In my last blog post I featured a relaxing Moore County spot,
Aberdeen Lake. There are also a number of nice day excursions
within an easy 60 to 90 minutes of Moore County. On a Friday
with fall-like low humidity Judy and I ventured off to Montgomery
County's Town Creek Indian Mound and the nearby town of Mount
Gilead. Neither of us had been to the Indian Mound in more than 30
years and we were pleasantly surprised. Let me show you why.
The plaque acknowledge the historic status of the site.
A display of typical native American crops, including
the "three sisters" of beans, squash, and Indian corn,
which were often grown together.
These fields, neatly mowed and manicured for several
decades, have been restored to a more natural state, as
it would have been when the Pee Dee culture thrived
here from around 980 to 1150 A.D.
These palisades demonstrate a highly functional
barrier which kept out enemies, since only one person
at a time could pass through the narrow entrance. Also,
Arrows could be fired at intruders from between the
sturdy posts.
Within this hut there is a presentation of a burial
ceremony for a mother whose child had died.
This replica of a temple sits atop the small mound.
Though much larger Indian mounds exist, this one
yielded a wealth of valuable artifacts and information
to archaeologists from 1927 on. It was just amateurs
at first, but in 1937 the farmer who owned the land
donated one acre to the state and professionals began
to do serious excavation and document findings. Since
the Pee Dee culture had no written records, some
fascinating detective work was involved to learn what
we now know of these people's lives.
Learn more here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Creek_Indian_Mound
Inside the temple. Perhaps a dance between good and evil?
Now school groups and other visitors gather here
for informative tours. Our visit was self-guided, but
there was an excellent 18 minutes video program as
well as a museum in the site's office. Gift shop, too.
As we strolled the perimeter of the restored site we
found interesting displays.
The Little River runs alongside the site. Town Creek,
a tributary of the Little River, is not far away.
Note: this Little River eventually empties into the Lumber
River. The Little River that Moore County residents are
familiar with flows into the Cape Fear River.
We saw no snakes this day, but I've seen all of these
except the coral snake in the wild over the years.
Judy and I were interested in the bald cypress trees in
the parking area. These long-lived trees are intriguing.
Though they bear cones, they are deciduous, losing
their leaves quite early in the fall. In fact, that is why
they are called "bald." Read more about them here:
After a very pleasant stroll through shaded woods on
a quarter-mile nature trail, we wrapped up our visit
and headed toward Mount Gilead for lunch.
The River Wild Restaurant is a few miles past Mount
Gilead, right on beautiful Lake Tillery.
We chose this restaurant for its good reviews and
spacious outdoor dining. We dined early and enjoyed
a fabulous view on a gorgeous day.
River Wild exceeded our expectations in every way.
We didn't avail ourselves of this mini-golf, but I
bet it would appeal to some of my readers.
Because they were out of onion rings I tried out
these fried macaroni bites. YUMMY! Ever had one?
My main course was a River Steak Sandwich, their
version of a Philly Cheese Steak. Excellent!
Judy had the equally scrumptious Fish Tacos and
asparagus. There were many other menu items that
were oh so tempting!
On this map, we would be near the lower end, at
the Lilly's Bridge access point. We are very familiar
with the upper end of the lake, which is where our
dear Morrow Mountain is located.
After lunch, we took a short stroll across the old
bridge and got a nice view up the lake. You can't
see the familiar bridge of Highway 24-27 from here,
but it's a few miles up the lake.
This view (including a vast spread of lilies) is from
the boat ramp across the lake, looking back toward
our restaurant. A short walk, but a nice leg-stretcher.
Our appetites satisfied, we headed back to Mount
Gilead to get to know this little town better.
It was September 10 and the flag was at half-mast
in memory of 9-11.
Kids were in school that Friday, but I was still
surprised that not a single mom with pre-schoolers
was enjoying this town park. It looked very inviting.
We found a pleasant little walking loop downtown.
The Town Hall is now in the old theater building,
a great re-purposing. Note the marquee. It honors
9-11 while at the same time referencing the vintage
B movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Judy's dad
actually remembered going to a movie in this theater
when he did a flooring job in this area with his father
more than 70 years ago and had to stay overnight.
Here are several representative photos from the
downtown area.
Do you think "Guns and Roses" inspired this display?
Every small town needs a good old-fashioned hardware.
This town has TWO!
There were murals on just about every brick building.
These were some noted town fathers.
I didn't know anything about this gentleman before
I came home and looked him up. As a ground-breaking
civil rights attorney, he served North Carolina and its
citizens well over many decades. Read of him here:
This mural recalls tourism ads of the fifties for me.
The town had a tiny library with very limited hours,
but we were able to visit it after two o'clock. They
had a book sale, and together we found six books
that needed homes.
This bookmark was a valuable "freebie" at the library.
Great advice!
You've all seen the motorized Barbie Corvette's
that some lucky kids get to cruise their yards in.
Well have you ever seen a TANK that a young
General Patton could terrorize the neighborhood in?
This little variety store had a TON of things I'd never
seen before. Didn't spend much, but browsed a good while.
A mural that depicts Main Street in the forties,
judging from the vehicles. The downtown is in the
National Register of Historic Places, and looks very
similar to this today-- except the cars.
The grocery is no longer there. I wonder where you
would find an RC?
You've got to admit you want find a specialty shop
like this in every town-- even cities.
The name Rankin on this historic building caught
our eyes. It's the same Dr. Rankin for whom the
Rankin Museum in nearby Ellerbe is named. That's
another interesting side trip, but not for today. The
doc's old office is now a coffee shop.
Judy loved the outdoor seating beside the coffee shop.
But she only drinks coffee in the morning, so we moved on.
This mural publicizes the nearby Indian mound,
which probably brings a smattering of tourists
through this quiet but charming town.
This sign in front of the town's other hardware
store reminds us that no matter where you live,
a lot of people will pay to keep snakes out of their
yard. Even if you can't spell "sulfur." Which can
acceptably be spelled "sulphur" but NOT "sulfer."
But as long as it gets the job done, right?
This concludes my narrative of another satisfying,
relaxing, and refreshing day trip. My blog is full of
them if you care to search. Look for titles like
"Eno River," "Morrow Mountain," "Faith Rock,"
"Raven Rock," or "Bear Creek Trail" for starters.
The nicer weather that we foresee anticipates more
nice hikes and sight-seeing in the fall weeks ahead.
Happy Trails to all!
