Sailors from Baltimore....sailing through small town NC

Found an awesome blog by a couple of sailors from Baltimore, MD. Skip and Harriet Hardy regularly sail the Chesapeake Bay on “Moondance”, a 1994 Sabre 38. Recently retired....they are venturing South.

Accompanying them is "Bailey" is a 3 year old Sheltie

Read their latest posts on some of my favorite coastal small towns in NC, including Washington, Bath and Oriental.

Visit: Moondance38’s Weblog

Beaufort Ghost Walk!

The Beaufort Ghost Walk is a Guided Walking Tour through the Historic District of Beaufort, North Carolina. Founded in 1709, Beaufort is the 3rd oldest town in NC, and the 12th oldest town in North America. On the Ghost Walk, you will be entertained by your Pirate Guides, as they regale you with an enjoyable assortment of haunted tales, ghost stories, and interesting histories of the Beaufort area. In addition, you will hear about some of the amazing unexplainable encounters experienced by both our guests and guides during Ghost Walks of the past.

Visit their Official Site!

My Beloved Mayberry - Now Tainted With The Stains of Politics

Click HERE to watch the video on Funny or Die...



OK, so I understand that this election is critical. But, why did Ron Howard have to bring Mayberry into it? I watch the show to escape and now I'm being forced to associate it with the election. You certainly got plenty of mileage with all the publicity. But, why Andy? Why Ron? You even brought back the characters from the show. Funny? Well, I guess kinda. But why?

Why bring Mayberry into it?

Here's a lively forum discussion on city-data.com on "mayberry like" towns. Not only do the people in this forum reference many of the towns from In Search of Mayberry, but they also reference several that are being worked on for Volume 2, Mayberry in the Mountains.

This discussion is fun to read and learn about small towns in North Carolina.

Click HERE for the discussion.

Andy in Twilight

The recent Brad Paisley video featuring Andy Griffith made me realize that the Andy I know from the TV show is not immortal. With the exception of Andy, many of my favorite characters from The Andy Griffith Show have passed on. Don Knotts, Howard Morris, Hal Smith, Howard McNear and countless others are no longer with us. However, Andy lingers on...and how interesting that is. The man who started it all is all that is left. Betty Lynn, who played Thelma Lou is living in Mount Airy and there are several smaller characters who are still alive. But, for the most part, Andy carries on....alone.

Being a fairly staunch supporter of conservative politics, it's been difficult for me to realize that Andy Griffith's politics are very different from mine. His visible support for the democratic party disappoints me. I find it hard to believe that the person who portrayed the conservative father, Andy Taylor, is actually a proud liberal.

However, that doesn't change the fact that The Andy Griffith Show is timeless. Timeless in its appeal and timeless in the lessons it teaches.

When Andy does pass on it will be an incredibly sad day. Liberal or not....I believe the man is a Christian, which means I'll see him again one glorious day and I can ask him all the many questions I have for him about the greatest television show ever, The Andy Griffith Show.

Appalachian State's Head Coach, Jerry Moore...Discusses His Faith

OK, so it's true that this has very little to do with small towns, Mayberry or The Andy Griffith Show. However, this video was so inspiring to me I had to share it. Being an ASU grad, it means even more. Coach Moore's path and story is inspirational on many levels and his story certainly speaks to the small town values and integrity we're all searching for in life.

Click on the picture to play the video.

Pilot Mountain and Mount Pilot....confused yet?

Confused over the difference between Pilot Mountain, the mountain/town and Mount Pilot, the town mentioned repeatedly on The Andy Griffith Show.

Here is Bill Leslie from WRAL's article on his interpretation:

Pilot Mountain
Posted: Sep. 30, 2008
The first brush of fall is sweeping across North Carolina. I encountered autumn's early scarlet glow at Pilot Mountain 30 miles north of Winston-Salem Sunday. I see Pilot Mountain everytime I go to my cabin off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Glade Valley. Well, I see it everytime the weather is clear. But I had never stopped to see Pilot Mountain up close. What was I waiting for?The state park here is beautiful with lots of great trails and beautiful scenery. The area offers a two for one deal. You’ve got Hanging Rock State Park just a few miles south of Pilot Mountain off Highway 52.

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