Vacation Advisory!

Started by SonicMan46, June 01, 2007, 06:57:18 PM

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SonicMan46

Some more pics from our recent trip to Blowing Rock, NC - Grandfather Mountain at the top + a few images from their 'small' nature preserve (i.e. black bear & Mountain Laurel).

Last day, we took a 3-mile walk on one of the mountain trails (plenty of trails in the area and dozens off the Blue Ridge Parkway, so if you're into hiking, then this is the place!  Books dedicated to these trails w/ difficulty levels well indicated!) - view of the beautiful Bass Lake + a look at the Moses Cone House - Cone was a famous textile baron from Greensboro, NC - property now part of the National Park System, contains a wonderful mountain gift shop - let me know if you plan to visit, can provide some ideas (also, look in the eating thread for some Blowing Rock restaurants) -  :)


 
 

Lilas Pastia

Great trip, great pics, Dave !

If I can get my wife into it, I'll post pics of our mini-european trip (from Belgium, with love :-*). We settled in the picturesque Ardennes city of Malmedy for almost 3 weeks. From there, members of our party went places, according to their whims and interests: Paris, Amsterdam, Aachen, Liège, Antwerp, Dinant, Monschau and Gent. A great time was had by all !

M forever

Quote from: SonicMan on June 20, 2008, 04:28:05 PM
Some more pics from our recent trip to Blowing Rock, NC

Is that in the same area as Brokeback Mountain?

SonicMan46

Quote from: Lilas Pastia on June 20, 2008, 08:26:25 PM
Great trip, great pics, Dave !

If I can get my wife into it, I'll post pics of our mini-european trip (from Belgium, with love :-*). We settled in the picturesque Ardennes city of Malmedy for almost 3 weeks. From there, members of our party went places, according to their whims and interests: Paris, Amsterdam, Aachen, Liège, Antwerp, Dinant, Monschau and Gent. A great time was had by all !

André - thanks!  :D  Would love to see the pics of your trip - I've been to the 'Low Countries' a couple of times back in the late 80s & early 90s -  :)

Quote from: M forever on June 20, 2008, 10:51:55 PM
Is that in the same area as Brokeback Mountain?

Hi M - assume that you mean the movie Brokeback Mountain (2006), which was filmed in Canada (Calgary, Alberta area) - the Canadian Rockies are just beautiful there, a while back; wife & I did a one-week trip, which included mainly Jasper, Banff, & a short stay in Calgary.

Interestingly, the film Cold Mountain (2003) w/ Law & Kidman based on the book below was about a Civil War soldier who journeys back home to the mountains of North Carolina - however, the movie was made in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania! But, there is a Cold Mountain in North Carolina near Asheville - image below of the mountain (of the book's fame) from the Blue Ridge Parkway - Dave  :D

 

ChamberNut

I'll be away from the forum for most of the next two weeks.  On holidays with the family.   :)  Take care folks!

mn dave

Quote from: ChamberNut on July 04, 2008, 04:24:22 PM
I'll be away from the forum for most of the next two weeks.  On holidays with the family.   :)  Take care folks!

Have fun!  :)

SonicMan46

Quote from: ChamberNut on July 04, 2008, 04:24:22 PM
I'll be away from the forum for most of the next two weeks.  On holidays with the family.   :)  Take care folks!

Same here - have a great time & please report back!  ;D  Pics & vacation ideas always appreciated!  :)

SonicMan46

#67
Just returned from an 'overnight' in the Raleigh, North Carolina area (just 2 hrs. east of Winston-Salem, our home, on I-40) - went to see an exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on the Dead Sea Scrolls, just a superb travelling exhibit; plenty on the history & culture of the times; the discovery & meaning of the scrolls w/ a plethora of pictures/explanations, and an audio tour - about a dozen of the REAL scrolls were present (in a special climate-control room), and apparently will be alternated w/ another dozen or so in the near future - this was really a special & rewarding experience, so if you get a chance to see this excellent exhibit, go immediately!  :D

Also, gave us the chance to re-visit the fairly new Umstead Resort & Spa (in Cary, about 30 mins from downtown Raleigh) - got a great July 4th rate and had a relaxing & wonderful time (will report on a couple of meals in the eating thread!) -  :D

 


johnQpublic

Quote from: SonicMan on June 21, 2008, 07:34:13 AM

Hi M - assume that you mean the movie Brokeback Mountain (2006), which was filmed in......

No, I think M was joking about Blowing Rock and Brokeback being about ....well, you know.

M forever

M was, but that joke somehow didn't go off...

SonicMan46

#70
Quote from: M forever on July 05, 2008, 01:28:24 PM
M was, but that joke somehow didn't go off...

