by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Nov 14, 2017 | Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Travel
In November 2016 we bought a townhouse in Charlotte, NC. Last week Karen had to work in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and since our 21st Anniversary fell on Tuesday (11-7-17), I went with her. Fortunately, Hurricane Irma mostly spared “The Yachting Capital of the...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Oct 29, 2017 | Uncategorized
Karen’s brother Shawn and his wife Laurie arrived in Charlotte from Texas on Thursday (10-19-17). Our good friend Jim loaned us his cabin in Hickory Nut Gorge for the weekend and we headed to Lake Lure early Friday. All the warm weather we’ve enjoyed this...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Oct 28, 2017 | North Carolina, Travel
The hike to Craggy Pinnacle is only 1.4-miles round trip. The easy access off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville makes the 360-degree panorama of the Blue Ridge Mountains a popular destination. We left early Saturday (10-14-17) to beat the crowds and enjoy one of...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Oct 18, 2017 | North Carolina, Travel
Friday the 13th of October we set off toward Asheville to begin celebrating my 60th birthday. On the way we stopped at the DuPont State Forest to hike the falls trails. It was a “Lucky Day.” Many parts of the Dupont State Forest will look familiar to movie...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Oct 6, 2017 | North Carolina, Travel
Because we can never do enough on our frequent forays in the Carolinas, we added visits to nearby Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock State Parks during our weekend in Mt. Airy (9/30-31/17). Jagged Rock outcrops call to us and we are usually rewarded with spectacular...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Oct 4, 2017 | North Carolina, Travel
Andy Griffith spent his childhood and teen years in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Old Town in Mt. Airy is a treasure trove of dedication to “The Andy Griffith Show.” Karen and I spent the afternoon and evening of Saturday (9-30-17) ‘tourist...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Oct 3, 2017 | North Carolina, Party, Travel
The Yadkin Valley, in the northern Piedmont area of North Carolina, bills itself as “Napa of the East.” Karen and I explored this claim on the weekend of 9-30-17 on our way to visit Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mt. Airy. We detoured from a traffic...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Sep 24, 2017 | North Carolina, Travel
Just 40-miles west of Charlotte, Crowders Mountain towers 800-feet above heavily forested, rolling hills. From atop the sawtooth towers that form Crowders summit you can see Charlotte’s skyline and across the border into South Carolina. The proximity to...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Sep 6, 2017 | Events, North Carolina, Travel
I’m reporting on our Labor Day 2017 trip for a brief escape from obsessing on Hurricane Irma. Karen and I accepted the offer to stay in our friend’s cabin in Lake Lure, NC. We made the 2-hour drive Saturday morning and experienced none of the usual heavy...
by jeff@lyonsroar.com | Aug 23, 2017 | Events, North Carolina, Travel
The flyer promised hot cars, hot bar-b-q, hot pin-up girls, hot bands and cold beer Saturday (8-19-17) in Kannapolis, NC at the VFW Post 8989. I asked Karen, “How can we not go to this event?” We arrived minutes after the Free Swing Dance Lessons started...
