Asheville, North Carolina.

In our travels, we have learned that things don’t always go as expected. I’ve told some of those stories in these pages before. We stayed for ten days in Asheville in January, and toward the end of our stay, we planned to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway. In anticipation of the road trip, I visited the Viator website to see what might be available for touring the parkway. We discovered a self-guided tour downloaded to a smartphone that uses geolocation to narrate an audio description that plays automatically according to the phone’s GPS location. The tour has no expiration date, so it can be used multiple times or to drive different parkway sections at various times. For $24.99, I thought it would be a worthwhile expense. As one might expect for such a low cost, it doesn’t include any tickets for venues that might be seen along the way or for any associated fees.

I downloaded the app before leaving the hotel to ensure a solid Internet connection as we didn’t know whether Internet access would be reliable. Once the app is downloaded, the tour maps are available to download and use. We selected the drive to Cherokee from the Asheville Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. Using Google Maps, we inserted the address of the visitor center into the GPS and headed there.

Upon arrival at the visitor center, we looked at the exhibits in the building and then asked about fees to drive the parkway. At the main desk, we were advised that there is no fee, but to be sure and talk to one of the guides at a different station in the center. We took a few steps across the floor to that desk and asked for details about entering the parkway. What we were told was disappointing. The parkway was closed due to adverse conditions and winter weather. We wouldn’t be going on our scenic drive after all.

The tour company soon emailed us to ask how our scenic drive went and how we liked using the app. I wrote that we could not begin the tour due to the parkway closure and that we likely wouldn’t be returning to Asheville for at least a year. I was surprised by the response from the tour company. I replied that we’d be heading for Arizona in a few days. Because we could not use the self-guided tour we bought, the tour guide operator offered us their entire library of self-guided audio tours for Arizona at no additional cost. In a future post, I will feature one of those tours. Here is the information about the Blue Ridge Parkway tour from the Viator website.

The Asheville Visitor Center provides some displays about the parkway’s history, and guides from the National Park Service are available to answer questions about your potential journeys on the parkway. The parkway is a national park, but unlike most parks, access to the parkway is fee-free year-round. No entrance fee or pass is required. You can learn more about the parkway here, including the operating hours of the visitor centers along the 469-mile (755 km) highway.

About the photo: After parking our car, we approached the center, and I paused to capture a photo of the main entrance. It was a beautiful day, and we left the building feeling much less upbeat than when we entered it. The image was captured on my Samsung S23U and processed with Adobe Lightroom Classic and Luminar Neo. In the interest of responsible journalism, I used Adobe Photoshop’s Generative Fill to remove a large trash receptacle in the lower left corner of the photo.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

Asheville, North Carolina.

Looking for things to do while we visited Asheville, we discovered the Asheville Pinball Museum. The museum is a haven for anyone who loves classic arcade games. Located in downtown Asheville, the museum boasts a collection of over 70 vintage pinball machines and classic video games that you can play for one set price! They also offer snacks, sodas, and beer for purchase.

In addition to the original steel ball pinball machines, an entire section is dedicated to classic video games like Space Invaders. Each game has a small placard nearby that tells some of the machine’s history, including the date of first release and often the estimated number of machines produced. Space Invaders was an instant success for Taito, a Japanese producer. Released in Japan in 1978, it became so popular that by the end of 1978, they had sold over 100,000 machines in Japan alone. In 1979, they licensed the game to Midway in the United States for worldwide distribution, and by the end of 1979, it became the world’s all-time best-selling arcade game.

Most of the machines are playable at a very reasonable rate. Visitors can wander through the museum exhibits for free, but $15, as of this writing, gives them unlimited time to play at no additional cost. Some of the oldest machines, like the pinball “Lovely Lucy” from 1955, no longer work. Those machines have a placard that notes “Display only.” The placard describing Lovely Lucy notes that it was an attempt to profit from the TV show “I Love Lucy” and avoid licensing fees.

On the day of our visit, there weren’t too many people in the museum, but several took advantage of the one-time fee for all-day play. The collection consists of a rotating collection of fully operational vintage games dating as far back as the 1960s, with machines on display from as far back as the 1930s.

The museum can be bustling at certain times of the year, and reservations are not allowed. However, if there is a waiting list, they will take your name and phone number and call you when your turn is ready. Since the museum is downtown, many nearby attractions are available to keep you busy while you wait. Only 65 people can enter the museum at a time, so an open game is always available.

