Everything Childress...and then some!

Today was such an enjoyable day. We started out on back roads and passed by a winery. I know it’s hard to believe, but we were on a mission and it WAS ONLY 11 A.M. We were headed to a store which specializes in hummingbirds in his paintings and art work. It’s called Dempsey’s Place, located in Welcome, NC. I’ll tell you, the people who live in NC do make you feel welcome.

From there we went to RCR Racing Museum. Richard Childress spared no expense to make this an interesting museum. I may have to switch my allegiance from Jimmy Johnson to anyone from Childress racing. Perry has no favorite, he just enjoys a good race. I refuse to give up my Rusty Wallace shirt and memorabilia though. We were the only ones in the place so I got to take lots of shots and we could take our time to read the plaques.

We have friends who are Peter Max collectors and I’m sure Ken would love to have this in his garage!

The gas can was hard to lift and it had no gas in it. I don’t know how they can lift this and fill the car so fast.

We followed a transporter home one time from a Loudon race but seeing one in an enclosed building astounded us. It looked HUGE and it has to be to carry two cars, parts, etc.

I knew Richard was a hunter and fisherman but I didn’t realize how much so. The museum housed a number of taxidermists’ dreams.

He also had a small section of signed guitars…one was signed by the Eagles and another by Neil Diamond. We are fans of both. Brooks & Dunn aren’t bad either!

The NRA display was a great one. PETA people would not be happy with the movie that plays though!

The General Mills car had a timeline of interesting facts from the company’s inception in 1928 thru 2008.

This piggy is for Gerri who likes pigs as much as we do!

Richard’s trophy room was awesome. He had a special section dedicated to Neil Bonnet. Some trophies were almost as tall as me!

We then went to the Childress Sprint car shop and got to see Kevin Harvick’s 29 car that will be going to Pocono in a couple of weeks.

Funny thing on the way home, we HAD to go by Childress Vineyard. We had been there for lunch on Monday, a wine tour on Tuesday but we were having withdrawal symptoms so we stopped for linner or would it be dunch? No matter what you call it, call it delicious!

Scallops Putanessca minus the olives!

Crab Fettucine with Artichoke Hearts, Shaved Aparagus and Lemon Butter Breadcrumbs

We were able to sit out in the gazebo and finish off our bottle of Sangiovese.

We didn’ t see any robins at the Childress Vineyard, but in the gazebo we had this little friend visit us.

Yesterday morning Perry photographed this sight outside our window.

Because the awning will close automatically, Perry went out and removed the nest. It’s amazing how quickly they built it and even used a plastic straw cover.

This morning, they were at it again and I captured this picture. Mama had cozied herself in but flew out when she saw my reflection. We knew it had to be removed quickly. We now have closed the awning so they can’t start again tomorrow morning.

Birds of a feather flock together, so it is imperative that we return to Childress Vineyard tomorrow for a jazz fest, wine and food, hoping to meet new friends. If you want to see all our pics, travel here...https://picasaweb.google.com/118013797467047077954/ChildressBlog?authkey=Gv1sRgCPOynbSX6oz-ZA Hopefully that works. Ciao!

Charleston

On the way to Charleston today, we took a side trip down a dirt road. We are lucky the car didn’t fall apart. This is what we found…

Can you believe this tree? Some say it’s 2500 years old and others, 1400 years old. No matter, it was tall and sprawling. We couldn’t believe how many people were there. It’s called “Angel Oak”. We bought a sand dollar that has the photo of it on it so we will always remember our trip.

From there, we took more back roads to Charleston and ended up at Patriot’s Point where we toured the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier. The ship was born the same day and year as Perry, April 15, 1943. It was HUGE-AH!!!! I would never have survived World War II, let alone going up and down the steps on that ship. My knees and hips hurt so much tonite! Perry bonked his head a couple of times but I’m too short for that. You don’t really see the steepness from the pictures, but trust me…

There are 6 tours of the ship and we did all but 2 in 2.5 hours. You can have lunch in the CPO’s mess for a nominal fee. One of the tours included the bakery. Imagine making chocolate chip cookies for 3,500 men/women!

On board was a museum for men and women who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. We, of course, were interested in the ones during the Civil War. The youngest recipient was Willie Johnston, age 12. Older soldiers, during a disastrous retreat, threw away their equipment so they would have less weight to carry. Willie kept his drum and brought it off the battlefield. Lincoln awarded Willie the Medal when Willie was 13. 

Another interesting recipient was William H. Carney. He was a black assigned to the 54^th Massachusetts Regiment and his bravery had to do with flags. From last year’s blog, you know my affinity for flags. You can read more about him here. http://www.newbedford.k12.ma.us/elementary/whc.htm

In the price of the ticket was the Vietnam Naval Support Base replica which reminded us of the MASH set. We could have visited the destroyer, USS Laffey, and the submarine, USS Clamagore, but we were tired and wanted to beat rush hour traffic. It was easier for me to assist Perry navigating in Charleston than it was in Savannah. It helps when you stop at the Visitor’s Center and they have typed directions for you to follow (smile). If you ever get a chance to visit Patriot's Point, it’s well worth the money. 

In Search of...

Today we ventured off to Savannah in search of Bonaventure Cemetery. We were in search of the Bird Girl statue on the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Alas, when we got to the cemetery, I Googled it only to find it had been moved to an art gallery because it brought too much traffic to the cemetery. Our day was not a loss though. We found these grave sites to be interesting.

Robert Anderson was a West Point graduate. He was a Brigadier General in the Confederacy. He was also the Chief of Police in Savannah. His wife was Loyal and his daughter, Lallie.  He only lived to be 52.

Wife's Grave

Lallie's Grave

Richard D. Arnold was very involved with the medical associations and medical college in Savannah. As Mayor of Savannah, he surrendered the city to General Sherman in 1864.

Arnold's Obelisk

James Carmichael Herndon was the son of Brodie Herndon who was appointed Chief Surgeon of the Confederate States. His father was the first doctor to perform a Caesarean Section in the U.S.

Hugh Weedon Mercer was also a Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. He was placed in command of Savannah and joined Joseph Johnston’s Atlanta Campaign.

Hugh was the great-grandfather of Johnny Mercer, one of America’s most popular song writers and who wrote over 1500 lyrics. Johnny was very interested in black jazz and growing up his playmates were African Americans. He penned the words to my favorite jazz song by Duke Ellington, Satin Doll. I prefer to hear the music and not the words! Sorry Johnny, but I DID admire the bench by your tomb stone.

The Mercer Plots

Josiah Tattnall III was born on the same day as me, November 9, but a few years earlier! He commanded the Confederate Naval defenses 1861-1864 and is credited with the phrase" blood is thicker than water".

We had lunch on Bull Street. 

The Harp beers, hot pastrami on rye sammies and side of potato salad (they won't give out the recipe...grrr) were yummy. 

We parked our car where we wouldn’t forget it!

The Downtown Savannah historic district is beautiful. Here’s Chippewa Square with Oglethorpe’s statue.

Even though the area is made up of squares, I had Perry going around in circles. I really need to learn to read a map and use our GPS properly and quickly!