PINOLA, NC.  On Friday, July 24th, we went to Boone to see the "Horn in the West" Museum.  "Horn in the West" is used to refer to both the museum and the drama.  It is a "symbolic expression of the pioneer spirit hearing a 'Horn of Freedom' calling settlers toward the golden western frontier" to escape British tyranny.  At that time, no one lived in present day Boone.  It was part of the west to which they were fleeing.  Even Daniel Boone lived elsewhere, but went there to hunt. He helped lead settlers there, who later named the town after him.  None of these productions are the work of professionals, but rather local ancestors who pride themselves in presenting these works each summer to commemorate their history. 

The "Horn in the West" Museum is an outdoor walking tour of old cabins that have been relocated to this place in Boone as a sort of colonial town even though these cabins came from locations where they resided alone in remote settings.  Pioneer families needed to be large to help defend themselves against wildlife and Indians in those isolated places.  That is also why cabins did not have large windows; that sort of thing was added later.  Ancestors of the settlers resided in these cabins until recently. 

Entry to the Museum

Betty Approaches the Museum Office

Betty Reviews the Merchandise

Closeup of Merchandise

Photos of Early Founders

Betty Purchases Tickets from Tour Leader

A Small Group on Our Tour

The first cabin on our tour was the WPA cabin.  This was a settlers cabin repurposed during the depression in the 1930s for the use of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).  

WPA Cabin

Mattress Would Be Filled with Moss or Grass

Lock Down Window to Keep Out Wildlife and Indians

View from Opposite Side

Note the hole in the wall added later to accommodate a wood stove exhaust pipe.

Betty Points Out Hole in Wall

Loft for Supplies

Loft from Opposite View

The Tatum cabin has been recently moved from its original location where ancestors of the settlers lived until recently.  It is under renovation from the move, so we could not enter it.  You will see one of the Tatum ancestors in the drama later on.

Tatum Cabin

The Tavern was a multi-purpose building in that day.  It served as post office, restaurant, doctor's office, pharmacy, church, bar, etc.  

The Tavern

Bills Posted on Front of Tavern

Inside the Tavern

Table and Bench for Restaurant

Food Preparation Area, Pulpit, and Bar

Hearth for Warmth and Cooking

Stream Shed to Cover Water Source

The next building is the Blacksmith Shop.  In its day it would have been better arranged than it is now.

Blacksmith Shop

Messy View Inside Blacksmith Shop

Our final building is the Frazier cabin.  

Frazier Cabin

Tour Guide Explains the Usage of the Weaving Loom

Yet Another Loom

Spinning Wheels, etc.

Thus ended the Museum tour.  The main feeling as we walked away was one of great thanksgiving that we did not have to live under these conditions.  The tedious preparations for everything.  The exhaustion of daily duties.  The lack of modern food and utensils.  I suppose there is a sort of romance about pioneer living, but at this point in my life, it is lost on me.

On Thursday, July 30th, we drove to Boone to see the "Horn in the West" Drama.  It is the nation's oldest Revolutionary War outdoor drama, performed in Boone each summer by local residents, many of whom have ancestors who participated in these events, the story of Daniel Boone and early settlers in the Blue Ridge Mountains.    

The Outdoor Stage

Play Opens with Entire Cast Singing Shenandoah

Scenes of Dr Stuart's Home in the East

Scenes of Dr Stuart's Home in the West

The story line follows the migration of Dr Stuart and family from their fine home in the east of North Carolina, where he was researching a cure for smallpox, to the west of present day Boone, as he follows his son's rebellion against the British and eventually is convinced of the pioneers' cause.  As it got dark, it became difficult to photograph scenes, but a few follow.

Daniel Boone at Table with Rev Sims and Stuart Family

Some Local Actors Are a Bit Fat to Be Pioneers

A Little Rotund to Play the Fair Lady

The Wedding Scene

Several Dancing and Musical Scenes

The best adult actor was Carlton Tatum, who portrayed Dr. Stuart, and is also a descendant of Captain James Tatum of Revolutionary War fame.  

Dr Stuart Presents One of Many Speeches

Dr Stuart Presents Another Convincing Speech

Rev Sims Led Baptists to Boone Area

Three Forks Baptist Church in Boone was founded by these Baptists of the 18th century.

