Tamworth

It was a noisy night at Tamworth Camping Area but running the fan did a decent job of covering it up. Koda wanted out at 5:30, so I walked the dogs then tried to get back to sleep. After laying there lost in thought for a long time, I fell into a deep slumber and we both slept late into the morning. The skies were dark and the thick trees kept any other light from penetrating into the forest. A little dreary.

We slowly got our wagon repacked. I took the dogs down to the river and let them get into the cool water. The parrotheads were beginning to stir and by mid morning the blenders were churning out margaritas. The gun shots at the gun club opened fire and the stereos got to pumping out the tunes.

We headed over to Aunt Norma and Uncle Clayton’s at 4:00 in the afternoon. They have an awesome home in a quiet wooded area with plenty of trees to set them apart from any nearby houses, but enough neighbors to give them a sense of community. We were greeted with hugs then we took a tour of the homestead.

As the evening progressed, we all climbed into their car and went for a look around the area. Our first stop was Mountain View Station, an old railroad station that has been turned into a restaurant. We ordered up some killer fish and chips and enjoyed lots of animated conversation around the dinner table.

After dinner, we drove up to the Deer Cap ice cream parlor. A rustic little shack tucked away on a dirt drive behind a small nursery. The ice cream was amazing and the portions were huge. I made the mistake of ordering two scoops and the bowl held about a carton’s worth of ice cream. We sat and watched the steady stream of locals and tourists coming in the door for their summer treat.

Then we went on a driving tour around Tamworth. We visited the old downtown area where the summer theater was opening up its doors and historic buildings lined the street. We drove up a hill to get a better view and see the houses of some of Tamworth’s prominent citizens. We did a drive by of Clayton and Norma’s old neighborhood having a look at the home they lived in for many years. PJ had many fond memories of visits to the area,

It was well after dark when we returned to the house. We freed the canines and took them on a stroll through the serene empty streets of the subdivision. We relaxed in the parlor talking into the night while finishing up the load of towels that got all soaped out yesterday. Nice day visiting with family.