Road Trip with Missy!

Missy Tippens

It's funny that Ruthy shared travel yesterday when I was planning to also share our road trip from last weekend.

We headed from our town (near Atlanta) up to Tennessee to spend a long weekend with our middle son.

On the way up, we stopped a spent several hours in Chattanooga at the Tennessee Aquarium. It was a wonderful visit!! They have the River building and also the Ocean building. We saw every inch of the place! Some of my favorite parts...

First, the river otters! They were so cute. I want one!

Then we went in the butterfly house. Of course, my phone died while in there. I confiscated my husband's phone and took a gazillion photos and videos but haven't migrated them to my phone yet. But here are a couple I took of butterflies before the phone died.

We had a great day at the aquarium! Then headed to Knoxville to see our son. For lunch the next day, we went downtown to Market Square and ate at a recommended restaurant, known for its chicken and waffles. Myrtles Chicken & Beer. Best chicken I've ever had!

The next day, the three of us went to Asheville to spend a couple of days. We love Asheville! We started the morning with coffee from Trade & Lore.

We lucked out that they were holding an arts and crafts festival downtown. I saw some amazing artwork! Bought a beautiful photo for my daughter's upcoming birthday (hopefully she's not reading this!). :) My son really liked a photographer's work--Fine Art Photography by Walter Arnold. The artist takes photos of abandoned sites, showing the beauty in them. My son's favorite was a photo of an arrangement of books at the Cossitt Library in Memphis, TN. You can check it out here. He may start saving for one of the large wall-sized photos that's printed on metal. They're gorgeous.

On the way back to Knoxville, we stopped at Soco Falls. Hubby and son took a hike to the bottom that was steep and slippery (so there were ropes installed to hold on to as you climbed). I stayed safely at the top and took photos. :)

Here they are working their way back up...

We got back to Knoxville Sunday night and left for home on Monday afternoon after having lunch at my favorite Knoxville restaurant, The Tomato Head. They make the best Caesar salad--which I have them add Benton's bacon to. I crave it when we're not there! At our last visit, we ate at the restaurant both days we were there. And yes, I got the salad both times. LOL

This past holiday weekend was a great trip with four whole days to spend with our son (we have usually only been able to spend one night with him). We're so thankful to have the time with him!

I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

www.missytippens.com

12 Bones and White Squirrels, A Weekend Vacation

School bells are ringing. Weather is changing. Folks run out of money after long trips. But don't despair the summer coming to an end. Make it last a little longer with weekend trips.  

Here in North Carolina there are plenty of weekends still ahead. Sometimes we head to the beach but this past weekend, we headed to the mountains to see my dad and his wife.

Nothing beats that first view of the mountains. Now, I know you western types are laughing. Those are mountains? Well, as my dad likes to say, yours are bigger but they're bald.  Ours have trees - and just wait until they turn!

The mountains of North Carolina around Asheville have plenty of great hiking trails. Asheville and the surrounding towns have great general stores, artist studios and antique shops. And there are always unexpected finds like this sage green dress from the 1870s. Several writer friends have already said they are claiming it for their heroine on their next book cover.

The restaurants range from home-cookin' to high-falutin'.  This visit we went to my favorite rib place of all time, 12 bones in Arden. The restaurant is in a rescued auto repair shop, stripped bare with papertowel rolls on the tables and plenty of seating. They need it. 12 Bones opens at 11am has a line out the door til 4pm.  Every day there is a selection of rib flavors. For your half rack (six bones) or full rack (12 bones), you can get nekked (my preference), brown sugar (ManO's fave), on up to exotic flavors like chipotle blueberry. All the sides are homemade from their collards to cole slaw to mashed sweet potatoes. And their baked beans, oh, their baked beans.  

Man's O's plate of brown sugar ribs. He got my cornbread.

Since my dad is recovering from heart surgery, we spent a lot of time just walking around the neighborhood and visiting, listening to family lore that stretches back to the Revolutionary War. I get my love of writing and storytelling from my dad. When you have Scottish rebels, Golden Knights, a dad who sang, with his church's kids' choir, to a hundred year old Confederate soldier, it's very entertaining.

And then there was dominoes. We always play dominoes when we go visit Dad and Selena.

The best excitement? The white squirrel arrived. He's a crafty thing who picks and chooses when he wants to show up but he did for our visit. These are not albino squirrels but a separate species and so plentiful the other side of the mountain, the town of Brevard has a fun White Squirrel Festival. I've been there and bought the tee-shirt, my grandkidlets' favorite.   

Before we knew it, the weekend was over and we headed back home. Full of memories and still money in our wallet.

So, what is your favorite weekend getaway in your neck of the woods? Do you have a favorite thing to do, restaurant or family tale to listen to when you're visiting? 

State Fair Fun

I went to the NC State fair this week for the first time in a long time. A friend suggested we go together because our spouses, wonderful as they are in other ways, don't like going.

Farmer Julie and her Piggy friend, Diane. Yes, Diane deserves a blue ribbon.

As someone with allergies, the fair can be hit or miss. The aromas are calorie free but tempting. I focus on the displays first, the food second. But I was greeted by this as soon as I went through the gate:

Sigh. It smells so good and EVERYONE had an ear. But me.

We visited the produce section:

The winning pumpkin weighed in at 800 pounds this year.

The quilts and other crafts:

The home canning:

The cake decorating contest:

It was time for lunch so we headed to the Westover UMC Fair booth. One of my friends is pastor there but they also have the best chilidogs at the fair. At least if you only eat one every five years.  And as someone whose final exams in food microbiology consisted of diagnosing real cases of food poisoning at the State Fair, I make a point of eating at a church booth. I've worked em and know how clean they are!

I've also worked at the NC State Ice Cream booth. Nothing has changed in the three decades since I was dishing out cherry vanilla and chocolate mint for the food science club. Students still give you an awful lot of ice cream for the price. The milk comes from NC cows. And cherry vanilla is still my favorite. And no high fructose corn syrup. 

 

What has changed is turkey legs have taken over from italian sausage and onions in popularity.

My daughter and her boyfriend were brave enough to eat those monster turkey legs...and deep fried HoHos.

And my grandchildren are now going to the fair with my son and DIL.

They were so happy.

 And learning about the cycles of life and the precarious nature of fair fish.

Good thing the parents told them fair fish only live 24 hours!

That's worse than a case of fair food poisoning!  My poor babies. No more fair fish for them.

Except for the fish incident, it was a beautiful day to check out the farm animals, make a few carnies mad by taking their pictures, and appreciate all our state has to offer in terms of agriculture and talent.

So what about your fair experiences? Do you have a food item you MUST have? Or a display to check out? Do you ride the rides or play the midway? Best or worst experience? 

PS: Some of you may have seen the news story about the people tragically hurt at our fair on Thursday. Please be in prayer for the families of those affected.