High Country Magazine August 2013

Volume 9 • Issue 1 August / September 2013

A SUMMER OF

CASCADING WATER FALLS

App State’s New Coach The Old Cranberry School A Visit to Abingdon August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

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Scott Rigsby’s courageous story of overcoming adversity is so inspiring that people of all ages gather together each year for Frye’s annual Do the Unthinkable 5K. As a two time Hawaiian IronMan finisher, Scott encourages all of us to push beyond our perceived limits and do the unthinkable in our own lives.

September 21 at 8 a.m. do the unthinkable 5k Run/Walk at Frye Regional Medical Center Hickory, NC

For more information or to register, visit www.fryemedctr.com/dotheunthinkable.

Augustvisit / September 2013 High Country Magazine 3 Proceeds to benefit the Scott Rigsby Foundation. to learn more, www.scottrigsbyfoundation.org.

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August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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Waterfall Photos by Tommy White

54 18

C O N T E N T S

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Coach Satterfield Q & A, ASU FBS Move Meet App State Football Head Coach Scott Satterfield, who quarterbacked the Mountaineers on the field in the early ‘90s, in a Q & A with High Country Magazine. Also, learn what the move to FBS means for ASU Football and other athletic programs on campus.

32 Labor of Love in Old Cranberry

Cranberry High School was in session from 1924 to 1968. During that 44-year period, alumni fell in love with the school and have since turned a dilapidated property into a community stomping ground and historical attraction.

46 Magic Cycles Celebrates 20 Years

46

From the thrill of childhood bike riding to working as a professional race mechanic and owning Magic Cycles, a bike shop, in Boone for 20 years, Michael Boone has cultivated a lifetime love affair with cycling.

54 Rains Bringeth Sweet Waterfall Pics

The High Country has experienced record-breaking rainfall totals this year, wreaking havoc on roadways and crops. On the bright side for photographers, gorgeous waterfalls have been flowing all season long.

62 Nature in a Modern Mountain Home

This “modern mountain” vacation home, located in the High Country, organically unifies man and nature. Utilizing Blue Ridge Parkway stone, cedar siding and glimmering glass, this homes relates to the mountains, yet features ultra-modern designs, too.

78 Head West to Abingdon

Without a doubt the High Country is home, but every once in a while, we have to get away. Read about the attractions of Abingdon, Va., where old meets new, and how the town connects to the High Country.

on the cover

Todd Bush

Todd Bush provided us with our cover shot of Crabtree Falls that is located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile post 339. You can see more of Todd’s photography by visiting his web site at www.bushphoto.com. Todd has specialized in commercial, scenic and adventure photography in the High Country since 1990.

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

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ABOUT US

The first High Country Press newspaper was published on May 5, 2005, and the first issue of High Country Magazine went to press in fall 2005. In March of 2012, the newspaper made the transformation to an online newspaper at our new website: www.

HCPress.com. Our new “webpaper” is still packed with information that we present and package in easy-to-read formats with visually appealing layouts. Our magazine represents our shared love of our history, our landscape and our people. It celebrates our pioneers, our lifestyles, our differences and the remarkable advantages we enjoy living in the mountains. Our guiding principles are twofold: quality journalism makes a difference and customer care at every level is of the greatest importance.

Our offices are located in downtown Boone, and our doors are always open to welcome visitors.

“cloud " sense

© 1998-2012 DeWoolfson Down Int’l., Inc.

READER SERVICES

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Our magazine is a wonderful way for businesses to advertise to our readers. Our magazines tend to stay around for a long time, on coffee tables and bed stands, and shared with family and friends. To find out about advertising, call our offices at 828-264-2262.

BACK ISSUES

Back issues of our magazines are available from our office for $5 per issue.

Some issues are already sold out and are no longer available.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography and page reprints are available for purchase. For sizing, prices and usage terms, please call our office.

Some photos may not be available and some restrictions may apply.

FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES

Writers and photographers may send queries and samples to the editor at hcmag@highcountrypress.com.

Contact us at:

High Country Press/Magazine P.O. Box 152 130 North Depot Street Boone, NC 28607 www.hcpress.com info@highcountrypress.com 828-264-2262

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High Country Magazine

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FRO M T HE PUB L ISH ER

A Publication Of High Country Press Publications Editor & Publisher Ken Ketchie Art Director Debbie Carter Graphic Designer Jacob Voigt Contributing Writers Jesse Wood

What It Was - Was A Record

W

Ken Ketchie

e went looking for a bright spot amidst all this rain, and we think we found one. Well, we actually found quite a few of them. So what have our ace photographer buddies Todd Bush and Tommy White found that could elicit a smiling face during this drenching summer? How about waterfalls? Rushing waterfalls! Both Todd and Tommy have had a blast capturing cascading and roaring waterfalls at a time of year when water levels are unusually high. Inside you’ll find some of their really beautiful photographs from their waterfall adventures.

Perhaps another bright spot to think about is that we’ve endured a weather phenomenon for the ages. This summer has been one for the record books – and I guess you could say we’ve all been apart of history. In case you’ve not yet heard, July was officially the wettest July we’ve ever had - at least as far back as the record keeping goes.

And the month before that was the second wettest June since 1895. For weeks on end it seemed to rain every day, and just about every conversation turned to the misery of just how this wet weather has impacted our lives. Its ruined our gardens, cancelled outdoor events, caused traffic detours, spouted leaks and floods in strange places, kept everything damp and musty and, in general, was just a big pain in the butt.

The numbers show we had roughly 20 inches of rain in the Boone area for the 31 days of July. Historically, the average rainfall for July is in between five and six inches. The weather station atop Grandfather Mountain measured a record-shattering rainfall total of 23.91 inches for July, which was 17.93 inches, or 300 percent, above the 57-year average of 5.98 inches. The previous July record on Grandfather was 11.92 inches of rain in 1989. In fact, there has only been one month on record with more rain than this July and that was September 2004, when Hurricane Ivan and Francis struck and more than 32 inches of rain fell on Grandfather. But that lasted for only a few days. We still saw plenty of sunshine that month.

Oh well – what are you going to do? How about take some photos of waterfalls!

If you do decide to check out the roaring rivers and want to photograph the rushing waters like Todd and Tommy do, here’s some advice from Todd.

For those dreamy, silky-smooth waterfall shots, slow down your shutter speed to half of one second – or even longer. And that means you will probably need a tripod.

And don’t forget: to capture an image that has a magical quality, avoid high noon and try to shoot early or later in the day.

So there you have it. Even if the skies are overcast and the rain is falling, there is always a wet – I mean – bright spot to be found.

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

Madison V. Fisler Tim Gardner Bernadette Cadhill Mariel Gambino Mark Kenna Linda Kramer Contributing Photographers Todd Bush Tommy White Dave Mayo Bernadette Cadhill Finance Manager Amanda Giles

High Country Magazine is produced by the staff and contributors of High Country Press Publications, which serves Watauga and Avery counties of North Carolina

www.HCPress.com HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE P.O. Box 152, Boone, NC 28607 828-264-2262 Follow our magazine online where each issue is presented in a flip-through format. Check it out at:

HighCountryMagazine.com Reproduction or use in whole or part of the contents of this magazine without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Issues are FREE throughout the High Country. © 2012 by High Country Press. All Rights Reserved.

August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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Calendarof Events Calendar # 1

AUGUST 2013 1-24

BANFF FILM FESTIVAL ASU, September 20-21

Norma Murphy at Art Cellar Gallery, Banner Elk, 828-898-5175

10

Back to School Festival, National Guard Armory in Boone, www.quietgivers.org

10

Art in the Park, American Legion Grounds, Blowing Rock, 828-295-7851

11

Alpen Summer Concerts featuring The Lucky Strikes, Alpin Inn Pavilion, 828-387-2252

11-16

Groovy Nights Variety Show, Blowing Rock Country

Club, 828-295-9347

15

2013 Summer Author Series-Jill McCorkle, Belk Library,

ASU, 828-262-2087

15

Casa Rustica 7th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, Boone Golf Club, Rick Pedroni, 828-406-7085

16

Concerts at the Jones House featuring Mountain Laurels & Steve & Ruth, Downtown Boone, 828-262-4576

16

22nd Annual Fine Art and Mastercraft Festival, Banner Elk Elementary School 800-972-2183

16

Music in the Valle featuring Dashboard Hula Boys, Valle Crucis Community Park, 828-963-9239

17

Todd’s Music in the Park featuring Lizzy Ross, Cook

Memorial Park, (336) 877-5401

17

Inaugural Take A Swing at Cancer Golf Tournament, Sugar Mountain Golf Course, 828-737-7538

18

23

Music in the Valle featuring Whip Daddies, Valle Crucis Community Park, 828-963-9239

24

Valle Crucis Auction, Valle Crucis Elementary School, 828-963-9239

24

High Country Half Marathon, ASU, Kidd Brewer

Stadium, 828-262-7557

24

Rotary Club of Blowing Rock Charity Auction,

American Legion, Blowing Rock, 828-295-3476

24

Doc Watson Tribute Concert, Cook Park in Todd, 336877-5401

24

Artist Reception Savoring Moments in Time, Carlton Gallery, 828-963-4288

Grandfather Mountain Amateur and Professional Camera Clinic, Grandfather Mountain, 800-468-7325

24-9/1 24-9/24

Ensemble Stage Presents: Bedside Manners, Blowing

Rock School Auditorium 828-414-1844

18

Alpen Summer Concerts featuring Liz Hayes and the Common Threads, Alpin Inn Pavilion, 828-387-2252

19

Monday Night Concert Series featuring Brothers Gravity, Broyhill Hill Park, Blowing Rock, 828-295-5222

Appalachian Documentary Film Series: The Ralph Stanley Story, BRAHM, 828-295-9099

25

Sunday Music Series: Carolina Chamber Symphony Players, BRAHM, 828-295-9099

Ashe County Little Theatre presents “Bye Bye Birdie”

28

Appalachian Documentary Film Series: Strangers and Kin, BRAHM, 828-295-9099

Concerts at the Jones House Bluegrass Showcase with Sigmon Stringers, Creekside Grass and Carolina Crossing, Downtown Boone, 828-262-4576

30

Concerts at the Jones House featuring Rod Farthing, Tom Shirley and Worthless Son-in-Laws, Downtown

21

22-24

25

10

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

Alpen Summer Concerts featuring The Lucky Strikes, Alpin Inn Pavilion, 828-387-2252

Ashe County Civic Center, 336-846-2787

Savoring Moments in Time, Carlton Gallery, 828-963-4288

Boone, 828-262-4576

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August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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30

Music in the Valle featuring Zephyr Lightning Bolts,

Fall Boone Bike Rally, High Country Fairgrounds in

High Country Craft Food and Beverage Festival,

8-11/2

8

Valle Crucis Community Park, 828-963-9239 30-31

8

Boone, 828-733-8060

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1

Mile High Kite Festival, Beech Mountain, 828-387-9283

1

Alpen Summer Concerts featuring Klee and Mike, Alpin Inn Pavilion, 828-387-2252

1

Mountain Home Music: A Labor Day Celebration, Rosen Concert Hall ,ASU, 828-964-3392

4

Kids Cycling at Lees-McRae College, Athletic Fields, 828-

6 6

10-14

Avery County Fair, Newland Fairgrounds, 828-387-6870

13

Concerts at the Jones House featuring Trevor McKenzie and the Buck Haggard Band, Downtown Boone, 828-

262-4576

13

Eat Your Words Book Luncheon, BRAHM, 828-295-9099

14

Mountaineer Mud Run, High Country Fairgrounds, Boone, 828-733-8060

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7-8

Concerts at the Jones House featuring Dashboard Hula Boys and Lazybirds, Downtown Boone, 828-262-4576

Music in the Valle featuring Folk and Dagger, Valle

Art in the Park, American Legion Grounds, Blowing Rock, 828-295-7851

20-21

Railroad Heritage Weekend, Tweetsie Railroad, 800-

526-5740

Represented By

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Beach Blast on Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge Mountain Club, Boone, 828-295-7851

15

Grandfather Home Museum Reception and Centinneal Celebrations, BRAHM, 828-295-9099 Banff Film Festival, ASU, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 828-262-4046

21

Stick Boy Mayview Madness 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run, Blowing Rock American Legion, 828-264-2511

Kevin BecK

Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 – 5:00 Sunday: 11:00 – 5:00

12

Grandfather Home for Children Centennial Celebration Theatre Festival, Hayes Campus, Banner

Elk, (828) 898-5465

Crucis Community Park, 828-963-9239

Watercolor Society of North Carolina Exhibit, BRAHM

828-295-9099

898-3432

Concert in the Park, ASU Gospel Choir, Blowing Rock Memorial Park, 828-295-7851

Broyhill Inn and Conference Center, 828-262-7847

SEPTEMBER 2013

Blowing Rock Jazz Society Concert, Meadowbrook Inn,

828-295-4300

August / September 2013

DON’T FORGET

EVENTS

G A L L E R Y

&

F R A M E M A K E R S

AUTUMN INVITATIONAL “OUT OF THE FOREST” SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 26

Mile High Kite Festival on Beech Mountain On Sept. 1, don’t miss out on the Mile High Kite Festival. This festival, held each Labor Day Weekend on Beech Mountain, features music, vendors and kite contests. Come for the free kites given out to each of the first 200 children, and stay for the kite-flying demonstrations by the Richmond Air Force Kite Club and the Wings Across Carolina Kiting and Okra Society of Charlotte. This event is sure to be a hit for the entire family.

SEPT. 1

Avery Agricultural and Horticultural Fair Each year, the Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural Fair is something that the locals look forward to. On Sept.

10-14, the 2013 theme is Wallerin’ and Hollerin’ at the Avery County Fair. This year, there will be lawnmower racing, pig wrestling, a chainsaw competition, mud bogging, corn hole, a beauty pageant, talent show and much more! Don’t miss out on this family friendly great time!

SEPT. 10-14

TOUR DE ART SATURDAYS AUGUST 24, SEPTEMBER 28 AND OCTOBER 26

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Gabriel Ofiesh Trunk Show auGuST 29 - 31, 2013

hardinjewelry@gmail.com | 828-898-4653 August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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mountain

echoes

Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club Celebrates Granite Anniversary as a Rock of Support for High Country Organizations

A

fter 90 years of service to the High Country Community, the Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club will celebrated its 90th anniversary on Tuesday, July 23.

When it was founded back in 1923, the Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club was a large community organization that boasted more than 100 members at the peak of membership. These ladies worked locally to help out in all facets of the Boone community, with departments dedicated to education, fine arts, home life and public affairs.

Organizations that have received funding from Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club include the Daniel Boone Native Gardens, Habitat for Humanity, OASIS, Hospice of Watauga County, Special Olympics, the Salvation Army, Watauga Youth Network and many more.

“We give donations to over 15 local organizations, plus we give out two $1,000 scholarships annually,” said club President Baben Patricelli.

Over the many decades since 1923, the club has grown smaller but their resolve and dedication to serve the community has never waned.

Patricelli, who has been a member of the organization since 1970, said that their funding comes from the interest from the sale of their clubhouse that the organization one held on Cherry

Brook Lane in Boone.

“As the club started getting smaller, we sold our house and invested the money to use the interest to fund all of the organizations and scholarships,” Patricelli said.

