Crown Devon Fieldings
Simple Composition
The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.
#morethanthesumofitsparts #sunshine #oldglass #oldbuildings #rendered
North Carolina Towns & Cities Alphabetical
Did you know that there are 760 towns and cities in the state of North Carolina? Note that there are none that start with “Q” or “U”.
Here’s an alphabetical list:
- Aberdeen, NC
- Ahoskie, NC
- Alamance, NC
- Albemarle, NC
- Alliance, NC
- Altamahaw, NC
- Andrews, NC
- Angier, NC
- Ansonville, NC
- Apex, NC
- Arapahoe, NC
- Asheboro, NC
- Asheville, NC
- Atkinson, NC
- Atlantic Beach, NC
- Aulander, NC
- Aurora, NC
- Ayden, NC
- Badin, NC
- Bailey, NC
- Bakersville, NC
- Banner Elk, NC
- Bath, NC
- Bayboro, NC
- Beaufort, NC
- Belhaven, NC
- Belmont, NC
- Benson, NC
- Bessemer City, NC
- Bethania, NC
- Bethel, NC
- Beulaville, NC
- Biscoe, NC
- Black Creek, NC
- Black Mountain, NC
- Bladenboro, NC
- Blowing Rock, NC
- Boiling Springs, NC
- Bolton, NC
- Boone, NC
- Boonville, NC
- Bostic, NC
- Brevard, NC
- Bridgeton, NC
- Broadway, NC
- Brunswick, NC
- Bryson City, NC
- Buies Creek, NC
- Bunn, NC
- Burgaw, NC
- Burlington, NC
- Burnsville, NC
- Butner, NC
- Calabash, NC
- Calypso, NC
- Candor, NC
- Canton, NC
- Carolina Beach, NC
- Carrboro, NC
- Carthage, NC
- Cary, NC
- Casar, NC
- Castalia, NC
- Castle Hayne, NC
- Catawba, NC
- Cerro Gordo, NC
- Chadbourn, NC
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Charlotte, NC
- Cherryville, NC
- China Grove, NC
- Chocowinity, NC
- Claremont, NC
- Clarkton, NC
- Clayton, NC
- Clemmons, NC
- Cleveland, NC
- Clinton, NC
- Clyde, NC
- Coats, NC
- Cofield, NC
- Colerain, NC
- Columbia, NC
- Columbus, NC
- Concord, NC
- Conetoe, NC
- Connellys Springs, NC
- Conover, NC
- Conway, NC
- Cooleemee, NC
- Cornelius, NC
- Cove City, NC
- Cramerton, NC
- Creedmoor, NC
- Creswell, NC
- Crossnore, NC
- Cullowhee, NC
- Dallas, NC
- Davidson, NC
- Denton, NC
- Dillsboro, NC
- Dobson, NC
- Dover, NC
- Drexel, NC
- Dublin, NC
- Dunn, NC
- Durham, NC
- Earl, NC
- East Bend, NC
- East Flat Rock, NC
- East Spencer, NC
- Eden, NC
- Edenton, NC
- Elizabeth City, NC
- Elizabethtown, NC
- Elk Park, NC
- Elkin, NC
- Ellenboro, NC
- Ellerbe, NC
- Elm City, NC
- Elon, NC
- Emerald Isle, NC
- Enfield, NC
- Erwin, NC
- Etowah, NC
- Fair Bluff, NC
- Fairfield, NC
- Fairmont, NC
- Fairview, NC
- Faison, NC
- Faith, NC
- Falcon, NC
- Fallston, NC
- Farmville, NC
- Fayetteville, NC
- Flat Rock, NC
- Fletcher, NC
- Forest City, NC
- Fort Bragg, NC
- Fountain, NC
- Four Oaks, NC
- Franklin, NC
- Franklinton, NC
- Franklinville, NC
- Fremont, NC
- Fuquay Varina, NC
- Garland, NC
- Garner, NC
- Garysburg, NC
- Gaston, NC
- Gastonia, NC
- Gatesville, NC
- Gibson, NC
- Gibsonville, NC
- Glen Alpine, NC
- Goldsboro, NC
- Goldston, NC
- Graham, NC
- Granite Falls, NC
- Granite Quarry, NC
- Grantsboro, NC
- Greensboro, NC
- Greenville, NC
- Grifton, NC
- Grimesland, NC
- Grover, NC
- Halifax, NC
- Hamilton, NC
- Hamlet, NC
- Harkers Island, NC
- Harmony, NC
- Harrisburg, NC
- Havelock, NC
- Haw River, NC
- Hayesville, NC
- Hays, NC
- Henderson, NC
- Hendersonville, NC
- Hertford, NC
- Hickory, NC
- High Point, NC
- High Shoals, NC
- Highlands, NC
- Hildebran, NC
- Hillsborough, NC
- Hobgood, NC
- Hoffman, NC
- Holly Ridge, NC
- Holly Springs, NC
- Hookerton, NC
- Hope Mills, NC
- Hot Springs, NC
- Hudson, NC
- Huntersville, NC
- Icard, NC
- Indian Trail, NC
- Ingold, NC
- Ivanhoe, NC
- Jackson, NC
- Jacksonville, NC
- Jamestown, NC
- Jamesville, NC
- Jefferson, NC
- Jonesville, NC
- Kannapolis, NC
- Kelford, NC
- Kelly, NC
- Kenansville, NC
- Kenly, NC
- Kernersville, NC
- Kill Devil Hills, NC
- King, NC
- Kings Mountain, NC
