Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Home Again

View from Clingman's Dome, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, November 2010

I'll have more to say about this latest trip down to South Carolina, but for now, I just wanted to announce the fact that we are home again and doing well. We tried some diners and restaurants and had some real good food here and there. We did get to stop in and visit with some good friends in Ohio on our way home and that was a lot of fun. And of course the visit to Clarks Hill was the highlight and reason we took this trip in the first place. A full report will follow in the days ahead.

I have to say, when we left and even the day we returned, we had fabulous weather for traveling. Sunny and temperatures warmer than normal most of the time. In the 70's down South. The day we got home was pleasant, but last Saturday there was a storm here in Wisconsin. We got home and saw our back yard full of this white stuff. First of the season.

First snow of the season in the back yard at Spadoville

One place we did pass through and stop for a while was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After all the traveling I've done over the years, this place has escaped me. I took some photos and shot a very short video.  Anyone can see why they are called the Smoky Mountains.



It was a beautiful place and the weather cooperated with perfect temperatures and no wind to speak of. We drove through from North to South and found a pretty good BBQ place called Mutz BBQ to stave off starving to death. Here's my plate:

Mutz BBQ, Greer, South Carolina. Ribs, pulled pork, hash and rice with cole slaw bread and butter.

After we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains, we got on a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway and came across this sign designating the highest poiunt along the way.

Along a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
Come back soon if you care to. It's good to be home and back amongst friends.

Peace

15 comments:

Chuck said...

Cool trip and pics, bro. Glad you're back safe and sound.

Anonymous said...

Great photos and an interesting account. The snow looks unwelcome. Do you like it?

All the best, Boonie

Christopher said...

Glad to see you back, Spadoman. Much missed. Does there come a time in a man's life when the prospect of pulled pork, hash and coleslaw is more appealing than a figure trimmed to please, such as admiration whets, and a pretty face? Don't know why I'm asking you, though.

english inukshuk said...

welcome home! so glad you had a great time - look forward to hearing about it, when you are all sorted out again (it takes time, doesn't it, when you come back from a trip). . . wonderful photos so far (will check out the vid later)

you have snow!! crikey

hope you're warm and cozy

(-:

Mel said...

OMGosh....there's a frozen stuffed puppy in the yard!! MUST RESCUE it, pronto, please....

:-D

Good to see you back, sir! And thank you for the email with the photos of the quiltbarns you saw along the way.....what a loving thing to bother to take the time to do that! I mean that, yaknow.

And omgosh....what a view. I thought the starting photo spoke volumes of the view--and then I watched the video and tried not to be envious....failed miserably of course. *laughing* But I'm glad for you and Barb to have had the adventure. Omgosh what a great adventure.....complete with good food, apparently.

But I'm glad you're back.
And I'm glad YOU got the snow and not me.....*laughing*

Yeah, yeah....our turn soon enough! But I insist...after you.... :-D

TELL me you rescued the poor puppy...... Brrr!!!

Spadoman said...

Hey Moderate, great to hear from you. Hope your Veterans Day was a good one. Peace Brother. Thanks for stopping by.

Boonie S.... I don't mind the snow, after all, I live in this climate and choose to. Winter does get a bit long some years, so I go to New Mexico for a few weeks and get away from the snow. When I return, I don't mind it one bit. Peace to you. Thanks for coming by.

Christopher... Since I have good looks and a reputation with the ladies, it doesn't matter what shape my body is in. (I'm also an old man and just about that age when I can get away with being a gaping fat arse). Anyway, the food was a regional specialty and well worth the fattening risk. Thank you for gracing my page. Peace to you.

Inukshuk.. I love it when you say Crikey here on my page. I can just hear you saying it. You're a sweetheart! I have a ton of laundry to do. Wish I was organized like you after a trip. Thanks for being here. Peace.

Mel.. The kids picked up everythingn that wasn't bvuried in the ye\ard today agter school and put the electric John Deere in the shed. They put the sleds on the patio for the next round of snow for when we go to the hill. Glad you liked the photos and the Quilt Barns. When im told Barb what I was doing, she'd point them out to me and I swear, it was every 5 miles there was another one! Thanks for being you. Peace always.

Thanks everyone.

rebecca said...

welcome home friend!
lots to share...your adventure and mine.
let's get a good nights sleep and spin some yarns in the gathering light.
peace,
rebecca

Spadoman said...

Rebecca... And a warm welcome home to you as well. Yes, we'll spin some yarns. Thank you for being here.

Peace.

Unknown said...

Looks like another great trip, what a beautiful part of our country.

and

uggh snow, yep we got it too...

mig said...

Lovely to see you back 'Man. Glad to see you got enough to eat on your travels. And the smoky Mountains are quite fabulously smoky.
Looking forward to hearing more and somehow I feel sure you'll find a way to enjoy the snow :)

susan said...

It looks and sounds as though you enjoyed a wonderful end of season trip. Welcome home and please keep warm.

Mel said...

*laughing* Thank you Barb! I'll expect the other 173 photos sometime in the next week, ty! ;-)

Seriously--that was a very kind and loving thing to do. And I thank you both.

(I think we borrowed the idea from them cuz it's an awesome one!)

Spadoman said...

Stephanie... Glad you stopped by. Snow season for sure, but yours melts and returns, I;'m afraid ours is here until April, (Or May!). Thanks.

Peace.

Mig.. Thank you for coming by. I will enjoy the snow. I'll enjoy lookingvat it and watching someone other than me shovel it off the driveway. I'll also enjoy reading about it in the New Mexico newspaper as I hope to get out of toewn at some poiunt to shorten the season.

Peace.

susan... So far, the cold has been tolerable, but I do have the flannel lined jeans and long johns ready for the cold blasts. Thanks for stopping.

Peace.


Mel... I'll feature a quilt barn photo in my next post. Although her interest in looking for quilt barns made me wonder how interesing I am while we travel, after all, I was sitting right there next to her, but she preferred to look for quilts!

Peace.

Mary said...

When I was very, very young I drove with a friend down the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. I remember stopping at a lookout point and thinking this is what is meant by "purple mountains majesty". So many breath taking views. I would love to leisurely take that route again with my husband.

Anonymous said...

You were in my neck of the woods! The Smokies are really, really special - every trail leads to the prettiest places and such sereneness.