Final Scene of Cast Singing in Present Costumes

More about this play can be found at:

 

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 PINEOLA, NC.  Our departure on June 16, 2026 started off pretty much as all our prior departures have with last minute items being loaded into the motorhome, bringing in the slides and raising the leveling jacks to prepare the vehicle for driving.  But after pulling forward to attach the Jeep behind, everything changed.  

It seemed that things were not coming together in the usual way, partly due to our increasing age and decreasing flexibility, making me wonder how much longer we shall be able to encounter such adventures large and small.  

After beginning to make progress hooking up the Jeep behind the motorhome, it began to rain.  We continued as the rain turned into a downpour.  Betty said she had never been so soaking wet from rain.  That went for both of us.  We finally gave up and went into the house to wait for the heavy rain to stop.  We now would be leaving later than ever, but the first stop would be South Savannah KOA, so only a couple hours' drive.  

After drying off and changing clothes, we ventured out to complete hooking up the Jeep.  We finally left at around 3:30 or 4:00 pm, arriving safely in South Savannah around 6 pm.  Quite a day!

The following day, June 17th, we headed for A. H. Stephens State Park in north Georgia.  This was not our typical route, but this time we were going to visit some of my old friends from Jacksonville who live in Almond, NC, well west of our usual route.  While we were at it, we decided to visit Cherokee, also far from our usual route but a place both of us found interesting due to its history.  Along the way, I was including a stop at the Freightliner service center in Gaffney, SC, which I had been told one should do periodically if you own a motorhome built on one of their chassis.  

Huge Pull-Through Site at State Park

Viewing Tower Built at Park by Civilian Conservation Corps

It is a very good thing (and clearly Providential) that I had made an appointment with Freightliner, since along the way, after leaving that very nice state park, the motorhome began to exhibit things like never before which had us very concerned.  After stopping to fill the tank with diesel fuel, a few miles up the road the fuel gauge flipped to empty.  I wondered if there was a leak in the tank, so we stopped soon as we could to re-fuel.  The tank was full.  The problem was with the gauge.  Then all the other gauges began to flip back and forth.  Next the generator power was not reaching the cabin to power the AC.  All this was very alarming.  Then a loud annoying warning buzzer started sounding, making our ears ache.  Once again, things were not proceeding as they had in the past, making me wonder if the Lord was trying to tell us something.

Error Message on Dashboard Was Key to Problem

We finally made it safely to Big Bear's RV Park in Bryson City, NC and managed to fiddle with controls until the warning buzzer shut off.  That was a relief!  From Bryson City we could easily visit Cherokee on Friday and Saturday.  

This was a bare bones campground, with no office or store.  The owner came up in a golf cart to say if we needed anything just call him on his cell phone.  The roads leading there from Bryson City were so narrow and winding that oncoming traffic nearly pulled off the road when they saw us coming.  Doubt we'll stay there again.  How did they get such good reviews?  Must be the view of surroundings.

Our Site at Big Bear's Campground

Behind Our Site Down a Steep Stairway

We visited the Cherokee museum and the re-created village.  This is a very interesting town, where the Cherokee heritage is clearly celebrated, with signs written boldly in Cherokee script with English underneath.  Ironically, given the history of the Trail of Tears, the county in which the town resides is named Andrew Jackson County.

Entry to Museum

Statue In Front of Museum

We took a huge number of photos inside the museum since it is quite large.  Below are hopefully a representative sample.

Betty looks at Cherokee Handiwork Samples

Masks of the Seven Tribal Clans

More Information on the Clans

Pottery Firing Exhibit

Tools Made from Stone

Tools and Weapons

Tribal Dwelling

Exhibits of Sports and Crafts

Exhibit of Village

Village Showing European Architectural Influence

Location of Cherokee Nation

Exhibit of Trade with Europeans

King George III Promised No More White Settlements
West of the Appalachian Mountains

After the Revolution, Americans Went West of the Mountains

George Washington Meant to Westernize Them

Battles Ensued

Tecumseh Pleads With Them to Join Him in Fight

Sequoyah Developed the Cherokee Written Language
by Observing English Writing

Press an English Language Character
and the Cherokee Equivalent Sounds

Jackson Originally Promises the Land Will Be Theirs Forever

Statue Showing Several Dissenting Views

Various Tribes in Area

Rebecca Neugin Home From Which She Was Driven Out
Last Survivor of Trail of Tears.  Died in 1932.