In keeping with the original ideals enacted back in 1923, over the nine decades of its existence, the Boone Worthwhile Women’s Club has touched the lives of many and helped to provide security for many local organizations.

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

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High Country Magazine

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A Window to All Things About The High Country BOONE • BLOWING ROCK • BANNER ELK

HCPress.com

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

Go To Where over

1 Million Have Gone BeFore It just took a year for the High Country Press website to become the most popular destination for people to visit online for information about news and events happening across the High Country. Thousands of folks are visiting us everyday to stay in touch with what’s going on. Come check us out at:

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Mid-Summer Group Exhibition Continues through September 24

Savoring Moments in Time

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August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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A Visit With New Appalachian State University Head Football Coach

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

Photo: Appalachian State Athletics/Tyler Buckwell

scott satterfield

By Tim Gardner

Scott Satterfield aptly personifies the term “All-American Guy.� Those who come in contact with this dynamic, young coach and former star athlete are impressed with his sincerity and the casual way he presents himself.

August / September 2013

High Country Magazine

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S

cott, who spent 17 of the last twenty-two years at Appalachian State University as a student-athlete and coach, was named the 20th head coach in Appalachian State football history on December 14, 2012. At that time, he not only began carrying on and adding to a rich football legacy as the Mountaineers mentor, but establishing his own as a head coach.

Scott has enjoyed success at every stop of his 20-year playing and coaching career, most notably in his tenures at Appalachian State as a player (1991-95) and coach (1998-2008, 2012). He helped lead the Mountaineers to three national titles, eight Southern Conference championships and played a large role as a quarterback and later as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in virtually re-writing the school’s offensive record book.

Most recently, Scott has also proven to be a coach that can make a big impact in a short time. After a three-year stint away from his alma mater, Scott returned to Appalachian State in January 2012 as the Mountaineers’ assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Despite inheriting a unit that managed just 390.2 yards per game (ypg) in 2011 (Appalachian’s lowest production in eight seasons), lost three players that would go on to play in the National Football league (NFL) and returned only five starters, the Mountaineer offense flourished under Scott’s direction during the 2012 season. Appalachian State ranked among the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision’s (FCS) Top

25 nationally in total offense (ninth - 464.0 ypg), passing efficiency (ninth - 152.03 rating), passing yardage (293.8 ypg) and scoring (32.9 points per game). Also, for the first time in school history, the Mountaineers produced a 3,000-yard passer (Jamal Jackson - 3,278 yards), 1,000-yard rusher (Steven Miller - 1,368 yards) and 1,000yard receiver (Sean Price - 1,196 yards) during the same season.

Prior to his return to Appalachian State, Scott spent one season as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Toledo University (2009) and two as the offensive coordinator at Florida International University (2010-11).

In his only season at Toledo, the Rockets ranked 20th nationally in passing (278.5 ypg) and 14th in total offense (438.3 ypg), averages that were 89 and 104 yards better, respectively, than the season prior to his arrival.

In two seasons at FIU, Scott helped lead the Golden Panthers to the first two bowl appearances in school history, including a victory over Toledo in the 2010 Little Caesars Bowl. After going 3-9 and averaging 321 yards of offense the year prior to his arrival, FIU won 15 games and averaged 380 yards in Scott’s two seasons as offensive coordinator.

Prior to his three seasons in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks, Scott spent the first eleven seasons of his coaching career at Appalachian State, mentoring the Mountaineers’ wide receivers (1998), running backs (1999-2002) and quarterbacks (2003-08). He was an integral part of Appalachian State’s transition from a Power-I to a Spread offense in 2004 and the five record-setting offensive campaigns that followed. With Satterfield serving as the Mountaineers’ primary play-caller, the Mountaineers ranked among the FCS Top 20 nationally in the five major offensive statistical categories (scoring, rushing, passing, passing efficiency and total offense) 17 out of a possible 25 times from 2004-08, highlighted by an explosive 2007 campaign when Appalachian State led the nation with a school-record 488.3 yards of total offense per game.

As Appalachian State’s quarterbacks coach, Scott has overseen the development of the most prolific signal-callers in school history.

Besides being Jackson’s mentor for only the third 3,000-yard passing season in school history, Scott also coached both Richie Williams (2003-05) and Armanti Edwards (2006-08) to all-America recognition and was Edwards’ tutor for the first of his back-to-back Walter Payton Awards as NCAA FCS Player of the Year in 2008.

Prior to coaching the Mountaineers’ quarterbacks, Scott also mentored a 1,000-yard rusher (Jimmy Watkins – 2001) and the 11thleading rusher in school history (Jerry Beard – 2000-02).

During his Appalachian State-playing career, Scott made 27 starts at quarterback from 1992-95 after redshirting as a true freshman in 1991. He earned first-team all-conference recognition as a senior in 1995 after passing for 1,461 yards and rushing for 649 more to help lead the Mountaineers to the only undefeated, untied regular season in school history (11-0) and a 12-1 final record. He graduated from Appalachian State with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education in 1996.

Scott is the sixth alumnus to serve as Appalachian State’s head football coach, joining Graydon Eggers ‘24 (1928), Francis Hoover ‘40 (1945), Press Mull ‘47 (1951), Bob Broome ‘40 (1956-58) and Carl Messere ‘61 (1965-70).

A Hillsborough, NC native, Scott was born December 21, 1972. He is married to the former Beth Burleson of Spruce Pine, NC. Beth was a standout on the Appalachian State track team in the 1990’s. Scott and Beth’s union has produced three children— sons, Bryce and Isaac, and daughter, Alli. t Photo: Appalachian State Athletics/Dave Mayo

20 Questions and Answers With the Top Mountaineer…

High Country Press journalist Tim Gardner recently conducted an exclusive interview with new Appalachian State University head football coach Scott Satterfield. In the conversation that follows, Scott offers his mandates necessary to keep the Mountaineers among the nation’s elite programs in their last season competing the NCAA Division I FCS level as a member of the Southern Conference, his observations about their upcoming move to the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA Division I FBS, his coaching philosophy and other thoughts about his professional career and personal life.

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High Country Press (Tim Gardner): What have been your impressions and thoughts so far of being Appalachian State’s head coach?

SS (Scott Satterfield): I think we’ve had a great off-season. Obviously, the most visible things that we have done are go through spring practice and recruiting. Both went very well. However, there are so many other things that have gone on somewhat behind the scenes — building our staff, implementing a plan for our student-athletes to excel in the classroom and get more involved in the community and our offseason conditioning — that have also gone well and we’re very proud of. All things considered, I think that it has been a productive off-season and we can’t wait get into the routine of the regular season.

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HCP: What are the ingredients so-to-speak that will continue to make Appalachian State’s football program a prosperous one under your leadership?

SS: The “ingredients” that make Appalachian State football suc-

cessful are a) tradition; b) outstanding support from the Appalachian family, which includes the University’s and athletics department’s administration, alumni, current students, the High Country community and other fans; and c) great people within our program, from coaches to support staff to, of course, our student-athletes. My challenge as head coach is to utilize the resources at our disposal (the “ingredients”) to move the program forward and carry on the tradition of success.

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HCP: What are the biggest adjustments you have had to make from being an assistant coach to head coach?

SS: Doing all of the additional off-the-field responsibilities. As head coach, there are so many things that you are obligated to do outside of the normal day-to-day duties associated with being a football coach. I’ve enjoyed doing those things —speaking engagements, media obligations, meeting with our outstanding supporters and fans — but it is a challenge learning to balance those things with the more traditional duties of a football coach.

Photo: Appalachian State Athletics/Dave Mayo

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HCP: What are yours individually, and the Mountaineers, most immediate challenges?

SS: The most immediate challenge is playing a very good Montana team in one of college football’s most intimidating environments on August 31. All of our focus is on 2013 and working to go 12-0 in our final season in the Southern Conference and at the FCS level.

Obviously, you can’t win 12 games in Week One, so the focus is completely on Montana.

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HCP: What are some of the most noticeable changes you have made, and will make, in the Appalachian State football program featuring the Scott Satterfield imprint?

SS: There’s not a lot of noticeable changes. We’ve enjoyed a lot of success here at Appalachian State and I have been part of the program for a long time, so you certainly won’t see us trying to reinvent the wheel so-tospeak. I think that any of the changes that we have made this off-season have been subtle; more tweaks than major changes, with the goal of carrying on the tradition of Appalachian football rather than overhaul the program.

Photos: Appalachian State Athletics/Dave Mayo

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HCP: How much does pure luck play a factor in winning games and championships?

SS: I don’t think that a game or a championship has ever been won due to pure luck. There is a saying that goes ‘luck is where preparation meets opportunity.’ I firmly believe that. A team that does not prepare to win games or championships will not do so when the opportunity presents itself.

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HCP: Generally speaking, how long is the process to develop a team into one capable of winning every game and/or a championship at the highest level in which you’re competing?

SS: I don’t think that can be answered in general terms because circumstances are never the same in any situation. However, at Appalachian, the bar has been set very high and it is our expectation that we will compete for championships every year.

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HCP: Play calling-wise; do you agree that it’s more important to avoid calling a bad play than calling a great one so-to-speak?

SS: I don’t believe any successful play-callers ever think about avoiding the bad play. It’s hard to think in those terms and be successful. We think that every play that we call will be successful. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t, but I don’t believe it’s a good strategy to think in any terms other than being successful on every play.

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High Country Magazine

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HCP: Taking the last question a step further, is it more of what to avoid doing than it is to do in trying to win games and championships?

SS: Same as the last question ... We think in terms of being successful, not in terms of avoiding being unsuccessful.

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HCP: You’re regarded as an offensive coaching specialist, but how hands-on will you be coaching the Mountaineers defense?

SS: As the head coach, I will obviously be involved in all aspects of our program. However, on a day-to-day basis from a game-planning standpoint, I’ll be more involved with the offense than the defense. That’s why I think it was so important to hire a defensive coordinator that has had a long track record of success like Coach (Nate) Woody. He and I share the same defensive philosophy and I have total confidence in him and our other defensive coaches to establish and implement our defensive game plan each week.

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HCP: Specifically, what does this season’s Appalachian State team have to do to win the most games with the available talent?

SS: Offensively, we need to take advantage of our experience with 10 returning starters and build on what we were able to accomplish offensively last season. We need to identify a way to make up for the production lost by the graduation of Steven Miller at running back.

Defensively, we need our players to buy into Coach Woody’s system in order to be more consistent. We have six returning starters and a number of other players who have a lot of experience across the front and in the secondary, but like the running back positions, we’ll need to identify players to fill the big shoes left behind by the graduations of Jeremy Kimbrough and Brandon Grier at linebacker.

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HCP: How do you feel about the very ambitious 2013 schedule your Mountaineers have that includes NCAA Division I FCS tilts against (nonconference) Montana, North Carolina A&T and Charleston Southern as well as Southern Conference clashes with Elon, Citadel, Samford, Furman, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, Wofford and Western Carolina and a monumental task in playing at NCAA Division I FBS power Georgia, which should strongly contend for a national championship?

Photo: Appalachian State Athletics/Dave Mayo

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August / September 2013

SS: We’ve always played a challenging schedule at Appalachian and this year is certainly no different. As I previously stated in this interview, Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana is one of the toughest places for a visiting team to play at any level of college football. The Southern Conference is very balanced with six-to-seven teams that are legitimate contenders to finish at the top of the conference standings.

And, of course, the game at Georgia will be one of the most challenging games that Appalachian has ever played — right up there with the recent games at Michigan, LSU and Virginia Tech—being among the toughest opponents and venues that we have ever played against and in, respectively.

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Photo: Appalachian State Athletics/Tyler Buckwell

HCP: What are your thoughts about Appalachian State’s move from NCAA Division I FCS to NCAA Division I FBS, leaving the Southern Conference for the Sun Belt Conference?

SS: It’s a little bittersweet due to the success that we’ve enjoyed in the Southern Conference and the FCS, but it is the right move for the University. I’m excited that our football program will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of college football and I’m excited for our fans to have the opportunity to witness us measure ourselves against the best competition that the sport has to offer.

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Photo: Appalachian State Athletics

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HCP: What is the process of transitioning from NCAA Division I FCS to NCAA Division I FBS?

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HCP: How much of a financial strain has it been and will it continue to be will it be for Appalachian State to raise the number of football scholarships and then maintain that number (85) as mandated by the NCAA for an FBS school?

SS: The biggest part of the transition is moving from 63 scholarships to 85. That is a two-year process. We have already added about 10 scholarships this year and will make the jump to 85 by next season (2014).

From ‘91 to ‘95, Satterfield played a large role as quarterback during his playing career at ASU, including ASU’s only undefeated season in 1995.

Photo: Appalachian State Athletics/Dave Mayo

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SS: The University and the athletics department did a great job of researching what it would take to make the move in the right way and identifying how to achieve it before committing to do so. Besides the due diligence done by the feasibility committee, the other thing that Appalachian State has going for it is that no school that has ever made the move from FCS to FBS has had the support from a financial standpoint in terms of donations, ticket sales, etc. before making the move that Appalachian enjoys right now.

Like (Appalachian State Athletics Director) Charlie Cobb said when we accepted the invitation to the Sun Belt Conference in March 2013, ‘The heavy lifting of implementing that plan starts now, but I am confident in the plan and the support that we already have that we will have the resources to be successful at the FBS level.’

A Hillsborough native, Satterfield is married to Beth Burleson Satterfield of Spruce Pine. Beth was a standout on the ASU track team in the 1990’s. They have three children Bryce, Isaac and Alli.

Photo: Appalachian State Athletics

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HCP: How difficult will it be to keep your players motivated during the reclassification process knowing they cannot compete for the Southern Conference title and post-season play this season (2013) as well as the team being ineligible for a bowl game for the 2014 season?

SS: It was an emotional blow for our seniors when they learned they wouldn’t be able to play for a national championship this season. These are young men who have been competitors for basically their entire lives, so I’m positive that the motivation will be there to compete every week and try to win every game on our schedule. At Appalachian, we’ve never talked about winning a national championship during the regular season – the goal has always been to win the Southern Conference championship. That goal is the same this year – to finish at the top of the league standings. While it will not be officially recognized as a championship, I don’t think there will be any lack of motivation in trying to achieve it.

As for 2014, while we won’t be bowl eligible, we will be eligible for the Sun Belt Conference championship, so that will create a ton of motivation for our team. I’m sure our players will also be excited to compete at the FBS level and see how they measure up at that level on a week-to-week basis. But our focus is on this season and trying to win all our games in 2013.

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HCP: Changing direction with questions… somewhat… a lot of people know about you as a player and coach… but how would you describe Scott Satterfield the person?

SS: I am a very competitive person in everything I do. I think that translates into why I love sports and why I’m coaching.

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HCP: Who have been your biggest influences in your personal life and sports career?

SS: First, my parents have always been there for me. I have had their full support in everything that I have ever done. Secondly, Jerry Moore, as my head coach, helped mold me into a player, assistant coach and what I am now as a head coach. Last, but not least, are my wife and our three children. They have been with me through this journey as a college football coach. No matter if we win or lose, I know I’m still getting a hug and an ‘I love you’ from them.

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HCP: In what precious little time you have away from coaching, what hobbies or past-times do you like to participate in?

SS: When I’m away from coaching, my focus is almost entirely on my family. Coaches are away from their families so much, not just during the season, but throughout the year, so I really treasure and try to take advantage of what little down time I have to be with my wife and kids.

