Smoky Mountain Living, October 2016

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING

APPLE HAND PIES | PAINTING THE SMOKIES | DECODING FALL COLORS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Celebrating Southern Appalachians THE

MOUNTAIN CRAFTS | KNOXVILLE AT 225 | HIKING CLUBS | EARLY SMOKIES LANDSCAPES

MADE IN THE

SMOKIES

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 • VOL. 16 • NO. 5

smliv.com

One-of-a-kind weavings, pottery, banjos, fly rods, & more

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NEW WAYS THAT KNOXVILLE ROCKS

Hosted by:

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Renderings are artist concepts only and are subject to change without notice.

Obtain the Property Report required by federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. This does not constitute OPPORTUNITY HU VɈLY [V ZLSS VY H ZVSPJP[H[PVU [V I\` YLHS LZ[H[L [V HU` LU[P[` VY YLZPKLU[Z VM 5L^ @VYR VY HU` V[OLY Z[H[L VY Q\YPZKPJ[PVU ^OLYL WYVOPIP[LK I` SH^ VY ^OLYL WYPVY YLNPZ[YH[PVU PZ YLX\PYLK I\[ OHZ UV[ `L[ ILLU M\SÄSSLK PUJS\KPUN YLNPZ[YH[PVU PU 5L^ @VYR \UKLY [OL 4HY[PU (J[ VU ILOHSM VM *\SSV^OLL 9P]LY *S\I 33* VY HU`VUL HJ[PUN ^P[O [OL RUV^SLKNL VM *\SSV^OLL 9P]LY *S\I 33* *\SSV^OLL 9P]LY *S\I 33* PZ UV[ PUJVYWVYH[LK PU SVJH[LK PU VY H YLZPKLU[ PU [OL Z[H[L VM 5L^ @VYR *\YYLU[ KL]LSVWTLU[ WSHUZ HYL Z\IQLJ[ [V JOHUNL ^P[OV\[ UV[PJL HUK ZVTL WOV[VNYHWOZ may depict areas not within the project. There is no guarantee that facilities, features, or amenities depicted or otherwise described will be built or, if built, will be of the same type, size, or UH[\YL HZ KLWPJ[LK VY KLZJYPILK >L ^PSS \ZL `V\Y JVU[HJ[ PUMVYTH[PVU [V WYV]PKL `V\ PUMVYTH[PVU HIV\[ \Z L_JLW[ ^OLYL WYVOPIP[LK I` SH^ >L HYL PU JVTWSPHUJL ^P[O ;P[SL =000 VM [OL *P]PS 9PNO[Z (J[ VM >L OH]L UV[ HUK ^PSS UV[ KPZJYPTPUH[L HNHPUZ[ `V\ ILJH\ZL VM `V\Y YHJL JVSVY YLSPNPVU ZL_ UH[PVUHS VYPNPU MHTPSPHS Z[H[\Z VY OHUKPJHW EQUAL HOUSING

Fall IS HERE!

Visit us at FA L L FOL I AGE PR I M E R.C OM from Sept. 28 thru Nov. 9, 2016 for weekly fall color reports, photos, scenic drives, festivals, and more. We have all you need to enjoy the leaves—maps, footwear, packs and outerwear, jackets, birding guides, and perhaps a little something for a picnic.

63 N. Main St. • Downtown Waynesville • (828) 452-2101 • M A S T S T O R E . C O M • Valle Crucis • Boone • Hendersonville • Asheville • Winston-Salem, NC • Knoxville, TN • Greenville • Columbia, SC

Contents

FEATU RE STO RIES

MADE IN THE SMOKIES From banjos to bamboo fly rods, mountain crafts endure and take on new heights in the hands of these topnotch artisans.

BY BECKY JOHNSON

PAGE

44

THE PAINTER OF THE SMOKIES Horace Kephart harnessed the power of the pen, George Masa wielded a camera—and Rudolphe Ingerle had his paintbrush. Learn about this underappreciated mountain artist and see the works that supported the push to create Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

BY MARTHA R. SEVERENS

PAGE

64

SCRUFFY NO MORE As Knoxville turns 225 years old, the city pulses with new energy. Check out these 25 fresh ways to experience the so-called Scruffy City—from tunnels through tree canopies to pop-up dinners and letterpress workshops.

BY MARYELLEN KENNEDY DUCKETT

PAGE

68

Look closely into the mountains of North Carolina and you’ll discover a place unlike any other. Hendersonville calls out to all to seek out and explore new experiences year-round.

Take a Bite out of Henderson County!

Pick up your garden fresh apples at the many roadside apple markets or produce stands located throughout Henderson County or visit an orchard for tours and personal apple picking experiences!

