The third part of our Summer 2017 travels took Christine and I
southward from Lancaster County, PA to North Carolina. On our
northward journey we took Amtrak’s Auto Train from Florida to Lorton,
VA then drove to Pennsylvania as noted in the previous two stories (see
links below).
After stopping in Winchester, Virginia, we picked up the Skyline Drive
at Front Royal and drove its length along mountain peaks through
Shenandoah National Park. The south end of the park is located
between Charlottesville and Staunton, VA, both stops for Amtrak’s
Cardinal. Continuing south, we entered the Blue Ridge Parkway
which offered a scenic drive atop its namesake mountain range all the
way to our overnight stopping point at the Peaks of Otter Lodge.
Run by the National Park Service vendor, this lodge is convenient since
it is located along the Parkway and relaxing due to its secluded
location beside a mountain-framed lake. We spent a relaxing
evening enjoying dinner in the excellent lodge dining room followed by
a mile-long walk around the lake and unwinding by sitting in lakeside
Adirondack chairs. The Peaks of Otter Lodge is located
equidistant from Amtrak stations in Lynchburg and Roanoke, VA and very
close to Bedford which hopes to gain an Amtrak stop in the
future. In addition, Amtrak stops in Richmond, Petersburg, and
Charlottesville are within a three hour drive of this placid location.
The Shenandoah Valley seen from Skyline Drive
The James River seen from a rest area on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Entrance to Peaks of Otter Lodge along the Blue Ridge Parkway
The view from our balcony at Peaks of Otter Lodge
Abbott Lake behind Peaks of Otter Lodge
Looking across Abbott Lake toward the lodge
Continuing south the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses above the Norfolk
Southern tracks to be used by Amtrak beginning this fall and a short
distance later passes above the former Virginian line linking eastern
and western Virginia. By noon we arrive in Mount Airy, NC,
hometown of Andy Griffith and inspiration for television’s fictional
Mayberry. The handprints of Andy Griffith are all over Mount Airy
as the town has a replica sheriff’s office/jail, Wally’s Service
Station, Floyd’s Barber Shop, and Snappy Lunch cafe as well as the Andy
Griffith Museum.
View from an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
The Norfolk Southern mainline seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway east of Roanoke
Rhododendron blooms all along the Parkway in late June and early July
Mabry Mill is a popular stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
After taking a look at the barber shop and eating lunch at the cafe, we
drop in at the sheriff’s office which looks strikingly like the one
shown on television right down to Otis Campbell’s jail cell. Next
door we reminisce about Gomer and Goober at Wally’s Service Station
before taking seats in a 1962 Ford Fairlane Mayberry police car for a
tour of the community. Our affable driver briefly turns on the
siren (pronounced “sirene” per Barney Fife) and takes us to the granite
rock quarry located on the town’s west side. He advises us that
this is the world’s largest granite quarry and that it was the
inspiration for one episode of The Andy Griffith Show. We learn
about the history of some of the town’s oldest homes and churches then
cruise the main street as our guide tells us about Andy’s adventures in
visiting many of the very businesses we are passing. He takes us
past the museum and right down the street we pass the church that
Andy’s family attended and the house where Andy Griffith grew up.
The half hour tour takes us back to Wally’s and we feel like we have
spent an afternoon in Mayberry.
Floyd’s Barbershop is located on Main Street in Mount Airy, NC
Mayberry Sheriff’s Office and Jail
Otis Campbell’s cell at the Mayberry Jail
Andy Griffith’s childhood home
Squad cars lined up for the Squad Car Tours company
Following our tour we visit the Andy Griffith Museum which houses a
nice collection of memorabilia from the Andy Griffith Show, Matlock,
and many movies in which Andy appeared. The museum is a nice
tribute to a part of the 1960s that lives on and is still popular
today. In the evening we return to the area for an evening
outdoor concert by a band that specializes in Carolina beach
music. The tiered park amphitheater is the perfect venue and we
learn that summer weekend nights are dotted with concerts.