Museum Mural

Museum Mural Panorama

One Very Wide Museum Mural

Betty Photographs An Exhibit

Cherokees Demonstrate Their Contribution to Our Defense

Charles George Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient

Chiefs of Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribe

Cherokee Towns in Mid-18th Century

Cherokee Towns 2014

List of Wars Survived by the Cherokee

I think this covers the ground most people would find of interest in this museum.  Many other photos were shot by Betty and me, but it only goes into more detail.

After lunch, we visited the Cherokee Village, a recreation of what life in a Cherokee village would have been like centuries ago.

Betty Observes Sash Making

Our Guide Holds Up A Sash

Guide Holds Up Sash From Another Work Station

Items Carved From Gourds

Pottery Kiln

Basket Weaving Station

Large Game Animals Were Trapped in Cages

Smaller Traps Were Used to Capture Small Game

Smoke House For Cooking Game

Betty Steps Out of Smoke House

Fireplace Inside Smoke House

Special Community Buildings Toward End of Tour

Closeup of Smaller Building

Inside Smaller Building

Inside Larger Building

Outdoor Gathering Theater

On Sunday we joined my old friends from Jacksonville at their church in Stecoah, NC.  Though I knew them both from our time in Presbyterian (PCA) churches in Jacksonville, they for some reason found themselves uncomfortable in PCA churches nearby in NC.  Thus they were members of a Baptist church.  And this was not like any church, Baptist or otherwise, that I had ever visited before.  Yet it was similar to what I had read about happening during the 19th century awakening revival meetings sponsored by Charles Finney.  

This church was led by a very loud preacher who had to be heard above everyone and everything throughout the service.  The order of worship was like a large fellowship gathering with people sharing thoughts and experiences extemporaneously throughout.  There was no "anxious bench" but rather a sort of anxious altar down low around the elevated area near the pulpit.  After the regular service, a few people lay down there facing the pulpit while the preacher lay down beside them and prayed loudly for them.  I do not know how common this is in churches in this area of the country, but it was a sort of blast from the past.  Betty and I breathed a sigh of relief when it was finally over.

On Monday, June 22nd, we finally departed for the Gaffney, SC Freightliner service center.  There we hooked up to electric power for the night, and the motorhome was taken in for service at 7:30 am the next day.  That day we spent partly at the customer lounge and in the afternoon drove over to their manufacturing plant north of Gaffney.  It actually is an assembly plant, since all the major components are brought in from other manufacturers.  Even then, the long walk through the plant showed us how the parts are assembled into a chassis foundation, then axels and wheels, steering columns, wiring cable bundles of various sizes and colors are connected, etc.  All on moving platforms to ensure efficient productivity.  Very automated.  Not much serious lifting required; only directing the machinery to its appropriate target.  No photography was allowed, so I have no images to share.

By mid afternoon the motorhome was ready, but we had no place reserved to stay for that night, so we hooked up the electricity for one more night and left the following day.

Wednesday, June 24th, we arrived safely at Down By The River Campground here in Pineola, NC.  

In the days since arriving here, we have spent some days seeing doctors and hospitals for Betty's various health needs.  On Tuesday, June 30th, Betty had a CT scan to help identify the cause of abdominal pains she was having.  Turns out to be nothing serious.

On July 4th the campground management threw a 250th Independence Day party for us at the recreation center here.  

On Monday July 6th, I drove Betty to see a podiatrist in Spruce Pine to analyze the pain in her foot due to plantar fasciitis.  The doctor made molds of her feet for producing orthotics to place in her shoes.  She also received a sort of minimalist boot to wear on one foot in bed.  It seems to be helping.

Apart from that, our exciting days consist of grocery shopping, running other errands, and household duties.  The remaining time consists of reading, etc.  Tomorrow, July 10th, we shall go to see the Scottish Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain.

We come here in the summer to escape the summer heat in Florida, only this year it is nearly as hot here!  Thank heavens for air conditioning!  Hope it is not too bad at the Highland Games.

