So many small towns have hidden treasures….

I am still sorting through things I have saved so I could take a second look before I disposed of them. That works fine if you don’t let them accumulate. This forced hibernation has allowed time to dispose of so many things. That may be one of the only good things that the pandemic caused.

A picture is worth a thousand words, as an old saying goes. As I looked through a brochure, the saying proved to be true. My travel club friends and I love to go places. I enjoy learning what I can about the area, as well as to enjoy a meal from a hometown restaurant.

The headline for this July trip was shown as, “Bluegrass and BBQ” and had a photograph of the Earl Scruggs band in the write up. I was never a big fan of bluegrass music, but I had listened to it and recognized the name Earl Scruggs.

The weather was beautiful and when we reached our destination in Shelby, North Carolina, we were greeted by some very friendly folks. The beautiful building we were taken to was previously used for local government, I believe. Once inside we were escorted to a large multipurpose room where tables and chairs were set up. We were actually in the museum. After we toured the interesting collection of many instruments, old clothing, signs and other memorabilia, we enjoyed a delicious BBQ meal. Our group loves to eat and we were pleased with the bountiful meal that was provided.

A number of musicians treated us to a concert, in the same room as soon as lunch was over and the food had been cleared away. The musicians were so personable, answered all our questions and even took some requests. It was a well planned trip, with everything in one location. Older folks appreciate not having to do a lot of walking, if they can avoid it.

After a delightful tour of the museum, a delicious lunch and the concert, we boarded our motor coach for a tour of the town. Shelby is a beautiful small town and the guide was very pleased to tell us a lot of history, which none of us was familiar with.

The next event brought back pleasant memories of bygone days when we went to a theater to see our favorite movie stars. Our age group got to see quality films and knew so much about the actors because of all the magazines that were full of photographs of their lives off screen. The theater we toured was the Art Deco style and actually took our breath away! The building has been beautifully restored to the glory days of the past. It is used as a venue for singers and other performers now. We were given a tour backstage, as well as a history lesson.

Our fellow travelers agreed we had enjoyed the trip to a small town much better than going to one that had many fast food establishments and outlet malls. I enjoyed reliving my trip on that July day because of a photograph I saw on brochure I had put back so I could take a second look!