Cherryville, NC

Located in Gaston county, Cherryville is a short drive from the Charlotte area.  Being a Sunday, the only day off my husband could get on this 4th of July holiday weekend, nothing was open but I must go back!!  About every building in the downtown has historic interest and is occupied with my favorite type of business: an antique or vintage shop.  These were not junk shops ... the window fronts beckoned me with unique furniture pieces, quality antiques and must have collectibles.  There is also the Cherryville Historical Museum that looked of great interest. www.visitgaston.org/gaston-county-attractions/item/cherryville-historical-museum

We wandered around a bit then getting hungry drove a short distance to Parkway House Family Restaurant.  Housed in what was once obviously a chain steak joint I expected a dark interior with lots of variations of the color brown but was delighted instead to find a bright cheery decor when I entered.  The menu is extensive with almost every possible dish you can think of: including pizza, Italian, Greek, burgers, sandwiches, Calabash style seafood, soups, salads, and every Southerner's favorite: meat and 2 veggies plate.  Service was friendly, prices were reasonable, servings were ample and best of all I enjoyed the food.

How do we top off a great meal?!  With sweet muscadine and dessert wines at Fiddler's Vineyard a short drive from the downtown area of Cherryville.  the www.fiddlersvineyard.com  Our host was a hoot and we sampled for free every flavored wine you could think of : chocolate, pina colada, banana split, watermelon ... all sweet and delicious.  They do offer a few drier wines but their specialty is definitely on the sweeter side.  The grapes are grown on the premise.  The grounds are very pretty and they often have live music on the weekends.  

I couldn't ask for a more perfect way to spend the end of the holiday weekend than hanging out under a big shade tree sipping Pina Colada wine and shooting the breeze with my husband.

FATHER'S DAY IN BADIN, NORTH CAROLINA

Today is Father's Day and I am lucky to not only have my husband and son to spend the day with but also my father here from Georgia for the weekend.  We ... Mom, Dad, brother, husband, son and I ... loaded up in the mini van and headed to Badin, North Carolina to spend the day.  Badin is described as a "French flavor town" built up in the early 1900s when a french company came to build a damn.  It is indeed a small but oh so charming little town on the lake.  The "downtown" consists of just a few buildings.  There is a coffee shop, a couple of restaurants and a few shops ... all very quaint and picturesque.  Since it was early Sunday nothing was open so we had to be satisfied with window shopping.

Next we went to The Biden Inn and Golf Club and Resort.  www.badininn.com I would describe it as a mini Pinehurst.  The Inn is a beautiful white house with inviting rocking chairs on the sprawling front porch.  I looked inside the lobby and photos of the rooms.  Each room had a different decor and I thought the rates were very reasonable.  We ate lunch in the pub on the porch overlooking the golf course.  It made for a fun afternoon watching the golfers tee off and the food was yummy too!  

We then drove just a few miles away to Morrow Mountain State Park. www.stateparks.com/morrow_mountain  The park offers hiking, swimming, boating, camping and more.  We first went down by the lake.  My husband and son rented one canoe and my father and brother rented another.  The cost for 1 hour was only $5 a canoe.  They had a great time exploring Lake Tillery while my mother and I rested on a blanket  in the shade watching the boaters go by.

History buffs like myself will also enjoy seeing in the park the homestead of Dr. Francis Kron who emigrated to the U.S. in 1823 and was the first doctor in this area of North Carolina.  

There was much more to see and do in the park but my group was tired and ready for a cold drink somewhere before the ride home.  We definitely need to go back ... or even spend a weekend there .. they also have cabins you can rent.

Yet another adventure with many surprises and only an hour away from home!

Albemarle, NC

Summer is here and I am back on the road discovering nearby small towns.  Today I drove from the Charlotte area about one hour to Albemarle, NC.  It's a bigger town than I expected with lots of side roads off Main St. to explore but like so many small downtowns several of the beautiful old buildings stood empty.  Nevertheless I found plenty to do learning when I arrived that the town was celebrating "Downtown First Saturdays."  All of the shops and restaurants were open offering special sales, music and more.  I started at the Farmer's Market.  It was small but offered a nice variety of plants, produce and handmade goods.  I couldn't resist a beautiful sterling silver necklace by jewelry designers Art W. Heinrich and Colleen M. Clark. www.sweetwhispers.org

I also delighted in the fragrance of lavender lotion handmade by "Oak Hill Creek".  And I just had to have a blueberry muffin to enjoy for later!

Next I wandered the streets poking in and out of the shops.  There were a couple of thrift and consignment stores, dress shops and gift shops.  Many had sidewalk sales and great deals going on inside because of the First Saturday festivities.

At the Stanly Arts Guild and Falling Rivers Gallery www.fallingriversgallery.com they were having an opening reception for the artist Roger Thomas.  I sipped on ginger ale and chatted with the him about his detailed "Timberlake" like landscapes.   I also enjoyed the many other local artists featured there.  The gallery displayed all mediums including jewelry, pottery, collage, wood work, glass work and more.

There were many small nooks where one could rest on a bench and watch the world go by.  There was a nice war memorial and another spot with benches and a fountain.

I decided for lunch I would get back in my car and drive a couple of miles outside of the downtown area but still on Main St. to Thai Spice.  It's in a rather non-nondescript little building on a not particularly picturesque road but the interior is pleasant and the service was attentive.  I started with a flavorful broth soup that they always serve with lunch then some vegetable spring rolls and for my entree one of my favorite Thai dishes Massaman Curry.  It was delicious!  

Albemarle is a delightful town to wander.  It was quiet and friendly and the town had plenty to see and do for a day trip destination.