North Carolina – Kim Ream

North Carolina – December 2024

Dale had meetings at his corporate office in Raleigh so I tagged along. We drove to the coast and enjoyed a very beautiful and festive weekend. We hiked some trails, walked the beach, enjoyed a Christmas Parade, ate at the Chelsea Restaurant in New Bern, took the Tryon Palace Candlelight Tour and so much more. It was a great week.

Our first meal in NC was from our favorite restaurant, Smithfield's BBQ. Their pulled pork sandwiches and Brunswick Stew is so tasty!

This is Dale's company headquarters in Raleigh. We stayed for three nights in the AC Hotel right next to it.

We saw quite a bit of wildlife when we walked the Cedar Point Tideland Trail.

This is a panoramic view from the Cedar Point Tideland Trail.

It took a long time to get this photo! I was afraid my phone was going to fall off the rail!

The intracoastal waterway.

We both love North Carolina, not only because it's beautiful, but because of our memories.

A bit of autumn on the trail at Emerald Isle Woods Park. We enjoyed a really great walking trail through the woods and by the water.

I love the moss that hangs in many of NC's trees.

The beach at Emerald Isle. We used to come here often with the kids when we lived in Hubert.

There were so many shells on the beach at Emerald Isle.

The Morehead City parade was so good. It lasted over an hour and had a lot to see.

Me and my pals hanging out at the parade.

The 2nd Marine Division Band is playing behind us in the Morehead City Christmas Parade.

Beaufort, NC

The sign says a British Naval Officer was buried standing up and saluting his majesty King George III.

The marina in Beaufort, NC. Dale and I used to come here when we were dating.

Beaufort is full of history. It was founded in 1723. In June 1718 Blackbeard ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge aground in Beaufort Inlet.

We ducked into a coffee shop in Beaufort to warm up.

We enjoyed being back in New Bern and the chilly weather made it so festive!

New Bern had a great Christmas display in Bear Plaza.

This is the house we got married in in 1993. It's a bed and breakfast. It was filled with union troops during the Civil War.

Christmas carols in the chilly air is the best.

Another view of Tryon Palace by the light of the full moon.

We got our photo with Santa and enjoyed hot cider and Gingersnap cookies.

The Stanley House was also on the candlelight tour.

Colonial reenactors tell us about what life was like in the 1700s.

It was a cold night and the fire was inviting.

Reenactors at Tryon Palace.

More colonial reenactors.

Tryon Palace was the governor's home during colonial days.

Pepsi was invented in this store.

New Bern is filled with unique bears. This one is outside of Mitchell's Hardware.

This is our old house in New Bern. We bought it in 1999 and moved to Texas one year later. Our house payment including taxes and insurance was $749.

We had reservations at the Chelsea Restaurant in New Bern. We love their Blue Cheese Dip appetizer. We also shared Shrimp and Grits.

This tree next to the Episcopal Church is stunning. Wow.

The Episcopal Church in New Bern has the most beautiful grounds and some of the oldest graves. Some date back to mid-1700s.

North Carolina … Again! – November 2022

Before heading home to Texas, we headed back to North Carolina. We spent a week petting sitting in Durham, then headed to Asheville. We spent the first few days in Asheville in an Airbnb and then spent four days at The Cove Retreat and Training Center.

We attended a three-day retreat at Billy Graham's Retreat Center, The Cove.

The Chaple was decorated for Christmas. They do not hold services or allow weddings. It is mostly for people who are staying at the Cove to come for solitude.

In the prayer room there is are places to pray. Dale fills out a prayer card.

This quote is above the door to the prayer room, located above and behind the sanctuary.

There is a display under the chapel that describes Billy Graham's ministry from start to finish.

Chatlos Memorial Chapel at the Cove. It's beautiful and peaceful.

The lobby was a lovely place to sit. We saw people visiting, meeting and praying in this area.

The Cove was decorated so beautifully.

On the day of our arrival it was chilly and wet but we decided to take the path from the Training Center to the Chapel anyway.

One of the many trails at the Cove. There were benches and scripture all along the path.

The walk from the Training Center to the Chapel had several streams and bridges.

Joseph looks like he's protecting his betrothed and the Christ from unwanted visitors.

The last evening, the resident pastor at the Cove gave a short devotional after supper.

Stacey played piano for us in the chapel. It was so nice.

This is part of our group for the Guided Spiritual Retreat. It was very enjoyable spending time with them.

Dale and I share some time in front of the fire in the Training Center at the Cove.

A Christmas selfie at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

Seats by the fire at the Grove were premium space! Once we got seated, we stayed a while.

Sunset at the Grove.

The glow of the setting sun. It was really chilly! As soon as the sun disappeared, so did we!

The view from the Blue Ridge Parkway is beautiful, but not as beautiful as it was when everything was green.

We took a short trail from one of the Parkway's visitor centers. It was a very nice walk.

This trail from Craven Gap to Haw Creek followed the Blue Ridge Parkway. Reviews on the Alltrails App said there were three bears near it just two days prior!

We spend a lot of time in coffee shops. This visit filled the time after checking out of our Airbnb, before we were allowed to check in at The Cove.

Our client enjoys the warm sun in her backyard.

All of us spent plenty of time relaxing.

On Saturday, our client spent the day at doggie daycare so we went to Umstead State Park. It was a beautiful walk.

Bridge over leafy water.

My wild man in his natural habitat.

Happy to be outside.

Dale picks apples at the NC State Farmers Market so he can make an apple pie!

There was a large group of Koreans performing and selling stuff at the Farmers Market.

Our client is such a good girl in the car! I never thought I'd allow a dog in our car, but she was sweet.

Catching up on Sunday's message. It put the dog to sleep. Ha ha! It was actually very good.

