Eight in a Day
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Day 2: December 23, 2014 Eight in a Day Comment via blog |
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I spent a little time on I-40 to get to breakfast in Newport, Tennessee.
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Then moved onto US-25 which used to be Dixie Highway East in these parts.
That's the Norfolk Southern on the other side of the French Broad River.
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I have driven this section of the Dixie before and am doing it again to
see what I missed. I don't mean to see if I missed anything but to
see six specific things I know I missed. Seven markers stand beside the
Dixie Highway in North Carolina. Not much is known about them beyond what
is written on their bronze plates. They were erected by the United
Daughters of the Confederacy in the 1920s to honor Robert E Lee and mark
the Dixie Highway. Road fan Mike Curtis, who lives in North Carolina and
seems to know more about these markers than anyone, has located a total of
ten. In addition to the seven in North Carolina, there is one each in
South Carolina, Florida, and Ohio. Mike has posted photos of and
directions for finding all ten in a
thread at the American Road Magazine forum. Although I
must have driven by all eight markers in the Carolinas, I've only noticed
(and photographed) two. Today I correct that.
First up are the markers at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line and Hot Springs, North Carolina. These markers are near N35° 55.083' W82° 54.759' and N35° 53.467' W82° 49.912'. |
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In addition to having the first of the markers I ever saw, Marshall,
North Carolina, has a nice little outdoor "museum". I can't say
whether the diner ever served food or the old Dodge ever carried a paying
passenger or even if the station ever actually sold gas but it doesn't
matter. It's a pretty cool roadside related roadside attraction. The
courthouse lawn how holds a Christmas display in addition to the DH-Lee
and other markers. This marker is near N35° 47.851' W82° 41.042'.
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I try not to risk a traffic violation while traveling and strive to obey
every sign. That means, at the very least, leaving no turn unturned.
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Mike, the aforementioned road fan, was presumedly earning money for his
next road trip but contacted me while I was in Marshall with some
recommendations. One was the Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe in Weaverville which he
called "a great place for lunch, breakfast or dessert." As it
was not yet noon and I had eaten breakfast, I thought I might have a
little dessert but changed my mind when I saw the bacon, cheddar, &
scallion quiche. I used to enjoy quiche regularly at a nearby restaurant
but don't know that I've had it at all since they closed down years ago.
The quiche and coffee were both excellent and so was the cookie I took
with me.
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Mike also told me about four motor courts south of Weaverville and I
spotted three of the four. I actually stopped for Sander Court, which
Harlan Sanders owned in the early 1940s, but did drive-bys for The Pines
and Log Cabin.
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In Asheville, North Carolina, the Vance Monument is easy to spot which
makes the Dixie Highway marker in front of it easy to locate if not easy
to see. Not only is the marker dwarfed my the big obelisk, it has to
compete for attention with pigs and turkeys. The bronze critters are a nod
to when this was known as Drover's Road. The DH-Lee marker is near
N35° 35.698' W82° 33.105'.
There are a flock of breweries in Asheville and I figured I ought to stop at one if possible. I wanted it to be on the Dixie Highway and not only did Wicked Weed qualify in that regard, it is only a couple of blocks from the Vance Monument. I tried their Irreverent & Single Belgian and thought it quite good. |
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Here are the markers at Fletcher, Hendersonville, and the North
Carolina-South Carolina line. They are located near
N35° 26.572' W82° 30.369', N35° 18.857' W82° 27.658', and
N35° 11.017' W82° 25.670' respectively.
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The Dixie Highway marker in Greenville, South Carolina, is actually a few
blocks off of the Highway. It is in a small park with other monuments near
a cemetery so may have been relocated there in some sort of consolidation
move. It was South Carolina that got the Confederacy (of which the marker
erectors are daughters of) started and Greenville is proud of the five
locals who signed the Ordinance of Secession. The plaque was erected in
1961. The DH-Lee marker is near N34° 51.312' W82° 23.821'.
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