Earlier this week, my son and I went on a three-day road trip through North Carolina, in part to fulfill requirements for one of his merit badges (he's a Boy Scout) and in part for me to do a little research. Our first stop was the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock, NC. To get there, we went through Upstate South Carolina. Turns out that's the easiest route from our home.

Also turns out our trip was made on one of the two hottest days this month. The trail from the parking area winds down to the visitor's center, and then it's a long, steep climb to the main house and the goat barn. Sandburg's wife raised goats. We didn't see them. Because it was one of the two hottest days of the year and, frankly, the climb to the house was enough for us. We still hadn't cooled down after touring the house. (Well, I hadn't anyway.)

The house was built in the 1830s, though the Sandburgs didn't buy it until, if I remember correctly, the late 1940s. My favorite room was this bedroom, used by Sandburg's wife.

I want a bedroom just like this when I grow up.

The best thing about this house, which was a really neat structure, was the sheer number of books. Upon his death in 1967, Sandburg owned around 20,000 books as well as a large volume of periodicals. There were books in every room, including the basement. Our tour guide said that some of the books had been removed to climate controlled storage to protect them, but there were still plenty left for visitors to gawk at.

After we finished touring the house, we drove north to Winston-Salem. The land in that area was once part of a huge tract purchased in the 1750s by Moravian settlers. We saw one of their settlements last year, what's now known as Old Salem. This year, we went to Bethabara, the site of the Moravian's original settlement.

Bethabara is an interesting site. Back in the 1960s, an archaeologist named Stanley South excavated it. Today, the foundations of many of the buildings are still visible. In fact, the site is billed as an archaeological park. A friendly tour guide took us on a tour of the church, one of the few structures from that era that's still standing. 

The original church building is now gone. This church was built in about 1788 and was used until (again, if I remember correctly) the 1950s. You can still see the original, blacksmith-made nails in the floors. 

The garden (above right) was also a neat little feature. The inner garden was protected by a wooden fence and was not open to visitors. The outer garden had rows of herbs, the foundation for a well from the original settlement, and a shaded sitting area. Yes, I took lots and lots of pictures! I love plants, just love 'em, though I don't have time to work outside much.

I persuaded my son to make the trip from Winston-Salem to the Outer Banks for a little research. Levi's story, Say Yes, takes place partially in the Kill Devil Hills area near Kitty Hawk, home of the Wright Brothers National Memorial. We went out in 2012, spent some time on the beach, and visited the memorial, the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and a few other places.

This time, we didn't even stick a toe in the water. We came in at night, paid a ridiculous amount for a motel room, and spent five minutes on the beach. The next day, we ate in Manteo at T.L.'s and drove straight home. I'd like to go back after the summer season is over. Right now, it's crowded. 

So that was it, our three-day road trip. We talked a lot, listened to pretty much every classic rock station between here and the OBX, and generally had a great time. I even managed to get a little writing in, and my son worked on one of the games he's developing, so we were productive and had fun. Can't beat that!