Two historic machines are the Eight Ball from 1977 and the Olympics from 1962. The original Eight Ball machine was designed in 1977. A later version with more features was released in 1982. Eight Ball was one of the first pinball machines to feature a solid-state design, though the sound effects were still electro-mechanical. The unit on display is of the later release, as it had a digital scoring display, unlike the original 1977 version. The game was a significant success, holding the title of the most successful pinball game of all time until 1992.

The Olympics pinball machine released in 1962 was typical of pinball design in the pre-digital era. Pinball machines manufactured before the 1980s were primarily electro-mechanical, meaning they used electrical components to control the flippers and scoring mechanisms but relied on physical elements for most of the action.

Stepping into the video arcade section of the museum, I found this popular arcade game from 1981, which was developed by Nintendo. Universal Studios sued for violation of copyright because of its similarity to King Kong. The placard said that Universal had lost the suit.

The videogame area contains many video games that were entirely new to me. I thought I knew most of the video games of the era. These are more recent games; Virtua Fighter and NBA Jam were released in 1993.

Mortal Kombat was released in 1992, which caused much controversy for its violent depictions. Dragon’s Lair was a game I enjoyed on a home game console. Released in 1983, It wasn’t a traditional game with character controls but rather an interactive film where players guided the on-screen knight, Dirk the Daring, through animated sequences. Finally, Marvel vs. Capcom is a series of crossover fighting games developed and published by Capcom, featuring characters from their own video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. I missed the placard photo on this game, but the Internet tells me it could be one of several versions, the earliest released in 1996.

I didn’t play any of the games; instead, I enjoyed a beverage from the museum’s bar as I explored the museum. The nostalgic glow of classic games and the friendly buzz of the players lingered in the air. Whether you’re a seasoned pinball wizard or a curious newcomer, the Asheville Pinball Museum offers a winning combination of fun, competition, and a delightful trip down memory lane. I have included these images in 2K HD on my Flickr site for pixel-peepers.

John Steiner

Asheville, North Carolina.

Note: As I’ve been reading and commenting on others sharing their own Cellpic Sunday images this morning, I’ve noticed that several of my comments on several pages aren’t showing up. I don’t know whether or not they are actually posting. This happened last week as well.

I read every post linked to my site and try to comment. WordPress isn’t posting what I wrote if you don’t see my comment.

The most famous piece of art in the Asheville River Arts District is arguably not even a building. It’s a painted silo located across the railroad tracks from the French Broad River just off West Haywood Street. This silo has become a landmark for Asheville, and its message has changed a few times over the years.

If you search in Google Maps for the Good Vibes Silo, you can get Google Maps to show you how to get to the site, which also has a long wall of graffiti. There is an extensive collection of images that show various iterations of the silo graffiti over the years.

In 2014, the silo sported the message “Good Vibes.” By 2019, local muralists Ian “The Painter” Wilkinson and Ishmael updated it to “Stay Weird,” a message that captured Asheville’s quirky and unique spirit. This became the silo’s most well-known iteration. Later, “Stay Home” was the message during the pandemic, and most recently, “Stay True.” During our visit, the Stay True message had been painted over with what appeared to be random graffiti. Those main messages were painted on the opposite side of the silo from the image I captured for this post.

Beyond the silo, the River Arts District features many artist studios and is a vibrant area reflecting the Asheville artists community. Just down the road from the silo is Old Lymon Street. Take a short drive down Riverside Drive to find some of the studios. Then, drive just past the roundabout to Lymon Street. There, you can soak in the ever-evolving canvas of murals and tags on buildings. Foundation Walls on Old Lyman Street is a particularly interesting spot where graffiti artists are actively encouraged to express themselves.

About the photo: Given the artistic nature of the area and the fact that on the day of our visit, it was cold, dreary, and rainy, I took some creative liberties with this photograph.

In the original image, the sky completely lacked definition. It was a flat cloud ceiling. The only advantage to my photographs that day is that the flat gray sky created a giant “soft box” that provided completely even lighting. After cataloging, straightening, and cropping the image from my Samsung S23U into Lightroom Classic, I sent the photo off to Luminar Neo for an altered reality treatment.

I started with Enhanced AI to give the image extra contrast and definition. Considering the soft available lighting, I was careful not to enhance the colors to make the image too vibrant. I then went to Luminar Neo’s Sky Replacement tool to look for a suitable cloudy sky with at least some definition to add character to the image.

