MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Saturday.  On Wednesday we drove to Winston-Salem, two cities that have merged.  Winston is known for tobacco processing, with a cigarette brand named after them a few years ago.

Salem is far more interesting, with its old village preserved in Old Salem.  It is much like Williamsburg, with reenactors plying trades in old shops with period tools.  The best part is that it was founded by Moravians, early Protestant Christians who fled their native Moravia or Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) to find freedom from religious persecution, especially after the end of the 17th century Thirty Years War.  They originally were called Hussites, since they were followers of Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake for teaching the views of John Wycliffe.  Wycliffe wrote many works, including a new translation of the Bible into English.  This area of North Carolina has streets named after Jan Hus due to his great influence.  The Hussites eventually became known as Moravians, named after their place of origin.  They also settled in other areas of America, including Pennsylvania, where they still have a strong presence in Nazareth and Bethlehem, where its college and seminary are located.  They were instrumental in the conversion of John and Charles Wesley, leading some historians to quip that they were English Moravians, though they strongly parted ways with them later on theological grounds. 

Moravian history is closely linked with Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a German nobleman of great faith and devotion to Christ, who possessed land in Saxony adjacent to its border with Moravia.  He allowed the Moravians to build a settlement on his land, which they named Herrnhut, meaning "The Lord's Watch."  From there they tirelessly launched missionary efforts worldwide, including to America.  

We began our exploration of Old Salem at the Visitor Center, which has a covered bridge leading to the village.  Inside the bridge hangs the Moravian Star (Herrnhuter Stern), a symbol commemorating Advent, Christmas, or Epiphany.

It was much easier and quicker to travel by car, which we did.

Betty Explores the Covered Bridge

Inside the Bridge Hangs the Moravian Star

For lunch, we visited the only place for a meal in Old Salem, the Muddy Creek Cafe, which was well hidden from view on the main road.  We walked a while and found the entrance tucked around behind an old building (see below).  

Entry to Muddy Creek Cafe

We placed our order at the entrance and went inside to await our food.  Betty noticed a couple reenactors inside across the room.

Betty Approaches Reenactors

We met the reenactor on the left later in several places of the village.  The reenactor on the right works in the pottery shop.

Two Reenactors

The college in Old Salem is part of several more buildings of this college in Winston-Salem.  It was founded as a college for women, part of the modern thinking of the Moravians.  Today the college allows men, but the women to men ratio is 96% to 4%.  If I were a Moravian man looking for a college today, this would sound like pretty good odds.

Salem College

The Old Salem Moravian Church is still in use today by Moravians.

Moravian Church Still in Use Today

When we got there, the church building was locked for the day by 1:30 pm.  A dear lady next door at the church office was there alone and could not leave the office to give us a quick tour of the church.

Church Office on the Left

We walked around Old Salem, looking at the old building architecture.  Seems a lot like Williamsburg. The gardens are experiments to determine what modern plants were likely growing in the 18th century.

Sample Buildings with Gardens

Garden Examples

Betty Explores Garden

Period Homes and Gardens

The most impressive part of Old Salem for us was their ancient cemetery, which continues in use for present day Moravians.

Cemetery Entrance from Church Road

One of Many Arched Entrances/Exits

One of the key differences between Old Salem and Williamsburg is the constant references to the Scriptures.

First Archway We Approached

Very nice to visit a place of graves where survivors placed their loved ones' remains knowingly to await the resurrection.

Step Inside to See How Vast the Area Is

Far to the Left Are More Recent Gravesites

Every Gravestone Has a Bible Verse

Cemetery is Divided by Gender and Marital Status

Singles Above, Marrieds Below

There remains a vast area for more graves, and there is a grassy area reserved for the worldwide homecoming of Moravians who gather every Easter for a worship service where their ancestors will rise again.  See below.

Over time the trees have sometimes crowded their way into gravesites.  Note below the timeless sense of this place, as a tree shares company with the deceased.

We Exited Through the Archway Above

There Is a Sense of Hush as You Leave

  

 MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Monday.  We are catching up on household duties following last week's local travels to visit our friends, Felix and Kathy Kozielski, and Chuck and Marti Eagle.

On Thursday, June 8th, we drove to Wytheville, VA to visit with Felix and Kathy.  They live in Bristol, VA, and Wytheville is halfway between there and Mt Airy.  

Wytheville is a pretty and well-kept area which bills itself as the hub of Southwest Virginia.  Everything (including road signs) appears to be new.  As with everywhere else in this area, all the grounds are neat and clean.  There is a heritage walk area, including historic churches along Church Street.  This is another case where the historic Presbyterian church did not make it into the PCA.  Some vintage cars were parked along Main Street.  

Sign Explaining Town's Historic Significance

Mural Depicting Town Heritage

Stopping for a Photo with Our Friends

Vintage Cars Along Main Street

Walkway Leading to Historic Area

Historic Baptist Church.  Note the Dome on Top.

Abingdon Presbytery (PCUSA) Headquarters

Wytheville Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Back

We then looked for other places in the area to see.  One local attraction was Big Walker Lookout, whose brochure promised an upscale lookout tower and gift store.

Big Walker Lookout Brochure

After driving several miles along the roller coaster back roads, we arrived at the big attraction.  See below.

Not Quite the Attraction Promised

This establishment is quite old and run down, and not up to Wytheville standards.  The viewing tower ($8 per adult) is rusted out with a long stairway up (no elevator).  We old folk decided to pass on the lookout tower.  There was also a cat walk to the left of the tower leading to a shorter lookout.

