Check out Quebec City, Canada for info about my favorite restaurants, touring about and additional photos. Enjoy! Travel well and often …
Malaprops Bookstore, Asheville, North Carolina
Nestled in the Blue Mountains of North Carolina, Asheville is well-known as the home of Biltmore Estate, Appalachian Art, The Appalachian Trail plus a multitude of activities for tourists. It also has Malaprops bookstore, established in 1982, which rates very high on my list of book stores worthy of a visit.
My first thought when I crossed the threshold was how comfortable it felt; here was a bookstore that made me feel at home. The staff are friendly and helpful and gladly answer queries, not only about books but also about the surrounding area. I quickly discovered that the store carries an intriguing array of books, from best sellers to stories and photo books set in the area. There are also maps, posters, games and language books, including Hungarian. Yes, I did a double-take when I saw the Hungarian books.
The café area is the ideal spot to sit and browse through the books that caught your eye. There are pastries from a local shop plus an extensive drink menu, ranging from assorted teas and smoothies and marvelous coffee concoctions. Indulge your love of mocha with an “Extra Century Perception” (an Irish crème mocha) or “Suicide Pack” (Almond coconut mocha). They also serve locally roasted coffees.
When you visit the Asheville area, add Malaprops to your list of places to visit. http://www.malaprops.com/
Bozo Was the Perfect Name ~ A Cat Tale
After my beloved cat Brandy died, I needed time to grieve before getting another pet. A few weeks later, my brother called and said that he was returning from Asia, where he had lived for several years. I said that he could stay with me while looking for a job and a place to live.
My brother went for daily walks and after about a week, he mentioned that he had seen a beautiful cat following him and each day the cat would follow him a bit further. Eventually, this beautiful part Siamese cat followed my brother to my apartment door. I left some food outside for it and very soon, the cat came indoors. We tried to find out if anyone had lost a cat, but fortunately, no one in the area knew of a missing cat.
What to name him?
As he was so beautiful, cream colored with gleaming blue eyes, I wanted a classy name for him. One day, he knocked over something and my brother laughed and said “What a bozo.” I laughed and thought that was so perfect, and Bozo became his name.
Turns out Bozo was crazy! He could be vicious and want to fight (in the middle of the night); meowed VERY loudly when I came home if I went out again (or even went to my car to get something); he craved attention for perhaps 15 minutes and then would ignore you. If he was on my lap and then I got up, he’d go crazy.
Fall in the Smoky’s
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited of the National Parks and there is no better time to go than fall to witness the changing colors of the foliage. You can easily spend a week in the surrounding area including Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN and Asheville, NC.
My drive from Charleston to Gatlinburg, mostly via I-40, took about 6 hours. In addition to being the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg is the home to over 100 artists and craftsman on an eight mile loop located three miles from downtown. Shops range from an old-fashioned soda fountain to art galleries to candles to a year-round Christmas shop plus shops with marvelous delicacies and music of the area. Stop for lunch at The Wild Plum Tea Room (on the loop and more of a restaurant than a tea room), leaving room for a fabulous dessert (try the bread pudding).
For an exciting overview, take the aerial tramway at Ober Gatlinburg and enjoy browsing the shops, having lunch or dinner at the German Restaurant or continuing further up the mountain on a chairlift. Read more
Orcas Island, San Juans, Washington
Boarding the ferry
main road – west side of island
Darvills Bookstore, Main Street
Obstruction Pass Park
Leaving Orcas
The largest of the San Juan Islands, Orcas is gorgeous any time of year, especially spring and fall. Your adventure starts when you board the ferry at Anacortes. Go outside, enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Puget Sound. You will need a car to get about the island and explore.
It’s a short, scenic drive from the ferry to the main town of Eastsound. Restaurants to check out include Mia’s Café (fabulous breakfast), Brown Bear Baking and Madrona Bar and Grill.
Walk the labyrinth at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on the water, enjoy the beautiful gardens at the library, stroll about the town, and browse local shops including Darvill’s book store (terrific collection plus great coffee drinks) and find treasures at Orcas Island Pottery.
Visit Moran State Park with its many hiking trails, opt to go on a whale watching tours or go kayaking. Take the ferry to Friday Harbor for a fun filled day, either as a walk on passenger (free) or with your car.
There are numerous hotels, BandB’s and camp sites. My favorite is Rosario’s Resort and Spa: beautiful property, nice bar & restaurant; plus if you are in luck, you can see deer outside your room. Orcas is a special place and too soon your ferry awaits for your return to reality.
Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum, Oregon
WAAAM has one of the most extensive collections of antique airplanes and cars in the US: more than 325 planes, gliders, cars, bikes, jeeps and tractors. It’s super fun to walk about the four hangars that house this great collection. There are museum volunteers readily available to answer your questions.
