6 Fun Things to do in Cherokee NC

This is a beautiful part of Western North Carolina, surrounded by the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains. There are so many fun things to do in and near the city of Cherokee, NC! This list of 6 is just a few of our favorites!

Museum of the Cherokee Indian
Pan Fer’ Gold
Mingo Falls
Oconaluftee Visitor Center/Mountain Farm
Mingus Mill
Oconaluftee Islands Park

1. Museum of the Cherokee Indian

We have been to the city of Cherokee, North Carolina several times in the past few years. Each time we are there, I ask my husband if we can go to the museum, but we usually run out of time before we can go there. This year, we made the time to see the museum and I’m very glad we did, and so is my husband! This museum really tells the story of the Cherokee People and the plight of the Native Americans in our part of the country.

MISSION: “To preserve and perpetuate the history, culture, and stories of the Cherokee People” Museum of the Cherokee Indians

I was thankful that during this Pandemic, the museum was open and practicing social-distancing. The number of people who were allowed to enter at one time was limited, and face masks were required. The museum is large enough for people to be in separate parts of the museum. The huge wooden statue in front of the museum had a mask on.

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Trains, Planes, and RVs, Which one is safest during a Global Pandemic?

54 Comments / Travel / Cathy

These are strange times! Many of us still don’t know when the stay-at-home and travel bans will be lifted. I guess that it will happen in “phases”, with each state choosing its own time frame. This will make it extra difficult to start traveling again. If you live in a state that still has restrictions in place, can you travel to another state that is wide open? The biggest question is how will we travel? What will be the safest way to travel? What precautions will be in place? In this post, I’m going to review a few possibilities.

TRAINS

We have been researching traveling by train. I admit that I have never traveled this way but it is intriguing. One specific trip we have discovered is traveling the Canadian Rockies by train. The Rocky Mountaineer looks like an amazing experience! They have 3 different routes: First passage to the West, Journey through the Clouds, and Rainforest to Gold Rush. Some of the train cars have a glass dome for optimal sightseeing. I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip, it’s definitely not a budget trip! This particular train is suspended until July 1, 2020. I found Alaska Tours by railway, which would also be a “dream” vacation, they are booking tours in 2021. There are many trains that travel across the United States as well, here is a website showing the most scenic train rides.

How would this be a safe way to travel while the coronavirus is still with us? Well, you could have your own private Train car and isolate yourself from everyone else. Maybe in the dining car, they could seat people at every other table, and in the main passenger car, they could keep social distancing rules by only using every other seat? Of course, we could all be required to wear face masks as well. Are you willing to take these precautions if it means you can travel again?

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Trains, Planes, and RVs, Which one is safest during a Global Pandemic? Read More »

5 Virtual Zoos – Staying Entertained While at Home

67 Comments / Travel / Cathy

I have always enjoyed going to the zoo! It’s really the animals that I love! There was a time that I thought I might become a veterinarian to help animals, but then I discovered I really can’t bear to see any injured animals, and that would have been part of the job. Now, I give to zoos and conservation centers to help with wildlife conservation and rehabilitation.

Virtual Zoos

This post is about some great Virtual Zoo websites and Zoo Cams. Since most of us are sheltering at home, we have had to find things to occupy our time, and if you have small children, that is even more challenging. I have seen some zoo videos and animal cams come across my social media feeds, so I thought I would research some of these zoos. Not only did I want to watch the live animal cams now, I also put these zoos on my list of “must-see” places to visit later in person. We are all hoping that there will be a return to “normal” life soon, I am confident that there will be, but when? My thought, is that a zoo might we able to open sooner than other places? Most are pretty wide open, would social-distancing be possible there? I don’t have any answers to these questions, but I do know that every place will be open one day! In the meantime, we need to have some fun things to do at home and a way to keep our dreams of future vacations alive! I found quite a few zoos that have animal videos as well as live streaming(animal cams) with some of your favorite animals! There are many zoos across the United States that are providing some kind of online experience. I have come up with a list of 5 that I think are doing a great job! If they have a Penguin cam, I’m all in!

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History comes to life in Hillsborough, North Carolina

58 Comments / Travel / Cathy

Hillsborough, North Carolina, is a small city on the banks of the Eno River. It lies between Greensboro and Raleigh and is about 40 miles south of the Virginia State Line. It’s a great place to spend the day. We just happened to find ourselves there this last Saturday. Terry had a Basketball Coaches meeting at Eno River Academy and I was just tagging along. While he was in his meeting, I drove into Hillsborough and did some exploring. I found a lot of cool things in this small Southern town! The biggest surprise was the “Red Coats”!

Riverwalk

The Riverwalk is a boardwalk trail along the Eno River which stretches between Gold Park and River Park. It is great for a leisurely stroll, jogging, or walking your dog! It is a 3.1-mile loop trail, the boardwalk has handrails and benches all along the trail. It’s nice and wide so many people can be walking together and it makes it easy for the jogger to get by.

Two Parks on trail — **Choice of two parks in opposite directions**

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