28 minute read
Glen Falls
to watch out for exposed roots. About 0.2 miles from the trailhead there is a short trail to the right leading to the platform overlooking the mountains and the top of the upper falls. Stay left and proceed about 0.3 miles to the upper fall’s platform. Continue down the trail for another 0.2 miles to reach the middle falls and another 0.2 miles to reach the lower falls.
by Ed and Cindy Boos
At a Glance Waterfall Guide
Enjoy this sampling of area waterfalls, for a deep dive visit thelaurelmagazine.com/recreation.
HIGHLANDS Bridal Veil Falls
From NC 106 in Highlands, drive 2.3 miles west on US 64; Waterfall GPS: N35.07180 W-83.22910 Difficulty: You can park your car in a little parking area and walk 50 feet.
Dry Falls
From NC 106 in Highlands, drive 3.15 miles west on US 64 to a parking area on the left; Waterfall GPS: N35.06884 W-83.23869 Difficulty: There are lots of steps you must go down to get behind Dry Falls.
Bust Your Butt Falls
From NC 106 in Highlands, drive 6.35 miles west on US 64 to the pullout on the left; Waterfall GPS: N35.09268 W-83.26573 Difficulty: Don’t stop on the road itself!
Glen Falls
From the junction of US 64 and NC 106 in Highlands, drive 1.75 miles south on NC 106 and bear left at the sign for Glen Falls. Take Glen Falls Road, not Holt Road. Drive 1.05 miles to the parking area. Waterfall GPS: N35.03128 W-83.23829 Difficulty: There’s some climbing involved here.
Upper Middle Creek Falls
From the intersection of NC 106 and US 64, follow NC 106 South for 9.3 miles. Exactly 1 mile before you reach the Georgia state line, and about 0.3 miles after NC 106 crosses Middle Creek, a yellow School Bus Stop sign will be on the right. Park on the right side of the road right at the sign. Waterfall GPS: N35.00714 W-83.32916 Difficulty: The four-tenths of a mile hike is not strenuous but it can be confusing.
CASHIERS Silver Run Falls
From US 64 in Cashiers, head south on NC 107 from 4.05 miles – there’s a pullout area on the left. Waterfall GPS N35.06599 W-83.06558 Difficulty: No difficulty.
Whitewater Falls
From US 64 west of Lake Toxaway, take NC 281 for 8.5 miles and turn left at the sign for Whitewater Falls into a parking area. Difficulty: Not strenuous, though the paved path is a bit uneven.
Cashiers Sliding Rock
Cashiers Sliding Rock, a million miles from the cares of the 21st century, is easy to get to. From the Cashiers Crossroads, travel south on NC 107 to Whiteside Cove Road. Head down the road for 2.6 miles to where the road crosses the Chattooga River and pull over just across the bridge. Difficulty: A piece of cake.
Spoonauger Falls
From Cashiers, travel on NC 107 8.2 miles. The name changes to SC 107 – travel for 4.9 miles. Turn right onto Burrells Ford Road. Drive approximately 2.0 miles to the Chattooga Trail parking area on the left (look for the Forest Service Bulletin Board) Hike north on the Chattooga Trail, which roughly parallels the Chattooga River for 0.25 mile, then cross Spoonauger Creek. Immediately on the right will be a side trail. Difficulty: There’s nothing tricky.
Schoolhouse Falls
From US 64, take NC 281 North for 0.85 mile and bear left on Cold Mountain Road. Stay on the road. When it becomes unpaved, travel about 0.1 mile. Take the road on the right and travel for 0.1 mile to a parking area. Take the trail to the right of the information kiosk. At the intersection, proceed straight on Panthertown Valley Trail. Turn left onto Little Green Trail. Schoolhouse Falls is about 0.15 mile ahead. Waterfall GPS N35.16330 W-83.00674 Difficulty: The hike isn’t challenging.
Scan for interactive map of waterfalls in the Highlands and Cashiers area.
Solving the Golf Clubs Dilemma
There are a host of decisions that go into buying a set of clubs. Trust a professional to help you navigate the process.
The Chicken and the Egg Debate in the golf world can be translated to: What comes first, lessons or clubs?
When a golfer is new or re-entering the game after a long layoff, they are typically in search of new clubs. I hear it all the time, “Once my game improves, then I’ll buy clubs.”
Golf clubs are a big investment, but having properly-fit clubs can only enhance your golf experience. You would never try to learn to ride a bike on one that is too big or too small for you, right? Why would you learn to play golf with an outdated set that a family member handed down to you?
