Michael always said going on vacation with me is like going on a forced march, in this case I guess he was right. When I retire I am going to slow down and enjoy a little more. I love seeing lots of things, I just would like to not have such time limitations.
I was in a hurry to get to Hot Springs and soak but I did take time to stop to take a few photos on the way.
One place was the Murray Mill. It is on Balls Creek and has a 28-foot waterwheel. It is open seasonally, I was just a few days too early. It's just off I-40 not far from Hickory.
It was built in 1913 and is surrounded by outbuildings, including the Murray and Minges General Store, the Wheathouse, the John Murray House and other small buildings.
Inside are millstones used for grinding corn and roller mills for grinding the wheat into flour.
Here is a link for more information.
I used to draw this type of things, I don't any more but am still interested in looking at them!
I own a grindstone, which is considerably smaller than these, that came from Grindstone City in Michigan. It is in the thumb of Michigan and when I was a child you could just go up there and pick them up, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places so I'm sure that practice has stopped. If you are interested here is more information about it. We also had a Grindstone City grindstone as a step into our home on Woerner Road at Manitou Beach, Michgian.
Right around the corner from Murray Mill is Bunker Hill Covered Bridge. It is one of only two covered bridges remaining in North Carolina. It was built in 1895 and they have created a nice little park so you have a nice place to park. For more information about the bridge.
On the way back to I40 I spotted this unusual skeleton.
Upon closer examination I realize he is really Joseph with Mary by his side. Baby Jesus seems to be missing but his bed is there. You never know what you'll see if you pay attention!
I made a quick stop in Asheville at Highwater Clay to pick up some glaze then headed west. It started to rain and I decided I'd better get off the road. I took the next turnoff I saw for camping and what a treat it turned out to be.
I have been camping since I was a child. My folks took us to Canada and all over Northern Michigan and I continued to camp as an adult. Over the past 30 years I've camped in a 1967 VW Bus, a 2003 VW Eurovan, and now have a 2012 Pleasure Way Sprinter and in them have camped all over the country. So I have been in a lot of campgrounds and I can say the one I found that day was the nicest one I have ever been in.
They weren't open for the season yet, I was a few days early but they said everything was turned on so I was welcome to stay.
The campground is on Lake Douglas in Tennessee and the view was wonderful. Each site was paved and landscaped with stone, grass, a fire place or a fire pit. The bathrooms were tiled and everything looked brand new. I was surprised when they said it was four years old. It has all the amenities pool, basket ball court, gold carts to rent, wifi, cable tv, etc. I give it a 5+!!
In my next post I'll talk about stops in Jackson, Tennessee, Memphis and other places along the way.
You may ask, what does this have to do with art and Carolina Creations.... it's how I get my inspiration, how I find new artists and how I get renewed.
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