I set out last Thursday on a fabulous weekend in the mountains of North Carolina. It was a combination trip for business and pleasure. Thursday was almost exclusively dedicated to publicizing and marketing my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It was a crisp, clear winter day. Conditions couldn’t have been better for the busy day I had planned.

My first stop was Fireside Books and Gifts in downtown Shelby, North Carolina. Carrie, there, was very friendly and gracious. When I introduced myself and showed her my book, she immediately said, “I’m expecting two copies of it to arrive today.” Needless to say, I was thrilled that she had heard of the book and had already placed an order!

Fireside Books and Gifts is a nice independent bookstore in the county seat of Cleveland County. Shelby area residents are fortunate to have such a good bookstore.

It was encouraging to start the day with such a positive experience.

With my sister/trusty photographer in tow, my next stop was for a hamburger at Ward’s Grill in Saluda. Ward’s is adjacent to Thompson’s Store, which is the oldest grocery store in operation in the state of North Carolina. Founded in 1890, it has been in operation for 124 years!

From Saluda, it was on to a bookstore in Brevard. Stay tuned!