Seniors and Mad Bum Enjoy Lenoir

Sports Illustrated highlighted Madison Bumgarner (Mad Bum) on its cover and noted that he owns a ranch in Lenoir, North Carolina. He is the pitcher hero of the last world series (SF Giants) and could live just about anywhere he might choose. He picked Lenoir and this curious senior just had to find out why.

Lenoir was honored to be chosen as the cover story on community gardening by Parade Magazine for its August 19, 2012, issue. Lenoir was named an All-American City back in 2008 and as you may know by now, Jim has nothing but respect for this honor.

Lenoir, with a population of nearly 19,000, is the county seat of Caldwell County and senior travelers will find this city in the Blue Ridge foothills. Lenoir was named for Revolutionary War figure and early North Carolina statesman General William Lenoir, who settled north of present day Lenoir. Today his restored home, called Fort Defiance, is a tourist attraction.

Senior Historical Buffs Like Lenoir

In addition to Fort Defiance, the Caldwell County Courthouse, Lenoir Downtown Historic District, the Lenoir Grammar school, Senior High School and Mary’s Grove are all named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Over the years, five major league baseball players have called Lenoir home.

The city sits next to the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Hibriten Mountain. Lenoir is one of the principal cities in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hickory is famed for its furniture.

 Carolina Distillery’s Apple Brandy… A Senior Stop

Lenoir is full of historical sites. Senior visitors enjoy fine restaurants, great shopping and some fine hotels. The Broyhill Walking Park is a peaceful and serene Japanese Garden filled with neat architecture, varied plantings and water elements. The park is next to the golf course, so senior golfers, bring your clubs along.

Carolina Distillery is located in historic downtown Lenoir. Here they distill their single-barrel Apple Brandy utilizing a generations-old family recipe. The brandy is hand-crafted in a copper pot still and bottled one barrel at a time to give each batch its own unique character and flavor. It is quite unique and famed in the region.

So swing into Lenoir on your next trip through North Carolina and enjoy all the amenities that the city has to offer.  Say hello to Mad Bum for me if you happen to run into him. -jeb