowl, turtles and a flock of white racing pigeons that live next door. A great place to spend a weekend and Peter is an awesome cook.

Maggie Valley, NC where Linda & I got married 7 years ago this June. To be here is to be at peace in the laid back setting filled with the friendliest people I have ever known. Great food at the Magie Valley Restaurant or awesome breakfasts at Joey's Pancake House. Just a quick run down the mountain to Cherokee and the big casino. No, I didn't go in there.

If you appreciate really "good" food then Shatley Springs located in Crumpler, NC is the place to be from April to Thanksgiving. Rich in history this area has been known for it's perpetual spring that Mr. Shatley happened on so long ago. He was suffering from a number of ailments and it was mid summer and he stopped to refresh himself and later felt better so he went back and literally bathed in the spring. Before long all his ailments were gone.

Even today there is a place on the left side of the restaurant that anyone can walk up to and fill jugs to carry home from the running spring water. While there they have this huge front porch with rocking chairs and a gazebo in front of the porch with usually a gospel group playing instruments and singing for their food. And the food comes to you on a cart loaded down with bowls of the best vegetables, fried chicken, ham, biscuits, red eye gravy (the good stuff), and if you can hold it the best dessert in the world.

This picture should be the largest and best since it is Lancaster, Pa. and my favorite place to be. I love everything there is about this area with the Amish, lush farmlands, horses, food and a peace I have not found anywhere else. I have a DVD of our first trip there and you can even hear the sound of the horses going by as we passed them. The farmers market in the small community of Bird-In-Hand has everything from fresh meat to the finest crafts.

A 15 to 20 minute drive from Lancaster brings you to the unique town of Intercourse, Pa. Linda & I alway have to make a stop there at the Intercourse Canning Co. and get a case of assorted canned vegetable to carry home. Love their pickled baby beets.

Gatlinburg, Tn is where Linda & I went on our honeymoon. This is a lovely town with an emphasis on Ripley. You can visit the Ripley Aquariam which is huge and has this glass tunnel you walk through with sharks and other big fish swimming all around you. Down town you would also find the Ripley Museum which was fun as well. There is chair lift that takes you to to top of a nearby mountain with shops to browse in at the top. There are trolleys to take you anywhere you desire.

A short drive or the trolley will have you in Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood, endless shops to browse and great restaurants.

Last but certainly not least is White Lake, NC about 3 hours south of my home and one of the most beautiful areas in NC. Some of the most gorgious sunsets I have ever seen were here. The water is "crystal" clear and you can see your feet when the water is up to your chest. There is one small grocery store, a couple of gift shops and a couple of restaurants so it is not cluttered with too many retail places. It is so peaceful to go out on the piers that a lot of rental places have and just sit and feel the breeze, see ducks flying through and let your worries vanish for at least a while.

Remembering Happy Times

It was the summer of 2004 in the month of June as Linda, her 11 year old daughter Beth and I journeyed west to Maggie Valley, NC to start our new life together as man & wife. Also traveling in separate vehicles were Linda's mother, her brother Junior and his wife, my sister Marie, my daughter Pam and her daughter, my grandaughter Ashley.

Our first stop was to finalize the arrangement at Miss Caroline's Wedding Chapel and quickly decided on the waterfall as a backdrop to our wedding. We have a DVD and love to hear the water sound when we watch it. Pam did a wonderful job of taking the video along with the great pictures that Caroline took.

Later that evening we went across the street to Carolina Nights Dinner Theater and enjoyed a fine meal and an awesome show with a little bit of everything. Two people stick in our minds from that night. One was a 17 year old young woman named Martika who is such a great singer and dancer.

The other person was this guy who is funny and a great singer and what made both of them special was that they also perform up on the mountain at the Ghost Town In The Sky. Martika performs as a Can Can Girl in the saloon and later her friend comes in as a rough and tough cowboy who ends up singing a wonderful gospel medly.
The next morning all our relative started back for home except for Ashley who stayed with us to accompany Beth because as you know every teenager has to have another one with them at all times. They had a great time together so we were glad she came along on our honeymoon.
We left Maggie Valley and headed towards Gatlinburg, TN and along the road there is a stream that follows the road. It was quite warm so when I saw a good access to the stream we stopped so Beth & Ashley could walk in the shallow water and cool their feet. They had a great time walking from stone to stone and looking for special stones. They found one that looks just like a footprint that we brought home and still is on display in our home. I think that special time spent by and in the stream was probably more fun and enjoyable that anything we did the rest of the week.

While in Gatlinburg we took a chair lift up the mountain, went through the Ripley Museum and the most interesting thing we experienced was Ripley's Aquarium where we were able to see large sharks and other big fish up close and personal. It even had a clear tunnel where you were surrounded by fish.

On a side trip we went past Pigeon Forge to Sevierville where we found the Exotic Petting Zoo and really had a wonderful time. There were Peacocks everywhere and a large pen of goats where Beth & Ashley were able to enter and hug on all the goats they could get their hands on. They had Prairie Dogs, Zonkey (cross between a donkey & zebra), Raindeer, pot bellied pigs, Wallowby and miniature ponies.

One of the larger animals was Camels and you could feed all the animals.

The Zebra is really a beautiful animal and alway special to see in real life.

Looking back now it seems like so long ago since Beth will soon be 18 and Ashley is approaching 20. It was also the first real vacation I had experienced in my adult life which was a treat for me. I used to actually never take vacations and would only take a day at a time but Linda taught me how to really enjoy myself and has made my life so much more complete. Can't imagine what I ever did without her in my life. I am a blessed man. Hope you enjoyed the journey down memory lane.