Of course we had to eat at Smithfield's while in North Carolina. Pork BBQ sandwiches with slaw on top!

Grandfather Mountain and Blowing Rock – July 2022

We left Asheville July 30 and headed towards Woodbridge, Virginia. On the first day of the trip we stopped at these three iconic Blue Ridge Parkway sites.

Grandfather Mountain - The guy with the can behind Dale was holding up the flow of people. If you drive to the top parking lot, you can then take an elevator to the bridge and cross the bridge pretty easily. There were small children, pets and even a lady in a wheel chair. The rocks on the other side were only for those with a bit of courage.

Grandfather Mountain - Dale enjoys the view.

Grandfather Mountain - Once you cross the bridge, you can continue to this outcropping with a beautiful view.

Grandfather Mountain - The clouds are about to envelope the bridge! We have to cross that bridge to get back to the trail back down.

Grandfather Mountain - On the suspension bridge. It is advertised as being a mile high, but it is actually about 85'. The bridge is a mile above sea level. Marketing spin!

Grandfather Mountain - This crevasse, located on the trail to the top, was actually pretty deep. If you scoot back and turn of the light, you're invisible. A few kids have probably scared their parents doing this! ha

Grandfather Mountain - After all of our adventures on the mountain, we had our picnic on a ledge with a scenic view.

Grandfather Mountain - This is the beginning of the trail from the parking lot to the top of the mountain where the suspension bridge is located. You could also drive to the top but this trail was only about 20 minutes and just a little steep.

At the top of the Rough Ridge Lookout.

At the top of Rough Ridge Lookout Trail. It was really a nice place to be. Just a couple of other people were there.

This neat bridge was on our walk up Rough Ridge Lookout Trail.

Blowing Rock - Trying to stay dry! It was also foggy, as you can see.

Blowing Rock - You can't really tell it in this photo but it was raining. Dale avoided the rain by tucking into this rocky overhang. I had an umbrella.

Grandfather Mountain - I thought this old photos was pretty cool. Grandfather Mountain does have enclosures for several animals, including bears. We saw two bears, two eagles, an otter and a couple of elk.

Blowing Rock: Dale is shooting video of himself for his full-feature film (haha).

The Blowing Rock Cat kept an eye on us. She has her own little house and cat door inside the small display center they have that describes the history of Blowing Rock.

I wish I had taken this photo! It's actually courtesy of the NPS.

Diner or dive? Both.

Our room for the night.

View from our accommodations.

Chimney Rock State Park – July 2022

For our third weekend in Asheville we headed southeast to Chimney Rock State Park. It was one of the best weekends yet! There were many opportunities for unique sights and experiences.

Such a beautiful sight!

Dale decided to climb Chimney Rock instead of taking the stairs. [Just kidding.]

Dale stands atop Pulpit Rock.

A quick snack break while we review our next activity at Chimney Rock State Park.

Hickory Nut Falls is 404' tall.

A view of Hickory Nut Falls.

Blue Ridge Parkway North of Asheville – July 2022

For our third weekend in Asheville we headed up the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Linville Falls. Our first stop was Craggy Pinnacle, then Mt. Mitchell, finishing up at Linville Falls.

Dale uses a neat little tripod (given to us by James C) to get video of Linville Falls.

The Biltmore House in Asheville – July 2022

We spent an entire Saturday touring the Biltmore Estate, which is located just minutes from our house. The tour of the home was very interesting and the gardens were beautiful. Thankfully it is not as hot here as it is in Texas, which made the day much more enjoyable!

We spend the day at the Biltmore Estate which was built by George Vanderbilt in the early 1900s.

Dale gets video of the front of the mansion.

Dale standing on one of the balconies overlooking the beautiful mountains.

George Vanderbilt's bedroom.

The library has more then 23,000 books handpicked by Vanderbilt in various languages. He was fluent in eight languages.

More of the library.

The dining room. At the other end is three huge fireplaces.

The servants' dining area.

The main kitchen at Biltmore.

I believe this is where the baking took place.

A typical room for a servant. Working at the Biltmore was a highly sought after job. For many employees it was the first time they had their own room. They were also treated, and paid well.

Storage pantry filled with canning jars. This is where they would store their preserved foods like meat, fruits and vegetables.

One of the many pantries at Biltmore. They also had five walk-in refriderators.

This photo doesn't properly illustrate the size of this indoor pool. The ropes to the left were for those who could not swim well. Swimming was not something many people engaged in during this time. The curved roof was designed by a famous architect know for self-supporting domes and arches.

The bedroom of Edit Vanderbilt, George's wife.

This is an area for visiting in the guest wing. Often before formal meal times the guest would come here to visit.

Construction began in 1889 and Biltmore House was first opened to friends and family on Christmas Eve, 1895. The large amount of people and supplies is staggering. They built a train track to get all of the materials (and people) in and out of the mountainous area.

An indoor bowling alley designed by Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. in 1895, was a favorite with guests. A servant would stand at the end to reset the pins, then bring the ball back to the holder.

More beautiful flowers and landscaping.

We couldn't believe the size of this hibiscus bloom! We saw even larger ones later.

There are extensive gardens with a huge variety of beautiful plants.

Wine tasting was included in our admission. The Biltmore has a vineyard and winery.

First Weekend in Asheville – July 2022

We arrived to Asheville on Friday, July 1. We enjoyed having the Js with us for the weekend. We ate at some local restaurants, explored the arboretum and enjoyed the views. On July 4, Dale and I headed south toward Brevard then into the Pisgah National Forest. We saw Looking Glass Falls, hiked the Moore's Cove Falls Trail and ended the day hiking a Frying Pan Gap trail. All of these are located less than an hour from our place!