Day 70 - North Carolina

Day 70

Dec. 20

Asheville, NC

Dear Miss Smith

    Today is the last day of our trip in North Carolina. It seems like we just got here yesterday, but I think we saved the best for last. Today we had a quick breakfast, and then headed to Biltmore Estates for the day. We drove down the long three mile approach road, and even from a distance the place looked big, but as we were driving closer it kept growing, and growing, by the time we got there it was HUGE!

Grand Banquet Room

    When we arrived we went in to tour the house. We were told that the house has over 4 acres of floor space. We also learned that George Vanderbilt had it built for his summer home, and that his estate used to have 125,000 acres, including Mt. Pisgah. I probably don't need to mention that he came from a wealthy family. Everything was decorated for Christmas. The Grand Banquet Room was 72 feet long by 42 feet wide with a 70 foot high ceiling.

On one side of the room there was a triple fireplace. The fireplace was so tall that I think I could have stood up in it, and the mantle was so high that even if I stood on my toes, I would not be able to reach it. It must have been a little difficult for them to hang their stockings there at Christmas time, or maybe they hung them on one of the other 64 fireplaces in the house. I wonder how they decided which one to use. In the middle of the room there was a long table that had thirteen chairs on each side and one on each end. They must have liked having lots of company. I wonder if any of the Vanderbilt's guests ever got lost when they went to use one of the 43 bathrooms, and ended up spending the night in one of the 35 bedrooms, and getting found in the morning by one of the 80 servants? Since I can't ask them, I guess I'll just have to wonder.

Winter Garden

    One of Kristina's favorite places in the house was the Winter Garden. It had a marble floor, and there was light coming down on the many palms, ferns, flowers, and poinsettias through the windows in the domed ceiling.

Library

Billiard Room

Priscilla's favorite room in the house was the Library. Kristina and I also really liked the Library. It had walnut paneling on the walls, and a black marble fireplace, but I think the best part about it was all those books. We were told that there are over 10,000 volumes! I don't think that they ever had any trouble finding something new to read. There was also a small spiral staircase and a ladder in the room, so that you could get to the top bookcases. We were also told that George Vanderbilt spoke eight different languages fluently, and that the books in the library are in eight different languages. I think that if we had been allowed to read the books in the library, that we could have spent the whole day there just reading, but we weren’t allowed to, so we went to look at some more rooms.
    One of the rooms we looked at was the Billiard Room. One of my favorite things about this room was that it had hidden doors in the paneling of the wall next to the fireplace.

Edith Vanderbilt's Room

Another room we saw was the North Bedroom. We were told that this was George Vanderbilt's mothers bedroom before she died, and that later when he married Edith Styvessant Dresser, it became her bedroom. We also got to see George Vanderbilt's bedroom. It was the South Bedroom, and had a great view of his 125,000 acre estate. Later after his death, his wife Edith sold 87,000 acres of the estate to the United States Forest Service, for less than five dollars an acre. Later some of the land that they had left was developed into the town of Biltmore Forest, and some was sold for the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were told that the estate today has about 8,000 acres.

Louis XIV Room

Main Kitchen

We also got to see the bedroom where George and Edith Vanderbilt's only child Cornelia Vanderbilt was born. It was the Louis 16th Bedroom. The bedroom was large and very pretty. We were told that Cornelia later married John Francis Amherst Cecil, and had two sons; George and William. We were told that her second son William was also born in this room. It seems like Cornelia must have named her sons after her father, George, and her grandfather, William. I wonder if George Vanderbilt named Cornelia the feminine version of his grandfather's name, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
    We also got to see the three kitchens; the Pastry Kitchen, the Rotisserie Kitchen, and the Main Kitchen. There was also a bowling alley. We were told that a servant would sit up above the bowling alley, and would set up the pins again when
the pins were knocked down.

Unfilled Indoor Swimming Pool

They also had an indoor swimming pool. The Breakfast Room, which they used for more informal dining, had Spanish leather on the walls. I really enjoyed seeing the Music Room also. During our tour we got to see rooms on the three different floors of the house not including the basement. We were told that the house has 250 rooms.
    After the tour, we made gingerbread houses with the pastry chef. That was really fun. Looking at all those gingerbread houses sure made us hungry, so we decided to go have lunch.

Our table was the third stall from the right

We went to eat at what used to be the stables, but has since been turned into a restaurant; the Stable Cafe. I know what your thinking. Yes, it has been cleaned since then. The food was delicious! They had so many special holiday options on the menu, that it was hard to decide what to eat.
After lunch we took a quick walk through some of the gardens: the Azalea Garden, the Italian Garden, the Bass Pond, and the English Walled Garden. There were other gardens too, but because it was so cold outside we didn't walk through them all.

