We departed Asheville East KOA. We are traveling along Route 70 for most of our trip today. So all we had to do was make a left out of the park onto US 70 and continue east!
Before we left, I took advantage of the walking trails around the ponds. It was a beautiful time of day.
I even saw a bit of wildlife!
These ducks that look like they mated with the Geese.
Black Mountain NC was named for the mountain range that towers over the town. Black Mountain became a haven for pioneers in the world of art, painting, music, poetry and architectural design during the mid-twentieth century.
The outside of an Arts Center should reflect the amazing and creative things going on inside, right? Over the past few years the Black Mountain Center for the Arts has achieved their dream of making the exterior walls come alive with the addition of murals that reflect the creative energy of our center and this region. The first of these murals, entitled Community, is on the west side of their building. Scott Allred and Jeremy Russell of Brushcan Murals created it in the summer of 2019.
Old Fort is named for the original “old fort” that was established there prior to the Revolutionary War, called “Davidson's Fort.” The mountain ridge between Old Fort and Black Mountain was at that time the boundary between land available for immigrant settlement to the east and Cherokee territory to the west. The first mural I saw in town was "A Time To Build." It was originally created by local artist, Nada Carroll. The original hangs in the Old Fort Town Hall. Mrs. Carroll inspired members of the Arrowhead Gallery and Studios to produce their interpretation of her vision, creating Old Fort's first outdoor mural.
Newton NC has a diverse industrial base, with companies producing fiber optic cable, automotive parts, baked goods, medical supplies, telecommunications technology, as well as traditional industries such as furniture and textiles. More than half of the nation's furniture is produced within a 200-mile radius of Newton.
Statesville NC industries around the turn of the century were based around 3 primary products: herbs, tobacco and liquor. The Wallace Herbarium on Meeting Street was one of the largest in the world and shipped processed herbs all over the world. Liquor and tobacco money built many of their fine downtown buildings.
In Salisbury NC we turned onto US 52. Salisbury has five local historic districts and ten national register historic districts. The town is known for its historic preservation. Soft drink producer Cheerwine and regional supermarket Food Lion are headquartered in Salisbury and Rack Room Shoes was founded there.
I saw a sign for Granite Quarry, so I thought there must be a quarry near by. I did not realize it was the name of the town, until I saw all these banners hanging in town. Granite Quarry was originally named Woodville in the late 1800's and was officially changed by Woodsides in 1901. This name was derived from a family of Woodsides who lived in the community. Soon after its incorporation there was a lot of confusion in freight and mail deliveries as there was another town under the name of Woodsides in North Carolina. in 1902, the post office changed its name to Granite Quarry, for the stone quarried here. JT Wyatt began his digging at the site of the Balfour Quarry. The demand for paving stones and later, Durax blocks, kept the town full of workers. Durax blocks, four by four pieces of stone laid in circles on city streets, can still be seen in the nearby town of Salisbury on Depot Street in front of the Southern Railway Station. Curbing stones quarried in Granite Quarry can be found in cities all over the United States.
Uwharrie National Forest is the smallest of the four National Forests in North Carolina, with a total area of 50,000 acres. The forest gets its name from the Uwharrie Mountains, the ancient mountains atop which most of the forest sits. The western border is created by the Yadkin River / Pee Dee River while the northern border follows the northernmost range of the Uwharries near Asheboro.
We arrived at Denton FarmPark, our home for the next 4 nights. We are here to enjoy The Malpass Brothers Country & Bluegrass Festival.
#TwoLaneAdventures
No comments:
Post a Comment