I found a mostly cloudy sky in my collection, but it had some bright blue areas that simply didn’t fit the image as I imagined it. After replacing the sky, I used Neo’s Mask AI to select the sky from within the Develop module. Then, I lowered the sky exposure to darken it, but the sky was still too blue.

I copied the mask, opened the Color tool, and, after pasting the mask, selected the HSL Luminance tool to reduce the blue in the sky. Back in the Develop module, I created two linear gradient masks, a large one from the upper left corner that I angled toward the silo, and another from the upper right, again angled toward the silo. With each mask, I reduced the exposure to darken the sky in the brightest areas.

If you’d like to experiment with these techniques, you can find the altered and original images on my Flickr site here. Download the original image and experiment away. If you don’t have Luminar Neo but have Adobe Photoshop, you can try the basic steps I described from within Photoshop.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

Asheville, North Carolina.

Our visit to Asheville, North Carolina was in less-than-ideal weather. We planned to spend some time touring the Blue Ridge Parkway via an app with driving directions and navigation instructions. The company marketing the app suggested that the views are best in clear weather, something we didn’t see much during our entire visit. Not only was it cloudy, but the mornings were mostly foggy. We resigned ourselves to the sights of the city itself for several days. When we visited the downtown area, we happened by the Minor Basilica of St. Lawrence the Deacon & Martyr.

This Roman Catholic church features the architectural flair of the Spanish Renaissance. According to Wikipedia, it is the only basilica in western North Carolina, a testament to its architectural and historical importance. Constructed in 1905, the church features a remarkable dome, inspired by the Basilica de los Desamparados in Valencia, Spain. From this angle, the huge dome isn’t visible as it’s above the altar area behind the central facade that rises above the large round stained glass window and main entrance doors. The dome spans 58 by 82 feet (18 by 25 meters), and is reputedly the largest unsupported dome of its kind in North America.

The parish church within the Diocese of Charlotte serves the local Catholic community. The term Minor Basilica confers special privileges to the parish. If you are interested, Wikipedia describes the differences between major and minor basilicas here. The parish is Listed on the National Register of Historic Places giving recognition for its cultural and architectural heritage.

About the photo: On the day of our downtown visit, the skies were gray and drab. After using Adobe Lightroom Classic to catalog and visually straighten the image captured from my Samsung S23U, I sent it off to Luminar Neo for minor touch-up and major sky replacement surgery. Neo recommended the sky I chose in the Sky Replacement tool, and after reviewing the many sky options I have on my computer, I couldn’t find any more visually distinctive than the one chosen by the AI application. Once completed, I uploaded the image in 2K HD to my Flickr account. If you wish to pixel peep, simply click on the image to go to my Flickr site.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s acceptable as well. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, and, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

Last week we visited the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, however midway through our journey through the aquarium exhibits, we were encouraged to venture outside. There, we discovered the boardwalk and nature trail, which offered a fascinating insight into the ecosystem of the island marshes along the North Carolina coast.

At the time of writing this in February 2024, I noticed on the aquarium’s website that the boardwalk and nature trail are presently undergoing renovations that are scheduled to conclude in May 2024. By the time this post is made public in early April, I recommend checking the website here before your visit if the outdoor activities at the aquarium are of interest to you.

The boardwalk features many placards each detailing the unique aspects of the various viewpoints encountered along your path. However, due to the limits of my photo collection, I wasn’t able to capture the entire expanse of the boardwalk. This boardwalk extends behind the aquarium, skirts the edge of Bogue Sound and meanders through the coastal woodland.

We didn’t visit the Snakes building exhibit at Pine Knoll Shores, and I couldn’t find any information on their website about what was inside other than was on the sign in the photo above. I leave it to you, dear reader, to comment and let me know what you know about the displayed reptiles. It is a sidestep off the boardwalk.

Near the end of the boardwalk, a nature trail beckons. The short loop trail took us about 30 minutes to walk and brought us back to the boardwalk and the aquarium. There, we concluded our visit and took in the final few aquarium exhibits.

We saw only a few birds on our visit and a single ground squirrel. Even so, the short hike was enjoyable and allowed us to view the forest ecosystem on the edge of the island near Bogue Sound.