Tapestry Gallery

    Later when it was starting to get dark we went back to Biltmore house for their Candlelight Tour. The house was full of traditional Christmas music, from the many ensembles, choirs, and soloists playing and singing. There was even music from the pipe organ in the Banquet Hall. I think I could have stood there listening to it all night, but I was curious to see what the rest of the house looked like with all the Christmas decorations at night, so we went to take a look.

George Vanderbilt's Room

The house was beautiful! All the fireplaces had a cherry fire roaring in them, and the candles gave a soft glow to the rooms. It almost seemed like we were stepping back in time, if it wasn't for all those Christmas trees loaded with electric lights. There were so many Christmas trees throughout the house, that we decided to have a contest, to see how many Christmas trees each of us could see before we left that night. I carefully kept count throughout the evening, but before we went to bed that night, I forgot how many Christmas trees I had seen. Priscilla also had been keeping count of how many Christmas trees she had seen, but she forgot about the contest halfway through the evening, so Kristina ended up winning the contest.

Grand Staircase

Even though I have forgotten how many Christmas trees I had seen, I have not forgotten how tall the Fraser fir was that they had set up in the banquet hall. It was 35 feet tall. We stopped for a little while to listen to the Christmas music in the Winter Garden. It was wonderful. Then we went to finish looking at the rest of the house.

While we were walking up the grand staircase, I looked out one of the windows that was facing the front of the house. There was a 55 foot Norway spruce decorated on the front lawn, with a fountain splashing behind it.

    While we were looking around, we were told that the estate took just over six years to build, and that it was opened on Christmas Eve 1895 to guests and friends. We also were told about a Christmas tradition started by George Vanderbilt in 1895. All the estate employees, workers, and their family's, were invited to the house on Christmas morning for a Christmas party. There were presents for them on the Christmas tree, and they had cakes and ice-cream. This tradition has been continued ever since that first Christmas at Biltmore estates. We also learned that George Vanderbilt's mother, used to read Christmas story’s to their guest's children, around a large table filled with delicious food. I really liked how the rest of the house looked at night with all the Christmas lights. I especially liked how the Music room, and the Library looked with all the candles, and the fires glowing. The evening was over all too quickly. When we left, we drove out of the Lodge Gate, which was decorated with white Christmas lights, and looked very pretty. I’ve really enjoyed our trip to North Carolina, and I hope we will do it again some time.

From,

Katelyn

P.S. I hope it’s warmer next time we come.

Day 69 - North Carolina

Day 69

Dec. 19

Chimney Rock, NC

Dear Miss Smith
    Today we drove to Chimney Rock State Park to spend the day. After we arrived, we picked up a trail map and decided to start on the Four Seasons Trail. We packed a picnic lunch, and got the dogs ready to accompany us on our hike. Then we started on the trail.

    Priscilla was wearing her new Sunny-Green Hat, and walking Penelope. Katelyn was walking Timber, and I was carrying the picnic basket. One time when we stopped to rest because the trail was quiet steep, we saw some deer, but Timber and Penelope started barking and scarred them away. When we were about two-thirds of the way through the Four Seasons Trail, we saw some large rock formations, and stopped to take a picture and enjoy the scenery. Then we continued our hike.     Eventually the Four Seasons Trail joined up with the Hickory Nut Falls Trail, so we started hiking on that trail. While we were hiking down the trail we saw three different types of wood peckers, and we even saw a purple finch. Priscilla stopped to take a quick picture of it before it flew away. After we had been hiking for a while we came to a footbridge. We knew from looking at our trail map that Hickory Nut Falls was not far away. We crossed the bridge, and after walking a short distance we came to Hickory Nut Falls. It was 404 feet tall! It is one of the highest waterfalls in North Carolina. We were able to get close enough to the waterfall to feel its mist. It was quiet a sight. There was a picnic area close by, so we decided to stop and eat lunch.

    We set the picnic basket down on the picnic table, and pulled out the sandwiches we had made earlier that day, and started eating. From where we were eating, we could hear the roar of the waterfall, and see it cascading down the cliff. After we finished eating we walked back down the trail. Priscilla saw a Golden Crowned Kinglet and stopped to take a picture. She also had taken some pictures of the waterfall. This hike has sure been well photographed. After a while we came back to the spot where the Four Seasons Trail meets up with the Hickory Nut Falls Trail. We decided to continue on the Hickory Nut Falls Trail. Eventually we turned off the trail and headed up several flights of stairs to get to the Outcroppings Trail. Once we got to the Outcroppings Trail we headed to Vista Rock. When we got there, we took a short rest and enjoyed the view. Then we hiked over to Pulpit Rock to see the view from there. Timber and Penelope really seemed to be enjoying the hike so far, and they still seemed to have plenty of energy left, so we headed up to Chimney Rock. We climbed the 44 steps from the trail to the top of the Chimney Rock and as we were climbing, I noticed that the wind was starting to pick up.

