Entry #82 – NORTH CAROLINA – October 27 – November 1, 2021

We drove down to Hendersonville, North Carolina on a gloriously sunny day. Wonderfully swopping roads with curves & dips that were fun & the RV handled them with ease. The changing of the seasons showed out in the beautiful Fall colors! It was definitely a WOW moment!

Traffic was most manageable with no problems & the new campground was only a few miles from the interstate. Easy to find!

Red Gates RV Park was a small campground with only 20 sites & was well kept. The owners were sticklers to the 5mph in the park – a little overly so – but it was a good place overall.

We decided to run into the city for a nice steak dinner on the first evening & Binion’s Roadhouse was the first place that popped up on our Google search. It was fantastic! The service was personable & quick & the steaks were so tender! Then there was the decor – it was fun! Look at the few pictures I took below.

The outside was great with many tasteful wall murals.

The front door handles were these great guns.

And Popcorn Sutton was their guy! He’s probably the most well known moonshine guy in history & the restaurant had this carving of the man.

They also had Popcorn’s last moonshine still displayed right at the front door!

The following day we consulted our Roadside America app for the “unusual” things to see in the area. So we went on a hunt for Piggy’s, a fun eatery that serves lunch in downtown Hendersonville. It was spot on for finding the cool stuff we like to see – tons of history inside & out.

This was the exit door with all the cool things – we always go backwards it seems & never did find the front door.

Then there was the bomb & TNT ball in the parking lot.

And the giant steer head over another of the doors.

Off to the side is a real jail cell one can opt to din in.

The walls inside were covered by fun signs & memorabilia. I would have gotten more pictures but the place was rather full & I didn’t want to disturb people’s lunch. Here are a few pictures I snapped though.

Lastly, there was this very friendly, blue eyed girl greeting people while she guarded the Sheriff’s office out back.

We then drove further out into the country to find another “unusual” location. The trees were so pretty everywhere!

We found the second place of interest on Roadside America – Puncheon Camp Creek. It’s a private property that a lighthearted man created with lots of old stores, a church & old timey buildings that look like an old town. The two oversized cows at the front of the property set the tone of the fun stuff within.

The entrance to the “old town” was really neat – except for the “No Trespassing” sign which we ignored, hoping we wouldn’t be shot during our brief drive through.

The two story high Indian was even trying to stop us apparently.

And then there was the evil looking giant lumberjack.

I think this was an old hotel or boarding house.

And then the Marshall’s Office – I have no idea if there were actual jail cells inside as there was NO ONE anywhere around the whole time we were there.

We concluded this place is actually closed to the public now & we were most likely not welcome to visit. But we did & no one appeared to run us off. It was a bit disconcerting being there though.

On another day we had breakfast at one of the little morning restaurants near the campground. Perry was sporting a new hat he found at a store we happened into the day before.

That afternoon we visited Burntshirt Vineyards for a wine tasting & to get some really nice bottles of wine for friends back in Georgia. I’m not much of a drinker but I did appreciate the tiny sips of wine the hostess served me while we selected which we wanted.

How pretty is this barn/warehouse at Burntshirt? The entire property was gorgeous!

I loved this wine bottle display at the vineyard.

Such a beautiful vineyard. It was many acres but I couldn’t get high enough to photograph it well.

I loved the fountain & wish it had been operating when we were there. There were a couple event venues there & I’m sure weddings happen often. A perfect setting.

Back at camp I was trying various outfits on the dogs & came across the old goggles & visor hats. Both Sugar & Spice were very patient while we dressed them & giggled for a bit. In the end, I determined they needed new sweaters for the winter so I got them ordered from Amazon. We ordered many things from Amazon we had put in our cart over the last few months. All would be delivered to our son’s house in Georgia. Soon, very soon.

On Sunday, we drove over an hour to the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley. This museum is a treasure trove of memorabilia for the motorcycle enthusiast. Dale Walksler created it with his massive collection of motorcycles. But it expanded into antique cars, funky equipment powered by motorcycle engines & donated motorcycles from fellow collectors.

We visited the big Harley Museum in Milwalkee a few months back, a pristine collection of every Harley model ever made along with the history & artifacts that make the brand. But the Wheels of Time Museum in Maggie Valley was FILLED with motorcycles of all sorts & include venues depicting parts graveyards & workshops. Perry said it smelled like the bike shops he “played” in during his teen years. A good smell – evoking fabulous memories.

I took pictures of so many motorcycles! Hopefully Perry will be able to remember the significance of many of them.

1917 Harley Davidson Messenger Pigeon Carrier

Early Harley Davidson with Side-Car with a car from the same era

Early Henderson that won the 2016 Cannonball Race

1915 Harley Davidson that was entered & won many Cannonball races

Not sure what it is other than a VERY cool old car

An old Peddle Car – I’d have liked to have that as a child!

A bike built for two – that flopped. Both passengers would have to be equal size & petal exactly as the other.

Pair of early Harley Davidsons in front of the neatest ”shop” display!

This is the only “Traub” motorcycle known to exist. The story about it is below.

Harly Davidson Rapid Delivery Service Sidecar

Early Motorcycle that was really cool but we don’t know what it is

The Booze Fighters were a group who said they were a drinking club with a motorcycle problem. I do believe it’s still in existence.

Harley Davidson Panhead – originally belonged to a friend of Perry’s brother Pete

How neat is this motorcycle with sidecar? Shown above & below at different angles.

Sort of a chainsaw with a motorcycle engine.

This is another rare motorcycle – description below.

Cool Motorcycle but we didn’t get the info on it

And let’s not forget about the StingRay Bikes! I can’t believe they didn’t display them with playing cards jammed into the spokes!

Another set-up of a shop venue with Flat Head Harley Davidsons

This sign was in front of the motorcycle below

1915 Harley Davidson 11F – see sign below

Loved this shop venue & the spotlight on the motorcycle in the back created by a skylight above.

Early Harley Davidson with a cool Buddy Seat

My dad was a motorcycle cop in Bradenton, Florida in the 60s. This bike is just like the one he road. Brought tears to my eyes.

After we left the museum, we stopped at a bar/restaurant in Maggie Valley. It was loud but the burgers were good. And I got to see this man playing with cars with his young son at a table nearby. So sweet.

On the ride back to Hendersonville, Perry took pictures of the trees along the interstate. And the beautiful blue sky. Just beautiful!

On Monday, November 1st, we headed out early on our way back into Georgia! Seven months of travel & a whirlwind of fun adventures concluded. Now we will hibernate at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia until the end of February. We NEED a few months to be near family & friends before we hit the road again!

Not All Who Wander Are Lost! #whereswaldocamping