Haven't been doing much except the usual fall stuff, like putting up the last of the peppers, enjoying the last of the tomatoes until next summer, putting away garden tools and hoses, getting the waterfall put to bed, cleaning out the fountains, etc.
But we did take a little Fall break and embarked on an Elderberry tour of the South a few weeks ago. So here is a glimpse of what we saw and visited---we started off in Eureka MO at the Shrine of the Black Madonna of Poland, which was really interesting, and quite a blessing with which to begin our journey. Then we traveled on through Kentucky to Paducah, where we stopped for an overnight, and were treated to a great stage show of Frank Sinatra reminiscences, in this beautiful old, restored theatre. We had the tour of Paducah, and were particularly impressed by their murals on the flood walls downtown, the levee walls designed to protect the city from future floods. Then on to the National Quilt Museum. Unfortunately we weren't permitted to take our cameras indoors, but hubby caught a picture of a stained glass window designed in a quilt pattern on the outside wall of the foyer. If you ever have a slim chance to see this museum, it is a fantastic testimony to the needlecraft of women who use an old, traditional way to capture contemporary life on fabric. Because Paducah is a river town, there was a great memorial sculpture of Lewis and Clark in the park by the river, which had been dedicated during the anniversary celebrations a few years ago.
Onwards to Chattanooga TN, where we dined at the Station House Restaurant. Great dining, superb music, and a nostalgic time in a railroad station restored to a hotel and indoor railroad park. We traveled out to Lookout Mountain, and did our walking tour of Rock City. Fabulous rock formations, really interesting rock gardens, great lookout, only do NOT lean over the wall to see the waterfall! I did, and promptly lost my sunglasses down into the pool at the base of the falls. Nobody offered to jump in to retrieve them, so I left a bit of myself there to insure a future visit. Luckily we also managed to make it through Fat Man's Squeeze and the Eye of the Needle, so we could continue on our journey south.
Back on the bus and into Savannah GA, where we dined at Lady and Sons, and I bought this neat greenbag from Paula's shop, to impress the clerks at WalMart and HyVee as I shop. Savannah is a must see for everyone, and walking about the town is also a must do. We had a walking tour led by our lady in a summery southern pink dress, and we felt like we had sneaked a peak at history early on a Savannah morning. Onwards to Tybee Island, where some of us were (fool)hardy enough to climb up to the top of the lighthouse (not me, but hubby did all 178 steps up and down). I roamed around the restored lighthouse grounds, visited the gift shop along with a whole pack of Elderberries, and basically drank in that stiff ocean breeze, so I could take some back to MO! We spent the night on Tybee, and loved walking along the ocean, and out on their piers. Had dinner at a fantastic seafood restaurant in the middle of the hotel, looking out over the ocean. Next morning we took a boat down the Savannah River and out to the ocean, dolphin watching. We saw so many dolphins, it was awesome. They were leaping out of the water, frolicking with each other, so cute and so graceful. Waves were a little rough, but nobody noticed much because we were so enthralled by the dolphins.
Back on the bus and into the Appalachian mountains, where we visited the Billy Graham Center in Charlotte NC, and then drove deeper into the mountains to the Southern Highlands Craft Center. Of course we shopped once more, and were able to find lots of handmade goodies there.
On we traveled, back to Kentucky, where we spent the day at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. I was amazed the the simple beauty of the place. We dined there for breakfast and lunch, and of course ate wonderfully well. Had the most yummy pumpkin muffins for breakfast, so I had to hunt up the cookbook for the recipe. The Shakers were an interesting religious sect, and you can still feel the peace of the community in their buildings and relics they left on site. We then took a boat trip up the river, retracing old Shaker trading paths on the water. As you drive through the area around Pleasant Hill, you view miles after mile of handstacked stone walls, all built by the Shakers when they lived in their original settlement. These walls were obviously treasured by most of the people around, because they kept them up as boundary walls or decorative walls.
Now homeward bound, we stopped in St. Charles MO for a final break, touring the town on foot, and exploring all the great shops. Hubby and I chanced on a Gaelic shop, and were successful in a genealogy hunt, learning about his Irish roots. Total surprise because that was an area he was unsure of. Now we have some research to back it, so this stop was truly serendipitous. A short dinner stop in Arrow Rock at the Log Cabin restaurant finished up a perfect trip.
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