Do not, I repeat, do not buy a set of clubs off the rack unless you were fit for them first. Clubs are not one size fits all. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when zeroing in on the perfect clubs for you and your game. Do you need graphite or steel, a degree upright or flat, +1/2” or -1”, and how about the grips?
All of that information can be overwhelming, so why not leave it up to a professional fitter to help you decipher all
of these numbers? Having clubs that are specifically fit to you will only increase your confidence when you go to set up for a shot, and who doesn’t want to be more confident on the golf course?!
by Erika Mason, PGA Director of Instruction, Old Edwards Club and The Saddle at GlenCove
ARTS
Pages 80-101
Bette Crowder loves to paint. Three motivations drive her passion: to paint a memory for someone, then give it to them as a gift; to capture a scene or image that makes her own heart sing; to paint a commission … something that makes someone else’s heart sing. One of her favorite commissions was painting the red barn/office for an equestrian center that serves disabled children and wounded warriors.
Bette studied Business Administration in college, but she’s made up for lost art-time by taking workshops with some of the world’s finest art educators, among them watercolorist Alvaro Castagnet, a passionate watercolor master; Keiko Tanabe, a fluid watercolorist who specializes in butterflies; and Vladislav Yeliseyev, world-renowned architect, plein air and watercolor artist. What all have in common is a passion for painting images that stir the soul. These exceptional
Images that Stir the Soul
Bette Crowder’s watercolors are almost magical in their creation, and they document the wonders embroidered upon the fabric of reality.
Bette Crowder
artists are compelled to share their process and product with students, appreciators, and collectors. Their generosity influences Bette’s own open-heartedness in her work.
Realistic impressionism, leaning toward realism, best describes Bette’s style. Landscapes and animals inspire her most.
She says, “I’ve always preferred Watercolor. It has a nature all its own. It’s unpredictable. It’s magical. But it’s challenging. I can’t hit the undo button by painting over an oops as acrylic and oil painters can. Every brushstroke I make must have purpose.”
As an active member of many clubs and art associations, from Tampa to Cashiers, Bette is looking forward to re-connecting with peers and mentors after the Covid alert is lifted.
You may have seen Bette’s work in The Church of the Good Shepherd, Cedar Creek Club, and at exhibitions, art shows, The Village Green, and other venues throughout the region. In past years her paintings of purchased homes have thrilled new owners or provided a portable keepsake to departing residents.
Hopefully soon you’ll be able to see Bette and her watercolors live and in person at local shows. In the meantime, you can reach her through bettecrowder@gmail.com or call her at (941) 928-0655.
by Donna Rhodes
An Artistic Fusion at The Bascom
Jon Hendricks, The Bascom’s new Education Fellow, brings a passion for teaching and a nimble artistic sensibility.
Jon Hendricks
The Bascom’s residency program has been an important part of the organization’s mission for many years, and year-round, talented artists from around the country apply to participate. Resident artists are an essential part of Bascom programming, and provide a fresh outside perspective, new skills sets to work with, and new ideas. In return, The Bascom works to provide professional development opportunities, and real world work experience for these artists.
This summer The Bascom welcomes a new Education Fellow to the team for the summer of 2021. Jon Hendricks is an interdisciplinary installation artist living and working in Knoxville, Tennessee. His recent artwork consists of light and shadow installations, mixed media paintings, and found object encaustic sculptures. Jon has been teaching art for pre-K, K-12, adult as well as special education for 25+ years. His contribution to the arts community concentrates on community outreach programs and professional development for teachers and volunteers. Jon Hendricks shares his perspective on arts education: “As an art teacher and working artist, I am a facilitator of learning and allowing mistakes while working on building real world artistic skills. I allow students to explore concepts of art history, contemporary artists and offer guidance in formulating ideas and a facilitator and advocate of expression and creativity.
“My primary goal in Art Instruction with The Bascom is for students to understand content and use it in authentic contexts. I find it instrumental in creating essential questions and a comfortable, safe, fun, and messy environment for my students. By teaching through inquiry and exploration, the framework is already set for students to reach higher order thinking skills. As a teacher, I always seek to nurture the students’ ability to think on different levels and build on core content.”
Through August of 2021, Hendricks will be focusing on developing the curriculum for The Bascom youth summer workshops, building new community based programs, and creating work for exhibition in The Bascom Education Gallery.