    When we got to the top we saw an American flag waving in the wind. From the top of Chimney Rock we could see 75 miles away, and in the distance we could see Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village. We were at an elevation of 2,280 feet. The view was breathtaking! Priscilla took several pictures. It was about then that a sudden strong gust of wind blew Priscilla's hat right off her head, and hurled it somewhere down below. She was taking a picture at the time it blew off, and I wonder if you can see her hat flying away in it? We watched the hat until it was out of sight, but there was nothing we could do about it, so we continued our hike. We were hoping we would find it when we hiked back to the RV. The Outcroppings Trail has over 500 stairs and we were starting to get tired, so we decided to stop at the Sky Lounge and take a look at their gift shop. While we were there, Priscilla bought a black bear key chain for her Fifty-State-Hat.

    Then we headed out on the Skyline Trail. Our first stop was the Opera Box. At this point the trail was covered by a rock overhang. From here we could see Hickory Nut Gorge, and Lake Lure. The view was great. After that we hiked to Exclamation Point, the highest point of the park. It was at an elevation of 2,480 feet, which is 200 feet higher than Chimney Rock. From here we could see the entrance of the park way down in the valley below. After taking in the view and resting, we started heading back. It was so nice to finally be going downhill again.

    After a while we arrived back at the Sky Lounge. There was a 26-story elevator here that we would have liked to take down, but they don't allow pets on the elevator, so we had to hike back down the stairs. The stairs didn't seem any shorter the second time. When we got to the base of the stairs, we decided to take turns going up and down the elevator, to experience the fun of going 26 story’s in only 30 seconds. Katelyn and Priscilla went up first, while I stayed with the dogs. After they went up in the elevator, and I had been standing there for a little while, the elevator door opened and a lady stepped out. When she saw me her face grew puzzled, and she asked me how I had managed it. I thought that she must be talking about me handling two dogs at once. I told her that they were usually well behaved dogs and that I could easily handle both of them. Her face grew even more puzzled than before. She looked down at the dogs, then she looked back up at me. She asked me how I had gotten down before her, because she hadn't seen me in the elevator, and I didn't look like I had just run down the stairs. It was my turn to look confused. I was trying to figure out what she was talking about. Then I realized what had happened. She must have seen Katelyn and Priscilla up by the Sky Lounge and then taken the elevator down. When she saw me she must have thought that I was Katelyn and that I had somehow gotten down before she had. When this occurred to me, I had to try hard not to laugh. When I explained to her that I was an identical twin she started to laugh, and I could not help joining in. After that she asked me what the dogs names were, and what kind of dogs they were. I told her, and then she leaned down and patted them on the head. After we talked a little more, she said she hoped that we would have a great afternoon, and then she left. It wasn't long before Priscilla and Katelyn came back down the elevator. Then it was my turn to go up. Priscilla said she would stay with the dogs, so Katelyn went up with me. After we came back down, I told Priscilla and Katelyn about the lady's mix up, and they found it very humorous. Then we started heading back to the RV.

   While we were heading back we kept a lookout for Priscilla's hat, but we didn't see it anywhere. Then all of a sudden while we were walking back through the Four Seasons Trail, a deer ran across the path right in front of us! The dogs lunged forward, and Timber managed to pull his leash right out of Katelyn's hand! He started to chase the deer, but Katelyn called him and he came back over to us. Katelyn quickly grabbed his leash again. When Katelyn called Timber, I noticed two people who were walking a little further down the trail, suddenly jump and look around nervously at the trees. Then they looked at us, and we explained to them that one of the dogs name's was Timber, and that they didn't have to worry about any trees falling on them. They looked relieved, and we continued on our way. We made sure to keep a tight hold of the dog's leashes after that.

    When we got back to the RV we could hardly believe our eyes. There was Priscilla's hat hanging on the rear view mirror! After retrieving the hat, we got into the RV. There was just enough time before supper for Priscilla to show us her hat collection. Katelyn and I liked her Miami Hat the best. After Priscilla showed us her hat collection, we all had supper and are now heading to bed to rest up for our big day at Biltmore Estates.

From,

Kristina

Day 68 - North Carolina

Day 68

December 18

Charlotte, NC

Dear Miss Smith,
    I am sure this won’t be a very long letter as I am yawning already and it is quite late. Everyone has gone to bed except me and I hope to follow them soon.

    Today we visited the Billy Graham Library. It is quite a place, Miss Smith, and you should have seen the bookshelves! But, lest you think this is just a library, it is also a museum, restaurant, and more.
    We started out with a tour of the Graham home were Billy lived from age 9 until he headed off for college. The house is a two-story Colonial house built of bricks and looks like it should be in Williamsburg, or some other such place. But it did have indoor plumbing.