Crest

of the Blue Rid

A Guide to Locally Grow

n

Fruits

Don’t forget to Pick up your copy of the Orchard Trail as your guide to the ultimate orchard experience!

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Orchard Trail

& Vegetables 1.800.828.4

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Contents SWEET APPALACHIA

DEPA RTME N TS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15

Comforts for the mountain soul—from a vintage portrait sure to make you smile to a recipe perfect for fall picnics. Plus: planting for pollinators, essays for North Carolina lovers, a fiddler for everyone, and more.

MOUNTAIN EXPLORER

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25

Falling for autumn in the Smokies is as easy as pulling on a pair of hiking boots or simply basking in the golden light of the season. As you follow the foliage, take time to check out a revamped country store from the 1920s, discover a new favorite peak, gather with elite outdoor athletes and spectators, and step back in time at a Smokies lodge near the infamous Road to Nowhere.

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 AT THE PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ON THE COVER

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Third-generation weaver Susan Leveille works the loom at her gallery in Dillsboro, North Carolina. PHOTO BY KATHRYN RAY

PHOTO ESSAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Good Living 4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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STORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Southern Appalachian Mountains Gallery Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Select Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Where Luxury meets

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DISCOVER PROPERTIES & COMMUNITIES AT HOME AND ON THE GO ON beverly-hanks.com

When you’re ready to search for a home that’s as breathtaking as our mountain views.

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HOME

for prices and photos.

Advanced searches and detailed community information.

<RXȇOO ȴQG WKHUH DUH PDQ\ ZD\V WR OLYH LQ Western North Carolina. We eliminate the guesswork by providing the photos, the analysis, and the community search tools you need.

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866.858.2257 customerservice@beverly-hanks.com

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

EQUAL HOUSING

OPPORTUNITY

FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR Community

Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . Scott McLeod scott@smliv.com General Manager . . . . . . . . . Greg Boothroyd ads@smliv.com Sales Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Hylah Birenbaum hylah@smliv.com Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . Katie Knorovsky editor@smliv.com Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Bumgardner travis@smliv.com Graphics . . . . . . . Micah McClure, Emily Moss Finance & Admin. . . . . . . Amanda Singletary Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Boothroyd, Whitney Burton, Amanda Bradley Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott Collier Contributing Writers . . . . . . Nick Breedlove, Maryellen Kennedy Duckett, Ashley English, Jason Frye, Don Hendershot, Becky Johnson, Holly Kays, Kathy Kyle, Jeff Minick, Fred Sauceman, Chris Smith, Martha R. Severens, Cory Vaillancourt, Natalya Weinstein, Waylon Wood Contributing Photographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Johnny Autry, Leah Beilhart, Nick Breedlove, Hannah Furgiuele, Becky Johnson, Carol Koury, Kathy Kyle, Jerry Mucklow, Kathryn Ray, Meg Reilley, Fred Sauceman, Cory Vaillancourt, Buddy Woods Contributing Illustrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mandy Newham-Cobb Smoky Mountain Living has made every effort to ensure listings and information are accurate and assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

For advertising information, contact Hylah Birenbaum at 866.452.2251 or hylah@smliv.com.

For editorial inquiries, contact Katie Knorovsky at katie@smliv.com.

Smoky Mountain Living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Queries should be sent to Katie Knorovsky at katie@smliv.com. ©2016. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted without the express, written consent of the publisher.

Smoky Mountain Living is published bimonthly (Dec/Jan, Feb/Mar, Apr/May, Jun/Jul, Aug/Sep, Oct/Nov) by SM Living, LLC, 144 Montgomery Street, Waynesville, NC 28786. Periodical Postage paid at Waynesville, N.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: please send address changes to Smoky Mountain Living, PO Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786.

SECOND STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

VOL. 16 • NUMBER 5

For the past several months, my household’s morning routine has been playing on repeat. I feed my baby. My husband brews a pot of coffee. I’ve even taken to drinking out of the same mug, day in and out. It’s a simple ceramic mug by East Fork Pottery, wood-fired in a kiln on a former tobacco farm in Madison County. Run by Alex Matisse—the great-grandson of French painter Henri Matisse—East Fork has top pedigree and fine technique yet an ethos that values functionality.

It is the perfect mug for this season of my life: beautiful and assured in its simplicity, reliable and free of fuss. Knowing it was made by a local artisan helps me feel connected to the wider community on days when my world feels confined to the walls of my house, or even the inside of my baby’s nursery.

