This was definitely on Kitty's American Wishlist and when we drove home with Phyllis on our arrival day, we spotted Pop's Diner.

We knew we needed to go.

It was only open for breakfast and lunch.

We couldn't wait!

It was everything we had imaged and hoped it would be and it was truly a delightful moment in both of our hearts. For Kitty it was everything she had seen on tv and it delivered right down to the chirpy waitress. And for me it was so wonderful for me to see Kitty's dream come true.

We tried lots of new foods...

We even got to try biscuit and gravy and it was nothing like what we expected. We had no idea the gravy would be white. We also tried grits. It was good to learn and discover new things. It's exactly what we hoped for. Kitty being a total foodie too, discovering, experimenting and trying new things was a highlight of note.

The sweet sound of music

After breakfast, Kitty got her long awaited ukulele, we love the color she got and she made sweet tunes the rest of the trip. We spent a beautiful day in Hendersonville with Phyllis, slow and relaxed. We stopped for coffee and took in this beautiful town. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The down days were some of my favourite days. Time to chat and connect deeply, to share stories and get to know each other.

'Devil's on Horseback'

On our last night in North Carolina, on our way home from Random Arts Studio, we popped in to have tapas at this sweet spot and Phyllis introduced us to 'Devil's on Horseback'. I think they might have been the most fabulous things we have ever tasted in our lives.

We have found the recipe online and we will be making them for sure.

We without a doubt LOVED Southern food as much as we loved the people.

Thank you so much Phyllis, Jane and the beautiful people of the South, we ate together, we visited and we connected and shared. It was a truly remarkable time and I could share forever about this leg of my trip and the photos too many to share them all. You left a lasting impression on our hearts and souls and I know we have grown just by being together. Thank you, for the love and most of all for the beautiful Southern Hospitality that we had heard so much about.

For the folk that flew in and traveled from far especially to meet me and to work together for the few days that we had, I'm utterly humbled by this gesture. Thank you, you will never know what that sacrifice meant to me.

It filled our love tanks to the brim.

Next stop was Chicago on our way to San Diego...