The suspension bridge is more stable than most I’ve encountered, and its short distance is probably the main reason for its stability. It is needed to transit a marshy area on the loop trail.

There is also a children’s play area with climbing equipment that marks the beginning and end of the loop trail. Given the many children engaged in play, I opted not to share a photograph to avoid any potential discomfort among parents who might be wary of an unfamiliar person capturing images of their kids. While I’m aware that it’s legally permissible to photograph public areas and that individuals don’t possess privacy rights in such spaces, I decided to exercise discretion due to the commonplace nature of the play equipment and the high volume of children present.

The cost to visit the outdoor ecosystem is included in the aquarium’s price of admission which, at this writing is less than $13 with discounts for seniors, military, and children. As I noted, if visiting the marsh here at the edge of Bogue Sound is a priority, be sure to contact them or check their website here, to see if the boardwalk and nature trail are open for the spring and summer season.

My entire collection of images taken at the aquarium has been uploaded to my Flickr site here, where they can be viewed in 2K HD.  The gallery there also includes the scenes I captured from our visit to the indoor aquarium experience I shared in last week’s Travel Tuesday post.

John Steiner

Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

The North Carolina Aquarium series comprises four distinct regional aquariums. While visiting Emerald Isle in January, we had the pleasure of exploring the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The visit offered a blend of fresh and saltwater aquariums, along with an outdoor area dedicated to the unique marsh ecosystem of this island setting. Our experience was so rich and varied that I’ve decided to split this post into two separate Travel Tuesday entries. This week, we’ll delve into the indoor exhibits, and next week, we’ll venture into the outdoor attractions.

You might remember that I previously showcased a couple of Cellpic Sunday images from the aquarium, including one of a freshwater tank inhabited by the ancient gar, repeated above. The informative placards positioned near each tank provided just the right amount of detail about their inhabitants. The tanks, illuminated perfectly, made for excellent photographs, captured with both my cell phone and my Sony APC camera.

The facility’s most prominent feature is the Living Shipwreck tank, a saltwater habitat with a capacity of 306,000 gallons. It contains a replica of the U-352, a German submarine that met its end off the North Carolina coast in 1942. This recreated environment is teeming with a diverse array of marine life, including sharks, tarpon, a green sea turtle, and various other species that call the ocean home. The large tank provides plenty of viewing space for visitors to enjoy the underwater views.

Another replica tank is the unique 50,000-gallon habitat that was designed to mirror the wreckage site believed to be the final resting place of Blackbeard the Pirate’s flagship – the Queen Anne’s Revenge. This habitat features species like the sheepshead, which are also found at the actual dive site. Replicas of the anchors that were used on the ship and can be seen at the real wreckage site are included in this tank. In a future Travel Tuesday, we will visit a maritime museum that focuses on Blackbeard and his famous ship.

The aquarium that seemingly houses the most vibrant fish, possibly koi or goldfish, was one of my favorites. Regrettably, I failed to capture the information placard in my collection of images for this exhibit, leaving me unable to recollect the specifics. There is no reference on the website to this specific tank that I could find, but I did enjoy watching the colorful fish.

The two jellyfish images featured in the above photo and my opening image were the most abstract in my gallery. The tank’s blue backdrop offered a vibrant contrast to the transparent marine life.

As I write this in February 2024, the entry fee to the facility is under $13 per individual, with special discounts available for seniors, military personnel, and children. This fee grants access to both the indoor and outdoor exhibits. However, I noticed that the boardwalk and outdoor activities are currently closed for refurbishment during the winter season. If the outdoor experience is a crucial part of your visit, I strongly recommend checking the website prior to your arrival. The wait will indeed be worthwhile if you can incorporate both experiences into your visit.

My entire collection of images taken at the aquarium has been uploaded to my Flickr site here, where they can be viewed in 2K HD.  The gallery there also includes the scenes I captured from our outdoor adventure at the aquarium that will be the subject of next week’s Travel Tuesday post.

John Steiner

Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

When we visited Emerald Isle in January, one of the highlights of our stay was a visit to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Located on the northern end of the island, it is one of four aquariums around the state that bear the name “North Carolina Aquarium.” Our visit there introduced us to both freshwater fish and ocean fish that are found in and around North Carolina. One such fascinating species is the longnose gar.