Recently my family added a set of ceramic cups to our East Fork collection, picked up during a sale out at their homestead. We paid just a few dollars for each piece, but already my routine feels uplifted. Now, as I sip water from one of the speckled tumblers, I think of my son kicking his bare, chubby legs on the grass as we reclined in the shade of the pottery shed after picking out our bounty; of him staring in wonder at the outdoor kiln; the way his eyes lit up as he ran his fingers over the glazed textures. By exposing him to craftsmanship from the start—and by incorporating it into our daily life—I hope to instill in him an inherent desire for art and quality.

My own appreciation of handmade goods came the hard way, by learning that a love of something and talent for it are not the same thing. I’ll never forget the feeling many years ago when, as a college student in the midst of final exams before holiday break, I balanced my checkbook and discovered I had exactly 50 cents to my name. Giving Christmas gifts that year was an exercise in creativity. Fresh from a course load of art classes, I pulled out my leftover supplies and got to work. The finished paintings and drawings were unique, personal, and made with love—but not, in all honesty, particularly good.

Fortunately, I’ve never again been quite so strapped for cash come Christmastime. When I can, though, I still rely on handmade gifts; a good made by two hands always feels more special than its mass-produced counterpart. These days I just make sure those hands are significantly more skilled than mine.

Luckily, talent surrounds us here in Southern Appalachia, where craft heritage runs deep. Our second annual spotlight on mountain craftsmanship, “Made in the Smokies,” features an array of artists dedicated to carrying on tradition. Whether you’re in the market for an heirloom or a little something to brighten your day, the artisans in these pages won’t disappoint.

I still rely on

handmade gifts; a good made by two hands always feels more special than its mass-produced counterpart.

— Katie Knorovsky, managing editor

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7

AT THE PARK

A Field Guide to Fall

Community

The Smokies are home to more than 100 species of trees, but those listed here represent the mountains’ most common inhabitants.

Seeing the Fall Forest for the Trees A kaleidoscope of color defines fall in the Smokies. The hue of a tree’s leaves tell the story of the natural history of each species.

Three pigments fight it out to determine which will prevail as fall arrives, explains Western Carolina University’s fall color expert Kathy Mathews.

Chlorophyll, the food-producing part of the leaf, is responsible for any green that’s left around, but most of the chlorophyll dies when frost arrives. Its death reveals the carotenoids that had been there all along and creates colors ranging from yellow to orange. Anthocyanins influence the group of pigments that flash red and purple. The compound is something of a natural sunscreen, produced when sunlight hits the leaves.

For all colors on the fall leaf spectrum, frost is key to setting off the show. Peak color change typically occurs a few days later, explains Mathews.

Generally speaking, peak color comes to elevations above 4,000 feet during the first two weeks of October and to the mid-elevations—2,500 to 3,500 feet— during the third week of October.

Autumn in Cades Cove.

EARLY FALL y Tulip-poplar, a tall and straight-growing tree that tends to inhabit moist areas, displays yellow leaves often speckled with brown spots. y Sweet birch, a medium-size tree that grows at elevations below 4,000 feet, turns yellow. y American beech, a high-elevation hardwood, turns golden yellow. y Yellow buckeye, named for its yellow flowers that grows in moist forest, turns bright orange. y Red maple, a medium-size tree that grows in a wide variety of habitats, turns orange-red. y Dogwood, a small tree that grows in all but the highest elevations, turns bright red. y Sourwood, a slender tree that often grows at a lean, turns red-purple.

LATE FALL y Hickory, a category that includes multiple species of compound-leafed trees, turns yellow. y White oak, which inhabits a range of habitats and elevations, turns orange to yellow. y Black oak, which grows in dry areas, turns orange. y Northern red oak, which grows on moist slopes and valleys, turns red. y Scarlet oak, which grows on dry slopes and ridges, turns scarlet.

— By Holly Kays

KRISTINA PLAAS PHOTO

8

CLINGMAN GETS A LIFT

KIDS ON THE TRAIL

A rally of support from Smokies fans across the country has landed a $250,000 grant to fix up Clingmans Dome Observation Tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The tower, which straddles the park’s highest point—on the North CarolinaTennessee state line at 6,643 feet—was built in 1959. Since then, it’s seen enough wear and tear to merit a makeover.

Provided by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the grant dollars will correct up to four inches of foundation settlement and address deterioration along the stone masonry walls, concrete, and flagstone terrace.

The Smokies was one of 20 historic places nationwide selected to participate in an online voting contest to land the grant

Hundreds of kids in Sevier County, Tennessee, are now much better equipped to go hiking thanks to a partnership that delivered hiking guides to all fourth-graders in the county at the end of the last school year.

Getting the next generation out in the mountains is part of the mission for the National Park Service, especially as it celebrates its centennial this year. The guidebook delivery aimed to further that goal of getting kids excited about the beauty in their backyard.

