The two RV Gypsies stopped
at Reynolds Park for a picnic lunch May 21, 2022. |
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Below: Then the two RV Gypsies
visited the Old Salem Visitor Center and of course bought something
for their annual "Christmas Memory tree". They try
to buy something to hang on the tree each year that is a memory of wherever
they have visited. (To see a photo of the decorated
travel tree, click here,) but be sure to return to this page.
Then the two RV Gypsies exited the back door of the Old Salem Visitor
Center and crossed over the Heritage Bridge to walk around Old Salem.
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Below: Karen Duquette took a photo of
the back doorway and there was a ghost in the photo (NO, the image of
Karen taking the photo is NOT the ghost. So look on the other side of
the photo to see the "white hair ghost with the see-through
body".) |
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Below: A beautiful organ inside The Visitor
Center. These photos had to be taken through a window because visitors
could not get closer (thus the reflections in the photos). In the hallway,
a video was playing that told all about the organ. But visitors have
to stand up to watch the video. |
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Below: Signs on the wall
in the hallway about the Organ. |
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Below: Leaving the Visitor’s
Center via the back door, the two RV Gypsies came to the Old Salem Heritage
Bridge, also known as Old Salem Pedestrian Bridge in some articles.
The bridge was erected in 1998 and was designed in a style that would
have been similar to those that had been erected by the Moravian community
in the past. Although it is a modern covered bridge, it has the appearance
of an older bridge, erected to fit into the design of the historic area.
The bridge provides a safe way to access Old Salem from the Visitor’s
Center.This covered bridge was erected with a Burr arch truss and spans
one hundred and twenty feet over Old Salem Road. It features a single
span supported by concrete abutments at each end. |
Below: 2022 photos
of the bridge and sign. One Moravian star hung in the middle of the
bridge. |
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Below (2022 photos): A closer look at
the one Moravian Star in the center of the Heritage Bridge. The star’s
origin starts with the Moravian Church. According to the church's website,
these stars came about from geometry lessons. Moravian boarding school
students in Germany made these intricate stars during class, and religious
leaders and church workers brought these stars along with them while
doing missionary work during the nineteenth century.
In the Moravian religion, the star is symbolic of God, and is often
correlated with the star of Bethlehem, which has led to an association
of these stars with advent during the Christmas season. While this symbolic
form is still used in the church, many people have adopted it into their
homes as secular statement decor with no religious affiliation. |
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Below: The two RV Gypsies
were here once again on May 11, 2023. A friendly group of young girls
took a photo of The two RV Gypsies at the bridge. Additional
stars were hanging above inside the bridge. And this time, some of the
Moravian Stars were in colors. The sign in front of the bridge was turned
around backwards for some reason. |
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Below: November 9, 2023 - The third time
that the two RV Gypsies were at the Heritage Bridge. This time, all
of the Moravian Stars were white. |
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Below: Old Salem is a historic district
of Winston-Salem, North Carolina that was originally settled by the
Moravian community in 1766. This small city features a living history
museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit
organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents
had restored buildings earlier. As the Old Salem Historic District,
it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. and expanded in
2016. The district showcases the culture of the Moravian settlement
in North Carolina during the 18th and 19th centuries, communal buildings,
churches, houses, and shops. |
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Below: An antique gun hung
on the front of a building in the historic Moravian community of Old
Salem. |
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Below: Lee Duquette just
had to play with the old-style water pump and make water spill out.
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Below: Leaving the Old Salem
area, and going into downtown Salem. |
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