Tuesday, May 12, 2026

After driving through McDonald’s for our morning coffee, we spent the day sightseeing with a GuideAlong driving tour through the Smoky Mountains, eventually making our way into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The tour started in Cherokee, North Carolina, about an hour from our hotel and near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It felt like we saw everything that day: beautiful overlooks, waterfalls, deer, elk, and bears. What more can you ask for on a tour?

The Smoky Mountains were beautiful. Although there were some clouds, the weather cooperated. We hiked up to the highest summit and went to the top of the lookout tower. The GuideAlong tour guide said that on a clear day, you can see seven different states: Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. I’m not sure how many we could actually see, but the views were impressive.

On the other side of the national park are Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where we stopped for lunch. The only thing I really knew about Pigeon Forge was that it was home to Dollywood.

After driving through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, I found myself trying to figure out how to describe the neighboring cities. I still struggle with that. Both are tourist destinations with plenty of shopping, neon signs, restaurants, and attractions. I found myself thinking it was a little like Niagara Falls without the falls, or Las Vegas without the gambling. Gatlinburg seemed a little nicer.

After lunch, we headed back into the national park.

On the way back, we turned off to visit Cades Cove. It is a flat area within the mountains and was once the site of a settlement. We followed the loop road through the cove and saw seven bears, a few deer, elk, and wild turkeys. Unfortunately, photographing wildlife is always a challenge, especially when you are at a distance. My pictures of the bears mostly look like balls of fur in the grass.

Unfortunately, we were there later in the day, and Cades Cove is a very popular part of the park. It took hours to get around the relatively short loop. People on bicycles were moving faster than the cars.

After Cades Cove, we headed back to Cherokee and then returned to our hotel. That night, we had dinner at the Corner Kitchen, which specialized in Southern cuisine. It was delicious.

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Luminer was fun and entertaining.  Overall, I enjoyed it overall, but I would hardly call it a must-see. The advertisements I saw on Facebook and Instagram made it look a lot more impressive than it actually was.

As we parked and started walking toward the main house, an older couple began chatting with us. In North Carolina, that is not unusual. People are friendly and chatty. At any rate, I got a big chuckle when the woman asked, “Where are you from?” When I said, “Los Angeles,” she didn’t miss a beat and replied, “I’m sure you don’t want to go back!” I found myself thinking that she was more right than wrong.

The event started at the main house, where we sat on the lawn waiting for the show to begin. They projected a film about the history of the estate onto the front of the house. It lasted about half an hour and was very interesting.

After that, we walked through the main garden and the conservatory, which were both lit up for the event. Some parts were cool and entertaining, while other parts were just okay. Overall, I am glad I went and saw it. Would I go back and see it again? Probably not. And that is why I said upfront that I didn’t want to oversell it.

Sunday, May 10, 2026

We had booked the Lumière package at one of the hotels on the Biltmore Estate. Although I had read all of the emails carefully, I still found myself confused about whether we were allowed to access the estate before checking in, and whether we could stay on the estate after checking out.

As we approached the main gate, there were signs saying that we had to have tickets before entering. We stopped at the visitor center, only to be told that we simply needed to tell the guy at the main gate that we were staying at the hotel, and he would give us our pass. Yes, we could access the estate before and after our official check-in and check-out times. However, if we wanted to return on other days, we would have to pay the regular entrance fees.

We found our hotel, checked in, and then immediately headed out to explore. I asked the front desk agent about the trolleys, and she explained that we could either take the trolley or drive ourselves. The main difference was that with the trolley, we would have to wait for the next one. With driving, we could go where we wanted, when we wanted, but we would probably end up doing more walking.

After dropping our things off in the room, we headed out. We did a complete loop around the estate and then circled back to park near the main house and adjacent gardens. We would tour the inside of the house the following day.

Before visiting the Biltmore, I had done some research. It was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II during the Gilded Age in the late 1800s. The main house has more than 250 rooms and originally sat on 125,000 acres of land. George had inherited his money from the Vanderbilt family fortune, much of which came from railroads and shipping.

It must have taken an army of people to build the place. Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who designed Central Park in New York City, was brought in to landscape the grounds. Once it was built, the number of staff required to maintain the property must have been extensive.

Yet unlike Hearst Castle, which was donated to the state of California, the Biltmore House remains privately owned by the descendants of George Vanderbilt. It was, and still is, the largest privately owned home in the United States.

As hard as I tried to imagine that sort of wealth and what life must have been like living there, I couldn’t.