    Our next place to visit was the museum where we discovered so many interesting facts about Billy Graham’s life. This is housed in a large barn-shaped building and the entrance is through a large cross. This building also houses Ruth’s Attic Bookstore which was a lovely place to visit. It was hard not to buy stacks of books, but as you well know, there would be no room in the RV for them. I did buy a book or two and, when the girls weren’t around, I bought them each a necklace for Christmas. But don’t tell them.
    Oh, I forgot to mention that the day before yesterday we stopped by a Christmas Tree farm and purchased a small one for the RV. It smells so lovely, and I bought an ornament from the bookstore.

    Sometime during the middle of the day, I can’t now remember if it was before or after we visited the bookstore, we stopped to eat lunch at the Graham Brothers Dairy Bar. There is nothing quite like a hot lunch on a cold winter day. It was hard to decide just what we wanted, but I ended up with the Grilled Chicken Sandwich and chips, with a homemade cookie for dessert. We ate in a cozy place that looked just like a horse stall only with a table and bench seats instead of straw and a horse.

    Since it is Christmas time, we got to go see the live nativity outside, and after it got dark we took a carriage ride behind some lovely horses, after which we warmed up with hot chocolate before wandering around a little more.
    Then it was time to head back to the RV where we took the dogs for a run and prepared a late supper. Then I cleaned up the kitchenette while the girls took the dogs out once more before bed.
    Now I must head to bed myself, Miss Smith. I have been yawning for the past twenty minutes and I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep right here if I don’t crawl into bed soon.

Sweet dreams,

~Priscilla

Day 67 - North Carolina

Day 67

Dec. 17

Charlotte, NC

Dear Miss Smith,

            Today we woke up to the sound of goats bleating in the pastures. It was such fun to have goat cheese, scones, and fresh egg omelets for breakfast, not to mention homemade preserves. Our stay at the Celebrity Dairy has been a lot of fun.

            After breakfast we drove to Bear Creek to buy some treats at Southern Supreme Gourmet Specialties. When we arrived we took a quick look at the gift shop, there were gift baskets with fruitcake, chocolate-coated nuts, jams, and treats. The gift shop was really pretty with all the Christmas decorations. Since none of us cared that much for fruitcake, we decided to get some lemon tea biscuits, and some blackberry jam.

Lemon Tea Biscuits

            After buying our treats we headed back to the RV to have lunch. Penelope and Timber seemed to know that we had something good in our bag, and wanted some of it. However, we didn't think it would be good for them, so we gave them each a dog treat instead.

Mrs. Hanes

            After lunch we drove to Clemmons, and went to Mrs. Hanes Handmade Moravian Cookies. A delicious smell greeted us at the door, as we went into the special viewing area to watch the cookies being made. There were six different “cookie stations” where cookies were being rolled out, and cut by hand with cookie cutters. 

We would have liked a tour, but they don't have them during November and December because they are to busy.

However, we did get to taste samples of their six different kinds of cookies. There were ginger crisps, sugar crisps, lemon crisps, chocolate crisps, butterscotch crisps, and black walnut crisps.

The first stove they used.

            My favorite flavor was the sugar crisps, the recipe has been handed down for generations. The sugar crisp was the first kind of cookie that they started making back when Mrs. Hanes was a little girl, and lived on a small dairy farm. Mrs. Hanes and her mother would bake cookies in a wood stove, to sell at Christmas time to supplement the family income.

Mixing 10,000 pounds of dough!

            Katelyn's favorite kind of cookie was the lemon crisps, and Priscilla's favorite were the ginger crisps. The ginger crisps have long been the local Christmas favorite also. After watching the “cookie making” for a little while, we were told that they bake 1,000 cookies at a time, and that they bake around ten million cookies a year!

            After our visit to Mrs. Hanes Handmade Moravian Cookies, we drove down to Charlotte to spend the night.

From,

Kristina

P.S. We found Timber and Penelope on Priscilla's bed this morning. They seemed very pleased with themselves.

Day 66 - North Carolina

Day 66

December 16

Siler City, North Carolina

Dear Miss Smith,

         It has been a thrilling day for me and I must tell you all about it. I am enjoying a very quiet and relaxed night here in my lovely room at Celebrity Dairy Inn. My room, which I shall tell you about soon, is located on the second floor, while Katelyn & Kristina enjoy rooms on the third floor. Dogs are not allowed in the Inn here and so we have left Timber and Penelope to enjoy the entire RV tonight. I have no doubt that Timber will be sleeping on my bed and will most likely encourage Penelope to share it with him since I am sure I forgot to shut the bedroom door before we left. I’m half inclined to get up and tramp all the way out to the RV just to make sure that door is shut properly. But I’m only half inclined and think perhaps I won’t since it is a cold night and I am writing this letter from my warm bed.