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HCP: In conclusion, do you have any additional comments about any topics you would like to make?

SS: I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be Appalachian State’s head coach. It’s an honor, a privilege and the culmination of a dream that I have had since I came to Appalachian as a walk-on player in 1991. My goal is to carry on the championship tradition that Appalachian has established on the field, in the classroom and in the community over many years, especially in the last 24 under Coach Moore’s direction. It’s great to be a Mountaineer!

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Movin’ On Up ...

To The FBS

By Jesse Wood

S

un Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson went plum picking for football teams this spring and ended up with Appalachian State - and three other universities: Georgia Southern, New Mexico State and Idaho.

While the decision to move up to Division 1-FBS was announced in March, App State won’t officially become a revenue-sharing member – nor a participant - of the Sun Belt until July 1, 2014. For the next two years, App State will complete a “reclassification process” from FCS to FBS. One of the requirements, which will increase App State’s talent pool, includes raising the number of football scholarships from 63 to 85.

For the 2013-14 season, App State football will play its final season in the Southern Conference but won’t be eligible to win a SoCon championship nor its fourth FCS national championship. When it officially moves up to the Sun Belt for the 2014-15 school year, it will be eligible for a conference championship, though not eligible for a coveted bowl game until the following year. (All other sports – aside from football - are eligible for SoCon championships during the first year of reclassification.)

When the move was announced at a press conference inside the Appalachian Athletics Center, the atmosphere was electric.

At the time, ASU Chancellor Kenneth Peacock said, “The future is so bright, sometimes we have to wear shades.”

The Sun Belt Conference formed in 1976 and is among the 11 conferences that sponsor Division 1 FBS football, the

highest level of college football that exists. And of those 11 conferences, the Sun Belt ranks fifth in terms of post-season bowl game winning percentage, ranking ahead of the ACC, the Pac-12 and the Big Ten. In 2012, the Sun Belt Conference continued its tear at the apex of college football by sending a record four teams to bowl games.

Also last year, the Sun Belt signed a new multi-year agreement with ESPN that compliments its regional TV partnerships, so App State fans can look forward to more Mountaineer teams playing on national TV. In addition, ESPN has televised the conference’s men’s championship basketball game for 32 consecutive years, marking its longest affiliation with any conference in the country, according to a release provided by the university.

The Sun Belt sponsors 18 sports; field hockey, men’s soccer and wrestling are not among those. The hockey program will remain in the NorPac Field Hockey Conference, and men’s soccer and wrestling will continue competing among the SoCon. In late March, Commissioner Benson attended the press conference in Boone. Speaking before those in attendance, he called the acquisition of App State an “absolute homerun” for the Sun Belt and said the school was a perfect fit for the conference: academically, athletically and geographically.

He even said that App State – along with Georgia Southern, which announced its decision to move to the Sun Belt at the same time – were “plums of the FCS.”

Pictured Below: March 27, 2013, Appalachian State - Sun Belt Press Conference, Photos: Appalachian State Athletics/Dave Mayo

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FOOTBALL TEAMS OF THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE

Arkansas State University Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, 619 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Bryan Harsin; Athletic Director, Terry Mohajir Liberty Bank Stadium: Capacity, 30,708; Record Attendance, 30,427; 2012 Average Attendance, 26,398 The Red Wolves 2012 Season: 9 Wins, 3 Losses; The GoDaddy.com Bowl, 17-13 www.astateredwolves.com

Georgia State University Located in Atlanta, Georgia, 300 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Trent Miles; Athletic Director, Cheryl Levick Georgia Dome: Capacity, 28,155; Record Attendance, 30,237; 2012 Average Attendance, 12,309 The Panthers 2012 Season: 1 Win, 10 Losses; Joins the Sun Belt in 2013 www.georgiastatesports.com

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, 881 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Mark Hudspeth; Athletic Director, Scott Farmer Cajun Field: Capacity, 31,000; Record Attendance, 38,783; 2012 Average Attendance, 22,865 The Ragin’ Cajuns 2012 Season: 9 Wins, 4 Losses; The New Orleans Bowl, 43-34 www.ragincajuns.com

University of Louisiana at Monroe Located in Monroe, Louisiana, 768 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Todd Berry; Athletic Director, Keith Richard Malone Stadium: Capacity, 30,427; Record Attendance, 31,175 2012 Average Attendance, 24,981 The Warhawks 2012 Season: 8 Wins, 5 Losses; The Independence Bowl, 14-45 www.ulmwarhawks.com

University of South Alabama Located in Mobile, Alabama, 632 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Joey Jones; Athletic Director, Dr. Joel Erdmann Ladd-Peebles Stadium: Capacity, 40,600; Record Attendance, Not Available 2012 Average Attendance, 16,793 The Jaguars 2012 Season: 2 Wins, 11 Losses www.usajaguars.com

Texas State University Located in San Marcos, Texas, 1,224 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Dennis Franchione; Athletic Director, Dr. Larry Teis Bobcat Stadium: Capacity, 30,000; Record Attendance, 33,006 2012 Average Attendance, 18,945 The Bobcats 2012 Season: 5 Wins, 7 Losses; Joins the Sun Belt in 2013 www.txstatebobcats.com August / September 2013

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FOOTBALL TEAMS OF THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE

Troy University Located in Troy, Alabama, 498 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Larry Blakeney; Athletic Director, John Hartwell Veterans Memorial Stadium: Capacity, 30,000; Record Attendance, 29,013; 2012 Average Attendance, 20,952 The Trojans 2012 Season: 5 Wins, 7 Losses www.troytrojans.com

Western Kentucky University Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 374 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Bobby Petrino; Athletic Director, Todd Stewart L.T. Smith Stadium: Capacity, 22,113; Record Attendance, 22,297 2012 Average Attendance, 17,415 The Hilltoppers 2012 Season: 6 Wins, 6 Losses; The Little Caesars Bowl, 21-24 www.wkusports.com

Appalachian State University

(JOINING IN 2014)

Located in Boone, North Carolina Head Football Coach, Scott Satterfield; Athletic Director, Charlie Cobb Kidd Brewer Stadium: Capacity, 23,500; Record Attendance, 31,531; 2012 Average Attendance, 27,964 The Mountaineers 2012 Season: 8 Wins, 4 Losses; 2012 So-Con Champions (tied) www.appstatesports.com

Georgia Southern University

(JOINING IN 2014)

Located in Statesboro, Georgia, 338 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Jeff Monken; Athletic Director, Tom Kleinlein Allen E. Paulson Stadium: Capacity, 18,000; Record Attendance, 25,725; 2012 Average Attendance, 20,087 The Eagles 2012 Season: 10 Wins, 4 Losses; 2012 So-Con Champions (tied) www.gseagles.com

University of Idaho

(JOINING IN 2014)

Located in Moscow, Idaho, 2,502 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Paul Petrino; Athletic Director, Rob Spear Kibbie Dome: Capacity, 16,000; Record Attendance, 17,600; 2012 Average Attendance, 12,582 The Vandals 2012 Season: 1 Win, 11 Losses www.govandals.com

New Mexico State University

(JOINING IN 2014)

Located in University Park, New Mexico, 1,679 miles from Boone Head Football Coach, Doug Martin; Athletic Director, Dr. McKinley Boston Aggie Memorial Stadium: Capacity, 30,343; Record Attendance, 32,993; 2012 Average Attendance, 14,247 The Aggies 2012 Season: 1 Win, 11 Losses www.nmstatesports.com 30

High Country Magazine

August / September 2013

Don’t Spell Out A.S.U. Just Say App State I

f you frequent the athletics website for Appalachian State University, you may have noticed that it no longer uses the decade-old GoASU.com URL. It is now AppStateSports.com.

This is part of a larger rebranding effort that was developed in 2012 as part of the App State athletics’ strategic plan calling for the discontinuation of “ASU” and the official adoption of the “App State” moniker as a secondary reference for Appalachian State University athletics.

Come summer 2014, App State moves up to Division 1 - FBS and into the Sun Belt Conference.

While the adoption of “App State” will come in handy because

Arkansas State University is also known as ASU, Mike Flynn, spokesman for App State athletics, said the move had nothing to do with Arkansas State University’s moniker.

He added that the move towards “App State” would help build a more recognizable brand throughout the nation, particularly on the West Coast. He also noted that Arizona State University is the most recognizable “ASU” moniker in the country.

“We just felt, ‘App State’ was a better secondary reference for our school and athletic programs,” Flynn said.

By Jesse Wood

Appalachian Regional

Orthopaedic &

Sports Medicine Center

August / September 2013

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Resurrecting Old Cranberry Story and PhotoGRAPHY by Jesse Wood

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Alumni Revive Beloved High School in Avery County

I

n the mid-‘80s, the old Cranberry High School was utterly member of the class of 1949, recalling the locomotive sounds and in shambles. The buildings didn’t have roofs. The windows his time at old Cranberry.

From 1924 to 1968, Cranberry High was in session, but its were busted out, and the classroom partitions no longer remained because of lengthy rows of curing tobacco that roots stem from the nearby Elk Park School, which opened in 1911. hung from the rafters above. The radiators were loose from the At that time Avery County was only 11 years old. Elk Park School walls, doors were off the hinges and plaster was falling to the was structured similarly to how the Cranberry school would be: high school classes floor. The grounds were taught up– including the athstairs and elementaletic field, which ry students learned became an agriculdownstairs. “In that tural plot and no first year and for longer resembled several to come a its Friday-nightMr. W.M. Francum football heyday served as principal – were overgrown and superintendent with weeds and of schools. It was wild trees. “It was in his geography a mess completely. classes that stuReally, it was undents learned that believable the mess the earth was flat,” we had there,” said according to a hisClay Houston, a torical account of 1952 graduate who Cranberry High in a led the eventual 1968 edition of the transformation efWildcat Growler, the fort that he called school’s newspaper. the restoration of “Parents [at the the dead. “That’s Old Cranberry High School is located at the corner of N.C. 194 and U.S. 19 East in time] believed that the best way I can Avery County. School was in session there from 1924 to 1968. A lumber and buildingit was unscriptural describe the place. supply company bought the property after the school shut down and eventually sold to teach that the It was all to pieces.” earth is round and The namesake it to the Cranberrian Corporation, which restored the historical school. moves in space.” for the Cranberry When Cranberry eventually opened years later in the middle school derived from its proximity to the booming mining town of Cranberry, which had some of the most famous iron mines in the of the 1923-24 school year, nearly more subjects were taught state. Those mines opened in the early 1820s. Because the East than graduating students. Five subjects – Latin, English, social Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad ran right by the studies, math and agriculture – were taught to a graduating class school to transfer raw ore to Johnson City, Tenn., students heard of six: Geneva Buchanan, Selma Chambers, Fletta Ollis, Clyde the steam whistle of ‘Tweetsie’ every day. ET&WNC Railroad Teaster, Ben Aldridge and Edwin Brinkley. Those six seniors beeven built a spur, a short branch line, off the main track to deliver gan their final year at Elk Park before transferring to Cranberry, building materials out of Newland during the construction of the when construction of the Cranberry school was complete. While school. “The time goes by, I’ll tell you,” said John C. Smith, a six students graduated, a total of 50 high school students were August / September 2013

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“Principal Tanner took those big ole football boys that got into trouble and gave ‘em licks with a big ole hickory stick. That’s not done today. That was a different time. Those guys knew what was coming when they got into trouble and most steered clear from [acting up].” enrolled in grades 9 through 11 that first year. Back then 12th grade didn’t exist.

Until 1939, Cranberry housed grades 4 through 11 until 1939 before grammar grades moved into feeder schools because of increasing high school enrollment.

Up until the 1940s, Cranberry saw seven different principals in its short history. During the grammar-grade exodus, Clarence A. Bowlick took the helm and served as principal for about ten years until the Avery County Board of Education fired Bowlick, which likely happened because of politics. According to the historical account in the Wildcat Growler, “Students went on strike in 1948 when the school board fired Mr. Bowlick. Almost all of the students enrolled in Cranberry marched to the state line and then to Minneapolis.” But Bowlick wasn’t out of favor long with the school board as he was hired back as the superintendent of schools for Avery County.

The successor to Bowlick was J.T. Tanner, now regarded as an undisputed icon Principal J.T. Tanner and Miss Kay are forever icons of old Cranberry High School.

From 1948 to 1964, J.T. Tanner was known for being a fair and kind man. Although he was loved by the students, he didn’t mind pulling out that ‘old hickory stick’ when he needed to discipline a student. As instructor of the square dance team, Kay Wilkins, better known as Miss Kay, brought national acclaim to little old Cranberry. An image of her renovated room on the third floor is to the right.

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August / September 2013

of Cranberry School. Tanner, who would lead the next 16 years, was a stern man. While a teacher named Roby Painter was famous for his yardstick and the school’s last principal Roderick Hall was known as “Hard Rock,” Tanner had his “big ole hickory stick.” But all the students loved him. He was known for his ability to handle troublemakers and never once expelled anybody. “He took those big ole football boys that got into trouble and gave ‘em licks with a big ole hickory stick. That’s not done today. That was a different time. Those guys knew what was coming when they got into trouble and most steered clear from [acting up],” Gaylard Andrews, current chair of the Cranberrian Corporation and a 1965 graduate, said.

In fact, to hear former students talk, all the teachers were strict – but fair – back then. “I would not consider smart mouthing one of my teachers,” Mary Buchanan Calloway, long-time president of Cranberrian Corporation and 1964 graduate, said. “No one did. They were very stern, and they expected us to do what they told us to do. That not only included our school work, it included our behavior.” Tanner and another Cranberry icon – P.V. Parks, the basketball and football coach – spent much of their lunchtime walking a block down the road to Aunt Bert and Uncle Ernie Gouge’s ever-loving diner, where instead of eating in the school cafeteria, students would sneak off to eat the world-famous hotdogs, hamburgers and milkshakes. Little Joe Brown of the class of 1954 said the hamburgers cost 10 cents back then, and Mary Calloway said that if Mr. and Mrs. Gouge saw Tanner show up at The Snack Bar, “they would hide you.”

At the annual Cranberry High School reunion this July, old classmates gathered in the gymnasium. They told jokes about the old school rivalries, about the Newland boys or the Crossnore girls; they talked about where they were at this stage of their lives; and they reminisced about the old times at Cranberry. During the reunion, the adult square dance team known as the Katydids performed on the basketball court in the gymnasium. The Katydids were coached by another Cranberry High School icon: Kay Wilkins, who is forever known as Miss Kay. She’ll be 93 in September.

Miss Kay became a teacher at Cranberry in 1949 and instantly started a square dance team. During her career in the Avery County Schools system, she led students to two national championships, eight state championships and took home 19 of the 25 Old Smokey trophies from the Mountain Youth Jamboree in Asheville.

Her teams won the trophy bowl so many times they retired Old Smokey – or has one graduate said, “They finally just gave them the trophy.” Today, Old Smokey sits in Miss Kay’s Room on the third floor of the main school building.

