Happy Holidays from Golf Central: Pinehurst, NC

On Christmas Day I flew out to eventually arrive at my destination of Pinehurst, NC, home to my brother and his family. My hurried layover in Las Vegas afforded me a quick glimpse of The Strip, and right outside of the runway is the big black pyramid hotel complete with Sphinx replica.

After taking off from Vegas I think I had the pleasure of enjoying the Grand Canyon from an altitude of 20-something-thousand-feet. It was amazing! One thing I've learned is that something has to be pretty darn large in order to be seen from this height, which means the Colorado River must be very impressive at ground-level!

Though I had limited visibility because of the airplane window, I still think that I got to see an incredible amount of the canyon—enough to inspire me to see the real thing in person!

The Family

Quality time has been so far spent getting acquainted with Sara, Jonathan, and Rachel. Rachel lugs around a princess-pink rotary phone in which we frequently call celebrities, dignitaries, and the family cat: General Sherman. My brother and sister-in-law have showered me with incredible hospitality! The guest bed is very comfortable and I've got my own bathroom, which means that my visit here is all too comfortable and I am certain to want to return for future visits.

General Sherman & Catie

Sherman who is a Siamese, is affectionately called The General as he was named after the famous southern general. Catie is far more spooky and she has so far only stared terrified at me. Sherman slept at my feet the first night and has since duly ignored me, but last night I tried winning his favor with small piece of my steak. My bribe didn't pay off as Sherman reposed elsewhere.

Pine Trees Everywhere

I am in the midst of a pine forest and the soil looks like beach sand. The lawns here are red pine needles—very little grass is grown—most of the grass I've seen is on a golf course.

Speaking of Golf Courses

Apprently this is one of the biggest golf centers around, with the US Open being held here a couple of years ago. Many elite resorts are to be found, all containing what I think of as southern flair. The resorts are white buildings that have a classic design. The people milling about all have an air of sophistication and tradition about them.

Tobacco

We're off today to investigate some local history! Today's adventure is to the north where we'll take in the Duke Homestead, where everything we ever wanted to know about tobacco (but were afraid to ask) will be revealed. I chose this historic site because it is close, isn't closed for the holidays, and is a unique part of North Carolina history. I shall return with photos from this exciting adventure!