Fourth-graders were selected as recipients so the initiative could dovetail with the Every Kid in a Park initiative. The program makes free passes to all federally managed lands available to fourth-graders and their families. everykidinapark.gov.

As the park’s highest point, Clingmans Dome Tower is a popular spot to take in a million-dollar view.

DONATED PHOTO

money and, as one of the top nine votegetters, received a grant award. Friends of the Smokies will oversee the grant, with restoration work beginning in 2017.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS Community

T

o call Jeff Minick an avid reader is to call the mountains pretty. In other words, that’s just the first line of the story. Longtime book columnist for Smoky Mountain Living and our sister publication, Smoky Mountain News, Minick has written hundreds of book reviews on regional titles. The Asheville writer teaches Latin, history, and literature to seminars of homeeducated students and has also self-published two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings; a collection of essays, Learning As I Go; and a selfhelp book, Movies Make The Man. On page 24, he offers his take on a collection of essays about what North Carolina means to 22 of its resident writers. “Reading local authors old and new can enhance the experience of any reader, native or newcomer,” Minick says. “History, culture, attitudes, figures of speech, ideas of family: Regional writers address these elements and others in their work. Ranging from storytellers like Sheila Kay Adams and Gary Carden to commentators like Horace Kephart and historians like William Trotter, regional writers deepen our appreciation of the past and illuminate the present.”

Learn more at jeffminick.com.

Martha R. Severens

I

f the profile of early Smokies painter Rudolph Ingerle on page 64 evokes a feeling akin to walking through a museum, that’s for good reason.

Writer Martha Severens moved to Greenville, South Carolina, in 1992 to become curator at the Greenville County Museum of Art, renowned for the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by artist Andrew Wyeth, among other gems in its holdings. Before that, she held similar positions at the Gibbes Museum of Art,

Charleston, and the Portland (Maine) Museum of Art. Now retired, Severens continues pursuing her passion for art history by consulting premier collections such as the Reynolda House Museum of American Art and the Johnson Collection of Spartanburg.

Her recent writing credits include a monograph on noted Charleston artist, Mary Whyte; From New York to Nebo: The Artistic Journey of Eugene Thomason released in September 2014; and, most recently, Scenic Impressions: Southern Interpretations from the Johnson Collection.

Natalya Weinstein

I

s it a violin, or a fiddle? In the hands of Asheville musician and writer Natalya Weinstein, the two are one and the same. A classical musician by training, Weinstein started the Suzuki violin method as a fiveyear-old in Massachusetts. Yet right from the start, her influences spanned the spectrum, in part thanks to her jazz pianist father and professional klezmer musician grandfather.

When she moved to Asheville in 2004, she embraced old-time and bluegrass music and began fine-tuning her fiddle style. “I'm blessed to have found a second home here in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” says Weinstein, “where everyone has been so welcome and open to sharing their music with me.”

Weinstein’s own musical versatility served her well to profile renaissance fiddler Arvil Freeman (see page 26), a longtime mentor and friend. “I am overwhelmed with the diversity of fiddlers in the region, from old-time fiddlers like Rob Mangum and the late Trevor Stuart to Roger Howell, Arvil Freeman, and my husband's grandfather, Jim Shumate,” Weinstein says. “All these players and many more have taught me so much about the music I cherish and have inspired me to share it as a performer and a teacher.”

Along with her husband, John Cloyd Miller, she cofounded the popular Americana trio Red June. Since 2015, she and Miller have focused their efforts on their duet project, Zoe and Cloyd, with performances at MerleFest, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, IBMA World of Bluegrass, and more.

Learn more at zoeandcloyd.com.

AARON DAHLSTROM PHOTO

Jeff Minick

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9

PHOTO ESSAY Community

From the contours of a craggy peak to the intricate beadwork of a local artisan, heirlooms in Southern Appalachia have been forged by nature as well as made by hand. Our readers share their views of artistry that endures.

Mark Roberts Glade Creek Mill.

Mike Gall Cable Grist Mill, Cades Cove, Tenn.

Gary Pinholster Zebulon Vance Birthplace, Weaverville, N.C.

Jo D’Eramo/Appalachian Mountain Photography Waynesville, N.C. Heritage Festival.

Carroll McMahan Carl Sandburg’s famous poem “Fog” painted on a scarecrow. Carl Sandburg Historic Site, Flat Rock, N.C.

“Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.”

—Johannes Brahms

Terri Campbell Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest.

PHOTO ESSAY Community

Bonnie Waigand Primitive Baptist Church, Cades Cove, Tenn.

Melissa Arney Papa, Murphy, N.C.

“When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: The work is good, the product of a master craftsman.”

