Sylva, NC

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On our way to Southwest Community College for Cliff to take his first responder state test. All of this was way too much work for me. He's been buried in the books for more than 9 weeks, living, eating, drinking, dreaming this course.
Very pretty drive. We went through the Nantahala National Forest and saw people trout fishing and kayaking. Lots of motorcycles weave along this route.
Sylva is only about 80 minutes from us and sits right in the mountains.

The test was scheduled for 6 PM so we spent the afternoon walking around the little town going in and out of shops. Sylva has a lot more traffic than Murphy, very busy downtown area. It's right in the Great Smokies, has many hiking trails, waterfalls, great trout fishing, peaceful scenery, and the community college with a university 7 miles from the cc. We stopped in at Annie's Natural Bakery to have a cold drink, Cliff ate a creamy-filled eclair to try and settle his nervous stomach. I visited the Papou's Wine and Bar (surprise!), couldn't find any fudge shops. Did spend some time in a quaint little second-hand book store looking for something to read while he tested. The town has been getting ready for it's 13th annual Greening Up the Mountain Festival planned for today. Then we ate at Lulu's Cafe on Main St. What a wonderful menu! If you want to see pictures of the restaurant or the check out the menu, go to http://www.historicdowntownsylva.com/rest_lulus.html. (what did I do wrong?)
Lulu's was featured in a travel article in Southern Living Magazine some years ago. After downing the eclair, Cliff only had a tuna sandwich. I was really hungry so ordered a hummus sandwich filled with red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, with a side of tahini sauce, sesame chips, and a decadent piece of fluffy chocolate mousse pie drizzled with a rich chocolate sauce and sprinkled with confectioners sugar on a crumbled chocolate cookie crust. I had to keep up my strength. I could be a "mystery diner!"

His test was difficult and it'll be about a month before he sees a pass or fail grade. I know he passed but you need to see if for yourself.

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