At the reunion, an emotional David Tate, a graduate of Cranberry and a member of the Katydids, stood up before his fellow alumni and gave an unprepared speech about the impact that Miss Kay add on the school and her students. “Can you imagine the national acclaim that came to this little high school in beautiful nowhere? Because that’s where we were. She

Alumni of Cranberry High sing the school’s alma mater at the 2013 Class Reunion, which is held on the third Saturday in July. The festivities featured a roll call and lunch. During the roll call, former students joked about school rivalries and reminisced about the old times at Cranberry. Also, the adult square dance team known as the Katydids performed inside the gymnasium. When she was in better health, Miss Kay, 93, taught the adult dance team.

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On Friday nights in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, the football field was the center of activity. After the school shut down, the fields turned into an agricultural plot for tobacco and cabbage. In 2012 after some – presumably – teenagers performed donuts on the ball fields, some community members came to the rescue. Brent Berry, Mike Eggers Construction, and G&S Trees Inc. were involved in the process of smoothing out the land and reseeding the ball fields.

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developed a square dance team of national acclaim. What we were able to do as part of that square dance team was just amazing,” Tate said. “Bringing acclaim to Cranberry is sort of secondary to the influence on all the folks who danced for her because, check me if I am wrong, she had very high expectations. There was nothing I dreaded more than somehow or another not living up to her expectations for us, her dance team, her students, morally [and] just everyway which way. I think Mrs. Kay is the most outstanding influence and the thing I remember the most about Cranberry High School.”

Along with square dancing, the sports teams – particularly basketball and football – were the pride and joy of Cranberry High School. The basketball and football teams, as one graduate said, didn’t have a losing season during the school’s existence, and if that isn’t 100 percent accurate, another graduate said, “It’s pretty close.”

Gaylard Andrews played football for the green-and-white Cranberry Wildcats and talked proudly about the 1963 football season when the Wildcats went 11-1, losing only to Mars Hill, which went on to win the state championship that year.

“While I was there,” Andrews said, laugh-

August / September 2013

ing, “we never once lost to Harris High.”

Along with Newland and Crossnore, Harris High in Spruce Pine was a rival back then. Clay Houston called the athletic programs “top notch” and noted how beloved the sports teams were in the community.

“Someone once said to me,” Houston recalled, “that if Cranberry High played the New York Giants, everybody in the world would be there to see it even if we didn’t have a chance to win.”

Former students – who came from Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, Plumtree, Minneapolis, Cranberry, Elk Park, Heaton and other communities – have a special place in their hearts for Old Cranberry High School, which had a far-reaching impact throughout Avery County in its 44-year history. Clay Houston said, “The school really meant the world to me;” Mary Calloway said, “I remember feeling at home there;” And Gaylard Andrews, who added that he had so much fun that he never wanted to miss one day of school, said, “It’s hard to explain. It’s a place you can come back to that makes you feel good.”

It’s these old memories and the boundless affection for the school that spurred the restoration of Old Cranberry High, which consisted of 10 acres. From 1968

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to 1985, the property was owned by Wall Lumber Company and Keyes Building Supplies. The building housing the school cafeteria and library science rooms was the building supply showroom and corporate office. The main schoolhouse and athletic fields were rented out to a tobacco grower, who harvested tobacco on the ball fields and cured his crop inside the schoolhouse.

The gymnasium was used as a storage facility. “They used it for what they wanted to,” Andrews said. “They had little regard.”

(One building on the property, though, was actually in decent shape in the ‘80s.

It was the old agricultural building, which was formerly an army barracks, that George Nesbitt, an agriculture teacher, taught in. At the time, Cranberry High School was the only school in Avery County that accepted soldiers returning home from World War II who hadn’t yet graduated. Nesbitt taught a farmer’s training program to the veterans.

He gathered a group of them and headed to Fort Bragg. They disassembled the army barracks and trucked the building into Cranberry in two sections. They reassembled the building, and it still stands today on the edge of the property. Houston said that if the other buildings hadn’t been built out of hemlock and chestnut lumber and with three-foot deep foundations, “They would all be on the ground today.”)

Finally, in the early ‘80s while the property was on the market and the Wall Lumber Company and Keyes Building Supplies left town, alumni gathered together and began discussing purchasing the property and returning Old Cranberry High School to its old glory. At one such meeting in the Times Square Diner, Clay Houston heard folks yet again talking about purchasing the property. “Finally, I said, ‘Hell, if you are going to buy it, let’s buy it. Let’s make the offer,’” Houston recalled. “And we did.”

Calloway was among the initial group of people spearheading the purchase and restoration of the old school. She said that once the offer was made to purchase the property, the sellers representing the lumber and building company wanted to keep a corner acre lot that adjoined U.S. 19 East and N.C. 194, the most valuable part of the land. “We bowed up on them and told them no,” Calloway said. The property was purchased on Sept. 17, 1985, for $150,000, and the nonprofit Cranberrian Corporation was formed. The 15-year loan on the $150,000 note was paid off in less than 10 years through fundraisers and calling upon more than 4,000 former students for support.

In all, more than $500,000 has been spent on the purchase and restoration, and aside from about $50,000 of “porkbarrel” spending – as Calloway called the funds that made their way to the community because a former student was married to the Secretary of State in the early ‘80s and the Cranberrian Corporation “hit them up for some money” – all the funds were either raised or donated. “A lot of our people didn’t want us to take it. I said, ‘There going to give it away anyway,’” Calloway said.

She added that “the county, in general, said it couldn’t be done,” and Houston said some people thought they were crazy for getting involved in this expensive project where the corporation purchases the materials and graduates and community members perform the labor. The restoration effort, though, did receive some outside help. Mountain Electric Cooperative’s Operation Pocket Change and Modern Woodland were among donors. Also, in 1988, the movie Winter People was filmed in nearby Plumtree and parts of the movie were shot in the gymnasium. In return, the film company agreed to pay for major renovations to the decrepit gym.

Even after all the work that has been achieved through a labor of love by an allvolunteer crew, more work needs to be done. The roof to the gymnasium needs to be repaired once again, and three classrooms in the main schoolhouse have yet to be refurbished. In all, Cranberrian Corporation needs to come up with $50,000 for the remaining renovations.

Also, board members want to install bleachers, a press box, a concession stand and community restrooms for the athletic fields. While Thursday night bingo and other fundraisers “pay the bills and current expenses,” Andrews said the nonprofit needs a “huge cash reserve to dip into.” In the mean time, the corporation is in talks with bankers about establishing a line of credit.

Now, the only thing left to do is to encourage the younger generations to come out and support the Old Cranberry High School. As of right now, Andrews estimates that a dozen people volunteer on a weekly basis, and all of them are older alumni.

With the school closing in 1968, the alumni are aging, and each year, the surviving members of the former school dwindle in number. “I keep telling the children of the alumni, they are the ones who are going to have to continue this. Maybe that will take hold,” Houston said. “I just hope so.”

(Top: left to right) Vernon D. Trivette, Reuben A. Parlier, John C. Smith and Reed W. McGuire graduated from Cranberry High in 1949. 50 years later, the same four posed for a photo - although Smith and McGuire are switched. These four attended Dark Ridge School before moving onto Cranberry High School. These four were the only students from the Beech Mountain community to graduate from Cranberry High in 1949, according to John C. Smith.

The bylaws of Cranberrian Corporation state that the property, which can’t be sold, passes down to the descendants of the alumni, the children of their children and so forth. So far, aside from Neil Wilson, a board member in his 30s whose parents once attended Cranberry High School, is the only young person who is actively involved. Other than that, it looks

grim. “It’s hard to keep them interested in it. They want to use the facilities, but they don’t want to help us work,” Calloway said. “Well, we are planning a drive, a movement to gather all the descendants that we can and get them to understand that it is theirs. If that doesn’t work, I am sure that in time it will be given to the state or the county.”

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Today, the property looks much like it did 80 years ago and is used everyday by the community during the April through October months. Cranberry Middle School has a Heritage Day every fall on the school grounds. Avery County Schools use the athletic ball fields and, in returns, mows the grass. Also, Little League baseball and football regularly utilize the fields. Cub Scouts Pack 877 uses the gym weekly and two children consignment sales and four square dance events are held there each year. The school buildings are also host to family reunions, weddings, local clubs and functions. “It’s unbelievable the requests we get for weddings, birthday parties. You could go on and on. The community really gets a lot of use out of it,” said Houston, the former chairman of the corporation for 25 years before heart surgery put him

on the sidelines in 2006.

This resurrection of Old Cranberry High is now nearly 30 years old, and it’s been “quite the project,” as Houston said.

During the early years, the corporation struggled to make the $1,600 monthly payments on the original $150,000 but managed to pay it off early. Now, they are so close to being able to finish the main schoolhouse. Of course, it is still a work in progress, but one that none involved regret – even with the work left to do and the uncertainty that future generations will grab the reins. Words like “proud” and “thankful” slip from the mouths of those kneedeep in the project. Or has Andrews said, putting all the hard work into perspective when reflecting on the recent reunion held in July, “It’s worth it to see smiling faces come back and enjoy Cranberry.” 

The 10-acre property of Cranberry High School has four buildings. The athletic fields are in the background below the buildings. In the forefront on the left is the gymnasium. To the right is the backside of the three-story main school building and background left is the library science building, which houses the cafeteria as well.

S

ince a vast majority of the Cranberry High School property has been restored, the community utilizes it nearly everyday during the April through October months. See the usage of the property below.

Gymnasium: • Cub Scout Pack 877 weekly meetings • Two children’s consignment sales held in spring and fall • Four dance events Library Science and Main School Buildings

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• Thursday night Bingo through April-October months (main fundraiser) • Class and family reunions • Wedding receptions • Carey’s Flat Wildlife Club monthly meetings • Polling place • Concerts in auditorium Athletic Fields • Cranberry Middle School uses ball fields • Little League football and baseball uses ball fields

Julia Ramsey’s room (right) is one of three classrooms in the main school building that have yet to be refurbished. Ramsey was a beloved figure of Cranberry High School. Another area (left) near the auditorium on the third floor is also in need of restoration.

Board members of the nonprofit Cranberrian Corporation estimate that $50,000 is needed to finish the remaining renovations, which includes a $15,000 repair to the gymnasium roof.

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Monkees

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ood o & Jesse W

ambin

By Mariel G

remembers ly id iv v E N O MICHAEL BO bike, flying a e d o r e h e the first tim wn and-me-do h a n o l il h e down a hug ergartner. d in k a s a cle Jalopy bicy hed into the s a r c e h e id tr On that firs “speede h t f o e s a fter a c pavement a e? That id r e ik b d n is seco wobbles.” H o crashed int e H r. e t t e b h wasn’t muc After that, “ . e s u o h is the side of h would have ly b a b o r p I you’d think ,” Boone in a g a le c y n a bic never got o ’s a customer n o g in k r o said while w a local bike , s le c y C ic bike at Mag ars ago. e y 0 2 d e n e shop he op

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Photo by Wonderland Woods Productions August / September 2013

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Photo by Wonderland Woods Productions 48

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L

ike many High Country residents, Boone is a transplant.

He came to the mountains for college and never left. A native of Durham, Boone was a military brat, travelling around the country before his family finally settled in Chapel Hill during his junior high years. When the time came to choose which college to attend, Boone – who was stuck between deciding on the beaches of UNC-Wilmington and the mountains of Appalachia – chose to follow his girlfriend. While the relationship didn’t last, he soon fostered a lifetime love for cycling after a DUI. “I lost my license when I was at App State and it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” Boone said, “because I really got into cycling.”

So, he purchased a mountain bike to get around town, and in his final year at ASU, Boone, a graphic design major focusing on corporate logos, was putting together a portfolio of bicyclerelated images. Although he loved riding bikes in his childhood and through his college days, it wasn’t until he was reflecting on those images that it clicked. “You know it really opened my eyes that this is what I wanted to do – be involved in cycling,” Boone said.

“

I have always felt like there are a lot of cycles repeating themselves in my life.

”

After some years of working in bicycle shops, competing in road races in the South East and, in general, cultivating an allaround love for cycling, an opportunity came along to open a bike shop in 1993 where the Town Tavern currently exists. Boone was 27 years old at the time. While the location is different today – the store is now located in downtown Boone on Depot Street – the name is the same. The moniker Magic Cycles refers to the earth cycle; the cycles one experiences in life; and, of course, the rotation of the wheels. “Just the magic behind all of that,” Boone said. “I have always felt like there are a lot of cycles repeating themselves in my life.”

When he first opened his store, two other bike shops existed in town and his aspirations as a businessman were high. “I thought I would probably have 30 stores by know,” Boone remembered.

“That was the goal to have stores all over the state and the country, and after opening my first store and realizing what a nightmare it was to manage everything, I decided it wasn’t for me.” By the time the millennium rolled around, he became burnt out from working in the shop everyday and sought a professional mechanics license with USA Cycling. He travelled around the country, fixing bikes for the women’s Cheerwine Cycling team and eventually doubled as a massage therapist. “I wanted something different, and an opportunity to travel with the women’s team didn’t hurt. What would be worse? Being cooped up with a bunch of guys in a bike shop for a week or cooped up in a van with a bunch of women

Mike Boone with the crew at Magic Cycles.

BACK ROW: Ryan Puckett, Mike Boone, Reid Beloni FRONT ROW: Matt McCarter, Nina Laughlin, VJ Falcone August / September 2013

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for a week,” Boone joked. “It was an adventure. It was fun.”

Being in business has been without struggles and growing pains. As an art major in college, Boone was exactly groomed to be an entrepreneur. “I was clueless on how to run a business back then,” Boone said. Whenever Boone decided to move Magic Cycles downtown because construction of the Holmes Convocation Center was hindering business, he also opened a new store in Lenoir. But that didn’t last long. Boone ran into management problems and spent a large portion of time trekking back and forth between Boone and Lenoir “putting out fires.”

“I had good employees up here, but it was very difficult finding qualified people to run the store down there,” Boone said.

Although net sales of $100,000 for a satellite store in its first year of operation were “pretty good,” Boone said, “It wasn’t as lucrative as I wanted it to be and I decided to close it down.”

In the early 90s when he opened Magic Cycles, Boone was aware of the potential that cycling – both on the winding, upand-down roads and on the rocky, dirt trails – had in the High Country. In the first few years of opening Magic Cycles, the craze was all about mountain bikes, and he didn’t even stock road bikes in his store. At the time, road bikes didn’t interest him, and he even thought road bikers were crazy. A few years later, all his friends suddenly owned road bikes. He decided to buy one. After participating in a few group rides, he admitted that he really started to enjoy riding the roads.

While it has taken a surprisingly long time for the region to develop an acclaimed mountain bike circuit, the High Country achieved national acclaim after Lance Armstrong came to the area in 1998 to train and recover from cancer. The next successive years from 1999 to 2005, Armstrong won seven straight Tour de France titles. In his autobiography, Armstrong wrote, “If I ever have any serious problems again, I know that I will go back to Boone and find an answer. I got my life back on those rides.”

While the country back roads, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Armstrong’s training route up the Beech Mountain Parkway have drawn cyclists to the area for years, it wasn’t until recently that the public had to drive to Wilkesboro or other locales to experience mountain biking on public property. Now cyclists can ride through the 185-acre Rocky Knob Bike Park, the crown jewel of mountain biking in the High Country, that features nearly eight miles of trail for a variety of skill levels. Throw in an adventure playground, picnic areas, restrooms and it’s an attraction for the whole family.

Also, the resorts of Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain have stellar trails open to the public, too. The latter of which, Magic Cycles has partnered with for a rental and full-service shop run by Boone that is in its first summer of operation.

