Brown Motion

 Not since the poem about the mouse and a clock have I heard of Hickory.  I did not see any Dickory either but plenty of docks in this part of the Carolinas that we call home. So what is this Hickory you say?  Well its a type of wood that can be used to make furniture. Not sure how many of this variety grow anymore in NC but at one time it was a forest. Fast forward and this part of the foothill of the Blue Ridge mounts that rise to the east, became the city of Hickory, that also was an erstwhile hub of wooden furniture making. While that industry is not as vast today it serves as a periphery town north of the fast growing Charlotte metro area. About 60 miles due north it is fairly quiet yet historic and blessed with abundant nature and trails and docks along the Catawba river flowing through town. We went hiking along this river and take in the scenery.  Below some vistas. $5M project that the city awarded to design a walking path on the river While finishing that m...

 An impromptu long weekend trip to witness America's country music roots and explore what has been one of the nation's fastest growth cities. We drove out from Charlotte for a six plus hour road trip after what had been some epic rain.  Result - the crowds were thin and the route through the Asheville area and the western flank of the Blue Ridge mountains was bursting with major impromptu waterfalls. En route we also decided to explore Knoxville - a major urban center on the eastern edge of TN. The city for 1982 world expo (a fair that showcases global industrial might and held once in five years at different locations around the globe) built a 260 foot metal tower with golden glass windows to form a sphere on the top.  This serves as a viewing gallery for customers that take an elevator to the top. Rooftop dining offers visitors a view Colorful arches dominate the world's fair complex in downtown Other than that the city has some nice parks and trails and also offered a ...