- Knightdale, NC
- Kure Beach, NC
- La Grange, NC
- Lake Junaluska, NC
- Lake Lure, NC
- Lake Waccamaw, NC
- Landis, NC
- Lattimore, NC
- Laurinburg, NC
- Lawndale, NC
- Leland, NC
- Lenoir, NC
- Lewiston Woodville, NC
- Lewisville, NC
- Lexington, NC
- Liberty, NC
- Lilesville, NC
- Lillington, NC
- Lincolnton, NC
- Littleton, NC
- Louisburg, NC
- Lowell, NC
- Lucama, NC
- Lumberton, NC
- Macclesfield, NC
- Madison, NC
- Maggie Valley, NC
- Magnolia, NC
- Maiden, NC
- Manteo, NC
- Marion, NC
- Mars Hill, NC
- Marshall, NC
- Marshville, NC
- Matthews, NC
- Maxton, NC
- Mayodan, NC
- Maysville, NC
- Mc Adenville, NC
- Mc Leansville, NC
- Mebane, NC
- Micro, NC
- Middlesex, NC
- Millers Creek, NC
- Mineral Springs, NC
- Mocksville, NC
- Monroe, NC
- Montreat, NC
- Mooresboro, NC
- Mooresville, NC
- Moravian Falls, NC
- Morehead City, NC
- Morganton, NC
- Morrisville, NC
- Morven, NC
- Mount Airy, NC
- Mount Gilead, NC
- Mount Holly, NC
- Mount Olive, NC
- Mount Pleasant, NC
- Mountain Home, NC
- Nags Head, NC
- Nashville, NC
- New Bern, NC
- New London, NC
- Newland, NC
- Newport, NC
- Newton Grove, NC
- Newton, NC
- Norlina, NC
- North Wilkesboro, NC
- Norwood, NC
- Oak City, NC
- Oak Island, NC
- Oak Ridge, NC
- Oakboro, NC
- Ocean Isle Beach, NC
- Ocracoke, NC
- Old Fort, NC
- Oriental, NC
- Oxford, NC
- Parkton, NC
- Patterson, NC
- Peachland, NC
- Pembroke, NC
- Pikeville, NC
- Pilot Mountain, NC
- Pine Level, NC
- Pinebluff, NC
- Pinehurst, NC
- Pinetops, NC
- Pineville, NC
- Pink Hill, NC
- Pittsboro, NC
- Pleasant Garden, NC
- Plymouth, NC
- Polkton, NC
- Polkville, NC
- Pollocksville, NC
- Pope A F B, NC
- Powellsville, NC
- Princeton, NC
- Prospect Hill, NC
- Raeford, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Ramseur, NC
- Randleman, NC
- Red Oak, NC
- Red Springs, NC
- Reidsville, NC
- Rhodhiss, NC
- Rich Square, NC
- Richfield, NC
- Richlands, NC
- Roanoke Rapids, NC
- Robbins, NC
- Robbinsville, NC
- Robersonville, NC
- Rockingham, NC
- Rockwell, NC
- Rocky Mount, NC
- Rolesville, NC
- Ronda, NC
- Roper, NC
- Rose Hill, NC
- Roseboro, NC
- Rosman, NC
- Roxboro, NC
- Roxobel, NC
- Rural Hall, NC
- Rutherford College, NC
- Rutherfordton, NC
- Saint Pauls, NC
- Salemburg, NC
- Salisbury, NC
- Saluda, NC
- Sanford, NC
- Saratoga, NC
- Saxapahaw, NC
- Scotland Neck, NC
- Seaboard, NC
- Seagrove, NC
- Sedalia, NC
- Selma, NC
- Severn, NC
- Shallotte, NC
- Sharpsburg, NC
- Shelby, NC
- Sherrills Ford, NC
- Siler City, NC
- Simpson, NC
- Smithfield, NC
- Sneads Ferry, NC
- Snow Hill, NC
- Southern Pines, NC
- Southport, NC
- Sparta, NC
- Spindale, NC
- Spring Hope, NC
- Spring Lake, NC
- Spruce Pine, NC
- Staley, NC
- Stanfield, NC
- Stanley, NC
- Stantonsburg, NC
- Star, NC
- Statesville, NC
- Stedman, NC
- Stem, NC
- Stokesdale, NC
- Stoneville, NC
- Stonewall, NC
- Stony Point, NC
- Stovall, NC
- Summerfield, NC
- Sunset Beach, NC
- Swannanoa, NC
- Swansboro, NC
- Swepsonville, NC
- Sylva, NC
- Tabor City, NC
- Tarboro, NC
- Taylorsville, NC
- Teachey, NC
- Thomasville, NC
- Toast, NC
- Tobaccoville, NC
- Trenton, NC
- Trinity, NC
- Tryon, NC
- Turkey, NC
- Valdese, NC
- Vanceboro, NC
- Vandemere, NC
- Vass, NC
- Waco, NC
- Wade, NC
- Wadesboro, NC
- Wagram, NC
- Wake Forest, NC
- Walkertown, NC
- Wallace, NC
- Walnut Cove, NC
- Walstonburg, NC
- Wanchese, NC
- Warrenton, NC
- Warsaw, NC
- Washington, NC
- Waxhaw, NC
- Waynesville, NC
- Weaverville, NC
- Webster, NC
- Welcome, NC
- Weldon, NC
- Wendell, NC
- Wentworth, NC
- West Jefferson, NC
- Whitakers, NC
- White Oak, NC
- White Plains, NC
- Whiteville, NC
- Whitsett, NC
- Wilkesboro, NC
- Williamston, NC
- Wilmington, NC
- Wilson, NC
- Windsor, NC
- Winfall, NC