Please join us in welcoming Jon Hendricks to The Bascom! Of course, the best way to understand The Bascom and its treasures is to allow yourself a languid stroll through its galleries and spaces. It’s located at 323 Franklin Road.
by Billy Love Creative Director, The Bascom
Martinis & Mozart
Of course! It turns out that Mozart and Martinis are a perfectly sublime blending. Join the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival for Martinis & Mozart at the Old Edwards Farm’s Orchard House, set for 5:30 P.M. Tuesday July 13.
Rasa Quartet
The Orchard House Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival presents, in collaboration with Old Edwards Inn & Spa, a special concert entitled Martinis & Mozart at 5:30 P.M. Tuesday, July 13, at The Orchard House at Old Edwards Farm.
The Festival has a history of presenting and nurturing young String Quartets just starting out in their careers, and you’ll get to hear and meet the brilliant young Boston-based Rasa Quartet.
Recent winners of the Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition and the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition, the Rasa is passionate about performing innovative, accessible, and powerful programs that are inspired by a wide variety of traditions, fuse multiple genres, and incorporate different artforms. They will perform an entertaining program of music ranging from Mozart to Tangos in a magical setting.
Complimentary martinis will be offered upon entrance to the Orchard House and a cash bar will also be available. An hors d’oeuvre reception will follow the performance, where you can mix and mingle with the musicians. Tickets are $50 each, and you can make your reservations now by calling (828) 526-9060 or emailing hccmfnc@gmail.com. You can find the Festival’s entire exciting lineup of six weeks of concerts and other special events online at h-cmusicfestival.org.
by Nancy Aaron, Executive Director, Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival
We’re Going For It
Bluegrass sensation Seldom Scene breathes new life into Highlands Performing Arts Center with a kick-your-heels-up concert Friday, June 18. For tickets, visit highlandsperformingarts.com.
Seldom Scene
The Highlands Performing Arts Center has been basically shuttered for over a year now, with the exception of a few encore performances by the MET and National Theatre for 10 people or less.
But now, as of this writing, we’re planning on a full audience for our LIVE concerts.
Friday, June 18, will be the first concert since November 2019. Bluegrass favorites Seldom Scene will bring the PAC back to life. Since forming nearly 50 years ago, The Seldom Scene has brought both freewheeling joy and immaculate musicianship to their take on bluegrass, offering up spirited interpretations of songs from limitless genres. On their new album Changes, the band sharpens their focus to a highly specific body of work: songs first recorded in the 1960s and very early ‘70s, rooted in the archetypal storytelling of classic singer-songwriters.
The Seldom Scene perform a sort of subtle magic; transforming the most stripped-bare songs into harmony rich and elaborately arranged compositions, while wholly sustaining the charmed simplicity of each piece. On Changes, The Seldom Scene more than proves itself up to the task, gracing every song with breathtaking instrumental interplay and heavenly threepart harmonies.
Saturday, June 26 brings Broadway back to PAC with internationally acclaimed countertenor Terry Barber. With an extraordinarily broad vocal range and natural fluency in many musical styles, Barber has been featured on some of the world’s most storied stages and has worked with many of the music industry’s most prestigious figures. He’s performed on every major record label, with Grammy-winning artists like Chanticleer, Madonna, Jewel, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Smith, and many more. Whether performing classical or popular favorites, he “breathes new life into everything he sings” and crafts what The Los Angeles Times calls “performances of great vitality and verve.” Performing with Terry is the Tony nominated singer Grace Fields.
Tickets are available at highlandsperformingarts.com.
See You at the PAC!
by Mary Adair Trumbly, Highlands Performing Arts Center
Back in Theater Heaven
Highlands Playhouse bursts out of its Covid confinement with a bracing schedule focusing on crowd favorites.
Now live! On stage! In front of a living, breathing audience! In-house theater at Highlands Playhouse has been revamped, restored, and resurrected with a special seat waiting just for you on July 22.
Let’s celebrate the Board, staff, and volunteers who adjusted to every challenge Covid threw at them. They kept the home fires burning. While the theater was dark, they created a new website, new online ticketing system, a new paint job, a new bar, and added new faces. Movies are already showing. Enjoy a film and check out the building’s new face-lift.
Board President Dave Healy says, “Auditions, contracts and preparations began for this season in January! If you remember, back then many questioned the vaccines and whether we could open at all! Our decision was to move forward and take a chance! We decided to do only two shows and start the season a few weeks later to ensure our patrons and performers would have time to be vaccinated and safe.”