Saturday, May 9, 2026

The girls were picking us up at 8:00 AM. When I looked out the window, I could see a mass exodus from the hotel parking lot. Since it was graduation weekend, I assumed a lot of people were headed to ceremonies.

It was clear that at least one of the elevators was still broken. It took a while to get one, and even though it was full after a couple of stops, we still stopped at almost every floor between the 23rd floor, where we were staying, and the lobby.

After breakfast at Sage Mule, we headed to an area called Seagrove, which is known as the pottery capital of the world. We stopped at a museum and then a shop. As much as I wanted to buy a few things, I reminded myself that I am trying to get rid of stuff, not keep accumulating more. Besides, getting pottery back to California without breaking it could have been a challenge.

My favorite items were the ugly face jugs, which are rich in history. They were meant to ward off evil spirits and were often used to mark graves.

Afterward, we headed to the Old Mill of Guilford. It was founded in 1767 and is one of the oldest mills in the United States. At one point, the British seized it, and later it was moved downstream. The mill is still in operation today.

I like to bake bread and am constantly learning about new flours and techniques. If I could have gone home with a suitcase full of different flours, I would have. The flours did not contain preservatives and needed to be refrigerated, so I decided to buy just a couple of things.

That evening, we went to a restaurant called Yokai in Greensboro. We had been there before and really enjoyed it. It was every bit as good as I remembered. I am genuinely amazed by the number of really good restaurants in that area.

Friday, May 8, 2026

Our friends, Linda and Maggie — aka “the girls” — picked us up at 8:15 AM, and we headed to Old Salem Museums and Gardens.

On the way there, I found myself wondering where the name Salem came from. I am familiar with several cities named Salem, but I had never really thought much about the name itself. I learned that Salem comes from words related to shalom and salaam, meaning peace in Hebrew and Arabic.

Most people have probably heard of Winston-Salem, but often in a different context: tobacco country. This was the home of R.J. Reynolds, the company behind Winston and Salem cigarettes. Back in the day, tobacco was big money in this part of North Carolina.

The history of Old Salem goes much further back than that. North Carolina was one of the original colonies, and Salem was founded in 1766. It was settled by German-speaking Moravians who focused on agriculture, textiles, and crafts.

Many of the original structures, including the gun shop, bakery, boys’ school, homes, and churches, have been preserved. Other buildings remain private residences and B&Bs.

As we walked around, I felt as if I were wandering through the backlot of a movie studio. The weather was sunny, with temperatures on the cool side, making it a picture-perfect day as we wandered in and out of historic buildings. I didn’t expect to find Old Salem as fascinating as I did, but I found myself thinking about how much we take modern conveniences for granted.

I was also suprised to learn that Krispy Kreme dounts opened their first store in 1937!

I was glad we got there early. As the morning went on, more and more school buses started showing up, and we found ourselves trying to stay a few steps ahead of the crowds.

We finally left around noon and headed to lunch at Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, which was delicious. After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a much-needed break and to get some work dnoe, before heading out again for dinner.

For dinner, we went to Blue Denim in Greensboro. I had the shrimp étouffée, and honestly, it was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. I later learned that the restaurant is called Blue Denim for a reason: Wrangler Jeans was based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Outdoor Kitchen

Timothy Vogler Gun Shop

Timothy Vogler Gun Shop

Single Borther’s House

Horticulture Education Building

Where Terminal 5 used to be

Friday, May 8, 2026

As I sat in Terminal 6, I realized that Terminal 5 was gone. I knew Delta had moved out of that terminal and that they were planning to update it. What I did not realize was that they were demolishing it and rebuilding it.

We flew to Denver, had lunch, and then continued on to Raleigh. There were no direct flights to Raleigh on an airline where I had status. It was after 1:00 AM by the time we drove to Greensboro, North Carolina. I think I have finally accepted that when flying to the East Coast, the time change means you either fly out at the crack of dawn or arrive late.

Even on a good day, flying can test the patience of any traveler. The flights are overcrowded, space is limited, and there are always a few entitled passengers trying to rearrange the overhead bins or seating to suit themselves. Airports are busy, often under construction, and it is very hard to find a quiet space. Unfortunately, Sophon was not feeling well and had been dealing with a nagging problem since our trip to Northern California.

After landing, we made our way to the Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons. The hotel itself seemed pretty nice, but when we checked in, I realized it was graduation weekend. The place was packed, and they put us on the 23rd floor. I usually prefer higher floors, but I quickly realized one of the elevators was out of service — not good on a busy weekend.

Well, we have arrived! It will be nice to visit with our friends, and I also planned a trip to Asheville to check out the area, along with the Biltmore Estate.