Cottonhead Confessions: I'd Just as Soon be in Boone

I spent the last four days in and around Boone, N.C. It's a place that feels like home to me as I spent four years at Appalachian State University earning my undergraduate degree and then lived there another three years while serving on staff at a local church. During those years, I spent a lot of time exploring back roads, curvy roads, and dirt roads, sometimes not knowing where I would end up at the end of the journey. The roads usually led to new adventures, beautiful views, and places to pause for rest, reflection and thanksgiving.

This trip I was accompanied by Samuel and his friend Brendan. We spent the first afternoon riding the Blue Ridge Parkway as we made our way to the town of West Jefferson with no other plan than to visit the Ashe County Cheese factory and store. It's always interesting to visit the viewing room and see how the cheese is made, but the best part is buying some cheese curds (Samuel calls it "squeaky cheese") and some sharp cheddar hoop cheese. We left with a bag full of goodies.

The boys went snowboarding all day Friday and the rest of the weekend found us taking many different roads and discovering some beautiful places and sights. My one regret is that I forgot to take my 35mm camera and had to settle for iPhone pictures. I'll let the following pictures tell the rest of the stories from our many adventures.

Icicles along the parkway.