         But I must tell you about our day.

         Leaving Roanoke, we drove for a while listening to 89.7 FM on the radio. Since we were going to be in the area, I decided that our trip to North Carolina just wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the radio station you listen to all day long. I was wondering, do you have the radio on when you go to bed? I never thought to ask until now. I wasn’t sure what to expect having never been in a radio station before, but those at WCPE The Classical Station were very warm and welcoming.

         Did you know that their tower is more than 1200 feet tall? We could see it for miles and knew where we were heading even before we arrived. Fancy being able to broadcast the marvelous music of the classical composers all around the world. I’m sure Benjamin Franklin would have been pleased, as would Samuel F. B. Morse, Alexander Graham Bell and the rest of those inventors.

         Tara Lynn was so very sweet when we came in and took us on a tour of the station and introduced us to many people who, up to now, have just been names on the radio. Dan McHugh was working that morning and he was kind enough to let me do one of the announcements and send my greetings to you. I do hope you were listening during that time as it’s too late to go back and do it again. You said Dan sounded “cute” on the radio, well he was even better looking in person, but my dear Miss Smith, he was entirely too young for you.

         As much as I enjoyed the tour of the station and getting to be on the air, my most thrilling moment of the morning was when David Ballantyne walked in! As you know, David was born and raised in London, England and his accent is the real thing, not one of those fake accents you hear people try and pass off nowadays. I was wearing my favorite hat and he told me it was the most extraordinarily charming hat he had seen since he was last in London. Imagine my supreme delight at those words.

         Our travels continued after finding a quaint little restaurant in Wake Forest where we ate lunch, followed by a walk around the town with the dogs. I wished it were dark and we could see all the Moravian stars lit up which are hanging in every doorway and window. It must be a lovely sight.

"Aunt Agnes"

         Oh, Miss Smith, guess what I discovered in a quaint little antique shop window. A hat just like my great, great, great, great Aunt Agnes had! I simply couldn’t resist stepping inside the shop and having a better look at it while Katelyn and Kristina held on to the dogs outside. The shop was run by an old man, and he was so kind as to take the hat out of the window so I might examine it more closely. Miss Smith, it was just like Aunt Agnes’s hat. I’ve always admired the picture of my aunt, and how often I have wished for a hat just like hers, since hers became lost in the intervening generations between her and myself, though I never could hope to look as lovely as she did.  I was torn between buying the hat and leaving it there, for I didn’t have a hat box it would fit in. (All those feathers must have some protection or it would be ruined in a week.) I mentioned that I was traveling through the area in my RV and didn’t have a way to keep it safe when I wasn’t wearing it. The man stared at me for a moment and then said, “You’d wear that thing?”

         “Oh, yes!” I replied, turning it around in my hand. “It is just like one my great, great, great, or how ever many greats it was, aunt had.”

         “Ma’am,” he replied, “if you buy that hat and will allow my granddaughter to come take a picture of you wearing it, I’ll throw in a hat box that just fits that hat, for free.”

         How could I refuse such an offer after that? In a few moments the hat was mine. A minute more and the man’s granddaughter (she works for the local paper) came and took a dozen pictures of me with my newest hat, asked many questions, and even interviewed Katelyn and Kristina. It was quite thrilling, I assure you, and my only regret was that we were not going to be around long enough to see the photo and interview in print. I did leave your name and address with the kind man, as well as the price of a paper and postage, and requested that he mail you a copy of the paper. I’m calling this hat “Aunt Agnes.”

         But our travels for the day were not over and we soon set off for the Celebrity Dairy. It is a small family farm, but the Inn is a lovely building. Actually it is two buildings— a modern Greek Revival farmhouse and an 1800 log cabin joined by a two-story atrium. The log cabin was the original settler’s cabin. There are wide porches skirting the farmhouse, and the 250-year-old oak trees are stately and grand even in the winter. I can just imagine what it must be like in the summer when everything is green.

         The dairy is known for its award winning goat cheese and is, as you may have assumed, a goat farm. Their herd is of Alpine and Saanen goats and their cheese is quite delightful. I am glad we chose to visit the Dairy for they do not ship their cheese because it would suffer in the mail.

         When we arrived, we were welcomed and greeted by our hosts Fleming and Brit, along with one of the goats, Kathryn, who is getting along in years but still seems interested in visitors.

         After getting a tour of The Inn and settling into our rooms, we were shown the barn where the goats reside. Kristina and Katelyn would have offered to help milk had there been a chance since they have goats at home, but there were no goats to milk as we came at an off time.

         Supper was delightful and then we retired to our rooms for the evening.

"Katherine's Room"

         Kristina’s room is called “Katherine’s Room” and has light pink walls. Being on the top floor causes the roof to slope down. She has a lovely window seat where one can relax and enjoy the view of the small south meadow.

