pecan pie with a banner elk!

I can hear you now:
What the heck is a banner elk?

Well, I've done some careful research into the matter, being as I'm analytically-minded, you know.
And you know what I've found?
The animal is extinct, and has been for more than a hundred years.
When Martin L. Banner of Wales came there in 1848, he established the first permanent settlement.
At the time, the Eastern elk roamed the mountains freely.
By 1877, the subspecies of beast was extinct from Banner's Elk, no doubt because the man's brood rapidly grew, reaching 55 members.
That's a lot of food to be hunted!
The possessive was dropped in 1911 when the town was incorporated.
Today being our final day here in the Cherokee National Forest, we wanted to check out this little town we'd driven through almost every day... and we did it on foot.

Look over there!
That looks like a train car!
What is it now???
Well... I'm not sure...
but it just may be
a real estate office.
Let's go over to the
Consignment Company!

And so we did, spending quite a while with Patricia Bundy and her old and new wares.
I bought two melted 45's (that's a type of record from back in the day, y'all) and a little sawed-off trunk with a bunch of painted wooden flowers.
Barbara bought a set of handmade Christmas ornaments for her goddaughter and then had the artist - the shop owner! - autograph them. Bonus!!!

Lunch time!
The Banner Elk Cafe was just the place,
with three menus of selections!
I opted for the grilled lake trout,
collard greens, and pinto beans...
and a slice of pecan pie.
My, oh my! That thing even had a shortbread crust!
Divine!

Walking up that side of the block,
we just had to stop at the
"Dog Bakery and Pet Boutique"!
No worries - no dogs or other loved ones
are being cooked here.
Instead, they get special treats cooked
especially for them!
"Crazy Cat Guy" - aka bfe - would love this place!

Rain had been forecast, so we
headed back to the condo, one last time.
We made a special stop at the overlook
(the spot with the binoculars)
for a good, long, last gaze
at those distant blue peaks...
and a walk around the big, blue house...
and the collection of a rock for Mama.
(smile)

i thank You, God, for this adventure.