- Wingate, NC
- Winston Salem, NC
- Winterville, NC
- Winton, NC
- Woodland, NC
- Wrightsville Beach, NC
- Yadkinville, NC
- Yanceyville, NC
- Youngsville, NC
- Zebulon, NC
Side Trips off I-40 in North Carolina
We are always so busy and scheduling time to kind of do nothing and just turn off the highway for interesting landmarks is a rare occasion but I think that side trips off Interstate 40 and just exploring small towns is my 2023 goal. Not a resolution, I don’t do those but a couple side trips off I-40 on our way back from Biltmore NC trip really showed that we can find fun and interesting places without spending a DIME!
That’s a great goal as we try to settle in and chill out on the travel for a couple months for a few reasons – money and just enjoying the moment in the moment without trying to schedule and plan every single weekend with something as I tend to schedule/schedule/schedule and then am completely exhausted all the time.
So we are going to try to just do more of the stopping when we see a sign that interests us instead of saying, “next time”. The way life is these days, it’s never guaranteed to be there “next time”. If you have a few minutes or 30 minutes, it’s probably at least driving by and checking it out.
Asheville, NC – “Take 2 – and Action!”
Our last experience in Asheville was quite memorable because of the bus. THIS time Jason was like, “NOPE. No Airbnb. We aren’t paying to clean someone’s shit.” So, Hotel Indigo it is. We shall see how that goes….
We’re going for the Candlelight Christmas at The Biltmore Estate. He’s never been and I’ve only been once and we wanted to do something different for NYE. Note: if you want to be an extra in a Hallmark movie, they are filming one at the Biltmore in January!
We have reservations for dinner tomorrow at Jettie Rae’s and on Saturday at The Stable Cafe – Biltmore. I’d also like to check out the S&W Cafeteria – one of the coolest food halls in US apparently.
Depending on how much I’m freezing to death, I’d LOVE to get a Banana Split from The Hop Ice Cream place. We are most DEFINITELY getting a drink from The Times Bar.
NYC 2022
Our trip was mostly a success – we had a few minor issues due to an entire day of rain on our arrival day, the venue for the concert was just too small for what was going on, and the never-ending search to find a DAMN BATHROOM in the city.
Rockefeller Center & The Christmas Tree
We stopped into FAO Schwartz – not for buying anything but both of us wanted to go check out the toys and stuff. We are both still very much kids at heart I guess. BUT we had a human NYC moment that was super random and very much created a sense of “we are humans together”.
The song Sweet Carolina by Neil Diamond was playing and all of us in the store were totally into what we were looking at but when the chorus hit, EVERYONE SANG IT. And everyone did it just once, didn’t do it again on the next chorus….and I wish I could find the words to explain perfectly how it felt in that small space of time – but it was really extraordinary.
Times Square
Central Park
- Bethesda Terrace
- Bow Bridge – one of the first structures built in Central Park, this is an iconic bridge that’s appeared in several TV shows and Movies: Manhattan, The Way We Were, Spiderman 3, Highlander, Keeping the Faith, When in Rome, Made of Honor, Night at the Museum, Autumn in New York, Great Expectations, Uptown Girls, Glee 5. We had the fun experience that this video ALMOST captured, I was so focused on the bridge that I missed what was happening to the right of the bridge, the laugh from Jason on the video is what clued me in that something else was also happening – sometimes I’m just in my own world.