Bernard's Room"

        Across the hallway from the “Katherine” is  “Bernard's Room” where Katelyn is sleeping. Her walls are also light pink but the bed frame is dark wood and there is no window seat; however, the sheer curtains on the windows were tied back so the north meadow could be seen. Both the upper rooms are quite cozy, and I’m sure the girls will sleep fine.

"Lynan's Room"

         My room is dubbed the “Lynan’s Room” and has blue walls and a quilt with a background of blue. The bed is just lovely, quite unique with its tall pencil posts of a light wood color. The upper parts of the walls, just below the ceiling, appear papered in lace which adds a charm to the room which I can’t describe. When it was light, I could look from my window and see the front meadow and watch the sun setting.

         Now, Miss Smith, as I am quite tired and we will have a busy day before us, I think I will turn out my light and get some sleep. I’m looking forward to our breakfast here on the farm.

Pleasant dreams,

~Priscilla

Day 65 - North Carolina

Day 65

December 15

Roanoke Island, South Carolina

My Dear Miss Smith,
    Here we are having spent our second day in North Carolina. I am greatly enjoying the time with Katelyn and Kristina though I can’t tell them. The first question I have to ask each morning is who is who and then I’m sure to get them mixed up at least a dozen times a day. I suppose this is what comes when you travel with twins who look so much alike. However, they have both assured me that even their family gets them mixed up now and then. That news has made me feel somewhat better, but still, one likes to know for sure who one is addressing when one speaks.  Perhaps by the time our week of travels in this state are over I will be able to tell them apart. I don’t know if the dogs can tell them apart or not, but Timber and Penelope both adore the girls, and both girls are entirely willing to take the dogs out any time.
    But I must get on with this letter or I will never get it finished. Right now we are parked and supper is just over. Katelyn is washing the dishes and Kristina is drying and putting them away. Or is it the other way around? Oh dear, I can’t tell!
    This morning was quite lovely. Our drive to our first stop wasn’t very long and the sun was shining and the prospect of driving along the Outer Banks once more made us all the more eager to get up early.

    Our first stop of the day was at Kill Devil Hills, otherwise known as Kitty Hawk. Imagine being in the very same place, Miss Smith, as the first people who actually flew! There we were able to walk and see what Orville and Wilbur saw when they came to Kitty Hawk to try their experiment in flight. Of course, there wasn’t any visitor’s center or the Centennial Pavilion back then, and certainly not a full scale bronze replica of the 1903 flier, but still it was the same place. There are several sculptures of people who played an important part in documenting and assisting in that first flight.

John Daniels

Did you know that John Daniels, the man who took the famous photo of the first flight, had never taken a photo before in his life? He worked at the Life-Saving Station on Kill Devil Hills, but his willingness to take a photo has earned him a bronze replica of his action at the park.

1903 Flyer

    The exhibits in the Centennial Pavilion were interesting, showing life size replicas of the first plane, glider and even the Wright brother’s wind tunnel. As much as I enjoy adventure, Miss Smith, I’m not sure I’d have been willing to commit myself to such a flimsy looking contraption. But we enjoyed walking around the 1903 flyer sculpture out on the sandy hill.
    We learned some fascinating facts as we explored the area. Here is one of them. Neil Armstrong carried a piece of cloth and wood from the original 1903 Wright Flyer when he went to the moon. Ah, the far reaching results of that first flight. I’m sure Orville and Wilbur never dreamed of reaching the moon when they were first attempting to fly.

    But, alas, our time at Kitty Hawk had to end after only a few hours and Katelyn, Kristina and I set off for the Roanoke Island Festival Park.

    We were overwhelmed by all the things to do at the park and weren’t sure where to begin. At last, after some talk, we agreed to head first to the Elizabeth II. This ship is a replica of a 1585 English merchant ship. There were seven of them in the voyage to Roanoke that year. I always picture old ships as dull in color, but the Elizabeth II was anything but drab and dull. From the green and white Tudor flag and the red and white Cross of St. George flag on the masts, to the blue, red, white and brown of the ship itself, everything was bright.
We got to try our hand at setting the sails, swabbing the deck and raised the anchor. I even played a game of checkers with a sailor, but I was defeated. Perhaps I should have taken Cousin Zelfred up on his offer to teach me to play checkers when I was ten. Oh, a misspent youth is hard to retrieve.

    Our next stop was the settlement site of the first English settlers on North American soil. A fascinating place it was with the added thought of wonder about what really happened to the colony. The speculations must run riot if one thinks about it too long. Did they all die out? Did they move in with some friendly Indians, inter-marry and forget their English roots? Did they perish in a storm? What ever became of Virginia Dare?

