Florida - Day Fourteen (Statesville, NC - South Mountains State Park, NC - Hickory, NC - Durham, NC)

270 miles today, light rain 50s in the morning, partly cloudy 60s in the afternoon.


Almost all museums are closed on Mondays (including the NCCU Art Museum in Durham), but working ahead of time with Kate Worm at the Hickory Museum of Art, I was able to see some wonderful works this afternoon! Which meant that I was able to do some hiking in the morning!


I knew that I would have this morning off, so I searched for "waterfalls in North Carolina", and discovered High Shoals Falls in South Mountains State Park - only 30 miles from Hickory and my 1 PM appointment. So I went there and hiked 4.38 miles in 1 hour 35 minutes, with an elevation change of about 700 feet (um, it felt like more than that)




The trail goes alongside a lovely stream/brook/river.
upstream:

downstream:


a couple of hikers tried to get out of my picture-taking, but I like a picture with people in it - they give a sense of scale to the beauty


High Shoals Falls


with a selfie


downstream from the Falls


Raven Rock Trail


guess the bridge got washed out, Martha


and then up along the ridge


and finally back by the parking lot - upstream:

and downstream:


Then off to the Hickory Museum of Art. I waited in their conference room - um, those chairs look familiar


and then Kate came in with "THE ART" on a large dolly. I was able to see these paintings "up close and personal":
Asher B. Durand - Pastoral Scene


William Stanley Haseltine - Coast of Sorrento, 1856-1858 - Pastoral Scene


Thomas Cole - American Landscape


John Kensett - Landscape with Mountains, n.d.


Worthington Whittredge - A Trout Stream, n.d.


William Sonntag - A Rift in the Clouds, n.d.


and I was able to get a great photo with
Alfred Thompson Bricher - Summer Afternoon, Kennebunkport, n.d.


Well, wasn't that a great great day! But wait - it's not over yet!
dinner next door to my Super 8 in Durham:


and Jupiter Ascending at a nearby movie theatre


Thank you God for a REALLY GREAT day!

Listened to more music from the little green nano:

Ima Robot - Greenback Boogie (2010) [it is the theme song from "Suits", a great tv show Wendy and I watch on dvd]


8 songs from "Hard To Find 45s On CD, Vol. 6: More Sixties Classics"


Chicago - The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 [I like 6 of their songs]


Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones (1983)


various artists - Hed Kandi - Base Ibiza (2001)

[I like some dance/trance music, and some of the 21 cuts on this collection are good, but I like other collections better, so I am now deleting this from my collection]

Van Morrison - Into The Music (1979)