- Alice in Wonderland
- Strawberry Fields
Hoboken, New Jersey
Things to Know for Next Trip
Tips from video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MSL-VdS8e8
FREE NYC tours from locals – Big Apple Greeter
This is interesting: McGraw Hill Waterfall Enter Middle of 49th Street bet. 6th and 7th Ave but reading here see that KISS did a photoshoot here. That’s neat info.
American Folk Art Museum – free with two floors. Near Columbus Circle/Central Park.
This one is neat if you’re a fashionista – The Museum at FIT – also FREE!
Holiday Stuff – located with 10 blocks of each other – lower Manhattan
The Peninsula Hotel on 5th Ave – display in lobby free to take pics.
Hudson Yards – BONUS SCARY escalator ride – prettiest mall decorations
Brookfield Place – also has a lesser known ice skating rink
Zuccotti Park – 1 Liberty Plaza –
The park is home to three sculptures: Joie de Vivre by Mark di Suvero; Double Check, a bronze businessman sitting on a bench, by John Seward Johnson II; and Rose III by Iza Genzken.[11][7][12][13][14] Joie de Vivre, a 70-foot-tall sculpture consisting of bright-red beams, was installed in Zuccotti Park
NYSE Christmas Tree
South Street Seaport – Check out Pier 17
Side note of interest – POPS is Privately Owned Public Spaces in NYC. This may be helpful in finding a DAMN BATHROOM in this city.
Roadtrippin’ USA
I have always wished to be financially able to just drive around the USA – taking my time, seeing things, experiencing that lifestyle. I’m always looking for interesting facts about any place I happen to go through or spend even a small amount of time at – I LOVE free stuff and unexpected little twists and finds.
I’m saving this great resource for future trips.
Protected: Cliff Notes of a Personal History
Historic Sites in North Carolina
How many of these listed historic sites in North Carolina have you been to?
Honestly, before I looked at the list I thought there’d be more. I used to live down near Harnett County and never did make it to the Bentonville Battlefield – in my defense, I’m not really big on history. The beauty is that most of these sites are free and quite accessible and even when there is an admission fee it’s usually $2-$5.
I’ve been to:
- Fort Fisher near Wilmington – the NC Aquarium is near there as well
- Until the last few months of the Civil War, Fort Fisher kept North Carolina’s port of Wilmington open to blockade-runners supplying necessary goods to Confederate armies inland. By 1865, the supply line through Wilmington was the last remaining supply route open to Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. When Ft. Fisher fell after a massive Federal amphibious assault on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy.
- NC State Capitol building several times, it’s actually super cool and in downtown Raleigh. Free entry and has public bathrooms.
- Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson I went with my Mom and my youngest daughter several years ago. Orton Plantation is nearby and so is Beaufort and those are definitely worth a visit.
- A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina’s Cape Fear River, Brunswick was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site, and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort.
- Alamance Battleground
- Bennett Place
- Bentonville Battlefield
- Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
- Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum *$2 adult admission fee
- CSS Neuse/Gov. Caswell Memorial *admission fee
- Duke Homestead
- Fort Dobbs
- Fort Fisher
- Gov. Charles B Aycock Birthplace
- Historic Bath *admission fee
- Historic Edenton
- Historic Halifax
- Historic Stagville
- Horne Creek Farm
- House in the Horseshoe
- NC Transportation Museum *Admission fees vary $6-$15
- North Carolina State Capitol
The Highline in NYC
I’ve wanted to check this out for years but never seemed to make it to that side of town but this time it was happening for sure! Kind of cool that there was a cool art/light display – Genesis lights on the Highline.
We won’t mention the completely naked dude just strolling around his apartment, like dude, my EYES. lol NYC was most definitely all the way in to NYC-mode on our last day. We won’t even talk about the scenario of a busy subway station with some dude playing Sweet Child of Mine on electric guitar and amp whilst some other most naked dude with a clown mask and yellow chain for “thong” was gyrating by himself on the steps a few feet away. W. The. Fuck. NYC? Anyway. Back to the prettier side of NYC:
You can see the growth of the plants – the highline is very well curated and tended.
This piece of art was quite interesting and unexpected – placed perfectly – if you look past this mini statue you can see the full Statue of Liberty in the distance. The mask on this statue is reminding people of ongoing issues of personal freedoms around the world. Currently, the face of Mahnaz Akbari is shown here.
Christmas/Winter note: apparently, the hotel The Standard located right on the Highline has a cool vibe for the holidays including an ice rink with bumper cars? Who knew? They’ll be there until March.