Road Trippin' by Karen Ruhl

Pilot and Elkin, North Carolina by Karen Ruhl

Craig and I had a great road trip driving up US 77 from North Carolina into Virginia - VA is for Lovers you know!

Our original desitination was Pilot Mountain in North Carolina. We wanted to see and photograph the metamorphic quartzite monadnock that rises to a peak 2,421 feet above sea level. According to Wikipedia, it is supposed to be one of the most distinctive natural features in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As we got to the park entrance, Covid19 struck again! Too many people in the park; we were turned away.

As we drove out of the park we could see this massive monadnock out of the window of our car. It looks pretty impressive and will be a site for a future trip.

We saw a road sign for the city of Pilot. Any of you Andy Griffith fans will know Pilot - it was the big city up from Mayberry (modeled after Mt. Airy). We saw a sign and were ready to go to Aunt Bee’s Restaurant but it turned out to be a franchised business so we went to Uncle Gary’s instead. We then visited Elkin, NC where most of these photos were taken. Such a nice historic town, with murals on the walls of the downtown buildings, and it looked like all of the stores were open and active.

We continued our trip up into Virginia, where we drove through Fancy Gap and got some of the best tomatoes and corn on the cob to take home! Yum. We also revisited the Mabry Mill and then headed home after an 11 hour car drive.

As always, I recommend you and your family get in the car and take a long drive. We watch for the brown signs which always take us to great parks or historic downtowns. Pick a destination, or take turns deciding which direction you will turn in. Get lost in the beauty surrounding you and enjoy your day out. Blessings.

All Photos by Karen Ruhl