Much of RVing is rather uneventful.  Just relaxing and enjoying the scenery. 

Yesterday, Friday the 10th, we attended the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.  It is a very crowded gathering of tourists and locals of Scottish descent and others like us who have no relatives of that descent.  It is so crowded there, with RVs nestled closely together at the entrance and local participants who park their cars tightly just beyond that area.  The rest of us had to shuttle in on school buses from various locations around the area not necessarily easy to locate in advance, and little assistance is provided in that effort.

A Long Walk from Where the Shuttle Bus Dropped Us Off

Entering Area Where RVs Were Parked

Crowded in Right ...

...and Left of the Pathway

Slowly We Approach Where We Can Purchase Entry Tickets 

Vendor Vans Everywhere

Get In Line to Purchase a Ticket

Slowly We Approach Where All the Events Are

Panorama of Area

The participants work the festival, with tents set up around the circumference of the oval games area.  The tents have bold banners declaring what Scottish clan they represent, with at least one true relative of that clan selling memorabilia, snacks, etc.  We were amazed at how many certified clans today are represented by names that do not sound one bit Scottish.  

Panorama of Large Oval Area of Events

A couple pages from their official publication are shown below.  Not that many "Mc"s or "Mac"s.  As well as names like Hay.  At the bottom is shown a sign at the Hay pavilion.

Quite a few Hay derivatives.  Would not have guessed they were Scottish.

I likewise felt out of place due to their concept of the ideal Scotsman.  A sort of Rob Roy.

From the Front Cover of Their Official Publication

We found all the people at the event to be very friendly and helpful.  More than once men volunteered to help Betty make her way over the very rocky, craggy landscape there.  Her wheeled walker was no match for that terrain, and it was easy for us to get separated in that crowd.  

The clan participants in the tents around the arena were very generous with sharing their chairs with tired tourists needing to rest or get in out of the rain.  Thankfully, the rain was quite minimal that day.

On and On the Banners Go

Easily Recognized Scottish Surname

Knew That Surname from My Favorite Dean at Seminary

Knew That Surname from My Pastor in South Florida

Most Common Surname in Scotland Has Two Exhibits

Betty Posed in Front of This One

And On They Went . . .

Another Familiar Scottish Name

The Clan of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland

The events that took place while we were there consisted of sports related to lifting and tossing heavy weights, a sheep dog corralling sheep, and musical groups.  Other events of interest would take place on other days. 

The Scottish Hammer Throw consists of spinning and tossing a 22 lb hammer.  The Weight for Distance consists of spinning and tossing a 56 lb steel cube with a chain using one arm.  The Sheaf Toss consists of tossing a 20 lb straw-filled burlap bag over a high bar using a pitchfork.    The Stone Put is similar to our shot put.

The Scottish Caber Toss resembles lifting a telephone pole with both hands at the tip, holding it vertically while running forward a few steps, then attempting to flip it in the air so that it flips to land on the other end such that in flops on over away from the thrower.

Several men attempted all these, with only a few achieving any level of succes.

The sheep dog (border collie) was a big hit.  It corralled the sheep quickly and efficiently and lay down to watch them.  Over an over again. We actually walked by the cages where the sheep and dog were kept later on.

Sheep Corralled Around Shepherd 

Border Collie

Sheep in the Pen

And the music groups consisted of rock groups that did not sound at all like what one would expect from a Scottish group.  There was a bagpipe, but it was nearly drowned out by electric guitar, drums, and other electric instruments.

Bagpiper at Far Right

Another Scottish Rock Band with Bagpiper at Right

A much more pleasant band had no bagpiper and was more a folk music group rather than a rock group.

Ed Miller Braw Band

On Thursday, July 16th, we visited Jo Rohrbaugh and her friend, Paula Hartman, with whom we stayed during David Rohrbaugh's funeral on May 30th.  It was a great visit down in Denver, NC.  We had a great lunch and happy time of card games.  We gave Jo a memento in memory of David.  We reluctantly pulled ourselves away to return back to the campground before traffic would get too bad.  A truly wonderful visit.

Betty, Jo, and Paula

Large Pillow Memento for Jo