Travel Adventures – Life Adventure

A Rough Diamond: Our Carolina Mudcats Experience

August 24, 2024 Jenn Tabor 0

Our next stop on the North Carolina minor league baseball tour took us to Five County Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats. While every ballpark has its unique charm, this visit reminded us that not all diamonds are polished. Five County Stadium is one of the older parks on our list, and unfortunately, it shows. The stadium itself has a lot of history, but it’s clear that it hasn’t been kept up with as well as some of the other parks we’ve visited. The wear and tear were noticeable, and it lacked some of the amenities and updates that make for a more comfortable fan experience. Despite the stadium’s condition, the crowd brought a fun energy that kept the night lively. Mudcats fans are clearly passionate, and their enthusiasm helped lift the overall atmosphere. When it came to food, though, this ballpark left much to be desired. We opted for the classic hot dogs, but they were just your basic dogs, and the quality wasn’t great. The buns were a bit stale, and the dogs themselves tasted like they’d been sitting under a heat lamp a little too long. It was a far cry from the gourmet options we’ve enjoyed at other parks on this tour, and it reminded us that sometimes, ballpark food is hit or miss. Even though the stadium and food weren’t the highlights of this visit, the game itself was still enjoyable thanks to the spirited crowd and the love of the game that was palpable the rest of the story

Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park – Wilson NC

June 30, 2020 admin 0

We have been quarantining since mid-March and well, we just need to go someplace – safely, of course. What started as a question of what might be a fun day trip (within an hour of Wilmington) turned into a 2-hourish jaunt to Wilson NC to the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Museum. Here’s a little history Vollis Simpson was the son of a farmer, and a world War II vet. Post-war he started a machinery repair shop, with friends. And eventually a house-moving side business. During both jobs, he began to collect odd machinery parts, industrial salvage, transportation supplies, and other objects. After his retirement he began constructing enormous windmills in his yard. Not the working windmills of grinding or irrigation use, but artistry that depicted the concepts of weather vanes and handcrafted whirligigs that are still seen locally on houses, fence posts and barns. His field of these “whirligigs” soon began attracting the attention of local people, and eventually with the advent of the Internet, visitors from out-of-state. Without any official advertising, Simpson’s farm became one of Wilson County’s top tourism destinations. You can learn more about the park here wilsonwhirligigpark.org

They Say It’s My Birthday

March 30, 2017 Jenn Tabor 0

Monday was my 47th birthday. It was also the first day of Spring Break, so we decided to take a few days and go to the mountains. Before we left, Gayle gave me the first part of my birthday gift. She had a journal made from my favorite childhood book, Katy No-Pocket. It was the perfect thing to use as a travel journal, especially since our first adventure was beginning the next day. Gayle was driving a steam engine at the Transportation Museum in Spencer on Saturday, and from there we drove about 2 hours to Black Mountain, where we were going to enjoy some “nothing time” until Tuesday. Our first night there, we heard a commotion on the porch. Gayle opened the door to see two raccoons enjoying the cat’s food. We watched them for a while, such cute critters! We made sure to take in the cat food after that though, we didn’t want them to feel too welcome. The plan for Monday was a whole lot of nothing, but we did cook a late breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. While eating, a huge wild turkey walked up the driveway, hopped the fence and wandered around in the woods nearby. He was a giant bird and entertained us by fanning his tail feathers a few times. We had heard from the homeowners that there was a bear that liked to sun on their porch, but unfortunately, he did not come to wish me a Happy Birthday. the rest of the story

Gayle Drives a Steam Engine – NC Transportation Museum

March 24, 2017 admin 0

When you grow up in a railroading family, you naturally learn to love trains. I can not remember a time, no matter where we were, or how long daddy had been working for the railroad, when we didn’t stop to watch a train go by. So naturally, when Jenn found that the NC Transportation Museum offered the opportunity to spend 30 minutes driving a steam engine I jumped at the chance! After all who wouldn’t want to drive a steam engine? Last year we visited the Virginia Transportation Museum and rode the 611 from Roanoke to Radford and we both were surprised at how much we enjoyed exploring the trains and riding the rail. The 611 is the last of Norfolk and Western’s J class of steam engines built between 1941 – 1950. Of the 13 that were built, the 611 is the only one still running. We had no idea what to expect in Spencer, but were excited to see what they had to offer. PLUS we knew the 611 was there for some repairs. The journey to Spencer takes a little over four hours from Wilmington, knowing my drive time was at 3:00, we left early enough to give a cushion. Even though the weather started out nice and sunny, the clouds got thicker the closer we got to our destination. We often laugh that some of our best times were days when rain could have caused us to turn back or not go. We now are often the rest of the story