—Jean de la Bruyere

Terri Campbell Foggy October morning along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

E

ach issue of Smoky Mountain Living features photographs taken by our readers. The December 2016/January 2017 issue will feature regional resolutions for the new year. Send us your best photos of wintry mountain scenes, particularly those depicting fresh starts and higher living.

Email photos to editor@smliv.com

by October 10; include information on where the photo was taken and by whom. Reader-submitted photos are unpaid but may be rewarded with publication in our nationally distributed magazine.

Connect with us at smliv.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @SmokyMtnLiving.

Jo Harris Grandmotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy, Sevierville, Tenn.

Joshua L. Adams Cherokee mask

Scott Ramsey Mother and baby elk at Mile-High Campground, Cherokee, N.C.

Terri Campbell Big Tumbling Creek, Saltville, Va.

14

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 5

SWEET APPALACHIA COMFORTS FOR THE MOUNTAIN SOUL

IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT This 1930s photograph of Segli Nedde, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, brings a smile to the face of Mike Aday, the librarian-archivist for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He calls images like this one—portraits that show early Smokies residents grinning—rare. Whether that’s because photography was still a unique medium, and perhaps subjects wanted to appear forthright, or because the photographer chose serious moments to depict, Aday can’t say for sure. “But there must have been joy and happiness in life here, and that's why this image of Nedde makes me happy,” he says. “I know how happy and content I can feel some mornings waking up in Appalachia, and suspect that our subject here felt the same way, too.”

NPS, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK PHOTO

THE VIEW FROM HERE Sweet Appalachia

Apples to Apples

BY ASHLEY ENGLISH

M

y lifelong love affair with apples is steeped in tradition. The crisp, fragrant fruit has popped up in family meals, festivities, and occasions for as long as I can remember.

Each autumn as a child, I cherished apple butter spread thickly over buttery biscuits. I make some every year, both traditionally spiced and in a more exotic incarnation, with cardamom, my most beloved spice. Each time I make a batch, fond memories of mornings with my maternal grandmother, Nanny, wash over me. I know I’m not alone here; a fondness for the fruit seems to have found its way into so many people’s lives.

Many weekends in my childhood, apples would make a cameo at the family breakfast table. They’d appear in the form of what we then referred to as “fried apples.” Truer more to the spirit than to the letter of frying, Mom would melt a generous portion of either bacon grease or butter in her well-worn iron skillet, add chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of water to the pan, and simmer the mixture into spicy, soft submission. We’d pair the fried apples with homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs, and bacon or sausage and groan in hearty satisfaction.

Bobbing for apples was another way the fruits found their way into my youth. My mom loves celebrations and made a point of throwing truly memorable childhood birthday parties for my brother and me. She’d slice small openings into the sides of firm apples, tuck quarters into them, and send us and our ragtag crew of friends bobbing our way through a bucket of apples and water.

In the late ’90s, my mother relocated to a three-stoplight town in Western North Carolina.

Along with stunning mountain views, her newly acquired 1800s-era farmhouse also included a prolific apple tree. With almost no effort on her MEG REILLEY PHOTOS

16

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

part, the tree repeatedly produces a bountiful harvest come autumn. Deer, passers-by, and I all pilfer the tree (with permission, of course— the deer notwithstanding) for its outstanding specimens. Dark-skinned and perfectly round, her apples are some of the finest I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.

Many are unaware that North America was once host to over 16,000 varieties of apples. At a lecture I once attended, the conservationist, author, and food and farming advocate Gary Nabhan revealed that roughly 9 out of 10 apple varieties once native to this land are at risk of permanent extinction. These are apple specimens that have grown and thrived here for millennia, apples perfectly suited for this soil, this climate, and this topography. As a result of Nabhan’s lecture, the significance of the disappearance of heirloom apples—a fruit so dear to my family—left an indelible mark on me. It motivated and compelled me to maintain a close relationship with this generationally beloved fruit.

Rosemary and Sage Apple Hand Pies These lovely little treats make pieeating eminently transportable, perfect for autumn picnics, tailgating, Halloween parties, and other seasonal celebrations. The aromatic, resinous flavors of sage and rosemary provide a perfect foil to the fruit’s sweetness.

Makes 12-14 hand pies

YOU WILL NEED: Pie Dough 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 ¼ teaspoons salt 1 cup butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed 3/4 cup ice water Filling 1 ½ pounds apples (such as Gala, Granny Smith, Jonagold or a blend of baking apples), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

I plan to never stop engaging in a bit of buttering, frying, bobbing, and much, much more with apples in my home.

My mother’s apple tree, the apple orchard I visit every autumn in Henderson County (the nation’s seventh largest apple-producing region), my own apple trees, and all of the future apples I intend to plant, nurture, harvest, and consume will keep the fruit a focal point of my own growing family’s history. I plan to never stop engaging in a bit of buttering, frying, bobbing, and much, much more with apples in my home. As it’s said, apples don’t fall far from the tree, and that’s just how my family and I like it.