Our overnight accommodations at the Mount Airy Hampton Inn have
recently been renovated and we find the hotel clean, comfortable, and
modern. The hotel is conveniently located within five minutes of
all of the sites we wanted to visit and had easy access to highways
heading toward our next destination.
Photos of Andy at the Andy Griffith Museum
Sheriff Taylor’s shirt displayed at the museum
Barney Fife’s salt and pepper suits
Andy Griffith’s suit and memorabilia from the Matlock television series
Statue of Andy and Opie in front of the Andy Griffith Museum
Tim Clark Band performs at the amphitheater in Mount Airy
Hampton Inn in Mount Airy offered good lodging
The next few days are spent in Boone, NC, our favorite mountain
retreat, where relaxation and enjoying the fresh mountain air are the
perfect respite from the July heat at home. The Independence Day
weekend is celebrated in small town fashion with parades in Boone and
neighboring Blowing Rock that primarily include cars, SUVs, and pickup
trucks decorated with signs and bunting rather than fancy floats
sponsored by big corporations. Large crowds line the streets in
both towns and a patriotic spirit abounds. Along the nearby Blue
Ridge Parkway families and groups occupy scenic overlooks and picnic
grounds as they enjoy picnics and other activities.
Blowing Rock’s Independence Day parade is a popular small town event
Boone’s 4th of July parade rolls along King Street
The parade is a tradition on July 4th in Boone
After the holiday festivities end we spend the next day at Tweetsie
Railroad which remains a special place to my family. My first
visit to Tweetsie was as a child in the early 1960s when my parents, my
brother, and I rode the steam train during summer trips to the
area. My wife and I continued that tradition in the 1980s and
during subsequent years with our son. That’s the way it is with
Tweetsie as it is a family friendly park whose appeal continues from
generation to generation.
Tweetsie’s original steam engine, 4-6-0 # 12 is operating this week and
we soon learn that she is celebrating her 100th birthday this
year. Number 12 was built in 1917 by Baldwin Locomotive Works and
spent her first 33 years working for the East Tennessee & Western
North Carolina Railroad between Boone and Johnson City, TN. When
that railroad was destroyed by a massive flood in 1940, # 12 was sold
to a Virginia tourist railroad which subsequently was a victim of
hurricane related damage. After almost being moved to California,
the resilient locomotive was acquired in 1956 as centerpiece for the
planned Tweetsie Railroad. The name “Tweetsie” was inspired by
the nickname of the original ET&WNC whose locomotives were said to
make a “Tweet, Tweet” sound as they steamed around the mountains.
# 12 is polished between runs
Tweetsie locomotive # 12 celebrates its 100th birthday in 2017
Guests may ride the train as often as they desire during a visit to Tweetsie Railroad
The train boards passengers at Tweetsie’s western themed town
We board the first train of the day and soon are off on a 3 mile ride
that takes us over a tall trestle, through wooded hillsides, and to a
couple of encounters with outlaws and Indians. The open passenger
cars provide clear views of the engine on the line’s many curves and
the sound of the steam engine tackling the ruling 5% grade is
memorable. Near the end of the ride we get a brief glance at
Tweetsie’s other steam engine, # 190, a 2-8-2 that ran on the White
Pass & Yukon during the World War II years.
Departing the station
The uphill climb from the station
The Tweetsie line winds through woods on its 3 mile route
# 12 is in charge of the train on July 5, 2017
The 100 year old locomotive puts on a good show
Charging toward another adventure
Crossing Dead Horse Trestle
The rear of Tweetsie’s train crosses the trestle
After driving a miniature car around a replica LeMans race course,
taking a spin on the old fashioned carousel, and taking in the can-can
show at Tweetsie Palace, we ride the train again as the script for the
staged outlaw encounter changes every time the train comes upon their
hideout. One thing that doesn’t change is the pleasant experience
of riding behind an authentic working steam locomotive and guests are
invited to ride the train as many times as they desire. Aside
from riding the train and enjoying the other features of Tweetsie
Railroad, it is interesting to watch the reactions of children visiting
the park as this is like a time warp back to the 1960s with kids
displaying a look of wonder as they take in the Tweetsie
experience. Worth noting for children is the annual “Day Out with
Thomas” featuring trains pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine in early June.
