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Carl Sandburg bought the Connemara estate in Flat Rock, N.C., in 1945, and died there in 1967. Now it's part of the National Park system, preserved pretty much as it was when the Pulitzer prize-winning poet and biographer lived and worked there. In fact, descendents of his wife, Lilian's, champion goats are still in residence.

Our visit this morning took in a performance of "Rootabaga Stories" by actors from the nearby Flat Rock Playhouse, a guided tour of the house and a hike up the Glassy Mountain trail. There's a $5 per adult charge for the guided tour; everything else is free.

The original portion of the house was built in the 1830s. Sandburg fell in love with it as soon as he climbed the stairs to the front porch, which on clear days affords a view of both Mount Pisgah and Mount Mitchell. Today was too hazy, but the rolling green landscape is inspiring all the same.

The interior is furnished and decorated just the way the Sandburgs left it. It's simple and looks comfortably lived in. The most striking features are the bookcases -- everywhere. Sandburg had some 15,000 volumes on the premises, including in several outbuildings -- his least favorite books apparently in the farthest-out outbuildings. His study, where he wrote on a manual typewriter perched on an orange crate, is upstairs. Although he was 67 when he moved in at Connemara, he completed one-third of his life's work there.

Sandburg was the son of Swedish immigrants. His father was illiterate. Sandburg didn't finish college, but his keen ear and eye and powers of expression made him one of America's greatest writers and folk figures. His mountain estate reflects his personality. It's a must-visit for anyone interested in Sandburg and American literature.

Afterward, Margaret and I drove a few miles to downtown Hendersonville for lunch. It's charming, with several blocks offering an attractive array of restaurants, pubs, shops and museums. Plenty of people were out and about, many of them vacationers from out of state.

Some of the most impressive features include Wi-Fi coverage, free three-hour parking, directories of downtown businesses with maps, signs at each corner pointing to the location of businesses on sidestreets and decorated bears capturing various themes unique to the mountains or having something to do with a sponsoring business.

Margaret lived in Flat Rock before we were married and naturally we spent a lot of time in this area. Hendersonville has changed considerably in the last 30 years; fortunately, the Carl Sandburg home is exactly the same as it was -- except the trail up Glassy Mountain is definitely longer and steeper.