Rambling to Fort Mill and Baxter Village

by Violet Rebecca Jones

Front and Back of Historical Marker
Giving Background of Fort Mill, SC
    ( Click any photo to enlarge)

Small Town Charm

Chapter 3 of my visit to my friend in Rock Hill, SC takes me on a little excursion to Fort Mill, SC. Fort Mill is a small town  bordering Mecklenburg County, NC ( home of Charlotte).  Fort Mill, the home of Springs Industries, maker of home textiles, was founded in the late 1700's and is named for a grist mill and an early Catawba Indian Fort in the area.  There is a  quaintness about the town that for some reason has always appealed to me. I am not sure what it is, but I have always loved its friendly, small town charm.

Baxter Village

The town of Fort Mill has changed in many ways over the years, yet still remains the same in so many others. It has an excellent recreation center, a beautiful greenway owned by Springs Industries, and now has a wonderful little village that has been built on its outskirts called Baxter Village.  I did not know about Baxter Village until my friend suggested we go there for dinner. Baxter Village was not built when I lived in that area in the late 1990's, but I wish it had been. It is a charming village where homeowners can walk to restaurants, shops, etc. without ever leaving their neighborhood. While this may seem common for someone who has grown up in a city such as New York, for example, it is something that has gone by the wayside in the South over the years. We are used to driving everywhere for everything.

View of Baxter Village

The Fish Market Restaurant in Baxter Village

Wonderful Dining

My friend and I ate a wonderful seafood restaurant aptly named Fish Market, and I want to thank her again for treating me.  I had the Mountain Trout while my friend had the John Dory. I had never heard of John Dory, and neither had my friend. The waitress said it is a fish found in the waters of the English Channel, so that may explain why we had never heard of it.  My friend said it was delicious. I know my trout certainly was.

The Caboose Greeting Visitors

The Town of Fort Mill

The original town of Fort Mill itself has not changed much in the years since I lived in the area, except for the roads and new traffic patterns that confused me and caused me to get lost. The downtown remains much the same as I remember it. There are several antique shops that have been there for many years, and it was a comfort to see them still thriving. The old caboose that greets visitors to the town was a welcome site, as was the little  park that beckons one to enter, find a swing, and just "sit a while". It was good to visit this unique little town, and to see the green, green grass of "home" once again.

Time Stands Still at the Gateway to the Town of Fort Mil

Outdoor Dining Venue in Baxter Village

Just find a swing and enjoy the view of Fort Mill

View of Main Street, Fort Mill

Monuments in Park , Fort Mill


Copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones  

Downtown Gazebo in Fort Mill

Aviation on Display in Carolina

by Violet Rebecca Jones

On a sunny Saturday, I took a little excursion to Charlotte, NC to check out this plane that landed so miraculously on the Hudson River in New York a few years ago.  I felt I just had to see this marvel, and I was not disappointed when I found the huge plane sitting in a hangar at the Carolinas Aviation Museum 
http://www.carolinasaviation.org/exhibits near the Charlotte-Douglass International Airport. It was amazing that it is in as good condition as it is. The sad part is that it received more damage in its retrieval from the Hudson and its transport to Charlotte than it did in the actual emergency landing. (Click to see its voyage: http://www.carolinasaviation.org/commercial/miracle-on-the-hudson-flight-1549/travel-to-cam ) Nevertheless, it is something everyone should see simply because it gives hope, and is a testament to what one can do when one is skilled, determined, and has the hand of God to lift one's wings.

However, the "Miracle of the Hudson" was the not the only interesting, or inspirational, display at this unique museum. There on display were numerous examples of military and commercial aviation since flying began with the Wright Brothers in this same southern state at a place called Kitty Hawk. Although I am not that interested in fighter jets, it was interesting to see how the US fighter jet has evolved over the years. Some of them seemed truly antiquated, and I couldn't help but wonder at the courage these early pilots must have had to fly these machines.

Another interesting plane was the DC 7 on display on the tarmac outside the museum. It took me back to an earlier time in our history when commercial flying was still a luxury of the rich and famous and had its own aura. It was a time when one "dressed" for a flight in one's Sunday best, and could expect a nice dinner in flight. Our guide explained how there was a smoking sofa in the back of the plane where the men would smoke their cigars during the flight, and how the "stewardesses" would actually cook a full course meal on the plane. It was a beautiful plane, and I wished we could have seen inside, but we weren't allowed on this particular day. Still, it took me back in time to an era when things were simpler, time moved a little slower, and our country was filled with hope and anticipation of greater things to come.

Even more historically significant was the military transport plane that was in commission for over  35, 000 hours and approximately forty years. The story of its use in the Iranian hostage rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw, was one I knew very little about, but it was fascinating, especially the detail of this massive bird hitting a sand dune and coming out the other side to become airborne.  I thought of all the soldiers who had depended on this transport plane during so many years of battle, from Vietnam to Afghanistan.

While out on the tarmac for the outdoor part of the tour, one older, bald man kept ducking and holding his head. Everyone looked at him strangely, but were too polite to comment on his weird behavior. I suppose everyone thought he simply had "personal problems". He finally asked the tour guide where all the hawks were nesting.  The tour guide laughed, and told him there were no hawks; they simply used recorded sounds of distressed hawks to keep the birds from building nests in the planes! I guess he thought he was being attacked.

Another unique display was a cockpit demo where kids, or anyone, could actually climb into a cockpit and be a pilot . The only thing better would have been a flying simulator. Still, it was interesting. Several planes were open for children to climb aboard and explore, and one little guy spent at least an hour in a small small plane pretending to fly while his dad looked on.

I liked this little excursion, and it met my criteria of exploring places off the beaten path. The museum was a little hard to find ( I first wound up on the military base nearby, but that is a whole other story), but once found it is a gem, but then most gems are hard to find.

The "Miracle on the Hudson" Airliner

Amazing that the damage was so minimal.

  Broken Wing on "Miracle on the Hudson"

An earlier era in all its polished glory.

When airlines were different flying cross-country meant an adventure unto itself.

Simplicity at its finest.

One of the many faces of military flying.

I cannot fathom the emotions of the men who flew in this aircraft.

So much skill needed to fly these. 

Used in Operation Eagle Claw

Text and Pictures Copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones