Tuesday, May 29, 2007

What a great trip!



That must be Mars Hill. The highways are full of blooming poppies and daisies and just so lush. I was such a lucky gal to have been able to drive around the area and get the feel of the place.


I loved this sign. Can you imagine what a name like French Broad Institute would be like in the hands of today's students?

We all stayed in dorms for this symposium, and not thinking ahead I was not a happy camper sleeping on this slick mattress. No fitted sheet and freezing cold airconditioning made my first night hellish. So at lunch the next day I went looking for a store that sold sheets. Luckily I had a rental car, and while Mars Hill has a few stores, not one was a department store. The next town, Weaverville was only seven miles away and I had time to run down there to see what I could find. Not a store was found but a yard sale appeared, with old quilts draped on the bushes. I parked my car and got out to find a bed in a bag was for sale.

Fitted sheet, two pillowcases, top sheet and a matching comforter. All this for $7! I have my own pillow pictured here, and propped on it are a pair of sox for my frozen feet and a sleep mask to keep out the light. I was instantly in heaven.
Usually I have lots to complain about when I travel and try to keep it to a minimum on the blog, but despite having missed my original flight and being moved to a later delayed delayed delayed flight, I was happy to arrive late afternoon in Knoxville, pick up my PT Cruiser rental and drive to Mars Hill NC.
The 2.5 hour drive was through the Cherokee National Forest along the French Broad River and was just spectacular scenery. Twisting turns and all. I didn't get lost and made great time, just missing the "Meet the Teachers" thingy in which I would have had to explain numerous times why I don't have a book to sign.
I LOVED NORTH CAROLINA.
I am so lucky to have made friends with several gals in class, who all had advice that was so helpful about where we should move. Asheville NC, Yancy County NC, Athens GA and Aiken SC!
Here's a slide show of the wonderful flowers I shot on campus.

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:15 AM

    Hi Melody
    We have a house in Yancy Co , NC, and just love being there. About an hour from Asheville, there is great beauty to behold.
    Many artists and artisans live and work in the area.
    On the other side of Asheville (closer to Atlanta) is Sylva, which should be checked out .
    Pam
    sunny Venice Fl

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  2. Anonymous9:27 AM

    Bet you couldn't believe your luck with that 'hot' and 'wild' looking bedding! Can't wait to see what your class did this trip.

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  3. Anonymous11:31 AM

    I knew you would love NC...I'm from there and would move back in a nanosecond!!!

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  4. Anonymous11:32 AM

    Charming campus! I, for one, would LOVE a college sweatshirt that said
    "French Broad"... go BROADS!

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  5. Hi Melody,
    Those lovely poppies along the roadside are just one of the many wildflowers the state of NC plants all along the major interstates-this state appreciates natural beauty! Please consider western NC in your moving adventures! Asheville and all its surrounding smaller cities have beautiful views, 4 seasons but much milder weather than up north, really nice people, and an environment that is quite nurturing for artists of all types. We live part-time in Weaverville and I always leave here busting with creativity.

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  6. "French Broad" and "Baptist" in the same sentence? Oxymoronic don't you think? And coed?? Ooh la la!! I guess French Broad was the original name of the area.

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  7. PS. I see it took only 3 years for the name to change :-)

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  8. Only YOU would be lucky enough to both miss the teacher-intro-thingy and find a hot mama bed-in-a-bag at a rummage sale at a college for both broads and dudes. Good stuff.

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  9. Anonymous7:13 PM

    If you need one more reason to head for the Western NC area, there's the John C Campbell Folk School (www.folkschool.org)-- about 2 hours from Asheville or Knoxville, with enough fascinating classes to stay artfully engaged forever. :)

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  10. OH WOW Aiken SC..number one retirement spot in the country...more sunny days than any place else...and only forty miles from me...cheaper than A'ville my other fav place...Athens....the best college town in the US...(did I say go dawgs..we are all alums here!) TOO many kids but its a delightful place too..what a choice...and all on my radar although i get to Aiken the most...and its the most laid back of the three...probably the cheapest...if i were going anywhere besides Charleston area I would go to hmmm Asheville if i could afford it...best art scene...fab restaurants...always something fun going on to entice the tourons...I dont know how you would choose! NOT YANCY though...or is there some wonderful town there i am missing??? Maggie down near Aiken...going this afternoon...

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  11. Hmm one more thought about AIken...you would be top dog there...in Asheville you would be one of many...big fish in small pond or big fish in a school of big fish....:>

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