About the author: Candler, N.C., homesteader Ashley English is the author of seven books. This recipe and essay appear in Handmade Gatherings: Recipes and Crafts for Seasonal Celebrations and Potluck Parties by Ashley English, now out in paperback.See smallmeasure.com.

2 tablespoons lemon juice Zest of 1 lemon ¼ cup light brown sugar 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon Egg wash 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon cold water Cinnamon sugar 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

TO MAKE: Prepare the pie dough: 1) Mix the flour and salt together in a medium-large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, incorporate

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the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, but with several pea and lima bean-size butter bits in the mix.

2) Slowly drizzle in the ice water.

Stir with a mixing spoon until the dough starts to clump. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface and fold it together into itself using your hands. The dough should come together easily but shouldn’t feel overly sticky.

3) Divide the dough in half and shape into two flattened disks. Wrap each dough ball in cellophane and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Prepare the cinnamon sugar: Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Stir to fully blend. Set aside.

Prepare the hand pie circles: Remove one of the chilled pie dough disks from the refrigerator. Roll it out into a 12- to 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut out six to seven 5-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Transfer the dough rounds onto a parchment- or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet. Repeat the above steps with the second chilled dough disk. Refrigerate both cookie sheets while preparing the filling.

Prepare the filling: Place all of the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Stir to fully combine.

Assemble the hand pies: 1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the sheets of chilled dough rounds from the refrigerator. Mound 1 to 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture on one half of each dough round.

Depending on how many dough rounds you cut out, you may have a bit of filling left over.

2) Fold the other half of the dough round up and over the apple mixture.

Crimp and seal the edges together using the tines of a fork. Using a pointy-tip knife, cut out a small X over the center of each hand pie. This enables steam to vent off while the pies are baking.

3) Beat the egg yolk with the cold water. Brush lightly over the top of each hand pie. Sprinkle each of the pies with a pinch of cinnamon sugar each. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crusts are golden brown, rotating the positions of the cookie sheets midway through the baking time.

17

Sweet Appalachia

Wild About Pollinators

CAROL KOURY PHOTO

C

hris Smith, the community coordinator of Sow True Seed— an Asheville-based company that specializes in open-pollinated, heirloom, and organic seeds—answers gardening questions in each issue of Smoky Mountain Living.

How can I create a good habitat for pollinators?

I hold the firm belief that while a natural green thumb can come in handy, it is the willingness to get dirty hands that is the superior characteristic of a successful gardener. One quick and simple cheat is to allow an area of your garden to go “wild.” You may discover all sorts of pollinator-friendly plants jumping up. Black-eyed Susans, chicory, buckwheat, violets, and dandelions have all graced my local pollinators (and me) by the painless act of not mowing an area of my garden.

It can of course also be rewarding and beneficial to intentionally establish a pollinator habitat. The monarch butterfly has become the poster child for the need to plant specific species. Through the great work of organizations such as the Xerces Society, many of us now know that monarch butterfly caterpillars require milkweed plants as a food source.

So, planting milkweed specifically helps the monarchs.

Sow True Seed offers a flower mix called Southeast Native. It has a great range of wildflowers that will happily

18

become established in our area (including milkweed). There are many other assortments with various roles, from Bee Feed to Beneficial Attractant Mix. One thing you’ll note about wildflower mixes is they often contain perennials and selfseeding annuals. As a reminder: Perennials are plants that will regrow from the same root system, while self-seeding annuals will set seed and regrow the next year. Both terms mean that the wildflowers will become established and may even spread (depending on the surrounding environment).

The next thing you’ll note about wildflower mixes is that the seeds often require stratification. This term indicates the need for a cold, damp experience prior to successful germination. We are basically talking about the seed’s survival instincts to not germinate early and die—instead waiting out the winter until spring weather is favorable.

Stratification can put a lot of people off, but it shouldn’t be intimidating—no green thumb required. In its simplest form, seeds can be sown just before the ground freezes in early winter. This natural method of stratification has served the seeds well for millennia. You should be aware that there are inherent risks, including hungry rodents, rotting, and remembering where you sowed them.

For the wary (or late in getting organized), these natural conditions can be replicated. There are different methods to doing this, but in general mixing your seeds with damp peat moss and placing them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for four to eight weeks is effective. This method would lead to planting the seeds as soon as the soil becomes workable in spring.

Sowing the seeds is easy, too. I like to mix the seeds in a bucket with some standard garden soil and then broadcast the seeds in the area I’d like to establish (as if they’d naturally fallen from the flowers). If you are concerned about rodents or birds, you can lightly rake the seeds into the soil to provide some extra protection.