Here’s the exciting 2021 Schedule:
Ring of Fire | July 22– August 14
From the songbook of Johnny Cash comes this unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and the healing power of home and family. More than two dozen classic hits – including I Walk The Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, and the title tune – performed by a multi-talented cast, paint a musical portrait of The Man in Black that promises to be a footstompin’, crowd-pleasin’ salute to a unique musical legend! Though he is never impersonated, Johnny Cash’s remarkable life story is told through his music, climaxing in a concert that will both move and exhilarate! All tickets are $45.
Curtains Up! | August 19– September 6
This original tribute to the best of Broadway and beyond was created by our very own Playhouse artistic team, led by Marshall Carby and Jimmy Lewis. This all new original revue, featuring some of your favorite Playhouse performers, will explore the classic musical theatre tunes we all know and love along with today’s Broadway and West End hits! All tickets are $45. Johnny Cash … and the Best of Broadway? Wowzer. Musical heaven is happening in Highlands. Pull up a cloud-soft seat and join your heavenly hosts, Scott Daniel, Marshall Carby, Jimmy Lewis, and the gang, as everyone shouts Hallelujah for the reunion.
Visit highlandsplayhouse.org/reserve to learn more and to order and reserve tickets.
by Donna Rhodes
Scan for more info
If you want to carve out your niche in the wonderful world of woodcraft, meet Daniel Bolick and Donald Lanson at the Franklin Wood Carving Club, 6:30 P.M. Thursday nights at the Franklin High School woodshop.
Dan and Don oversee a collective of dedicated wood carvers, people of all ages, men and women, boys and girls. Of course, the little shavers must be accompanied by an adult. Sharp objects, you know.
No matter what the age or skill level: beginners, intermediates, masters … all are welcome.
Covid and winter weather reduced attendance the past few months, but seasonal members are heading back north, so June’s meeting promises to be a productive one.
Don, a retired Marine, is a Floridian blown North by Hurricane Andrew. He rented a home in Franklin, waiting for things to return to normal in Homestead. But he liked the mountains so much, he decided to stay.
After a few months his wife said, “Honey …you need to do something with yourself.”
In the paper he read an announcement for the carving club meeting. He joined the group, bought some tools, grabbed a chunk of wood, and took a tutorial. That was 1993 and he’s been a cut-up ever since.
He specializes in sculpting figures: images of Marines, some in Okinawa, one in dress blues; the head and face of Jesus in Michelangelo’s Pieta; and animals of all kinds and sizes. He says it’s
Notch Up
Your Skills
Discover the wonders embedded within a block of wood at the meetings of the Franklin Wood Carving Club – 6:30 P.M. Thursdays at Franklin High School.
kept him off the streets and out of bars. His wife is pleased.
The club likes to do community projects on occasion. Doctors discovered Hospice and dialysis patients benefit from holding a smooth object in their hand, so the club carves comfort birds and crosses as gifts for those in need. The club also carved 14 one-foot-squares in relief to cover a wall at Macon Middle School. In addition, the club sculpted a threefoot-long panther ,which is displayed in the school office.
Cut yourself a satisfying slice of life, and give one of these club members a call – Daniel Bolick, President, (828) 5246038; or Donald Lanson, (828) 369-2144; Cell (828) 4211696; and email: dlanson@frontier.com.
by Donna Rhodes
Barbara Jamison
For Barbara Jamison, the featured artist at the Art League of HighlandsCashiers meeting set for 5:00 P.M. Monday, June 28, each creation is a mystery and a revelation.
At The Bascom on June 28 at 5:00 P.M., the Art League of Highlands-Cashiers will host its monthly meeting, following a Meet and Greet at 4:30.
The League is delighted to have as its guest speaker, local Cashiers artist Barbara Jamison.
Like many successful artists, Barbara had a former career that to some might seem unrelated to the visual arts. Born in Rye, New York, she received her BA from Georgetown University and an MBA from Columbia Graduate School. Her business career began in Manhattan, but soon took her to London and Rome. In London, she was Vice President of Amex Marketing for Europe. After a successful 20-year career, Barbara retired from the business world.
She’d always been fascinated with art, and after her time in Rome she felt compelled to study sculpture, often doing figurative work. However, her love of color soon led her to painting
Initially working in oil and pastel, Barbara soon discovered the unique versatility of acrylics. She began experimenting with a fresh form of artistic expression that led to a process that defines her unique style.
She works on canvas, laid parallel to the floor. On it she applies highly liquefied pigments of various viscosity and thicknesses and works it into organic shapes. She does this with a palette knife, but also by blowing through a straw or sometimes even using a blowtorch.