The Shorter Lookout.  Did Not Look Safe to Us.

View from the Ground Was About as Good.

The front of the gift shop was covered with old license plates supposedly left by past visitors.  Saw a couple Florida plates, which should come as no surprise since Florida tourists are everywhere here.

Old License Plates Exhibited

After browsing the gift shop, and getting some ice cream, we took another photo of our friends.

Felix and Kathy Kozielski

On Friday we took another stroll through another part of our huge campground.  There was one trailer that truly stood out.  It looked like a flash back to the 60s or 70s.  I hope our country is not headed back there.  Many campgrounds would not let something like this into the campground. 

Flash Back to Hippy Times

Our stroll ended on a nicer note, with scenes of the thoughtful design of this campground.  There are many nice spots here to rest and reflect.

One of the Many Spots for Thoughtful Contemplation

On Saturday we visited friends Chuck and Marti Eagle up in Fancy Gap, VA.  We had heard that they now lived in a log cabin in the woods.  It turns out to be a very nice well-built home that only simulates the appearance of a log cabin.  They have many out building to the side and back that serve as garage for their golf cart and storage for other things.  All these are of matching construction.  

View from the Road of "Cabin"

View from Front of Eagles' New Home

View Down Narrow Street in Front of Their House

Chuck took us on a golf cart ride around the neighborhood, winding up and down, and around, the single-lane roads.  It is a pretty and interesting neighborhood, much like other mountain communities in the Carolinas.  Below are a couple photos of the relaxed country life in rural Virginia.

Betty and Marti on Porch Swing

Marti and Chuck

 MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Wednesday.  We were going to take a sight-seeing trip to Winston-Salem, but the weather turned too rainy. 

Yesterday was laundry day for us, and we got to try out Thelma Lou's laundry.  I think Thelma Lou would be embarrassed to see the place named after her.  No real air conditioning, small and cramped, no change machine or vending machine, etc. like other laundries.  Two old washers and two old driers. At far right you can see meager effort to cool the room.

Panorama Wraparound of Entire Laundry

Working Section of Laundry.  Brought in Our Own Chair.

After completing the laundry, with help from our small slow motorhome laundry, we took a walk around one of the lakes.

View from Far Side of Lake

This morning, since we were stuck indoors with bad weather, Betty fixed herself French toast with blueberry syrup.  Yum!

Betty Happily Having Her Breakfast

 MT AIRY, NC.  Today is Monday.  Today we mostly went shopping.  

Yesterday we attended church at Covenant Reformed (OPC) Presbyterian Church in town here.  We got to meet old friends again, Chuck and Marti Eagle, who were in attendance.  We set up a time to visit them next Saturday where they live in Fancy Gap, VA.  More on that later. 

The church building is about 100 years old, beginning (likely) as a Methodist church, then a Baptist church, then perhaps back and forth until this OPC congregation bought it.  Being able to buy an existing church building is something we have found to be the case around the country, except in Florida.  This building is typical of very old church buildings, in that rooms or whole sections have been added on over time, resulting in restrooms around every corner and some illogical junctures. 

Covenant Reformed Church Interior

 As we have driven around Mt Airy, it seems as if we are taken back to the 1950s.  The tidy well-kept homes with lush green freshly mowed lawns are not typical of other towns in North Carolina that we have visited.  The homes are beautiful but small.  One not-so-small example is adjacent to the campground, but it is typical of the architecture and surrounding lush trees and bushes.  See photo below.

This scene really takes me back to my childhood in Maryland.

Once again we came across another example of Andy Griffith Show memorabilia at the campground laundry.  See title in photo below.

Thelma Lou's Laundry

 MT AIRY, NC.  It has been quite a while since we made an entry here.  On this trip we shall not be making as many entries as we have in the past, since the time involved makes for a rather tedious and time-consuming travel experience, with wi-fi connectivity problems and the like.  However, once we are back home and finished traveling, we shall catch up on photo posting and other details.

On May 30th we left home and stopped south of Savannah for the night.  There was a mix-up in our RV park reservations, with a change in the park's name causing me to make reservations at another park. Hence, we arrived at the wrong park before 5 pm only to turn around and head back south 7 miles to a different park.  While pulling out of the park, a small truck came racing around the corner an nearly ran us off the road.  The right side of motorhome dipped greatly downward, causing most of what was in the overhead cabinets and shelves to fly into the floor.  We pulled to the side of the road, and Betty and I (mostly Betty) got everything put back.  Thankfully, nothing was seriously damaged.  Along with the backaches both of us have been experiencing for the past few weeks, we wondered if the Lord was trying to tell us something.  Nothing was going the way it has in the past when preparing for our adventures.  We made it safely to the correct RV park (South Savannah KOA) in a timely manner with no additional extracurricular adventures to report.

On May 31st, we arrived at our next park in Kennard, SC, another KOA.  An easy stay overnight.

On June 1st, we arrived at our residence for the month of June, Mayberry Campground in Mt Airy.  The whole TV show theme is everywhere on display here.   The names of the roads in the campground are named after characters in the Andy Griffith Show.

Photos on the Wall Inside Mayberry Campground Office

Our Area in Mayberry Campground

A Closeup Showing Us in the Center

The highway experience driving up here was typical of our travels around the country, construction and congested traffic.  It seems that everywhere roads and bridges are being widened and overpasses built, sometimes on a huge scale.  And, yes, traffic accidents aplenty.