It’s no understatement to say that the High Country has become a premiere biking destination in the South East. “And I think we are still just scratching the surface. I think other business owners and community leaders will realize that the sport is already generating millions of dollars into our community,” Boone said, adding that more and more cycling events will happen in the

TOP IMAGE: Mike Boone (right) with his brother and other neighborhood kids in Durham.

MIDDLE IMAGE: Mike Boone (right) rides a tricycle while his brother lounges.

BOTTOM IMAGE: Mike Boone (left) on two wheels beside his brother several years later in San Antonio.

OPPOSITE: Mike Boone races his mountain bike in the mid‘90s at the Knob Scorcher in the Nantahala Outdoor Center.

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Photo courtesy of Mike Boone

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TOP IMAGE: Mike Boone at Rocky Knob, a park he helped establish with Boone Area Cyclists High Country because it’s the destination to cycle. For example, he noted “how boring” it is to ride in Florida for a long period of time. “Because it’s flat and straight, if you had to ride those kinds of roads forever it gets monotonous,” Boone noted. “Here, the great winding roads with lots of hills make it very interesting.”

The allure of cycling in the mountains is further amplified by the genuine friendliness of the residents. Those who go off the mountain for group rides notoriously have an issue with a motorist.

Cyclists experience some scary road rage.

While this has happened to Boone in the past, he said he hasn’t been run off the road in the High Country in 12 years.

He attributed that to not only being an ambassador of the sport – to being courteous while riding his bike on the road, but also to the people of the region.

“Your truckers, farmers and everyday people are friendly. If I wave to them, they wave back,” Boone said.

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Photo by Ken Ketchie

Magic Cycles is a full-service bike retailer and repair shop. Along with the skills to put your bike back in action and a variety of riding accessories to compliment your riding experience from clothing and shoes to helmets and energy bars, Magic Cycles sells a variety of bikes – children, city, hybrid, mountain and road styles – to cater to the diverse market. “We are everything cycling,” Boone said. “If it relates to cycling, we sell it.”

Boone said he is a very conscientious about the products he sells to customers, adding that he will forfeit a sale instead of persuading someone to buy a bike that isn’t the exact fit or doesn’t suit a customer’s needs. “There are times, I’ve not had the right bike, and I told them, ‘I am sorry, but I don’t have a bike for you.’ I may not make every sale I could potentially make, but I just didn’t feel like I would be putting them on a bike that they needed,” Boone said. It’s part of this loyal customer service that has been one of the key ingredients to Magic Cycles’ success during the past 20 years. As Nina Laughlin, an employee at Magic Cycles said, “Mike is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. His number one priority is

“

It’s what I do to unwind, to make me sane...

treating customers right.”

Along with “treating the customers right,” he has also played a pivotal role in furthering cycling in the community.

Boone is a founding member of the Boone Area Cyclists, which provided thousands of volunteer hours for project labor on the Rocky Knob Bike Park.

Although the club is only four years old, it has had a huge impact on the area – from spearheading bike lanes in town and promoting bicycle safety to touting the health and environmental benefits that comes with cycling. “He’s always willing to help, particularly when it comes to your bike,” Eric Woolridge, vice president of Boone Area Cyclists, said. “More than once he’s helped me get out of a bind.”

Woolridge added that Magic Cycles has been instrumental in contributing to bicycle projects in the High Country,

”

whether it was through volunteer efforts or financial assistance.

Without a doubt, Boone lives for and loves to cycle. Whether it’s in tandem with the Boone Area Cyclists on a weekly night jaunt on a country road, a competitive race on the Blue Ridge Parkway or a solitary nature trek in the middle of woods, Boone feels like that freewheeling kid who ate the pavement after barreling down a neighborhood hill.

“For me, riding a bike as a kid was an escape, and today it’s the same thing. It’s my therapy slash workout slash spiritual time. It’s what I do to unwind, to make me sane,” Boone said. “You know it’s fun riding a bike, and that’s what it’s all about. Like today when I went out riding, it just felt good to be in the woods. When I am on my bike, some of my happiest moments are when I am out riding.” 

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WATER FALLS

A LOT THIS YEAR

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Tommy White Linville Falls August / September 2013

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WATER FALLS Photographer Freddie Georgia sent us this sequence of pictures of her sliding off Elk River Falls.

The waterfalls are rushing - and cascading - nicely this summer. Because of the record precipitation, waterfalls have been prime subjects for photographers Todd Bush and Tommy White. Enjoy their pictures

The Photographers

Todd Bush Since 1990, Todd Bush has explored the High Country through a lens. Todd and his wife Lorie operate a commercial photography studio in Banner Elk. Todd’s images have appeared internationally. For scenic or adventure photography, call Her nephew snapped these pictures using her camera, for once putting Freddie in front of the lens.

828-898-8022 or click to www.bushphoto.com.

Tommy White

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DJ Goodwin

High Country Magazine

Internationally published, Tommy White specializes in landscape photography.

His studio is located in downtown Boone inside F.A.R.M. CafĂŠ on the second floor. White also teaches photography classes. For more information, call 828-773-0369 or click to www.tommywhitephotography.com.

August / September 2013

Todd Bush Cranberry Falls August / September 2013

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Photography By

Tommy White

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TOP - A picturesque setting, Laurel Falls is a popular destination due to its immense size (40 feet high & 50 feet wide). In Pond Mountain Wilderness near Hampton, Tenn. 2.6 miles round trip hike. BOTTOM - Setrock Creek Falls is in Pisgah National Forest at base of Mount Mitchell. Near Black Mountain Campground off of Briar Bottom Road. 1 mile round trip hike.

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TOP - Located in Pisgah National Forest, Roaring Creek Falls features a beautiful 100-foot long cascade. Near Black Mountain Campground. About 1 mile round trip. BOTTOM - Off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Crabtree Falls flows through the Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area. Located at BRP Mile Post 339.5. The trail to the 70 foot falls is a 2 mile loop.

August / September 2013

Photography By

Tommy White

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Photography By

Todd Bush

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TOP LEFT - The upper part of a three section fall off of Newland’s Waterfall Park Highway, also known as N.C. 194, is an easy stroll. TOP RIGHT - Rather amazingly, the base of this waterfall off of U.S. 221 between Linville and Blowing Rock has a whirlpool that occasionally collects falling leaves and debris, BOTTOM - Many beautiful twist and drops in the local rivers create tumbling cascades like this one on Crab Orchard Creek in Matney.

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TOP - A little farther out from our neck of the High Country, this is the middle section of lovely Glenn Falls near Highlands, N.C. BOTTOM - Stepping out of the bright mid-day sun can render an almost magical touch to your photos. Here is a late afternoon photo of a flowing cascade along the Elk River near Banner Elk. Utilizing time lapse in your photos does wonders, too.

August / September 2013

Photography By

Todd Bush

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The floating slab stairwell of steel, heavy timber and cable rail rises to a loft used as an office. The photography group called the Hyden Horses by the stairway are sepia images that repeat the natural color scheme which allowed for the dominant accent of a deep, rich emerald green to warm the main living space. LEFT: A petrified wood sink sits atop a marble base in the powder room.

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Mountain Modern A Dramatic Contrast of Textures and Surfaces

P

Story by Linda Kramer • Photography by Tommy White

ganic, natural, softer lines erched at 4,500 feet of the traditional. It is a on a mountain in the dramatic contrast of texHigh Country, sits a tures and surfaces. The silhome from which nature ver gilded dining table tree speaks loudly. In fact, natrunk table base is a good ture has the last word in example of this striking this unique home. It’s ownjuxtaposition. ers, like many before them, On the outside, the visited the High Country landscape defines the from Miami, fell in love, space. Architect, Coffey, and built a vacation home not satisfied with being in the area that stands on involved in just the archithe threshold of traditional tectural design, also came design and contemporary up with a creative idea desensitivity. signed to blend the home Masterfully put togethwith the native surrounder by a seasoned collaboraAbundant exterior decks allow for additional living ings. He worked with an tive team of designer Pam space and flow in and out of each room. installer to complete the McKay A.S.I.D. of Dianne native mountain look by Davant and Associates, architect Hunter Coffey of Coffey Architecture and John Barnette adding a dry creek bed and waterfall, entry bridge, pavilion and of Barnette Builders. This is not your usual mountain home. boulder retaining walls.

The large, three-story, four bedroom, four bath, 4,000 sq. ft.

A totally contemporary visual, it is constructed of Blue Ridge Parkway stone, cedar siding and glimmering glass and represents home steps up gracefully to it’s hillside-hugging estate lot of just under an acre to fully engage the outdoors; and despite it’s size, what is referred to, in the trade, as mountain modern.

By definition, mountain modern uses sleek modern elements feels comfortable and intimate. The contrast of stone and glass and lines of true modern design and contrasts them with or- on the outside of the home carries over to the inside as well, August / September 2013

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where smart design melds with expert craftsmanship.

The warm and welcoming mood that is so soothing in the home, is the result, in part, of the effect of natural light filtering through the three levels of glass, the presence of wood trim, and zebra wood floors and a color palette of neutrals and a rich, vibrant emerald green, all joined in an easy relationship with the outdoors and within a compatible architecture so bold that it creates its own environment.

The vacation home, by definition, is designed for easy family living and appropriately, this open floor plan was created for a family with many friends and children.

The homeowner, far from silent, challenged the team to use less conventional materials such as the solid wood slab countertops in the bathrooms and on the raised kitchen bar and the unusual use of leather walls with hidden doors along the entry hall. A powder room pedestal sink is constructed from the same natural stone that was used on the exterior of the house, bringing the outside in and satisfying another challenge.

A comfortable but casual great room, warmed by a mountain fire, spills into the kitchen and dining room cre-

Great Room and Kitchen A casual great room provides a relaxing place for family and friends to gather and warm by a mountain fire. The space opens to an ultra sleek modern kitchen and together, create the hub of the home.

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ating an intimate and flexible space that is the heart of the house. The openness of this main social area allows the outdoor landscape to “pass through” the house by way of windows that resemble glass curtains.

A 22’ long, live-edge, wood-slab raised bar is the barrier that separates the great room from the ultra modern kitchen with it’s clean, sleek lines highlighted by custom made silver aluminum panels with tree imprints. This same shiny silver element is carried over to the dining room table that shows off a metallic tree trunk-like pedestal base. A custom designed floating staircase using steel, heavy timbers and cable rail, rises effortlessly to an upstairs loft that is used as an office and overlooks the open living space below.

The four bedrooms have their own personal style that demonstrates Pam McKay’s ability to effortlessly and symbiotically mix color, patterns, tactile fabrics and unique furnishings to create a splendid visual dialogue. Pam says, “ I really enjoyed putting together a contrasting and unusual blend of natural mountain elements while maintaining a prominent influence of modern in this home. Working with a wonderful, like-thinking team was what made it happen.”

Study/Office and Bathroom The private but open upstairs study/office accented with a colorful kilim chair and a playful drum cocktail table, overlooks the downstairs living area. The master bath is complete with floating sinks atop a live-edge wooden slab.

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Everyone loves the funky, playful rocking bed that takes center stage in one of the children’s rooms.

The depth of the colors of aqua, blue and blue violet create a dramatic mood in a master bedroom that is warmed by a wall fireplace element.

The boy’s room comes to attention with a dramatic flag element and masculine elements such as an antique punching bag and bed pillows that spell out the child’s name.

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And because It isn’t often that Dianne Davant & Associates gets the opportunity to create a more modern interior, as the firm is best known for more traditional interior home design, this home gave Pam McKay a chance to spread her wings and creates a visual representation of Davant’s range of style. Pam says, “ My creative juices really flow when I am challenged to design a more modern feel. The house becomes my canvas and working with Hunter Coffey, bouncing ideas around with him and the homeowner, was truly a joy. I love the contrast of rough/ smooth, hard/soft, shiny/dull and dark/ light. This home really gave me the opportunity to artistically play up this contrast of objects, colors and textures.”

Builder John Barnette says, “ The project was a team effort and a wonderful personal and professional collaboration between myself, Hunter Coffey and Pam McKay. It was an opportunity to work on a home that is a bit different from most other homes you see in the mountains because of its modern elements. I really enjoyed working with such a great team and we were all pleased with the results.”

The mountains of North Carolina have an abundance of natural beauty. Some of it is inherited and some of it we create; but it all reflects, in it’s grandeur, the organic unity of man and nature. This home, with a respect and appreciation for nature, in all its venues, stands with the best. 

Source List • Almost all the interior details, furnishing and accessories were sourced from Dianne Davant and Associates.

• Classic Stone in Linville, NC sourced all the bath and kitchen tile and kitchen and laundry granite counter tops.

• Appliances and plumbing fixtures from Ferguson, Boone, NC • Wood Slab counter tops in the bath rooms and the raised kitchen bar sourced from Highland Craftsman in Spruce Pine, NC • Hardwood floors by David Ashley, Ashley Floors.

• Lighting was sourced through Dianne Davant & Associate, includes lighting from Halo Styles, Hubbarton Forge, Currey & Company, Mr. Brown, Arteriors.

• Art Sourced through Dianne Davant & Associates from Natural Curiosities in California • Great Train Robery, some accessories and some furniture pieces sourced here, Banner Elk, NC • Furniture & Upholstery sourced thru Dianne Davant & Associates from Phillips collection Luna Bella, Central Station, Vanguard Furniture, Furniture Your Way, Halo Styles, Four Hands, Shiner International.

• Architect, Hunter Coffey, Coffey Architecture, Boone, NC • Builder, John Barnette, Banner Elk, NC

CG

clark gallery Chris Clark

Pa in t in g by J u lyan Da v i s

Julyan Davis is an English-born artist who now lives in the United States. He received his art training at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. In 1988, having completed his B.A. in painting and printmaking, he traveled to the South on a painting trip that was also fueled by an interest in the history of Demopolis, Alabama and its settling by Bonapartist exiles. Julyan’s home is now in Asheville’s Montford district.

His work is exhibited from New York to Europe and is in many public and private collections.

Recent acquisitions include the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, the Greenville County Museum of Art (South Carolina), the Morris Museum (Augusta, GA) and the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion and Western Residence.

Washeteria, 36” x 20” Oil on Canvas Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 am –5:00 pm www.clarkgallerync.com 393 Shawneehaw Ave. PO Box 263 Banner Elk, NC 28604 828.898.2095

Visit us at: Boone Paint & Interiors 1852 Highway 105, Suite 1 Boone 828-264-9220 or 3587 Tynecastle Highway Banner Elk 828-898-2022 www.boonepaint.com Locally owned & operated for 26 years

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1861 FarmHOUSE valle crucis. Located in beautiful, historic Valle Crucis, the 1861 Farmhouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to a wonderful restaurant and a truly unique wine room. The restaurant, whose original structure was completed in the same year that the American Civil War began, is quietly nestled in a beautiful, green setting with scenic vistas. Located directly across from the Mast General Store, 1861 Farmhouse offers patrons a oneof-a-kind experience. With multi-award winning wines and unique menu items available daily, the farmhouse guarantees visitors an experience to remember. n 828-963-6301. www.1861farm-housecom. See ad on page 74

CAFÉ PORTOFINO BOONE. For a lovely night out with the family or a fantastic evening on the town, look no further than Cafe Portofino. Café Portofino offers a casual atmosphere and truly 5-star dining. Located on Rivers

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Street, the self-described “Garlic House” menu is a creative mix of Thai, Eurasian and Italian influences. Enjoy daily culinary specials and fresh seafood every day. An eclectic blend of sandwiches, pastas and more, Cafe Portofino has something for everyone. For after-hours entertainment, check out the adjoining taproom featuring billiards and darts, and try out one of fifty bottle and draft beers from around the world. Don’t forget to stop by on Wednesday nights for trivia, prizes and drink specials every week. Tuesday features halfprice bottles of house wine, and kids under ten eat free on Wednesdays with the purchase of an adult entree. n 828-264-7772. www.cafeportofino.net. See ad on page 77

Canyons Blowing Rock. Located just off of the scenic, winding highway 321 in Blowing Rock, this historic restaurant and bar is well known all over the High Country for its spectacular and breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its scrumptious southwestern choices and unique takes on ordinary American eats.