The images appear as organic abstractions of tree branches with the bark peeled back, revealing explosions of color, dramatic splashes and swirling sprays.
To see her process, check out her videos at Instagram@BarbaraJamisonPaintings.com. She also maintains a website, BarbaraJamisonPaintings.com.
The presentation is free and open to the public. To learn more about the Art League, visit artleaguehighlands-cashiers.com.
by Zack Claxton, Art League of Highlands-Cashiers
A Lifetime of Art
Michele Page Webster’s creations are truly a mixture of the Mundane and the Sacred.
Michele Page Webster
It’s easy to see why Michele Page Webster’s work is so irresistibly evocative.
There’s the obeisance to the principles of design. These fundamental elements are Scale, Progression, Texture, Color and Lighting. She applies them to her paintings with an engineer’s precision, yet tempered by an artist’s instincts shaped by a lifetime of study and practice.
And, of course, there’s her choice of media. She started out in oils, then moved on to mixed media and acrylics. This progression has given her works a subtle freedom and allows a full spectrum of colors and textures and emotional shadings.
Page was born and raised in Florida, where she developed at an early age an appreciation of the natural beauty that adorns our planet, including light, colors and textures. She began to imagine paintings in her mind and how they should be composed long before picking up a brush.
Today, she finds expression on canvas. Page paints many different subjects, and enjoys using different genres. She believes that all of this keeps her art fresh and allows it to evolve.
You can feel all of that when you gaze upon her art. There’s something about the colors and the very specific placement of her figures. Her landscapes invite contemplation – they’re familiar, even comforting, but there’s an element of unearthliness about them as well.
And while we’re considering the power of her work and its hold on the imagination, there’s one more element to take into account.
It was when she took her art to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico, that she discovered El Santuario de Chimayo, a Catholic shrine and National Historic Landmark known for its “Holy Soil” that’s said to have miraculous curative powers.
Inspired and feeling a powerful and irrefutable communion with the Sacred, Page gathered a small sampling of this earth, and brought it home. Today, she incorporates small amounts of the soil into some or her art, saying that, “the Holy Soil blesses the art and the home.”
Now some of those viewing Page’s work may say that adding dirt from a holy site is a ridiculous conceit, but when we consider the undeniable power of these creations, who among us will deny that they offer at least a hint of transcendence?
Page’s art can be viewed by private appointment. You can contact her directly at (850) 322-7660 or by visiting pagetheartist.com.
by Luke Osteen
Her Happy Place
There’s magic here in the mountains, and it’s captured in the art of Carla Gignilliat.
When you browse ACP Interiors in Highlands, it’s a little bit like a tumble through the Rabbit Hole. The showroom is filled with objects and artworks vying for your attention, each unique and demanding a browse and careful evaluation. But you can’t help but be ensorcelled by the paintings of Carla Gignilliat scattered throughout. Her landscapes and waterfall portraits are immediate and irresistible.
What’s palpable isn’t simply the image of untrammeled nature, but the astonishing power that resonates from it. You feel the reverent hush that’s embedded within a mountain vista and the comforting rumble of a secluded waterfall.
Through some strange alchemy of technique and an artist’s unerring eye, there’s magic here and mystery.
Somehow, Carla has captured the feel of the Plateau and its wild places. It’s a process that she’s been working on her entire life.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I loved being outside in nature,” she says. “I had a horse as a young adult and spent many a day riding my bike to my friend’s house where my horse was boarded and spending our days riding and exploring the woods and neighborhoods of Bettendorf, Iowa.”
And if you look carefully at those scenes captured in acrylic, you can almost feel transported to some place here on the Plateau.
That’s by design, and by a deep, transcendent connection to this corner of the Southern Appalachians.
“Having been a transplant to Atlanta from Iowa in 2003, I wasn’t aware of Highlands until my now husband took me for the first time in the winter of 2009, shortly after we started dating,” she says. “At that time, most of Highlands was shut down for the winter, but I fell in love with the town and surrounding landscape. He had been visiting there since childhood, and it quickly became a “happy place” for me as well and now for our two children. We love the area so much that we became proud owners of our second home in Scaly Mountain four years ago, and we visit whenever we have the opportunity.
