Thursday, August 5, 2010

Last stop University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Our final school tour was at ULL. 
Saw this painted on the side of the highwway as we exited in Lafayette for the school:















The tour was conducted by two very charming girls..Laura and Sarah.  Here they are with OUR Sara..

Below is a picture of the swamp actually in the middle of the campus.  It was really beautiful.







 And yet another version of those road signs:

New Orleans visit

Drove from Aimee's house to Cameron's place off Magazine Street.  We had two lovely nights there with Cameron and Grisselle.  We went to eat dinner one night at Bachanal in the Bywater area.  Live music, good food, beautiful patio, even if it was a bit steamy!








Grisselle & Cameron at Bachanal




Sara's shirt perfectly matched this house!




Sara's favorite place to eat




Mirliton Festival Poster...only in New Orleans!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Visit to Aimee and Jason in Danielsville, Georgia







Aimee above, Shana with Sara to the left, and Meu below..........






On to visit my sister Gail and her husband Ray in Georgia


Left South Carolina and drove to Cumming, GA to stay with Gail for a couple of days.  Enjoyed being there and relaxing, although it was so hot we didn't want to leave the house!

We bought Sara her cousin Brent's car so she can drive to school this coming year.  It was an unexpected surprise. 
Thanks, Brent! Perfect timing.





Monday, July 26, 2010

Greenville, South Carolina

Carolyn raises angora rabbits and spins their fur into yarn. She showed us her prized spinning wheels and the rabbits in her backyard.

Her garden was beautiful as well.....










Carolyn took us to see a lovely park in downtown Greenville park with a waterfall.





And here is another one of those amusing road signs.  Each regions seems to have its own way to say "Watch out for speed bumps in the road ahead"..........

Asheville, North Carolina

We stayed in a most wonderful and welcoming Bed & Breakfast in Barnardsville, just outside of the Asheville area.  It is called the Hawk and Ivy and is run by a lovely and interesting couple.  They raise their vegetables and have extensive gardens on the hill behind the main house and cottage.  Breakfast was always beautifully presented with fresh flowers and tasted absolutely amazing!


Breakfast at the table in the main house was really fascinating every day.  We happened to be staying there at the same time as two other couples.  One of the men was a food photographer, I regret that I don't remember what his wife does for a living.  the other couple were both immigration attorneys and we had a lively discussion on that topic our last morning there.

 We hope to return again to stay at the Hawk and Ivy in a couple of years.

While there, we toured the Biltmore Estate and spent a few hours at the local Bele Chere festival in downtown Asheville. Above is a picture of Sara on the street near some creative grafitti.















We drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway, enjoying the peace and beauty of this part of the world.

Next we will drive to visit my sister Gail and her husband Ray in Cumming, Georgia.  But along the way we will stop and have lunch with a friend of Bob's who lives in Greenville, South Carolina, Carolyn Grothouse.

Warren Wilson College

When we arrived at Warren Wilson College in Swananoa near Asheville, North Carolina, there was a board greeting the visitors to the campus to which Sara's name had been added, same as at Earlham.  The Admissions building was a green building and built by students.  Very cool design that fit into the surrounding mountains.











We toured the campus and had lunch in the dining hall, all the while admiring the beautiful views and clean mountain air.  Students at the school commit to a triad of focus: work on campus, community service, and classes.  It is an all-encompassing life.  Over 90% of students live on campus, as do about 70% of teachers.
While we were there, the Swananoa Gathering was under way, which is a music camp of sorts, for people who come from all over the US and even other countries.

Though the campus and philosophy were beautiful and intriguing, Sara decided this college was not the best fit for her personality.  And that is precisely the reason we are making this trip....to see what is the best school for her to attend.