The longnose gar is a fish with a prehistoric past and unique features. Reaching 3 feet (1 m) or more in length, these slender creatures boast olive-brown or green backs and silvery-white bellies. Found in many North American lakes and rivers, the gar’s narrow snout, twice the length of its head, is fitted with needle-sharp teeth. Unwary fish swimming by are vulnerable to this predator. With a swift lunge and a side-to-side thrash, the gar impales its prey, then maneuvers it headfirst into its gullet.

But the gar’s adaptability extends beyond its appetite. They thrive in warm, oxygen-depleted waters, where most fish would suffocate. They have a unique ability to breathe air, gulping oxygen directly from the atmosphere through their swim bladders. This allows them to survive even when completely out of the water and can live out of water for a full day!

The gar’s skin is armored with tough, overlapping diamond-shaped scales, offering protection against most predators. These living fossils, with their prehistoric prowess and surprising ecological benefit, are a true marvel of freshwater lakes and rivers. North Dakota fishermen won’t find the longnose gar in my state’s lakes, but they will find a similar species, the shortnose gar.

About the photo: The aquarium is very friendly to cell phone images. On our visit, I captured images with both my Sony camera and my Samsung S23U cell phone. This image is one from the S23U. After importing it to my Lightroom Classic catalog, I sent it off to Luminar Neo for adjustment. I used Enhance AI, the Noiseless add-in (though there was very little noise in the image), and the Supersharp add-in to remove motion blur from the exposure. The original exposure was captured at 1/15 sec. and 1000 ISO prompting me to use the two add-ins to remove any negative artifacts. To view the photo in 2K HD on my Flickr site, click on the image.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s acceptable as well. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, and, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

On our Spring visit to North Carolina to visit our son and daughter-in-law, one day Lynn and I went on our own to Chapel Hill when both of our hosts were busy living their daily lives. We arrived on time for lunch and then strolled along West Franklin Street. Walking on the south side of the street, we came upon a set of large revolving doors. From our vantage point in front of the building, we couldn’t see what the building housed, but looking in, it appeared to be a hotel lobby. With nothing better to do, we stepped inside.

Immediately upon entering, we saw the reception desk and a smiling host. We’d never heard of Graduate Hotels before, and the friendly lady behind the counter told us that they are a chain of hotels that basically serve “university-driven towns” around the globe. She said to us that each hotel is designed around the local culture of the city in which they are located.

I was enamored with the artwork in the lobby directly across from the reception desk. A mural on the wall features an image of a North Carolina beach. It is framed in an interesting fashion that I’m not sure how to describe, so I’ll leave you with your own thoughts as to how to describe the design.

Around the corner from the lobby, a $5 check is displayed and a nearby plaque tells the story. You can read the entire story on the plaque by visiting my Flickr site. As the story goes, in 1984, then-collegiate Michael Jordan got into a pickup game. He was up $25 when a second friend joined the game and started winning. Jordan called it quits after he was down to being owed $5, and the $5 check was the pay-off on the game. There was no mention of the name of the player who was beating Jordan just six days before his final NCAA game, and soon to become the number 3 draft pick for the Chicago Bulls.

The receptionist had one more surprise for us. She commented, “You should stop up on the third floor and look around.” Wasting no time, we headed to the elevators. Getting off at level 3, it looked very much like any third-floor hotel hallway with rooms on either side.

Walking a short way down the hall, the hallway opened up to show a large carpeted area complete with a carpeted basketball court. The basketballs on the rack in the background are not what they seem. When you pick one up, you will realize they are more like nerf balls, soft on the inside with a basketball pattern material on the exterior. No, I’m not ready for a pickup game with Michael Jordan. >grin<

Click on any of the images above to view them in 2K HD. Click here to visit my Flickr album to see the entire gallery including the plaque that tells all about that Michael Jordan pickup game.

John Steiner

Bonsal, North Carolina.

Knowing my interest in trains and having an acquaintance who also happens to be an engineer volunteer on the New Hope Valley Railway, my son, Josh, arranged an outing at the railroad museum and a ride on the Triangle Train. Our tickets were part of a fundraiser that offers a vendor on the property that sells beer and food and a train ride. Each Brew & Choo raises funds toward the restoration of a piece of railroad equipment.

Just off the site’s parking lot, a small train depot has a walk-up window where an agent sells tickets for the day’s excursions. I’d recommend ordering tickets online in advance as certain excursions on any month’s itinerary can sell out early. There are three excursions on the October schedule, the 15th, 22nd, and 29th. If by the time you read this, there are no tickets available for the Track or Treat Halloween Express on any of the 15 available excursions on the three days in October’s schedule, there are two runs available in November, and there are 20 excursions on the schedule for Santa’s Reindeer Roundup Express in December.