August / September 2013

All dishes on the menu are freshly prepared in house with the finest ingredients available. Canyons in Blowing Rock regularly offers a wide variety of seasonally fresh items, so ask about the fantastic nightly specials in addition to the daily menu selections. Every Sunday, enjoy a delicious brunch accompanied by live jazz music. Canyons also offers a diverse selection of domestic and imported wines and a large selection of beers chosen to complement the items on the menu. n 828-295-7661. www.CanyonsBR.com. See ad on page 71

CASA RUSTICA BOONE. Conveniently located right off of Highway 105, Casa Rustica offers some of the finest Northern Italian-American cuisine in the High Country accentuated by a cozy, fireside atmosphere. Dishes on the menu from the crisp salads to the scrumptious pastas are adapted from old family recipes that have been handed down for generations. The chefs and owners at Casa Rustica are also committed to offering local beef in their cuisine and proudly offer

The Members AN ORGANIZATION

UNITING

THE INDEPENDENT

EATERIES BOONE OF BLOWING ROCK & THE SURROUNDING WESTERN

NORTH CAROLINA TOWNS. The Mission of Boone Independent Restaurants is to unite the independent restaurants in the High Country of North Carolina, including Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and Ashe County; to preserve the individuality of the community served by each member establishment; improve quality, service, and social responsibility of each member restaurant; and ensure the longevity of our member establishments.

Events

The High Country Small Plate Crawl will be returning September 3rd – 5th, 2013! We had a ton of fun last year & can’t wait to see everyone out at their favorite indie restaurant again this year!

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& Friday and Saturday until Midnight Full Bar (open until 2am) 14 Beers on Draught focused on Imports and Micro Brews

R

Restaurant & Pub

R

Six Pence

A Taste of England here in Blowing Rock

Featuring British & American Fare

homestyle meals made with love and meticulous care. Casa Rustica’s extensive wine list is updated every 30 days to include interesting vintages and new organics for guests to try.

Enjoy live jazz every Thursday night and classical guitar every Sunday. The restaurant also features a full bar and fantastic drink selections to delight even the pickiest patron. n 828-262-5128. www.casarustica1981.com.

See ad on page 73

Char modern american restaurant

828.295.3155 } } 1121 Main Street, Blowing Rock, N.C.

Encore9 Dinner at The Eseeola Lodge… the perfect finale to a summer day.

Dinner served nightly: 6:30 til 9 Thursday Nights Seafood Buffet

BOONE. char ... where New York City meets the Blue Ridge Mountains! A unique, contemporary bistro located in downtown Boone, offering diverse, creative and delectable brunch, lunch and dinner cuisine in a warm, open, cosmopolitan setting. char also features a covered deck and a sleek modern bar. Sample some of their distinctive modern American cuisine including signature dishes including the famous Low Country Shrimp & Grits, the delicious Angus handcut Ribeye Steak the refreshing Turkey & Brie Sandwich and the local favorite Grilled Tilapia Fish Tacos. Nightly Entertainment.

Come join us at char for Food • Drinks • Music • Art • Fun ... n 828-266-2179. www. char179.com. See ad on page 73

Chestnut Grille BLOWING ROCK. We’re proud to announce the opening of our remodeled restaurant, The Chestnut Grille, under the direction of award winning Chef James Welch. Chef James is a James Beard Foundation nominee, and has won multiple awards including Best North Carolina Dish, North Carolina Pork Council Best Dish, and Fire on the Rock. Chef James is no doubt one of the finest Chefs in the High Country. The Divide Tavern and Lounge serves a unique summer cocktail menu in addition to an extensive wine and craft beer menu. Come and enjoy our lounge, library, veranda or our patio dining. Check our website for live entertainment schedule Join us at this newly restored National Historic Register property. The hotel includes 88 guest rooms plus meeting and event facilities. Reservations can be made on their website. n 828-414-9230. www.greenparkinn.com. See ad on page 75

The Eseeola Lodge EAT CROW at Linville Golf Club www.Eseeola.com 828.733.4311

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BANNER ELK. Eat Crow is a wonderful little cafe specializing in fresh baked, delicious goods including a large variety of baked pies and cakes. These delectables are offered by the slice, or you have the option to order

a whole one to take home and enjoy. We also offer fresh made sandwiches at lunch time that can not be compared to any other “sandwich shop” in the area. Since we know life can be very hectic, for your convenience we prepare whole meals and fresh soups daily that are ready for you to take home and heat up for your family. These entrees vary daily. We are always creating something delicious! All sandwiches are served on farmhouse or whole wheat bread. Choices of sides include fresh fruit, firecracker coleslaw or chips. We are open Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and are located near Foscoe on Hwy. 105 between Boone and Banner Elk. n 828963-8228. See ad on page 75

The Eseeola Lodge linville. Guests enjoy breakfast and dinner daily as part of their accommodations package, but all High Country visitors are welcome to enjoy the finest cuisine. Spend a leisurely morning with us, or grab a quick bite on your way out for the day. Either way, an outstanding breakfast awaits you each morning in our dining room. Then enjoy lunch at the Grill Room in the Linville Golf Club, where resort casual wear is appropriate for daytime meals. For the evening meal, select your choice of seven meticulously prepared entrees crafted by Chef Patrick Maisonhaute at the helm of your culinary experience. The menu changes daily, and also offers an extraordinary seafood buffet every Thursday evening with seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required, and gentlemen are required to wear a coat for the evening meal. n 800-742-6717. www.eseeola.com. See ad on page 70

Gamekeeper Blowing Rock. You haven’t fully experienced the region until you’ve dined at The Gamekeeper. It’s a true gourmet restaurant, with the perfect blend of upscale elegance and simple mountain charm.

The Gamekeeper is famous for Southern favorites - ultimate in comfort food - prepared with creativity and originality, offered through an evolving seasonal menu that blends the traditional with the exotic, satisfying both the meat lover and the vegetarian. Housed in a 1950s stone cottage, The Gamekeeper is an upscale restaurant that offers an eclectic mix of Southern foods and mountain cuisine, offering a selection of unique meat dishes including mountain trout, buffalo rib eye, ostrich, duck and beef tenderloin. The friendly staff literAugust / September 2013

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ally waits on you hand and foot, assuring that you’ll leave happy and satisfied. The restaurant is located off Shulls Mill Road near Yonahlossee Resort. n 828-963-7400. www.Gamekeeper-NC.com. Ad on page 72

JOY Bistro

World Class Hospitality with

Southern Charm Serving Breakfast and Dinner daily Steak on the Lake Wednesdays

828-295-5505 | www.Chetola.com

Boone. Joy Bistro is known all over the High Country as the resident purveyors of Fine Food & Drink. Chefs and Owners Melissa Joy and Gary Claude welcome you to come in and enjoy delicious, unique food selections and delightful cocktails in a casual, warm and inviting setting. Enjoy a relaxed and inviting atmosphere while you experience their unique, handcrafted cuisine. Exclusively fresh and always seasonal ingredients are expertly utilized in their many nightly specials as in all of the daily items in their superb menu. Enjoy scrumptious selections like the famous firecracker shrimp, the unique blood orange salad, local meats and pasta options, and a wonderful dessert like creme brulee or espresso torte. The friendly staff is always on hand to assist you with expert recommendations for dining selections and wine pairings for your choices. Joy Bistro also offers a full bar, an extensive wine list, & craft beers for guests to enjoy. n 828-265-0500 www.joybistroboone.com. See ad on page 74

LOUISIANA PURCHASE FOOD & SPIRITS BANNER ELK. Celebrating twenty six years of service to the High Country in downtown Banner Elk, North Carolina surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. Louisiana Purchase has been Banner Elk’s premier locally owned restaurant and wine bar since 1984. Proudly featuring made to order elegance, Chef and owner Patrick Bagbey’s menu evolves with the changing seasons to incorporate the freshest seasonal ingredients, and will always include all the favorites. Louisiana Purchase is proud to offer all ABC permits and the largest wine list in the area. Large groups are easily accommodated in the private dining room for up to fifty people. The dress code is business casual, so come comfortable and hungry. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday 5:30 p.m. until… Reservations are suggested. n 828-963-5087 or 828-898-5656. www. louisianapurchasefoodandspirits.com.

See ad on page 77

MELANIES Boone. Centrally located on King Street in downtown Boone, Melanie’s Food Fantasy has been serving delicious madeto-order meals to the High Country since 72

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1991. Melanie’s is committed to utilizing the freshest and highest quality whole food ingredients to create dishes that are nutritious and full of flavor. They also use local and organic ingredients when feasible. As always, Melanie’s is very sensitive to vegetarian and vegan concerns and will take the utmost care to cook meat items separately.

Please let your server know if you have a food allergy or diet concern and they will do their best to accommodate you, as Melanie’s strives to accommodate all guests and their dietetic needs. All breads and biscuits served by Melanies are made from scratch and provided by local bakery, Stick Boy Bread Co. and Local Farm Fresh Pasture Raised Eggs from Aunt Bessie’s Natural Foods are always available upon request. n 828.263.0300. http://www.melaniesfoodfantasy.com. See ad on page 68

THE NEW PUBLIC HOUSE BLOWING ROCK. How does smoked tenderloin, summer harvest succotash, Carolina coast shrimp and roasted local greens sound? These are some of the Southern-inspired dishes that the New Public House restaurant and bar in downtown Blowing Rock serves. At the heart of the modern American food offering are small plates and full meals,

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Historic valle Crucis across from The Mast General store

T

1 Farmho

us

e

18 6 he

Restaurant & Winery

complimented by an impressive selection of local ales, fine wines and seasonal cocktails.

The New Public House Hotel and Restaurant is a modern-boutique hotel and casual restaurant that seats 70 on Sunset Drive. Its doors opened on July 30. The New Public House is a renovation of the historic Sunshine Inn and Crippen’s Country Inn by Cobb and Cindy Milner and chef Michael Foreman, a past winner of Fire on the Rock.

The three are creators of sister restaurants Gideon Ridge Inn and Bistro Roca. n 828295-3487. www.thenewpublichouse.com. See ad on page 76

Unforgettable Meals...Award-Winning Wines Red Onion Café Casual Outdoor Dining Available Boone. Established in 1985 as one of the LUnCH ~ DInner ~ WIne TAsTInGs

MenUs & HOUrs On OUr W eBsITe: 1861Farmhouse.com WA LK- Ins W eLCOMe ~ reservATIOns: 828-963- 6301

classic restaurants in Boone NC, the Red Onion Café opens daily at 11am and serves continuously to hungry guests well into the evening. The Red Onion Café has created its niche in the High Country for more than 30 years by offering customers a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere and an extensive menu at affordable prices. The café has something for every member of the family, including burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta, fish, steak and delicious homemade desserts. Look for weekly dinner specials and the kid’s menu items as well. The Red Onion Café also offers several of the region’s top beer and wines to compliment any meal as well as friendly staff on hand to assist with your choices from the extensive menu. The outside patio is perfect for a comfortable outdoor lunch or for a cozy dinner on warm evenings. n 828-264-5470. www.theredonioncafe.com. Ad on page 71

six pence pub Blowing rock. In 2001 Six Pence opened in Blowing Rock, North Carolina and has been a Blowing Rock staple for visitors and residents alike ever since. Known all over the High Country for establishing itself as a fine example of British fare, the friendly staff, delicious food and extensive beer and wine selection make this local watering hole a local favorite.

From traditional British favorites like Shepherd’s Pie and fish and chips to American-style burgers, house made soups and salads, this eatery and bar alleviates everyone’s hunger pains and provides a unique dining experience right on beautiful Main Street. Who knew that one could find such exceptional British cuisine in the heart of the High Country? The pub now proudly features a new patio so guests can choose to sit outside and enjoy their meals and enjoy the beautiful views of Main Street. Or step inside to the air conditioned interior to 74

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beat the heat this summer season. n 828-2953155. www.sixpencepub.com. Ad on page 70

Speckled Trout Café Blowing Rock. When you come to Blowing Rock, look around, see the sights, do some shopping, then come down the quaint downtown street until you reach the corner of Main and Highway 221. It’s on this corner that you will find the Speckled Trout Cafe and Oyster Bar. Since 1986, the Speckled Trout Cafe & Oyster Bar has been pleasing both locals and visitors every evening with its exquisite choices for dinner. The house speciality is smoked rainbow trout which is fished from local waters, but the extensive menu covers everything from terrestrial meat choices like steak and ribs to fresh seafood and so much more. The Speckled Trout is also pleased to be serving lunch for patrons to enjoy either inside the restaurant or for easy take out for a picnic on the Parkway.

The restaurant also features a outdoor patio overlooking Main Street. n 828-295-9819. www.speckledtroutcafe.com. Ad on page 76

REAL FOOD FOR REAL PEOPLE Casual Mountain Dining Chef James Welch

STICK BOY BREAD CO. Boone. The famous Stick Boy Bread Co. is a small, family-owned artisan bakery where

EAT CROW EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE EAT PIE

Sandwiches

(Served on our homemade bread)

Pies • Cakes Shepherd’s Pie Steak & Ale Pie Chicken Pot Pie English Specialties Catering

Come Check Out Our New Summer Menu!

Including

Grilled Atlantic Salmon .....20.95 Chipotle-honey glaze and choice of salad and side

Lobster Tail .......................21.95

NC Smoked Pulled Pork ...16.95 Basted in chef’s peach bourbon sauce served beside yukon gold mash potatoes and choice of salad

Grilled or steamed served with cognac butter sauce or drawn butter and choice of salad and side

Crispy Fish & Chips ............18.75

Leg of Lamb ..................... 21.95

Rigatoni with Chicken........ 16.00

Marinated and grilled with lamb demi glaze and choice of salad and side

Shrimp and Italian Grits ...19.95 Pan seared jumbo shrimp, polenta, parmesan, lime juice and choice of salad

Carolina flounder, natural cut fries, Chef’s tarter sauce, malt vinegar, choice of salad Grilled breast of chicken tossed with seasonal vegetables in a light tomato-herb sauce and choice of salad

Sesame Seared Rare Tuna ...23.75

Pickled ginger, wasabi, soy ginger dipping sauce, choice of salad and side

(On Request)

Serving Dinner Twice Monthly Call or Check our Website for Dates & Menu

828.963.8228 www.eatcrownc.com

Fabulous British Chef/Owner

Dominic& Meryle Geraghty

EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE EAT CAKE

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am-5pm 9872 Hwy. 105 S. in Foscoe (across from Mountain Lumber)

Outdoor Seating Wednesday Wine Down 50% Off All Wine Bottles Available!

