Words from a Reader

The “Writing Life Stories” e-mails I receive are such treasures. As soon as I see there is one in my inbox, I read it immediately. I look forward to them and never know how they will touch me. They can be interesting, informative, humorous, and/or touching.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Sugar Top - a fine place to spend a few days

Friday afternoon, view from our condo at SugarTop


Today, August 19, is  our last vacation day before we leave for home. Gay and I have had the most wonderful relaxing week at Sugar Top Resort on the tip top of a mountain ridge in the High Country of North Carolina. Although we have had much rain, we didn't care. We read, rested and watched some TV. We also visited with friends who have a large mountain house near Boone, NC.

I didn't realize how much I needed to get away until I had been here a day. Our condo is rented by owner and he fulfilled my request for a place cleaned with only vinegar and water and no use of air fresheners. I didn't think to bring my own linens, so I had to go out and buy sheets, towel and wash cloth. The linens that were on my bed had been washed and dried with scented detergent and dryer sheets.

We opened the doors and windows when we arrived, turned on some fans, and we have been very comfortable. The kitchen is furnished well, but we did little cooking. Mostly breakfasts. Banner Elk, the nearest town has many good restaurants and nearby grocery stores.


Sugar Top sits on a ridge and is considered an eyesore because you can see if from any direction and it breaks up the beauty of the mountains. I would hate for someone to build this huge place on top of a mountain in Clay County where I live. After the resort was being  built, the NC legislature passed a law preventing anyone else building on top of the ridges. But it was too late to  stop the building of Sugar Top.

In spite of all the controversy surrounding the resort in the beginning, I am happy to have found this very reasonable condo on VRBO. We are on the seventh floor with easy access by elevator. No stairs to climb. My bedroom has a  king size bed, private bathroom, flat screen TV and double windows opening to the beautiful long range views. We overlook a ski slope, some smaller rental units and at night the lights from Banner Elk, far down the way, shine like a Christmas village. I can imagine how fantastic it must be when snow covers the ground.

The staff has been nice to deal with, but it would be great to have had someone help bring up our luggage. Gay says we don't need help, and she handles it very well. She and I are so  compatible that sharing a place with her took me  back in time. We shared a bedroom growing up from as far back as I can remember and for a year in college. On some days here we didn't get dressed until late afternoon when we went out to eat. I almost  hate to go home. One afternoon I used the  heated pool for exercise. No one else was there and I loved that experience also.

The past two days have been extremely foggy. At times we can't see the ground from our deck. We are enclosed in a cloud, set off from all the world, like being in a floating apartment high above the earth. The silence is comforting and leads to thinking about all I am so grateful for in my life.

I also thought about my future. I will be cutting back on classes at Writers Circle next year. I plan to only hold three workshops at my studio. I hope that NCWN West will bring in some good instructors to teach in our rural area.

I will be home by the time you read this post. Thanks for reading my blog. I love to hear from you.

6 comments:

  1. I was encircled by fog today, too, on my hike. It's an interesting phenomenon, isn't it? I'm glad you had such a great time, with a compatible roommate. I hope you had a good trip home. Thanks for sharing your adventure. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like a great vacation. Have fun. you deserve it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just in the last few days I have been back reading blogs. I did not have computer access for a while and also was away quite a bit. I did look at all your past posts. Thank you for mentioning my blog a while back.

    Your pictures of the North Carolina Mountains are very pretty. I can understand how restful your days there must have been. I am not sure about our next trip. With my husband’s Alzheimer it is not easy to travel and I was thinking we should stay home for a while. But then I think also that I should hurry up and travel with him as long as he can as in the future it may be ever harder. We have not been to NC in a long time. Going to see the fall colors would be nice – I was thinking about Cashiers, NC, where we have not been in ages. I also have a Swiss friend in Hiawassee, GA, and it would not be a long trip from her home, and it would be through the mountains and beautiful scenery. Maybe …

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vagabonde, I think you should travel with your husband as long as possible. I have a friend who can't even go out to a restaurant now with her husband. He, also, has Alzheimer's disease. Hiawassee is not far from where I live and it is not far from Cashiers. Just drive over the state line and visit Hayesville, NC. Every where you look here is a lovely view.
    Someone recommended to me, Pisgah Inn between Franklin, NC and Sylva, I believe. Two story inn with large porch and rocking chairs to enjoy the view.I hear it has a great dining room.

    If you want to visit Boone, I can give you the contact info on a great house for rent there. It will sleep a number of people if you want to bring along friends.
    The front of the house faces Grandfather Mountain which is in your long view there.
    Thanks for reading my blog. Your blog takes me on many interesting trips.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, DJan and Abbie Taylor, for commenting here.
    Yes, the fog is eerie in a way, but comforting also. Most people become scared when they drive into fog, but I don't. I feel I have entered a safe cocoon. I slow down and drive with my lights on and usually everyone else is doing the same.
    In the condo, wrapped in the fog, I had that same safe feeling. No one can reach me now. Crazy, but I enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Glenda, I'm glad that you had a nice vacation. It sounds like you got some good rest, plus some sister time, which is a blessing!

    I hope you will be happy with fewer workshops. I know they are a lot of work.

    Joan

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your comments, and I love reading what you say.