12 Jul 2018 – Greyhound & Automobile

Tue: tkx to #1 for driving me to the Greyhound Station in Columbia. She is a good driver and also a quick way to earn some pocket money by paying her to drive me instead of getting a cab or Uber. App 2hrs ride from Columbia-Charlotte – en route to the AT in ME to join HiHills, Pokey&Lizard to do a support hike.

Charlotte/NC, (2hrs layover) to catch another bus (about 1+hr ride) to WinstonSalem.

Greyhound and bus station across Main St/Downtown North Historic District@WS

Appreciations to Franklin for a tour of Old Salem, historic district of WS – a restored Moravian community which shows the culture of the Moravian settlement in NC during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Campus of Salem College and Academy

WS – Main St/Avenue of the Arts,

interesting insects! on the wall; Mast General Store with this Chaco bench!

Good Southern dinner@Sweet Potatoes: starter – green fried tomatoes&okra with a yummy sweet potato dip;  main – cat-fish with grids&spicy greens; dessert – sweet potato pudding & strawberry-key-lime pie.

Wed: Wilkesboro/NC – tkx to HiHills&Franklin for putting me up in their lovely home and for driving. Not sure how much I will be able to blog or to be online when on the road and the trail starting tomorrow until 23Jul, but will surely update when possible.

Environmentalists have a very conflicted relationship with their cars – Tom Arnold

Wilkesboro was founded in 1800. Behind this former Court-House, now Heritage Museum was a ClevelandOak tree, grew possibly 3centuries and was used as a hanging tree for at least 5Tories during the fall of 1779. Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church is a historic church built in 1849-50 by a man named Dameron for $1040.

Tom Dula (Dooley), from Wilkes County a Confederate veteran was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancee, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula’s jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula’s story was turned into a top-selling ballad in 1958 by the Kingston Trio, the song was entitled Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley. The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring Michael Landon as Dula, and each summer the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story.