MuSIC ON The VeRANdA eVeRy SuNdAy FROM 4 - 8 PM www.greenparkinn.com | 828.414.9230 9329 Valley Boulevard, Blowing Rock

Tuesday Happy Hour

Complimentary Appetizer from 6 - 7 PM

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everything old is NEW again

a NEW revolution In Dining & Lodging

the

Southern Inspired Small Plates

new

public house & hotel

Open Daily 3–10PM. Closed Mondays

Samples from our Menu Grilled Asparagus - 7.00

Sweet Potato Chips - 3.50

Fried Green Tomatos - 5.00

Rabbit Livers - 10.50

Carolina Coast Shrimp - 11.00

Iron Skillet Eggs - 10.00

Carolina Coastal Shrimp - 11.00

Mason of Bacon - 4.50

BBQ Corn - 4.50

Mussels - 10.00

Papas Madres - 4.00

Trout Cakes - 10.50

Lemon Vinaigrette, Radish

Potato Biscuit, Mushroom Gravy Chiles, Olive Oil, Herbs, Lime

Sweet Corn, Vinaigrette, Cotija Cheese

Bourbon/Brown Sugar Marmalade Chiles, Olive Oil, Herbs, Lime A Mason Jar of Bacon Yum

Bacon/Horseradish Mayo

Cheese, Asparagas, Pepper Relish Lime Aioli, Cotija Cheese Fresh Local Trout

Blowing Rock, NC | 828.295.3487 | thenewpublichouse.com

Chef and Owner David Bartlett Is Celebrating His 29th Year In Blowing Rock

It’s Always Trout Season In Blowing Rock!

At The Corner of Main Street and Hwy. 221

World Famous for His Trout Dishes Prepared 5 Different Ways

SERVING A VARIETY OF FRESH SEAFOOD, LOCAL MOUNTAIN TROUT… Served 5 different ways, ANGUS BEEF, SARA’S BABY BACK RIBS

With A Wide Variety of Made Fresh Daily Side Dishes

AS WELL AS THESE SPECIALITIES Paul Tate Filet Mignon • Sara’s Baby Back Ribs Fresh Gulf Oysters & Shrimp • Seafood Dishes And, of Course, Much More!

Serving Dinner 5:00 to 9:00 Tues. - Sat.

OPEN FOR LUNCH

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David Bartlett’s

SPECKLED TROUT CAFE Always Fresh Seafood

High Country Magazine

& Oyster Bar

We also have

Breakfast Buffet on Weekends...

Enjoy Our Air-Conditioned Dining Room All youPatio can eat or Our COVERED 9am-Noon At the Corner of Main St and Hwy 221 • 295-9819 ••On$7.95 Facebook

MAIN STREET BLOWING ROCK, NC

SPECKLED Open for Dinner TROUT 5:00-9:00

August / September 2013

Always Fresh

& Oyster Bar

high quality baked goods and great service come together to create a special experience for you, the customer. The local bakery offers everything from fresh baked artesian breads, steaming hot cappuccinos, delicious, gooey cinnamon rolls and decadent chocolate tortes to delight the palate. The best part is that everything, from the scones to the cakes, is made right here in the bakery using the best ingredients and methods available. This is the real thing and you are certain to be able to taste the difference that local ingredients and local baking can make.

Because of their huge popularity in the area and in order to keep up with their popularity and high demand from the community, a second location - Stick Boy Kitchen is now open to the public at last. Please make your way over to 211 Boone Heights Drive, the location previously taken by Mountain Bagels and enjoy freshly baked breakfast bagels, delicious hot or cold sandwiches, freshly prepared salads and homemade soups, all made with the same love and attention to detail that the customers have come to expect from the flagship location. n 828-265-4141. www.stickboybread.com. See ad on page 68

timberlake’S RESTAURANT AT CHETOLA RESORT BLOWING ROCK. A brand new restaurant has arrived in Blowing Rock at the renowned Chetola Resort. The recently opened Timberlake’s Restaurant features a menu inspired by world-renowned North Carolina artist and designer Bob Timberlake’s culinary favorites. From Mesquitedusted shrimp and salads of mountaingrown spinach, to Carolina-raised trout and roasted Carolina quail, a mouth-watering array of brick-oven pizzas, tender Angus beef and bison filets, seafood, poultry, and an inspired selection of health and wellness dishes will also tempt palates of all tastes.

Each dish will be one worth savoring. n 828-295-5505. www.chetola.com. See ad on page 72

TWIGS BLOWING ROCK. A fine dining restaurant and casual bar, featuring southern American cuisine at its best, Twigs is a favorite of both locals and tourists. Conveniently located only one half mile from downtown Blowing Rock, Twigs offers continental cuisine in a fine dining, cozy mountain atmosphere. Utilizing only the best and freshest ingredients available, Twigs specializes in a variety of dishes of the highest quality.

Enjoy fare like crab cakes, filet mignon, duck confit and mountain trout. Their extensive wine list offers over 200 varieties of fine wine to satisfy even the most distinguished palate. Twigs also features over 35 craft beers with many from North Carolina Breweries, and a fantastic selection of drinks from the bar. n 828-265-5050. www.twigsbr.com. See ad on page 74

LOCAL FLAVOR

WHEN IN ROME – OR RATHER BANNER ELK.

vidalia Boone. Centrally located on King Street in downtown Boone, Vidalia is a casual, upscale restaurant featuring “creative American cuisine.” Featuring creative menu items for lunch and dinner, it offers daily specials, various events, wine tastings and special nights.

Famous menu items include the apple and gorgonzola salad, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles and mushroom ravioli, with finishing choices like stone ground grits and cheddar mac n’ cheese. All of these choices come to you from the culinary mind of Chef Samuel Ratchford, who also owns the restaurant with his wife Alyce. Taking pride in the local community, the restaurant is proud to offer various local ingredients and choices to patrons who are looking to try local fare. Vidalia holds all ABC permits and has an extensive wine list which routinely features over 60 different wines which can be expertly paired with meals by the staff, a large selection of craft beers, martinis, whiskeys, scotches and cordials. Vidalia’s menu changes twice a year to keep it seasonal and practices farm-to-table food, using local vendors as much as possible. n 828-263-9176. www.vidaliaofboone.com. See ad on page 73

Zuzda Banner Elk. Located in scenic Banner Elk, Zuzda features creative dining five days a week! A “tapas style” chef-owned restaurant that offers more than 125 small plates of all cuisines. This “progressive alternative dining” venue offers patrons the unique opportunity to taste and share small portions of food in a random order of presentation. Zuzda offers indoor as well as outdoor seating on its beautiful patio. The restaurant also proudly features two bars, all of which are nonsmoking. Zuzda holds all ABC permits, and the wine list is as extensive as the menu. Sample daring selections such as escargot, squid steak, gruyere flan and many more exciting options. This restaurant, with it’s fun atmosphere and progressive idea, is a fun way to try out many different cuisines, while still remaining close to home in the High Country. n 828-898-4166. www.zuzda.com.

SERVING DINNER:

Monday – Saturday Opening at 5:30pm RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED:

828/963-5087 or 898-5656

Wine Spectator’s Award Of Excellence 1990-1995 Wine Spectator’s Best Of Award Of Excellence 1996-2013

Half Price On Our House Bottled Wines Every Tuesday!

Thursdays 6-9 the music of Klee Liles in the Dining Room

KIDS MEAL

FREE

Kids 10 and under eat free with purchase of adult entree.

Lunch or Dinner.

Wednesday

ing 5 star dinth e

witho ut casual ic pr es in a e! r he p amos

Sun, Tue - Thurs: 11:30 am - 9:00 pm • Fri - Sat: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm 970 Rivers Street • 828-264-7772 • w w w. c a f e p o r t o fi n o . n e t

Daily Lunch Specials

FOLLOW US ON

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A Taste of Abingdon Abingdon can’t be “done” in a day – although, with a very compact historic downtown, visitors can get a taste of it very quickly and develop an itch to return.

Story & Photography by Bernadette Cahill

A

lthough the High Country in summer is possibly the nearest place to heaven on this earth, sometimes the mountains close in, the air becomes heavy and a yearning arises to see something new. Such occasions are the time to copy our local hero Daniel Boone and head west – for a taste of Abingdon, in Virginia.

Theatre, Festivals and More Abingdon is famous primarily for the Barter Theatre – Virginia’s State Theatre that began 80 years ago this year. Barter is where stars such as Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine and Kevin Spacey launched their careers.

Abingdon is also renowned for the Virginia Highlands Festival – the family-oriented leading arts and craft event early in August each year which this year celebrated its 65th anniversary.

With two star features to entertain, Abingdon for many years for visitors from the High Country has been a great day trip for shopping, lunch and a show. These trips, however, always just scratched the surface and today there’s so much more than ever to do, that Abingdon is a place to go and stay for a while, to find out what it really is like.

Prowling and Howling Wolves

Abingdon wasn’t always Abingdon. One night around 1760, when Daniel Boone was travelling west, he set up camp below

Abingdon, dating before the Revolution, still has a distinct eighteenth-century feel. With leafy bricked sidewalks and attractive boutiques, America’s oldest town west of the Appalachians calls for parking the car and strolling around.

Originally called Wolf Hills, the legend of Daniel Boone’s encounter with wolves has led to the town’s mascot. Highly decorated wolves prowl and howl everywhere, this one (above) guarding the Overmountain Men Muster Station.

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Abingdon’s famed Barter Theatre brings Broadway sparkle to this mountain town as night falls. Les Miserables completed its summer run on August 11 and new shows follow immediately. The building started as a church, later became a Temperance Hall, then housed City services and the Opera. Becoming the Barter in 1933, patrons could barter food for tickets. what is now Courthouse Hill. That night, wolves attacked his hounds and horses. Our hero tracked them to a cave and Boone called the spot Wolf Hill.

In 2009, Advance Abingdon invited artists to paint two dozen fiberglass wolves. Today, whimsically decorated prowling and howling wolves punctuate the townscape.

There is even a rendition of the historic cave in Plumb Alley behind the Cave House at 279 East Main, complete with a mama wolf alert for danger, and her little cub howling beside her.

A “Likely Yarn”

The Tavern Restaurant at 222 East Main was Abingdon’s original inn for stagecoach travelers. Henry Clay, Louis Philippe of France, President Andrew Jackson, and L’Enfant, designer of Washington D.C., stayed there – often two to a bed.

The wolf tale, however, is “A Likely Yarn,” to use the name of one of the town’s specialist boutiques – a colorful store a block and a half off Main on Pecan.

But the story has a tight grip. When historian Garret Jackson – Abingdon’s Director of Planning – presented the truth

to his class, he met with protests.

The story arose, Jackson said, when Boone’s son Nathan told something like it to Lyman Draper, Boone’s first biographer, in 1851. At that time, everyone wanted a piece of Boone and the story took on a life of its own. It is still too good to let go.

The truth is that Dr. Thomas Walker who surveyed the site in 1751 named it Wolf Hills. The proof is in the plat, said Jackson.

“Boone didn’t come through here until at least 1769, maybe even 1771.

Boone used a different trace to get to the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky. He went through Kingsport, south of here. It wasn’t until the late 60s, early 70s that he came through this region.”

Abingdon “the first place on earth”

The Virginia assembly created Washington County late in 1776, naming it for George Washington, “the first place on earth named in his honor,” said Jackson. The Wolf Hill settlement, already renamed Black’s Fort, became the county seat. In October 1778 it officially became Abingdon.

But not, as the story goes, said Jack-

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The Martha Washington Hotel & Spa

The Martha Washington Hotel & Spa, formerly a girl’s school, sits opposite the Barter Theatre, close enough to hop from a relaxing meal to a musical or comedy at the Main Stage, or across the park to the intimate Barter Stage Two for an experimental, edgy production. son, in honor of Martha Washington’s English ancestral parish or Daniel Boone’s birth place near Abington, Pennsylvania: the name more likely honored Willoughby Bertie, the fourth Earl of Abingdon, England, whose pro-American 1777 letter, Thoughts on the Letter of Edmund Burke, Esq. to the Sheriffs of Bristol on the Affairs of America, became an American Independence propaganda piece.

Abingdon, the Overmountain Men and Horn in the West One of Abingdon’s true links with the High Country is the Muster Grounds on Wolf Creek, whose interpretive center opened in December, 2012.

The story is told from a North Carolina perspective in Boone’s own Horn in the West outdoor drama – 61 years old this year: in September, 1780, four hundred backcountry patriots assembled before heading off on a 330-mile historic walk across the Blue Ridge at Roan Mountain and past today’s Elk Park and Spruce Pine.

The walk ended in the Battle of King’s Mountain and turned the tide of the Revolution.

At Abingdon’s Muster Grounds, information boards tell this tale. A walking trail follows the start of the route the men took on their road to victory. The site ties in with the historic Overmountain Victory Trail, currently a driving route in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

The grounds, according to superintendent Leigh Anne Hunter, however, are significant also as the muster station for soldiers heading off to battle until the First World War. Then, instead of walking through wild country, they’d board the nearby train.

The delightful Forget-Me-Not Boutique with funky décor and unique gifts today enhances the quaint architecture of an original eighteenthcentury log cabin.

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Creeping Through Virginia and Ashe County “The small mountain town of Abingdon, Virginia, shares a strange bond with the smaller mountain town

Heartwood Artisan Gateway

Heartwood celebrates southwest Virginia’s unique culture, featuring artisans and artists from seventeen counties. In a spectacular modern building reminiscent of old farms in a setting with 360-degree vistas, two restaurants allow shoppers to eat in comfort. of West Jefferson, North Carolina. That bond is a railroad that doesn’t make any money … that carries no passengers, no mail, and very little freight,” reported the Washington County News on July 22, 1965.

“Yet it is a railroad loved by everyone who knows it,” the article continued. “[It] runs through a beautiful and ageless land.”

Nowadays, only in memory do the bustling passengerand-freight Virginia Creeper trains crawl from Abingdon to Todd (originally Elkland) and later to West Jefferson, via Damascus and White Top, Virginia. But today the Virginia Creeper hiking, biking and horse riding trail starting right in town, is one of Abingdon’s most popular attractions, which bike-rental stores conveniently service.

Cows for Tickets The jewel in Abingdon’s crown is the Barter Theatre – one of the few remaining resident repertory theatres in the nation. When it opened during the depression, management allowed patrons to barter produce and livestock for admission. This year until August 11, Les Misérables has topped the bill. In the foyer during performances, muffled arias and choruses regale visitors enjoying coffee and killer fudge at the coffee shop. A Southern Fried Funeral prompted gales of laughter.

From August 16, audiences can expect the same enjoyable experiences when Good Ol’ Girls opens. Kiss Me, Kate, starts September 14 and Dial M for Murder on September 26.

The Gin Game, a production in Barter Stage Two – an intimate theatre for small casts and experimental works – also continues until August 11. Stage II re-opens with Thicker than Water on September 3 and The Ghost in the Meadow on September 10.

Arts of Historic Proportions

Abingdon exults in its varied history from Colonial times on. On West Main at Cummings, the Fields-Penn House Museum dates from 1860.

Abingdon’s Main Street preserves ancient architectural gems like this log cabin, today the Crooked Cabin guest house.

