Vacation Thrills Part II (aka Son of Vacation Thrills)

Today I'll wrap up the highlights of our mountain trip, beginning with Tuesday night. We decided to backtrack to the lovely town of Brevard to scout out a place to eat and do some leisurely before-dinner walking. Visited a couple of nice shops but didn't really spend anything. Got some great waterfall maps at the town visitors center--there will be future trips to different falls, etc. None of the restaurants we had spotted previously really grabbed our attention, so we strolled a little further from the center of town and lucked into El Ranchero. We were early birds at 5:00, having skipped lunch as we usually do on vacation. The meal was exceptional, both tasty and generous portions. I had the best chicken fajitas I've ever tasted. The grilled veggies made the difference. Judy raved equally about her veggie quesadilla. As we headed in a roundabout way back to the car we noticed flashing police lights and a blocked-off Main Street. Turns out we had happened upon two unrelated events. As one child reported to Judy, "That guy had a gun!" Indeed, the police had three suspects (they were GUILTY, I tell you!) in handcuffs on the sidewalk. But the real excitement was about to begin--Tuesday night Street Dancing! Whee! We got a front row seat near a bluegrass band. The other side of the street was already lined with locals who had brought their folding chairs and camp chairs. The band was quite good, particularly the fiddle player (Jenn and Amanda: his Orange Blossom Special wasn't quite up to Leah's standard, but it was good). They played a 30 minute warmup and then the street dance was kicked off. Some local regulars did a short demonstration with plenty of variety. It was circle dancing rather than square dancing, to accommodate larger numbers. The whole thing was very family-friendly, with a separate children's circle further down the street, facilitated by some of the adults. You should know that Tuesday nights are not real big tourist nights in the mountains--weekends are when most big events are scheduled. This Tuesday night series was primarily for the townsfolk themselves. It was wonderful to see people converging on Main Street from all directions. Most were locals who knew each other well, but there was a large contingent of high schoolers in sports camps at Brevard College, just a short walk down the hill. I video-ed and just enjoyed the wholesome environment. We left in time to head back to The Woodlands before dark, but there was one more surprise before we got out of town. Following a meandering path to see more of the town, I was amazed to see the name of a former Camp Cherokee counselor in front of his dentistry practice. I wrote a full-page letter to leave in his mailbox. He was at camp when my brother was there in the late sixties and that was the one and only time we had met!

The next morning we had our final delicious breakfast before heading toward Dillsboro and Sylva, where we would stay at the Squire Watkins Inn, another bed and breakfast, but new to us. We followed U.S. highway 64 through Cashiers and Highlands, stopping at Bridal Veil Falls, Dry Falls, and Callusaja Falls. Since we couldn't register until after 3:00 we drove around Dillsboro (approx. 2 minutes) then headed to Sylva. These towns have grown together a la Chapel Hill/Carrboro or Southern Pines/Aberdeen/Pinehurst. But we already had some favorite shops and restaurants in Sylva to check out. Judy was enthusiastic in her support of the bakery thrift shop there. We would return to Sylva for dinner. It was actually close to 5:00 when we checked in. We loved the Squire Watkins at first sight, and our hostess, Emma, was charming to talk to. The furnishings were exquisite, but that was secondary to us. The rustic aura of the house and the lovely yard and gardens were more endearing (fellow bloggers, do you ever feel you're using the same adjectives too much?). Emma chatted with us to share background about our home away from home, some of her own history, and just general conservation. She invited me to play the parlor piano any time, and later that evening, I did. We were in the upstairs Dogwood Room, with everything we needed. Just outside our room was a door to the upstairs porch. That evening I would videotape the Smoky Mountain Railway from that porch as it passed on the track just down the hill. A few passengers spotted me and waved. Dinner was at the Spring Street Cafe, which in some ways reminds us of 195 (our favorite restaurant back home). Eclectic cuisine, ya know? Different atmosphere, though. We had eaten there twice before but this was the first time we visited the adjoining bookstore, and it was quite impressive. As some of you know, Judy and I are both well-stocked on summer reading material, but we couldn't pass up a few bargains on this trip, including rare 10 cent paperbacks. (As an aside, I got an 1897 book, "Hell fer Sartain," a folk classic, for ONE DOLLAR). Back at the B&B, we strolled the extensive gardens, admiring the flowers as well as abundant rock work. We went on down to the train track and followed it to a tributary of the Tuckaseegee River, which was just beyond. Thursday morning we had Emma's finest fare for breakfast and headed homeward. So if anyone is looking for picturesque vacation spots or top-notch pampered lodging, just let us know.