Friends:
I hope you have had a brilliant July 4th weekend! John and I are so proud to be Americans, but we are also so concerned with the direction this country is going. What happened to common sense?
Before I get too political, let's bring it back to the Madcap Cottage July 4th festivities... John and I celebrated Independence Day with the pups in the mountains of western North Carolina, and the escape was much needed and restful.
We rented an AirBnB in the charming town of Morganton, North Carolina and ventured out to explore from this up-and-coming, very walkable town. Morganton was an easy drive from High Point... So much easier than traveling to, say, an overpriced Asheville or far-away Cashiers.
A few highlights from our jaunt:
-Breakfast at Swede's Cafe in downtown Morganton with our terrific server, Colleen, a recent transplant from Puerto Rico.
-A day trip to Little Switzerland, North Carolina and lunch overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains from high above paired with chicken salad and a cool local pale ale.
-Popeye's fried chicken in the parking lot of the Morganton post office to watch the fireworks at Freedom Park.
-Long walks through downtown Morganton with the pups. We loved the Benjamin's clothing store, Grind, and Food Matters Market and Cafe with its wonderful selection of prepared fare. There were lots of homeless folks in downtown Morganton which surprised us...
-Picking up antique chairs for a client in Blowing Rock, North Carolina with lunch at the Hellbender Bed & Beverage and a visit to the charming Bee & The Boxwood home store. Watching the thermometer drop from 96 degrees in Lenoir, NC to 84 as we climbed the mountain to Blowing Rock was just what we needed on a too-hot afternoon.
-A visit to see our dear pal Holly Barker Woodward and tour the amazing home and kitchen store, Dash Home + Kitchen, that she and her husband, Mark, have recently opened on bustling Union Square in downtown Hickory, North Carolina. Wow, truly world class. Kudos, Holly and Mark! Be sure to add Dash to your must-visit list.
And now John and I are back in the saddle and working away on holiday and prepping for the pop-up that will open at the Nina Campbell outpost in London's Pimlico neighborhood on November 1.
It's full-steam ahead at Madcap Cottage... Always.
Happy summer!