    Moving on (We tried not to spend too much time in any one place as there was so much to see.), we headed over to the Indian Town. There we were able to see two longhouses and actually step inside to see what it would have been like. It was all very fascinating, though our house on wheels suites me more than a longhouse would.

    Miss Smith, you must visit the Roanoke Adventure Museum yourself for it would take me hours to tell you about it. I thought it would just be about the first settlement—the Lost Colony, but it was much more. We learned more about “the graveyard of the Atlantic,” what happened during the Civil War; there were also hands-on experiences (We could even dress up!), displays displays . . . we could have spent hours there had it not been closing time.

Alas, night comes sooner in winter months than summer. Since it was winter they weren’t having their “music in the park” as they do in warmer weather. And we didn’t have time to see the lighthouse, or build a boat in a day or . . . You can be sure that this place is already written down in my file of places to visit again.

    Arriving back at the RV, we were met by two very delighted dogs whom Kristina and Katelyn promptly took for a walk while I prepared supper. Yes, Miss Smith, I did prepare it. Of course it was easy, as we had purchased a few frozen pizzas last week and all I had to do was put them in the oven and cut up some carrots. I do like quick and easy meals if I must prepare them.
    But now the kitchenette is spotless and we are all going to take the dogs for another walk and enjoy some Christmas lights. I find it difficult to believe Christmas is next week.

Farewell until another time,

~Priscilla

Day 64 - North Carolina

Day 64

Dec. 14

Outer Banks, North Carolina

Dear Miss Smith,

            On December 14 I woke up with a feeling of great excitement and anticipation. Today would be the first day of our week in North Carolina. I jumped out of bed to go see if my sister Kristina was awake. I found her up and petting the dogs, Timber and Penelope, while she was talking with Priscilla about the exciting week that lay ahead for the three of us.

            We started our travels on the first day of our trip in North Carolina by taking the dogs out for a walk. They seemed to know that they were not coming with us to Shackleford Banks Island, and were trying to make the most of their morning walk. We were not taking them with us because we didn't want them scaring the wild horses, and I don't think they would be allowed on the island anyway.

            Then we went back to the RV for a delicious breakfast. We fed the dogs too. I wonder if they have been to more states than I have? I'll have to ask Priscilla later. After breakfast we took a ferry to Shackleford Banks Island to see the wild horses.

            We arrived after traveling three miles on the water. Then we started on our walk to see the horses. On the ferry ride we were told that these horses are actually called bankers ponies and that they are descendants of Spanish horses that had survived shipwrecks around that area. We asked one of the men on the ferry how long the horses have been on the island, and he said, “As long as anybody can remember.” You might be wondering how they found out that the horses are of Spanish descent if they have been there as long as anybody can remember. We found out later that they had done some genetic testing to discover the horses’ origin.

            We didn't have to walk far to see some horses. They were wading in a pond known as the Mullet Pond, which is one of their favorite places on the island. I should mention that it was a warm day for December. We kept a safe distance away from the horses as we had been told to, but we were still close enough to be able to see what they were doing, and to enjoy watching them. After we had watched them play in the pond for a little while, then we decided to continue our walk.

  

Our favorite horses

          Next we headed to Bottle Run Point on the inland side of Shackleford Banks Island. This was not difficult because we were near there already. We walked up the coast a ways and then arrived at Bottle Run Point. The island is 9 miles long and not very wide. Most of the island is beaches and grassland, but there is a small forest near the Mullet Pond. There is also some fresh water on the island for the horses to drink. My favorite horse was a palomino colored stallion with a flaxen mane and tail. Priscilla's favorite horse was a dark bay mare that was standing right next to it. Kristina's favorite horse was also the flaxen maned stallion.

Getting a drink

            The view from the point was beautiful. From there we could see Harkers Island in the distance. Harkers Island is halfway between Shackleford Banks Island and the mainland. After we had been enjoying the view for a little while, we saw a horse just a short distance further up the coast. It was a bay mare digging a hole in the sand. As we watched, we saw it put its muzzle in the hole. After staying like that for a little while, it lifted its head and walked away. We were wondering what this was all about; so after the horse walked away, we went over to check it out. We looked in the hole and saw some water in the bottom of it, and came to the conclusion that the horse must have been taking a drink. We found out later that the horses do this when they are thirsty and not near any fresh water on the island.

            By now we were starting to get hungry, so we decided to start heading back. We would have to take the ferry back to Beaufort, because the only way to get to and from the island is by boat. When we arrived back at the RV we decided to take the dogs for a quick walk before lunch. We had not eaten lunch on the island because any food you want has to be brought with you to the island; and when you leave you have to take your trash with you. We had a quick lunch and started driving to Cedar Island. Our plan was to drive across Cedar Island and when we arrived at the port on the other end, to take a ferry to Ocracoke Island.

