Originally Posted by draasim

After much discussion and recommendations from his friends, John and the author chose to make a trip to Cherokee in last year May. Qualla Boundary, their first stop, fascinated them with natural beauty and tribal culture. Later they visited a souvenir shop, where shopkeeper welcomed them warmly and offered a lunch after a long chat on diverse subjects. A museum, exhibiting a variety of Cherokee cosmology, was author's final stop during his trip to Cherokee.

I think this one is better with 75 word count. I feel its more concised and highlights the important parts