Vacations

[dhyatt]

Stan,
Tell us about your trip! How was it? Where did you go and what did you see? Send me a few pictures and I'll put them up! :-)

[StanN]

No pictures but here is a great image of the brdge on top of Grandfather Mountain.

http://www.grandfather.com/media/downloads/BridgeAerial.jpg

and Mast Farms Inn

http://www.mastfarminn.com/images/mfi_summerc.jpg

Went to a Jewish Retreat at Wildacres Camp in Little Switzerland. (Here is an image of the porch area http://www.painetworks.com/photos/fe/fe1354.JPG

Primitive accommodations (but indoor plumbing), lousy camp food. Wonderful scenery and climate - except it rained mst of the time.

But Marcia and I had a great time revisiting our roots and religion. Three great college professors lectured on a a wide variety of subjects ranging from ancient Egyptian archeology and history; Chechyna-Russian wars (worse than Iraq); jews in Australia (about 110,000 - mostly conc. camp survivors and their decendents); notes of a political scientist on Jewish voting patterns in the US (suprise! - mostly social liberals who vote Democratic); the rise of religiosity and evangelicals in recent years (surprise!-mostly Republicans).

Great discussion groups over communal meals - met 100 mostly new people from all over the eastern US. Compared notes over the differences amd similarities of life in this great country.

In the evening we had sing-alongs and old videos of Sid Ceaser (when is the last time you really belly laughed over anything on TV?) + wine and snacks and home baked cakes. Who could ask for anything more.

Then three days in luxury time share in Banner Elk. The sun came out. Weather was bracing and the scenery wonderful. Lotsa shopping in Blowing Rock. Lotsa relaxing and reading. Great meals in the Mast Farm Inn and Morels. Saw Honky Tonk Angels in the Blowing rock theater. I preferred the lecture on Chechnya.

Overall a wonderful change of pace and the contrasts made the trip all the more enjoyable.

stan