Many people hope to establish wildflowers in existing “weedy” or overgrown habitat. It is hard to establish wildflowers in these areas because of the already established root Bees swarm to wildflowers including purple networks of the coneflowers (above) and daisies (left). competition. For best success you will want to dig up these plants, or lay down cardboard and mulch to suppress the competing weeds. If you are tackling a large area, try reclaiming small sections at a time. Our packets of wildflower seeds typically cover 20 to 48 square feet, although bulk sizing is available for larger plots.

Most wildflowers don’t require good quality soil, and native flowers have evolved to be quite happy in our heavier clay-like soils. They will need a little bit of tender loving care (water in dry spells) as they get established, but once established these pollinator habitats will quite happily look after themselves and your pollinators.

Email your gardening questions to ask@sowtrue.com.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

SOW TRUE SEED PHOTO

ROOTS

FARM TO TABLE Sweet Appalachia

Chef Nate Allen serves trout in a variety of creative ways at his Spruce Pine restaurant, Knife and Fork. JOHNNY AUTRY PHOTO

When in Doubt, Eat Trout

BY JASON FRYE

T

he first time I remember being truly awed by food, it was trout that did it.

My family was on vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and we were walking past Smoky Mountain Trout House when I spied an aquarium in the window. It was teeming with rainbow trout.

I asked why they had those fish in the aquarium, but before my parents could answer, someone fished out a trout and carried it off to the kitchen to become someone’s dinner.

I had to eat there.

It might have been that trip or another soon after, but we did eat there. I don’t remember what I got, but I remember the excitement of going up to the aquarium and pointing out the trout I wanted, then watching, rapt, as they removed it from the water and took it to the kitchen.

I was young then, 8 or 10, and in the decades since, I’ve visited Smoky Mountain Trout House a handful of times, and I’ve encountered mountain trout, North Carolina mountain trout, wild mountain trout, and several other names for this simple ingredient on menus in five states. Whatever you call it, trout is a heritage food

for those living in the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains. They live in the clearest of mountain streams, you can catch them year-round (within fishing regulations, of course), and they’ve been served on dinner plates for centuries. They’re a key part of our food history, and many of the best chefs in the region are coming up with ways to keep trout on their menu all year long, varying their preparations but also varying what they serve alongside.

“We try to venerate that fish,” says Nate Allen, chef and owner of Knife & Fork in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. “It’s a great, versatile ingredient, one that’s not limited to season but one that pairs really well with all sorts of seasonal produce.”

In summer, Allen serves trout ceviche; in spring, it’s with spring greens and new potatoes and other foraged greens and roots. In fall and winter, he surprises diners who think of seafood as a warmweather dish with the heartier cuts—collars and cheeks—going into stews, and filets served over root vegetables and late-season greens. His dishes are elevated to fine-dining level, but they’re never far removed from their simple roots, creating plates that are rustic but refined.

“Trout’s always been around, so we’re always going to keep it around. This is an ingredient that kept mountain people alive for generations. We can’t lose that,” he says.

At Smoky Park Supper Club in Asheville, North Carolina, Chef Michelle Bailey cooks over wood—keeping alive another mountain tradition and infusing every dish that comes out of her kitchen with a complexity you only get from smoke. Her trout is no exception.

“In the fall, I love to serve trout that has been brined in local cider and a fresh herb like thyme or rosemary,” she says. “Those aromatics and the hint of sweetness from the cider accentuates the delicate flavor of the fish without overpowering it. One of my favorite fall recipes is Sunburst Farms Trout, seared grape relish, faro, and grilled kale salad, roasted butternut squash, and smoky muscadine vinaigrette.”

Chef Bailey’s take on those sides may be contemporary, but the dish achieves its main goal—to replicate the flavors of fall—with some simple elements: squash, smoke, and grapes. Muscadine grapes may be more difficult for the home cook to come by, especially in late fall, but squash are plentiful, and, as Bailey explains, achieving some of that smoky flavor at home isn’t difficult.

“The home cook can introduce smoke to the dish by cooking the trout in a cast-iron pan or on a smoker,” she says.

If you’re cooking on a grill, simply drop your soaked wood chips on the coals or grill grates just before you put the fish in your preheated cast-iron skillet (Bailey recommends the pan be “ripping hot”). If you’re cooking inside, go for the oven rather than the stovetop and put a few soaked wood chips on a piece of foil while the trout cooks.

Bailey goes on to say she thinks cooks should be less intimidated by cooking a whole fish.