After boarding the train with our beverages in hand, we heard the “All Aboard” call and the train left the station with a jerk (No snide remarks from the readers, please. >grin<).

As we rolled through the railroad yard on our way for the 8-mile round trip that takes about an hour, we passed through lots of old railroad equipment, clearly in need of repair, but possibly future exhibits for the museum.

It was a beautiful day in late May, and we were on the last run of the day. The golden sun warmed visitors in the open cars as we rode on the remnants of an old Southern Railroad Line that was purchased by a group of investors to create the New Hope Valley Railway.

The all-volunteer train line began excursions in 1984. Concluding the four-mile run at New Hill, NC, the engineer detaches the engine and moves onto a siding to reconnect to the other end of the train for the return trip.

The line, always operating with volunteers, had very sporadic operations in those early years, but once they attracted more volunteers, they expanded operations and began limited scheduled operations, a couple of days each month between April and December.

The run is through mostly forested areas, and I think I found the best time for photography with the warm golden hour light filtering through the trees. Since the train itself doesn’t loop around, you may want to change sides for the return trip, if there’s seating available, so you can get a better view of the other side of the track.

This image at the edge of a residence is probably my favorite of the photos I captured on the excursion. It was processed in Lightroom for basic edits and finished in Luminar Neo.

Yes, they had post offices on trains back in the day. This car is open for visitors to walk up and view the interior.

The railroad museum property is divided by a highway. There are two bridges that span the highway, a pedestrian bridge (from where I captured this image) and the railway bridge for rail assets to cross.

Just east of the depot/ticket window there is a large G (garden) scale railroad display. As you can see, the buildings and rail assets are quite large and designed for outdoor display use. The model railway is tended by volunteers. It’s not your grandfather’s HO rail set, for sure.

All in all, we had a fun outing with our son and daughter-in-law, and a couple of days later, I met Jim, that engineer friend of Josh’s, and we had a nice long chat about railroading. I know so little, so I absorbed a lot. In the process, I asked him about interesting railroading places to visit in the east and he gave me a few places that he feels are worth the time to stop and visit. We’ll be ready for that trip about the time this post is scheduled to publish.

The historical information and train schedules are available on the railway museum’s website here. If you’d like to pixel peep at any of the 2K HD versions of these images, just click on them to go to my Flickr site, or you can view the entire gallery here.

John Steiner

In two trips to my son’s home in Pittsboro, he’s made sure we stopped at S & T’s while we were in town. It’s for good reason. The restaurant is part ice cream parlor, part lunch counter and part historical museum. The goal, as envisioned by Gene Oldham who purchased the building in 1996, was to recreate a soda shoppe as it might have existed in the first half of the 20th century. I think he succeeded admirably.

Everything from the tin ceiling tiles to the antique cabinetry is period accurate and the workmanship is beautiful. The owners credit Arthur Bouldin as the master woodworker who created booths, tables, and many of the other beautiful wood accessories. The long counter was crafted from three older counters. A seat at the counter is a pleasant place to grab a snack, a soda, or an ice cream treat. A simple sandwich and burger menu also features meal plates suitable for evening dining… but you better plan to eat on the early side as they close at 7:30 PM. The shoppe opened in October 1997 and after 21 years, it is still going strong. If you visit Pittsboro, be sure to avoid Sunday or Monday as the soda shoppe is closed.

The beautiful casework in the restaurant was purchased from a drugstore in Mebane, North Carolina and carefully restored with the help of Keith Moore. Inside the glass cabinets are dozens of examples of antique drug store equipment. One could spend hours just looking at the artifacts.

Even the table accessories hearken back to an earlier and simpler time when kids would sit on the round counter stools and spin to their dizzying heart’s content. You can’t do much better on a hot summer day than to step inside, order a “Dr. Pilk’s Phizzie” or a Cherry Smash from the soda fountain and reminisce about life in simpler times.

Most of the information from this post came from the S & T’s Soda Shoppe web pages. You can check out their menu, their history, and a photo gallery here. To get a better view of the images and to scroll through the gallery, in most browsers, you can click on one of the thumbnails below.

John Steiner