We enjoy road trips and North Carolina has become our go to destination to escape the cold winters of the north. This year's adventure took us on a long drive south to Elizabeth City. Our journey began with a detour in Madison, Wisconsin to have dinner with our daughter, Brie. We met at Off Broad, one of our favorite pubs for eats and beer. After dinner we continued on to Bloomington, IL where we spent the night. We were lucky to get out of Minnesota when we did. A huge winter storm that dumped substantial snow moved in as we moved south.
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| Enjoying dinner in Madison |
Our next stop was Hendersonville, Tennessee. We were delighted to see daffodils and glorious purple, pink and white Red Bud trees blooming along the roadside. It felt great to catch up to spring! Located just north of Nashville, Hendersonville is a beautiful town. We took back roads and wove through hills and valleys and over rivers and creeks before arriving at our destination. Our friend Marna moved from Minnesota to Tennessee several years ago with her extended family. We arrived at her house around 3:00 and chatted with her mom Eleanor, and sister Lynn until Marna got home from work. Dinner was at Jonathan's Restaurant where we met two more of our former Minnesota friends, Alia and Jay. The Friday night special was two for one beers. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the evening and a dinner of fish tacos. When we arrived back at the house, Eleanor was waiting up for us to share a nightcap with her. It was a wonderful visit.
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| With Marna and Alia at Jonathan's |
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| With Eleanor and Marna |
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| Lynn in the She Shed |
In the morning, Marna took us on a gorgeous walk along the station Camp Greenway in Gallatin, Tennessee. The trail was busy with dog walkers and runners. We walked a three mile out and back section of the trail that wound through sunny and wooded sections, with several bridges that crossed back and forth over Station Camp Creek. It was a great way to begin our day. After our walk we jumped back in our car to head toward North Carolina.
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| Station Camp Creek Trailhead |
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| Hiking with Marna |
We are lucky to be traveling with a flexible schedule. Our Airbnb was booked for Sunday which gave us two more days to get there. With time to explore, we stopped at the Bunker Hill Historic Covered Bridge in Catawba County, North Carolina. We enjoy visiting these historic landmarks but are always disappointed to find graffiti and vandalism. There was a half mile walking path through the woods to the other side of the bridge. A short path, called John's Overlook, looped around and through the woods, crossing Lyle Creek which enabled us to see the bridge from the other side.
Bunker Hill Covered Bridge was close to Statesville, North Carolina where we stayed for the night. We slept well and were up and headed for Elizabeth City by 8:00 am. There were several towns we wanted to drive through including Edenton, which sits along the banks of the Pasquotank River. Edenton was cold, windy and rainy. The river was churning and the boats in the marina were dancing in their slips. We stopped long enough to walk along the waterfront then jumped back in the car for the drive to Hertford, a quaint town about 20 minutes west of Elizabeth City. We drove into town hoping to explore what we'd heard was a charming place to live. We parked at the City Hall lot and walked across the street to the local Microbrewery, but were disappointed to find it closed even though the sign said it should be open. The building had broken windows and bullet holes. I'm not sure what we expected, but Hertford was a small town that appeared to be worn and tired. It is going to need a boost to become charming once again.
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| Roanoke River Light Edenton, NC |
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| Blustery Edenton Waterfront |
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| Muddy bottomed boat in Edenton |
We arrived in Elizabeth City early in the afternoon and contacted our Airbnb host about checking in. We were settled in the "Secret Room" by 2:00 and headed out, ready to explore the historic downtown. Our first stop was Seven Sounds Microbrewery only blocks away.
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| Staying warm by the fire at Seven Sounds |
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| Seven Sounds Brewery, sandy beach |
We made the best of the long drive to North Carolina. When we were on our Great Loop Adventure aboard our sailboat, we learned that the journey to our destination held mystery and intrigue. Each travel day was filled with new experiences. Every passage was an opportunity to explore and learn new things. Our road trips work the same way. Our journey becomes part of the adventure and we do our best to enjoy the ride!