Sorrry, M::) ;D  I'm usually pretty quick at making those kinds of connections, but my mind must of been elsewhere; but, it does BLOW hard in those mountains at times (probably both outside & indoors!) -  :D

Well, I hope that a few people at least enjoyed the Cold Mountain story -  :) 8)

SonicMan46

Just returned from a long weekend trip to the North Carolina mountains near Asheville - stayed at the Inn on Biltmore Estate (first two pics below) w/ beautiful scenic views of the mountains - wife, Susan, below enjoying the mountains from the back of the hotel - fortunately our room was on that side of the building, so we could enjoy the views -  :D


 


 

SonicMan46

Some more images from our recent Biltmore Estate visit - plenty to do just on the property - exercise room, plenty of mountain hikes, horse activities, etc - the Inn overlooked the Biltmore Winery (w/i walking distance of the hotel) - below a pic of some nearby vineyards w/ gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background!  :)

After a mountain hike in the morning, we took a wagon ride in the afternoon - second pic of me standing next to two LARGE Belgian horses (named Willie & Waylon of country music fame) - trip included some wonderful photo ops of the back of Biltmore House, the main attraction on the property -  :D






bhodges

Absolutely gorgeous.  You've been here before, yes?  I seem to recall the impressive building...such a beautiful part of the country.

--Bruce

SonicMan46

Hello Bruce - yes, we've been visiting this area for nearly 40 yrs now!  :o

Below is a pic of the front of Biltmore House - house architect was Richard Morris Hunt & landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted (of Central Park fame in your 'neck of the woods'!) - built by GW Vanderbilt in the 1890s - largest 'private' home in the USA.

Yes, believe I may have shown this house on the forum on our last visit - this time we took a 'Behind the Scenes' tour, which included a lot of fascinating information of the 'inner workings' of the house in its 'heyday' - kitchen, heating, plumbing, Mrs. Vanderbilt, etc. - always a fun visit!


bhodges

"...kitchen, heating, plumbing, Mrs. Vanderbilt, etc."  ;D

Looks like a hugely enjoyable place to spend time.  (Sort of reminds me, a little, of the Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island, Michigan--or maybe it's just the Adirondack chairs!)

You make quite the (unintended) sales pitch...they should hire you.  :D

--Bruce

J.Z. Herrenberg

Incredible 'American Gothic' architecture (if I'm not mistaken), SonicMan!

And some lovely views there, too.

Amazing country, America (I have only been to New York, 30 years ago...)
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

SonicMan46

Quote from: bhodges on July 29, 2008, 01:35:17 PM
"...kitchen, heating, plumbing, Mrs. Vanderbilt, etc."  ;D

Looks like a hugely enjoyable place to spend time.  (Sort of reminds me, a little, of the Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island, Michigan--or maybe it's just the Adirondack chairs!)


Bruce - yes, the tour included a discussion of Mrs. George Vanderbilt, i.e. Edith - she probably had the most responsible job on the property, esp. running the house!  There were over 40 'in-house' servants and hundreds (w/ families) of others - she had four large 'walk-in' closets & a number of servants, including one that took care of her daily change of clothes (4 to 8 changes per day depending on the occasions) - she was responsible for planning the activities and meals of the numerous guests - I think George had it easy, although he took a keen interest in the entire estate, much of which provided the food, flowers, plants, etc. for the house (and does to this day).

Quote from: Jezetha on July 29, 2008, 01:45:23 PM
Incredible 'American Gothic' architecture (if I'm not mistaken), SonicMan

Amazing country, America (I have only been to New York, 30 years ago...)

Johan - Hunt did a 'mixture' of architectural themes w/ that house, but was suppose to resemble a French chateau (or castle) on the Loire Valley (I've been to France several times but never the Loire region, so can't do any comparisons) - but the building is beautiful, not only for the architecture but also for the setting - really was GW Vanderbilt's legacy to the world!

And, yes, America is a land of beauty & contrasts (and problems, I guess, like we all have, unfortunately) - I've visited nearly all of the USA, and the cities, scenes, natural sites, etc. are a wonder - but, I particularly love the area that I've called home since 1971, i.e. mid-Atlantic USA - can appreciate mountains or ocean, and plenty of history, which I love -  :)   Dave


Brian

Spent a few days in Indiana and Michigan, visiting my hometown (Columbus, IN) and the town where I used to live (Detroit). Got to see a few friends in each place and my grandma in between. And in the rent-a-car and on the airplane I managed to plow through eight books.  :o 

A couple photos of Columbus for the curious:



very large

And more recently:



Fortunately the flood (which occurred June 7 I believe) is long past, though there are still several neighborhoods which look like this:


SonicMan46

Quote from: Brian on July 29, 2008, 03:41:48 PM
Spent a few days in Indiana and Michigan, visiting my hometown (Columbus, IN) and the town where I used to live (Detroit)..................

Hello Brian - very unfortunate pictures of the flooding in that area!  I was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in southern Michigan (just over the state line) - spent 7 yrs @ the U of Michigan in Ann Arbor before moving to North Carolina in 1971 (been in NC ever since!) - however, my son attended IU in Bloomington, IN, married a gal from IN and now lives in Indianapolis, which we visit at least once a year (goin' there in October) - so quite familiar w/ that area - hope that you had a good time!   :D