2025 · National Day Calendar

National Llama Day 2025 🦙

Colorful Llama

Though they were likely originally dwellers of both North and South America, llamas are believed to have gone extinct in North America during the last ice age, leaving them only in South America.

A cousin to alpacas, llamas were domesticated by humans around 4,000 or even 5,000 years ago, starting in Peru and the Andes mountains. Able to navigate tricky trails, llamas were often used as pack animals in these mountainous areas to carry loads of goods, while their fur was used to make textiles and fabrics.

In modern times, llamas are also often kept domestically on farms, sometimes as guard animals for other flocks such as sheep or even alpacas. Since they can live an average of 20 years, or even up to 30 years, owning a llama is a long-term commitment. And they love to be in herds, so it’s best to never have only one llama but at least two, or even several.

:https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/national-llama-day/

2025 · Travel Tuesday

Gatlinburg, Tennessee 2002

The first weekend we visited Kevin’s parents in North Carolina, we went on a day trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg is one of those places I call “tourist traps”. It’s all fine that Eastern Tennessee wants to make money. But, I can care less about all this hustle & bustle in that town. Originally, my father-in-law wanted to take us to a place close by to show us some Cherokee and Civil War history. Well, that didn’t work out that way. And it was partially my fault as well. Because I said I’d rather see the attractions in Gatlinburg. Now, I wish I had said “yes” to history. But I’m also 22 years older and hopefully smarter.

On the way back to North Carolina, we stopped at the Interstate 40 Welcome Center. It’s a nice center with some outdoor walking area in the middle of the Smoky Mountains. In the meantime, we stopped there several times while traveling from Texas to North Carolina.

… to be continued …