Notable exhibits include a 1917 Curtis Jenny, WWII L-Bird collection, 1916 Dodge Brothers Roadster, 1914 Detroit Electric Car, WWII TG-6 Glider and a 1923 Locomobile Touring Car. There is a dedicated section with about 10 gliders, including a 1930 WACO Primary glider. There is a section devoted to a reenactment of a 1912 Curtis Pusher flight. The 1995 reenactment occurred from a hotel in Portland. Enjoy the video, which is shown throughout the day.
On the second Saturday of each month the Museum gets the engines running. You can ride in antique cars and watch the antique planes take-off and land. Mingle with the volunteers, have your camera ready and enjoy the day.
You can easily spend several hours exploring and going back in time. While I love planes and gliders, I was in awe at some of the old touring cars. The museum is located 65 miles from Portland. Definitely take time to explore the beautiful Columbia River Gorge area and The Dalles. The museum’s web site has lots of information about their collections, events and classes. WWW.WAAAMUSEUM.ORG
Touring Car, with golf clubs
Warhawk Air Museum, Nampa, Idaho
When you arrive at the Warhawk Air Museum, you receive a Self-Guided Tour pamphlet… get ready to explore. As you walk about, you will discover many older planes, including P-40N Warhawk, P-40E Kittyhawk, P-51C Mustang, F-86F Sabre Jet, N3N, Fokker DR-1 and two MIGs: MIG-17 and MIG-21. You will find many collections of memorabilia as you peruse the large collection, ranging from “home front” items, including children’s toys, books and puzzles, to a collection of many different types of uniforms worn during WWII to a piece of the Berlin Wall. There are more than 175 items listed in the pamphlet, ranging from a cabinet dedicated to the US Marine Corps, another with submarine items, another with WWI memorabilia to a NASA exhibit. Take your time to read the stories and immerse yourself in a different time.
The museum is located 17 miles from Boise. Their web site has a wealth of information, including about the restoration of a Grumman F9F Panther, the first jet used by the Blue Angels. www.warhawksmuseum.org
Road Trip ~ Western Washington to Boise and Coeur d’Alene
A Very Special Cat
Looking outside for squirrels
She would only drink water from a glass …
Socks had teeth marks from being carried about so often
Never knocked tree over … would sit on the branches …
Comfy on the sofa
Shadow came into my life when she was about four years old. A friend, living in Minneapolis with her husband and two cats, had recently inherited two additional cats from her husband’s nephew. Knowing that my cat had recently died, Mika called, saying, “Shadow is so sweet, but a bit needy. She would be perfect for you. Plus, four cats are just too much!” I laughed and said, “Yes, sounds like a great idea!”
Mika flew to Seattle with Shadow, staying the week-end. Shadow made herself at home immediately. I quickly discovered that my beautiful black, petite cat loved to climb, especially to the top of doors and bookcases. I was always amazed how she kept her balance. Very soon, her favorite place to sleep at night was next to my pillow and we quickly became best buddies.
Shadow’s Ladder
Other places that she enjoyed climbing included a ladder, which I had used to change a light bulb. Seeing that Shadow liked it, I kept in open in the living room, putting a beach towel on the top shelf where she liked to take naps. She loved Christmas, climbing the tree both before and after it was decorated. Because she was so light, she never knocked the tree over, though I would find ornaments on the floor and sometimes she would meow for me to take her down from the tree.
When I accepted a job in Charleston, SC, Shadow accompanied me on my cross-country drive, sitting in her case in the front passenger seat. She loved exploring different hotel rooms each night, especially the high places. Cross Country with Shadow ~ A Cat Tale (continued) …
Bloedel Reserve ~ Bainbridge Island, Washington
Visitor Center
Japanese Gardens
Catch the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, browse the shops and peruse the local restaurants. For walk-on ferry passengers, take Kitsap Transit’s “BI Ride” from the ferry to Bloedel Reserve where you can easily spend several hours exploring the 150 acre public garden and forest preserve.
The bus leaves you at the gate house / gift shop entrance where you start your adventure. Knowledgeable staff will review your Bloedel Reserve map and answer your questions. The map is easy to follow and if time is an issue, you can choose several key spots to explore and leave the full walk for your next visit.
Highlights of your visit to Bloedel Reserve include the serene Japanese gardens (comprised of traditional Japanese gardens, a Sand and Stone Garden and a Japanese Guest House), wild Moss gardens, a waterfall overlook, a boardwalk over wetlands, the bird marsh, maple lane, a reflection pool, camellia walk and the former residence, now the visitor center.
At the visitor center a docent will answer your questions. The library has a collection of 1,400 horticultural and botanical books, available for reading and research on-site. Explore the living and dining rooms on the first floor, check out the plaques on a hallway wall containing a brief history of the reserve, including a quote by Prentice Bloedel, the original owner: “Nature can live without man, but man cannot live without nature.”
Journeys with Eileen Diane 