“What resonated with me about the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau were the beautiful views just driving around, the gorgeous waterfalls and easily accessible trails, the peace and quiet I felt within myself when I visited there, the connection I felt with the people I was there with, the smells of the fresh air and flora growing everywhere. Some paintings I’ve done based on the area include Lake Ravenel at the Highlands Nature Center. I’ve also painted Mirror Lake on a snowy day, the trail at Osage Mountain on a foggy day, several foggy paintings of Dillard Road, and the view from the Whiteside Mountain Trail. I’ve also painted several deer and black bears inspired by witnessing them in the area. My goal this year is to paint even more paintings of the area, including Dry Falls, Old Edwards Inn, and the Vineyard at High Holly.”
If you want to understand the magic at the heart of Carla’s work, look, really look, at the paintings here on the page, or visit her website, carlagignilliat.com. For the most compelling encounter with her creations, visit ACP Home Interiors at 1990 Dillard Road on the outskirts of Highlands. You’ll see that I’m not being hyperbolic about this artist and her work.
Varied Life
The frenetic life of Ann Miller Hopkins has provided a bounty of ideas and images for her writing and art.
Ann Miller Hopkins
Ann Miller Hopkins has taken that “road less traveled” that poet Robert Frost penned in his famous poem, “and that has made all the difference.” A full-time resident in Cashiers with her husband Ed for the past two years, Hopkins has a diverse background – to say the least: journalism, landscape painting, teaching, real estate, beauty pageants, and European antiques.
Plus, she’s an author of two novels: Judge Not and Family Trust.
Judge Not centers on a former beauty queen, who becomes a pageant judge, and her “crazy predicaments” on the rural pageant circuit. Family Trust is a double-entendre title conveying the actual crux of the story, a family gathering together to establish a legal family trust, as well as the mixed bag of love, laughter, and arguments that ensue in families and that ultimately leads to a foundation of trust.
She shared that she has a large Southern family that includes singers, dancers, artists, designers, and beauty queens. While her novels are fiction, she pointed out that there is never a shortage of familiar characters, conflicts, and adventures within Southern families from which to draw inspiration and literary fodder.
Even though Hopkins has worn many hats and currently owns a small shop called A-List Antiques on Burns Street in Cashiers with her husband, she said, “My first love is writing.”
When not writing or painting, Hopkins traveled (pre-Covid-19) with her husband to places like Belgium and France to peruse and purchase antiques, lighting, and art, or they enjoy visiting family.
Her own art, some of which is featured on the A-List Antiques website, includes soft focused and serene scenes of water, marshes, boats, and more. Some of her art is for sale at her shop and compliments both utilitarian and ornate hand-crafted solid wood antique pieces. Hopkins’ books can be purchased at A-List Antiques or through Barnes and Noble or Amazon sites. by Deena Bouknight / photos by Susan Renfro
DINING
Pages 106-121
Living it up at Lakeside
Lakeside Restaurant is the perfect spot to reintroduce yourself to the splendid experience of fine dining. For more information or to make reservations (a must), please call Lakeside at (828) 526-9419. They are located at 531 Smallwood Avenue in Highlands.
It’s no coincidence that Tricia and I joined our friend Stuart for a languid meal at Lakeside Restaurant.
The three of us were finally fully vaccinated, and we were primed to shake off the anxiety that had shadowed our steps over the previous 14 months.
Set on the shores of Highlands’ little Harris Lake and arranged as though for a postcard, Lakeside is a little jewel that feels far more removed than simply a block from Main Street. It’s a different mindset and it’s relentless in its efforts to cajole you out of whatever remains of your Covid-induced listlessness.
The charm offensive is enhanced by the fun and just-this-side-of funky artwork that adorns nearly every inch of available wall space.
And, in our case, all that residual wariness was ultimately washed away by the irrepressible cheerfulness of our server Merrill. She was bright as a new dime and she consistently delivered what I can only describe as concierge serving service.
In fact, the first question she asked when we were seated was, “How’s Alex?”
Mind you, my son hasn’t eaten at Lakeside in six years. How’s that for a slice of small town goodness and grace?
And Merrill’s presentation was mirrored by the quiet presence of Owner Laura Huerta, gliding through the Dining Room as sweet as an apple on Christmas Day, and briefly stopping at each table to inquire about life outside the restaurant and the experience of dining within.
Even before we’d ordered our appetizers, Stuart and Tricia were served a pair of Dark ‘n Stormy cocktails. This subtle blending of dark rum and ginger beer is both bracing and oddly soothing, redolent of Caribbean noir. You can imagine Hemingway downing these as he finessed The Old Man and the Sea into existence, or John Huston ranting and pouring them down as he banged out the screenplay for Key Largo.