            While we were on our way to Cedar Island I decided to try to teach Penelope (the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) a trick. It wasn't long before I ran out of treats, so I asked Priscilla if we had any more. She said there was some more in the cupboard above the stove. I opened the cupboard; but I never got around to getting the treats, for all of a sudden three hats fell in my face. Priscilla, who was driving at the time, glanced in my direction, and then quickly turned her head back to look at the road. I think she was trying not to laugh. However, my doggy treat adventure did not end there. No sooner did the hats fall on the floor, than the dogs grabbed two of them and ran in different directions. Kristina jumped up to help retrieve the hats before they were ruined. I know Priscilla would have helped too but since she was driving she had to keep her eyes on the road. I know that this was difficult. I decided to chase Timber; the dog that was going into the bedroom; and finally retrieved the hat, but not before I had chased Timber around the bed a few times. Kristina was able to save the other two hats and thankfully they didn't have any tooth marks in them. After that, Kristina put Penelope on her lap; and I put the hats back in the cupboard. It was then that I decided I didn't need the treats anymore.

            As we were driving over the bridge that connected Cedar Island to the mainland, we looked out the windows at the amazing view. After we had been driving across Cedar Island for a while, I decided to take a short nap.

            When we arrived at the docks we began to wonder if we were going to have trouble trying to get them to take the RV across on the ferry, so we looked for the largest one and went to try to have the passage arranged. We finally managed to get someone to ferry the RV across to Ocracoke Island. When they loaded the RV onto the ferry, I thought I saw the ferry sink a few inches. It must be all those hats in there. The ferry ride was very enjoyable, and after two and a half hours we arrived at Ocracoke Island.

           First we went to see the lighthouse. The Ocracoke lighthouse is 65 ft. tall and white. The whitewash recipe that they used to make the lighthouse white, calls for blending lime, salt, Spanish whiting, rice, glue, and boiling water, and to apply the mixture while it is still hot. We were told that this lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse in the United States that is still in use; and that you can see its beam of light 14 miles out to sea. After this we went to look at the keepers quarters. It was a two-story white house not far from the lighthouse. We found out that the second-story was added to the house later so that an additional keeper and his family could live there, because the duties at the lighthouse had increased. The Coast-Guard operates it now so no keepers live there anymore. We also learned that the keepers and their families went fishing, hunted water-fowl, raised livestock and planted gardens in their spare time. And that the lighthouse service sent a traveling library every six months to light-stations along the coast.

Sunny Green

           After this we went to see the other historic spots in the town and went in and out of a few gift shops looking at their hats. That's when Priscilla bought her hat for North Carolina. It was a straw hat with a green ribbons and sunflowers on it. I'm not sure why they were trying to sell this during the winter, but she did get it for a great price. After Priscilla bought the hat, we got into the RV and drove up the outer banks of North Carolina to visit Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

  

Only there wasn't any snow when we were there.

         After we got there, we went to see the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. It was tall with black and white stripes spiraling upward, and we learned that it is the tallest lighthouse in North America, with 269 steps! This makes the stairs at home seem like nothing. During the summer months they have special night climbing tours weekly, and they also have a full moon climbing tour every month during the summer. Can you imagine climbing a lighthouse at night?

After that we walked along the beach for a little while enjoying the view. We didn't go swimming because it was too cold. Then we went to visit the Cape Hatteras visitors center. While we were there, we found out that it used to be the lighthouse keepers duplex. I thought this was very interesting.

Bodie Island Lighthouse

            After that we drove to Bodie Island Lighthouse. It was 156 feet tall, with black and white stripes. We were told that its first keeper was paid $400 a year! No wonder he's not there anymore. We were also told that it is actually the third Bodie Island Lighthouse. The first one started leaning because of bad construction plans and had to be abandoned. The second lighthouse was destroyed in 1861 by Confederate troops because they didn't want the Union troops using it. The first two Bodie lighthouses were actually on Pea Island.

            After this we were all getting very hungry, so we went to eat at a restaurant. The food was excellent. While we were there the waitress told us something about the Ocracoke Lighthouse that we had not heard earlier that day. She said that, unlike most lighthouses, the Ocracoke Lighthouse actually signals safety. We asked her how the mariners out at sea could tell the difference between a lighthouse signaling safety and one signaling danger. She said that each Lighthouse has a different paint pattern and light sequence so that mariners can tell it apart from other lighthouses even at night.

            After this we went back to the RV to sleep. It was then that I asked Priscilla how many States the dogs have been too. It turns out that I have actually been to more States than they have. I wonder how long that will last? We were ready for bed soon after we arrived back at the RV. After the lights were turned off I noticed something out the window. It was the beam of light from the lighthouse. I’m so glad all three of the lighthouses we visited are still running. And so ends the first day of our trip in North Carolina.

From,

Katelyn