Our next adventure was a trip to the mountains. We made a stop at Elkin Creek Winery (beautiful scenery) for some engagement photos (my mom and Bryant!) and pizza before heading over to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We decided to chance our overview spots, so we just drove around the parkway until we stumbled upon these beautiful views. We ended the trip with a stop in Winston-Salem at the Mast General Store for some candy :) Oh, how we love the general store.
The next few days were rainy, rainy days. Delyn and I talked my sister, Maddy, into driving around with us and we set out in between breaks of rain to explore the area. On our way to a mill I'd been to before we found what appeared to be an old, abandoned settlement. There weren't any signs warning of trespassing, so we walked around and even went inside one of the houses. Delyn had a field day, but Maddy and I were a little more reserved. As we approached the second house, a creepy red truck pulled up. I waved, and the old man inside just stared. We decided it was time to go home!
After returning from the trip, we searched the internet to find out where we had been. We couldn't find ANY information. Somehow that search turned into a search for other abandoned locations nearby. Maddy and I found an abandoned reform school for boys in Concord (about 40 minutes away). I was intrigued and KIND OF wanted to go, but was too scared to tell my husband because I KNEW he would want to go. I showed him some photos from the internet, and what do you know... we decided to check it out.
After driving forty minutes to Concord, we pulled up and immediately realized we were in over heads. This wasn't just a school building, it was a community of abandoned buildings and homes with nobody in sight. It was CREEPY. To be honest, Maddy and I didn't want to get out of the car (okay, I wanted to go HOME). But Delyn reminded us that we just drove forty minutes. Dang. We didn't know where to park, so Maddy parked by what appeared to be the main building and we all walked to one of the homes. As soon as we got to the doorway my heart was racing and my adrenaline was pumping. The houses were full of debris, graffiti, and eeriness. We were quick to leave that house, and one of us (who will go unnamed) RAN back to the car. We drove around a little, saw another car creeping around like we were, and finally mustered up enough courage to go into the main building. The main building was not in great shape-- lots of damage, overturned pianos and benches, holes in the floor. Against all wisdom, we explored the upstairs as Maddy waited in the car. It wasn't long before I was ready to head out. I know Delyn could've stayed all day taking pictures. We really did get some neat shots, and even though it literally took an hour for my heart to chill out I am glad we went. We made LOTS of memories, and have lots of stories to look back on from this trip.