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A single building can reveal several layers of history. The Barter Theatre, begun in 1832 as the Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church, later became a Temperance Hall. In 1905, it housed the Town Hall, Opera House, jail and fire department. In 1933 it became the beloved theatre of today, while a log cabin on East Main is now a bed-and-breakfast guest house.

And history and retail therapy needn’t be separate. Today’s Forget Me Not unique boutique, for example, at 129 East Main is partly a log building from 1798 and partly an 1891 apothecary shop, which a woman built and operated.

Abingdon’s history appears in the Convention & Visitors Bureau’s leaflet, A Self-Guided Walking Tour.

The Tastes of Abingdon

The Abingdon Olive Oil Company at 152 East Main in the Greenway-Trigg Building is an adventure in taste – countless flavored oils and balsamic vinegars reminiscent of Italy.

Abingdon’s tastes don’t just mean fashions: just a block away from Forget Me Not, Camella’s Tea Shop in the Andrew Russell House – the oldest remaining original home in Abingdon, dating from 1792 at 165 East Main – is the place to enjoy Lavender Iced Tea, afternoon tea and cream teas.

The Abingdon Olive Oil Company almost directly opposite at 152 East Main, offers another unique experience where seemingly countless flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars are available to discover, to taste and to buy.

Past the Court House (on the way, stop in for a look at the Tiffany stained glass window that commemorates the First World War), the eighteenth-century Tavern at 228-230 East Main is even today a place where travelers head for refreshment – as first-class evening dining.

Newer buildings, such Rain Restaurant at 283 East Main and 128 Pecan are great eating places also.

Not far from both, at 350 Park Street, the Wolf Hills Brewing Co. is the place not only to sample local specialty beers, but also to listen to live bands and enjoy the ambiance of an upbeat casual meeting place beside the railroad.

And several blocks west, opposite Barter, the 1832 Preston House, now the Martha Washington Hotel & Spa, houses the Market and Sisters at the Martha.

Boutiques, Restaurants, Galleries

“A Likely Yarn,” on Pecan not far from Main is a colorful stop en route to the Virginia Creeper-type Old Mollie Steam Engine 433 located at the Virginia Creeper Trailhead on Green Springs Road.

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Scattered throughout the historic district – from Tanner Street to Academy Drive and from Main to Valley Street – art galleries, interior design stores, antique emporia, clothing and gift boutiques and eateries nestle and cluster all within easy walking distance of each other, each offering a new distraction and demanding more time than a crammed itinerary might have allowed for.

The Art Depot, at the restored rail depot lo-

cated beside the restored Abingdon railroad ticket office which now houses the Historical Society of Washington County, is home to studios of working artists and to galleries of their work. Nearby, Abingdon Mercantile at 130 Wall is still a familiar fixture for antique hunters. It is right beside Baby Cakes Cupcakery at number 134 Wall and close not only to many more antique stores on Main, but also to Antony’s (sumptuous) Desserts at 184, Ellis’ (retro) Soda Shoppe and Grill at 217 and the Peppermill Restaurant in the 900 block.

Further Afield

Abingdon’s newest attractions are worth getting into the car. The Muster Grounds at 700 Colonial Drive are on the way to Heartwood, which is located near the summit of a hill with 360-degree vistas in the Virginia Highlands Community College campus.

This building is worth seeing for its architecture which is based on traditional farm barns and silos. Inside, Southwest Virginia arts and crafts – from weavings to glasswork, from books to music – makes Heartwood a destination to head for. It is complete with two restaurants, information on the history of Virginia of all the retail offerings and local wines.

On return to downtown, at 415 Acad-

CURTIS R. PAGE,

A Tailor’s Lodging, half a block from the Barter Stage Two theatre and café, in a restored 1830s home and workshop on Park is one of Abingdon’s most convenient guest houses with the same classy and historic feel of the town. Welcoming owners Sue and Rick Humphries (inset) know almost everyone and everything important for visitors to discover.

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High Country Magazine

83

For over two decades, Well•Spring residents have enjoyed exceptional retirement living with the most diverse mix of social activities, affordable housing options and healthcare plans in the area. For you, that means the independent and diverse lifestyle you’re used to.

Come visit Well•Spring’s awardwinning community, where life is shaped by choices not circumstances.

At the Muster Grounds at 700 Colonial Drive, workshops led by ladies dressed in historic garb, teach kids eighteenth century crafts, such as decorating fabric using plant dyes.

The muted colors are less vibrant than today.

Contact us today for a complete package of information. www.well-spring.org (336) 545-5468 • (800) 547-5387 4100 Well Spring Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410

A GREAT PLACE TO STAY...

Seven Devils

emy Drive, the William King Museum offers changing exhibits of local artists and provides yet more stunning views of the area.

Five-miles out in the opposite direction in the Virginia countryside White’s Mill which is being restored, offers a craft shop and makes a delightful break from town. The drive back to Boone can include the Abingdon Vineyard & Winery on Route 722 just five miles east of I-81.

The Real Abingdon

Play tennis, hike, shop, zipline or just relax while enjoying some of the best views around! From nature lovers to adrenaline junkies, there is so much to do and see in the area, and staying in Seven Devils makes everything easily accessible from our great central location. You will find an array of lodging choices... whether you stay for a weekend, a season or a lifetime!

DISCOVER SEVEN DEVILS For Zip Line: 828/963-6561 For a Brochure or Information on the Town of Seven Devils: 828/963-5343 or www.SevenDevils.net Ad Sponsored by the Seven Devils Tourism Development Authority

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Abingdon can’t be “done” in a day although, with a very compact historic downtown, visitors can get a taste of it very quickly and develop an itch to return.

When that time comes, the real flavor of Abingdon is found in the guest lodgings dotted around – often within walking distance along tree-shaded cobbled sidewalks of the many appealing restaurants, attractive boutiques, the theatres and the Virginia Creeper trail.

Guest houses enable visitors to mix with locals who know and love their city and can’t wait to pass their enthusiasm and knowledge on to newcomers.

A great example of Abingdon’s special places to stay, and of Abingdon’s pas-

sion for preserving its history – the town began doing so in the early 1970s – is A Tailor’s Lodging, a restored 1830s home and workshop on Park – half a block from the Barter Stage Two theatre and café.

In operators Rick and Susan Humphries, guests meet two walking encyclopedias of Abingdon, who, on top of a heartfelt welcome, know almost everyone and everything that’s important about the city.

The famed Martha Washington Hotel & Spa is, of course, another option. Situated directly across the street from Barter and originally a private home, it became a female college named after the first First Lady of the United States in the days when women were still fighting for the right to be educated. Finally, during the twentieth century, it evolved into today’s leading inn. Today, it displays fascinating photos of life in the school.

With places to stay such as these, it is possible in Abingdon almost to forget about automobiles during a visit of several days. To top it all, every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. until Sept. 19, na-

Five miles north out of town is White’s Mill, complete with its funky craft-store in the middle of rural Virginia. tionally recognized bands will feature at the Abingdon Market Pavilion downtown and provide outdoor entertainment for anyone who wants to turn up with a lawn chair – and enjoy.

GAINES KIKER

For further information, contact: Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau, Telephone 276-676-2282, or 800-4353440 or click to www.abingdon.com. 

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August / September 2013

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ADV E R T I S E R S I N D E X Please patronize the advertisers in High Country Magazine, and when you purchase from them, please be sure to mention that you saw their ad in our pages. Thank them for their support of this publication by giving them yours! Without their support, this magazine would not be possible. To all of our advertisers, a most sincere thank you.

All Area Codes are 828 unless noted.

ADVERTISER

PHONE

PAGE

1861 Farmhouse Restaurant & Winery.............. 963-6301........................... 74

ADVERTISER

PHONE

PAGE

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery......................... 963-2400........................... 11

A Cleaner World............................................... 265-1888 ���������������������������� 4

Hardin Fine Jewelry.......................................... 898-4653 �������������������������� 13

Abingdon, Virginia....................................... 888-489-4144........................ 87

Heavenly Touch Massage................................. 264-4335........................... 15

Appalachian Energy.......................................... 262-3637........................... 41

Isley Construction....................................898-7544/898-7119................... 36

Appalachian Regional Orthopaedic Center........386-BONE........................... 31

Joy Bistro........................................................ 265-0600 �������������������������� 74

Art Cellar......................................................... 898-5175 �������������������������� 13

Kevin Beck....................................................... 963-1181........................... 12

Banner Elk Realty............................................. 260-1550........................... 36

Linville Falls Winery......................................... 765-1400........................... 14

Blowing Rock Estate Jewelry............................ 295-4500........................... 17

Louisiana Purchase...................................963-5087/898-5656................... 77

Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery................ 295-0041........................... 37

Mast General Store .....................................866-FOR-MAST ���������������������� 19

Blue Ridge Dentistry........................................ 264-3333............................. 5

Melanies.......................................................... 263-0300........................... 68

Blue Ridge Vision............................................ 264-2020........................... 85

Monkee’s of Blowing Rock............................... 295-0708........................... 45

Boone Independent Restaurants.......booneindependentrestaurants.org.......... 69

Mountain Land............................................. 800-849-9225 ����������������������� 38

Boone Mall...................................................... 264-7286........................... 40

Mountain Tile................................................... 265-0472 ���������������������������� 2

Boone Paint.............................................264-9220/898-2022................... 67

Mountaineer Landscaping................................ 733-3726........................... 51

BRAHM............................................................ 295-9099........................... 38

New Public House & Hotel............................... 295-3487........................... 76

Broyhill Home Collections................................ 295-0965 ���������������������������� 4

Page Dentistry.................................................. 265-1661 �������������������������� 83

Café Portofino.................................................. 264-7772 ������������������������� 77

Piedmont Federal Bank..................................... 264-5244............................. 1

Canyons.......................................................... 295-7661 ������������������������� 71

Red Onion Café................................................ 264-5470 �������������������������� 71

Carlton Gallery................................................. 963-4288 �������������������������� 17

Seven Devils.................................................... 963-5343........................... 84

Casa Rustica.................................................... 262-5128 �������������������������� 73

Shoppes at Farmers Hardware.......................... 264-8801........................... 25

Celeste’s Interiors............................................ 295-3481........................... 42

Six Pence......................................................... 295-3155........................... 70

Char Restaurant................................................ 266-2179........................... 73

Speckled Trout Cafe......................................... 295-9819........................... 76

Chestnut Grille................................................. 414-9230........................... 75

Stick Boy Bread Company................................ 268-9900........................... 68

Country Gourmet.............................................. 963-5269........................... 52

Stone Cavern................................................... 963-8453 �������������������������� 23

Chris Clark Gallery........................................... 898-2095........................... 67

Sugar Mountain Resort..................................... 898-4521 �������������������������� 15

DeWoolfson Down ...................................... 800-833-3696 ������������������������ 7

Sunalei............................................................ 263-8711........................... 89

Dianne Davant & Associates . .......................... 898-9887 ��Inside Front Cover

Tatum Galleries & Interiors............................... 963-6466 �������������������������� 11

Doe Ridge Pottery............................................ 264-1127 �������������������������� 40

Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola................... 295-5505........................... 72

Doncaster Retail............................................... 295-4200............................. 3

Todd Bush Photography................................... 898-8088 �������������������������� 16

Eat Crow.......................................................... 963-8228........................... 75

Todd Rice Real Estate....................................... 263-8711........................... 17

Echota......................................................... 800-333-7601 ��������� Back Cover

Twigs Restaurant & Bar..................................... 295-5050 �������������������������� 74

Eseeola Lodge.................................................. 733-4311........................... 70

Vidalia Restaurant............................................ 263-9176........................... 73

Frye Regional Medical Center........................... 315-3391............................. 3

Watsonatta....................................................... 264-4540........................... 44

Gaines Kiker Silversmith / Goldsmith................ 295-3992........................... 85

Wellspring Retirement Community............... 800-547-5387........................ 84

Gamekeeper..................................................... 963-7400 ������������������������� 72

WingN’it.......................................................... 898-5008........................... 17

www.HCPress.com 86

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The curtain rises on another day

in historic Abingdon.

How will you spend iT? Catch a performance at

bArter theAtre. pedal along the scenic

VirginiA creeper trAil. sample the cuisine including

locAl beer And wine.

888.489.4144 路 www.abingdon.com August / September 2013

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87

Parting Shot...

T

High Country Magazine

Jordan Nelson

The Biggest So Far . . .

he biggest collegiate housing development in Watauga County is now open and leasing to students for the 2013-14 school year. Birmingham-based Capstone Collegiate Communities (CCC) has built numerous developments all over the United States. But the Cottages of Boone, located off Poplar Grove Road South, is its first foray into the High Country.

The massive project started construction in September 2012 off of N.C. 105 – just outside what some would call the “strenuous regulations” of the Town of Boone. Considering the size of the 60.7-acre development, it has not been without controversy since day one. Also, due to the record-breaking rainfall this year, the project has encountered delays and contractors are now rushing to finish the project before winter weather arrives.

The 106-building development features 202 units and 894 beds totaling a staggering 345,413 square feet of living space, which does not include the 7,003-square-foot club house. The Cottages has many amenities like a pool, sauna, 88

By

August / September 2013

fitness center, furnished housing, internet, cable and study rooms.

The Cottages will have nine different housing options.

This includes lodges with one, three and four bedrooms, duplexes and cottage-style housing. The five-bedroom cottages and five-bedroom duplexes have the option of coming with or without a basement.

Also, the development will have its own wastewater collection and processing plant on site. Through the process of drip irrigation, the treated water – instead of discharging in a stream – will discharge underground. Water collection will be done through two wells.

The land the Cottages is built upon is valued at $2,124,700 but was purchased for $3,174,000. The development is owned by CCC-Boone, LLC, a company out of Armonk, N.Y. Subcontractors include Vankirk Electric, Inc.; Hallway Plumbing, LLC, and Armstrong Air Conditioning & Heating.

By Mark S. Kenna

Still private. Still exclusive. Still sustainable.

THE SHELTER RECREATION CENTER HIGH MOUNTAIN CAMP CLUBHOUSE REDTAIL MOUNTAIN GOLF PRIVILEGES ADJOINS ELK KNOB STATE PARK TENNIS COURT AND PUTTING GREEN CONSERVANCY LANDS FITNESS CENTER HIKING TRAILS

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With over 300 of the 1,000 acres having been designated as a permanent natural preserve, Sunalei is truly a community within a park. Carefully balancing homes with the stirring landscape of a giant mountain and its surrounding valleys, Sunalei Preserve is a way to live within the environment – to experience it, to enjoy it and to protect it. With fewer than 120 home sites available, only a select few are destined to become a part of the Sunalei lifestyle.

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August / September 2013 High Country www.SunaleiPreserve.com • www.BlueRidgeRealty.net

Magazine

89

Upturn.

Downturn.

Your Turn.

Some things never change.

You watched while frenzied buyers purchased elsewhere at historic highs.

You waited while the market inevitably made corrections. Through it all, the mountains never changed. And the things that drew over 500 families to Echota remained the same. Timeless mountain views. Exceptional value. Debt-free, resort-style amenities in the heart of the High Country. You watched. You waited.

And now it’s your turn to enjoy Echota. Beautiful today. Beautiful tomorrow.

133 Echota Parkway, Boone, NC 800.333.7601

EchotaNC.com Call or stop in today to arrange a tour.

C               T                ,    90

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