Tweetsie Railroad is open daily during the summer and on weekends
during surrounding months. The park is closed between January and
March. The Tweetsie Railroad web site linked below lists
special events, the park schedule, and other useful information.
There are many activities in the Boone and Blowing Rock area as well as
seasonal sporting events at Appalachian State University. Drives
in both directions on the Blue Ridge Parkway offer outstanding views
and numerous opportunities for hiking and picnicking. A number of
chain hotels are located in Boone with our favorite, the Holiday Inn
Express, located on the city’s east side, Boone’s closest hotel to
Tweetsie Railroad. The hotel features clean and comfortable rooms
and suites, an outdoor swimming pool, and a satisfying breakfast buffet
headlined by Holiday Inn Express cinnamon rolls.
Holiday Inn Express is a leading hotel in Boone
Our studio suite at the Holiday Inn Express offered ample space
The sitting area of our Holiday Inn Express studio suite contains
comfortable seating, a flat screen television, and writing desk
After a week in North Carolina, Christine and I make our way to the
Atlanta suburbs to visit with our friends Bobbye and David. The
next morning we travel 10 miles to Duluth, GA to visit the Southeastern
Railway Museum. This facility, located along the Norfolk Southern
mainline, is home to an impressive array of railroad equipment most of
which is located in covered buildings. Savannah & Atlanta
4-6-2 steam locomotive # 750 is the most recognizable piece of
equipment in the museum, however, it is far from the only notable
item. Heavyweight Pullman cars “Superb” and “Washington Club” are
excellent examples of sleeping cars from the early 20th century.
The “Superb” was built in 1911 and is the second oldest surviving steel
private car. “Washington Club” is the lone remaining Pullman car
containing a sun room along with 8 sections and a small kitchen.
A number of older passenger, baggage, and mail cars from that era are
also on site.
Lounge space in a heavyweight Pullman car at the Southeastern Railway Museum
Savannah & Atlanta # 750 at the Southeastern Railway Museum
Southern Railway sleeper “Tugalo River” is one of many silver-sided
streamlined cars displayed by the museum. Southern passenger
coach “Charlottesville”, Northern Pacific and Amtrak slumbercoach “Loch
Arkaig”, and Wabash dome observation car # 1601 are other notable
streamlined cars located at the museum. One of the museum’s
buildings contains a very good display of railroad employee uniforms,
dining car china, and other items of interest. A train ride
around the museum rail yard is available and a miniature train ride is
perfect for children. Many of these cars including the
heavyweight Pullman cars are open for inspection.
Dining car china from the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad
A name plate from the door of Southern Railway sleeper “St. Johns River”
Former Amtrak slumbercoach “Loch Arkaig”
Wabash dome observation car # 1601
Southern Railway coach “Charlottesville”
Norfolk Southern sleeping car “Tugalo River”
While we stopped off in Boone and Atlanta on the way home from our Auto
Train trip to Virginia, it is easy to reach these locations in
combination with an Amtrak trip by renting a car and making a short
drive. Peaks of Otter is less than an hour from Roanoke and
Lynchburg on Amtrak’s route from New York and Washington. Mount
Airy is within a two hour drive of Amtrak stations in Greensboro and
Charlotte, NC, both served by the Crescent, Carolinian, and Piedmont
trains. Boone and Tweetsie Railroad are approximately two hours
from Charlotte while the Southeastern Railway Museum is within an hour
of Amtrak’s Atlana station on the Crescent route.
