Good Friends

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

The reunion group split up one day, some going to Chimney Rock and others going for a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. On that day the train went on a four hour excursion from Bryson City along the Tuckasegee River, over the Fontana Lake trestle and on to the Nantahala Gorge. The folks in this area are experts at tourism and offer single events as well as full vacation packages throughout the year. Cathy and Lynda agreed that if it had been two or three weeks later in October the trees would have taken on their full Autumn colors, and the train ride would have been even more spectacular than it was. It's fairly certain they didn't feel short-changed, though, because every vista in these mountains offers breathtaking scenery. The friendly folks at the Fryemont Inn had no trouble suggesting things for the group to do, but they were hard put to select only a few of those that would qualify as "don't-miss".

Chimney Rock Park

Even though it was a "goodly" drive away from the Fryemont Inn, Meg and Gis and I went to Chimney Rock Park, which by itself was pretty astounding, but combine that with the drive through part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and it was a phenomenal day altogether. Such beauty; nature at its best; we were in awe.

The Dillsboro Chocolate Factory

Yum, yum. I just have to tell you about the Chocolate Factory in Dillsboro, North Carolina. When we visited there we found ourselves wanting to sample every single variety of chocolate they had. www.dillsborochocolate.com
They make their own chocolate candy daily and customers are invited to watch the process and ask questions. There are display cases fairly bursting with tantalizing chocolates, for sale by the piece, the half pound or the pound. We were offered generous samples to try before buying. All of us bought and shared various chocolate goodies while sitting at a round table near the entrance. Ever hear of Pepper Chocolate or Cajun Chocolate?! Lattes and various other complicated coffee drinks were also available, along with soft drinks and water. You can also find Jelly Belly jelly beans, gourmet coffee beans and food gift baskets. I found some shelves featuring old fashioned candy and bought some Neccos, which used to be a standby in the movie theaters when I was a kid. I had no idea they were still available, but then the internet has everything, doesn't it? Yum, yum.

The Cherokees

I thought I might share some of the group's activities with those of you who weren't able to make it to the reunion. One highlight was a visit to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, where the amazing displays, some with accompanying audio, followed the history of the Cherokees from the time of the mastodons through the "trail of tears" through the establishment of Cherokee reservations. We saw the evolution of the tools they used, their artwork and pottery and basketry, and their gardening. Meg was especially impressed with what the Cherokees call the "Three Sisters", corn, squash and beans, which they planted together in the same mound. This was what is now called "companion planting" through which all the plants benefit the others. Meg was very hungry for a plate of corn, squash and beans... but as far as I know she went home unsatisfied.

Across from the museum was a gift shop featuring Indian artwork and crafts from several of the tribes across the country. Baskets and pottery of all sizes and shapes and patterns caught my eye, but the price tags were daunting. There were pencil sketches, "dot" paintings, watercolors and oils, many representing famous Indians, and others showing the daily life of various Indian tribes, or their flora and fauna. It was an enormously fascinating and beautiful shop, but because there was so much and such a variety, there was no way we could have seen it all. Guess I get to go back some day!

Driving to the Smokies

Some of you know that I have a new Toyota Yaris, a 4-cylinder, 2-door hatchback, which I love, and which Cathy and I drove from my home in southern Indiana to the Smokies in North Carolina. I'm pleased to report that we averaged 41 mpg. (I get 35 in town.) Some say that staying at 60 mph or below results in the best mileage, so I do wonder if that would have worked for us. However, in order to keep from being run over we had to drive at least the speed limit on the interstates, because everyone else was running at 5 to 10 mph over. The drive was an adventure, and I was very thankful to have Cathy as a navigator. I made one wrong turn somewhere, and we totally missed another because it simply wasn't there, so our trip down took too long. The trip back home was more timely. Cathy, by the way, (or Catherine, as she prefers to be called) flew in from Boise on Saturday the 27th. We had a day just to ourselves before undertaking the trip to NC. Many of you probably don't know that we have been friends since first grade! During the ride there and back we solved many of the world's troubles. You think?!

Who Was There?

At Mary Eschelbach's request, I will identify the "Staff girls" shown in the pictures below... (all listed left to right)... Top picture with rocking chairs on the porch: Lynda Scheer Burke, Karen "Gis" Gisleson Rasch, Catherine "Cathy" Carter Petzak, and Meg Scott O'Neill. Picture of the Blue Ridge Parkway elevation sign: Diane Dickerson Bird and Gis. Picture of four on a bench outside the Cherokee gift shop: Gis, Meg, Cathy and Linda. Picture of all of us in front of the Fryemont Inn sign: Meg, Cathy, Diane, Lynda and Gis.

Pics disappeared from this entry, so look at more recent posts (above) to locate pictures referred to here :-(

Staff Reunion

Staff Reunion in the Smokies

Just returned from a vacation in the Smokies, where a small group of college friends met and stayed for a few days. We are "Staff Girls", who worked in the dining room of Saint Mary's College at Notre Dame, Indiana, to fund our tuition. We formed a lasting bond, living on the same floor in LeMans hall and working together 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. We've enjoyed reunions in the past, in San Diego, Denver, Williamsburg, and at Saint Mary's, but this was our first one for several years. Unfortunately, as we get older there are fewer of us able to get together for any length of time, so there were only 5 of us this time. But, boy, did we ever have a great time.