“When you cook a fish intact, it leads to a more flavorful and moist product,” she says. “Just be sure it’s cooked through and always finish it off by cooking the skin over high heat to get it nice and crispy.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jason Frye is a food and travel writer from North Carolina and the author of Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip, Moon North Carolina, Moon Asheville, and other guides.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

19

READING LIST Sweet Appalachia

pages of Amazing Place. She has divided the book into three parts—The Mountains, The Piedmont, and Down East and the Coast—and in his piece “100,” which refers to the number of counties in the Old North State, Fred Chappell addresses the differences of these three geographical entities. Chappell grew up in Canton and calls the mountains home. He taught for many years in Greensboro and has adapted to the piedmont. But of the coast he tells readers that when visiting there, “I am never entirely at ease.” With a good deal of humor, he cites the differences between the three sections, using as evidence everything from how we name our dogs to our slang. “In the piedmont, a teenage driver

BY JEFF MINICK who makes a fast and noisy start guns it. In the east, he lays rubber.

In the hills, he scratches off.”

Home.

In “Our First Steps,” Monique Truong recounts the story of her The word slips from the mouth as easily as an exhalation of air. family’s exodus from South Vietnam when it became clear that We don’t need to finagle over the word’s definition because, for each North Vietnamese troops were about to invade the country. of us, home—like love—carries its own special connotations. We Truong, her mother, and her father eventually found themselves say or hear “home,” and depending on living in Boiling Springs, where her who we are and how we have lived, our father gave her a book called North minds might conjure up a place of great Carolina Parade: Stories of History and comfort or great suffering, a mountaintop People. In that book, Truong read a mansion in Maggie Valley or a doudescription of the Lost Colony and blewide in a trailer park in Sylva. And if Virginia Dare, “the first child of Engwe extend our definition of the word belish parents to be born in America.” yond the doorway of our dwelling place, Her reflections on that story offer a home is the place we live or have lived, a lesson to those of us born here. Virplace where we have planted our affecginia Dare, writes Truong, “was a sactions and watered them with memories. rificial innocent, and her presumably An example: From the ages of 4 to 12, I spilled blood gave birth to all that was lived in Boonville, North Carolina, yet for to come, which was the state of North 30 years after leaving that small town, Carolina, and even more importantly, whenever someone asked where I was North Carolinians. They, which now from, I would answer: “Boonville.” Home included me, were born of hope, deis where the heart is. termination, and the promise of the In Amazing Place: What North New World.”

Carolina Means to Writers, editor “My Mind Grinds the Graveyard” Marianne Gingher has gathered essays is Clyde Edgerton’s account of his from 22 writers in which they remind us many visits to his family’s graveyard of the importance of “place” in our lives near the William B. Umpstead State and in particular what it means to live in Park. Here the fading stone markers North Carolina. of his ancestors rouse memories of In her introduction to Amazing Place, aunts and uncles, grandmothers and Amazing Place: What North Carolina Means to Writers.

Gingher writes, “The essence of ‘place’ is grandfathers, who once told him stoUniversity of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill, 2015, 214 family, friends, community, heritage, cul- pages, $20. ries associated with the names on the ture, weather, and landscape in all its senstones. “To have a place,” Edgerton sory glory (or squalor), steeping in a particular containment of time.” concludes, “is to have yourself in spite of the uncertainty and void For writers, she goes on to say, “all the things around us, physical of the universe. Thus, to have a place is to have the start of a story.” and atmospheric, obvious or implied, combine to center, guide, and Kudos to Amazing Place. sharpen a writer’s sensibilities, leaving impressions that endure.”

It is these impressions that Gingher’s essayists bring to the ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeff Minick is profiled on page 9.

A Place to Call Home

“But why had he always felt so strongly the magnetic pull of home?

Why had he thought so much about it and remembered it with such blazing accuracy, if it did not matter…?”

— Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

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21

LISTEN HERE Sweet Appalachia

An Afternoon with Arvil B Y N ATA LYA W E I N S T E I N

O

n Fridays throughout the summer months, Arvil Freeman plays the fiddle with the Stoney Creek Boys at the Montreat barn dance. Saturday nights feature him on stage in downtown Asheville, part of the house band at Shindig on the Green.

But most of the time, no matter the season, Arvil and his fiddle hold court in his living room—also known as his teaching studio.

That’s where my fiddle and I have joined him for the afternoon.

I’ve taken lessons from Arvil in the past, but it’s been a few years since I’ve been to his home on Stony Knob Road. Even so, he greets me with a big bear hug when I pull up. After we step inside, he tells me another fiddler has just left, and that he teaches all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He’s a prolific musician in his own right, but he prioritizes his students and won’t take a gig on a day he’s scheduled to teach. For his mid-80s, this all seems like quite a rigorous schedule, but he takes care of himself, and his full teaching schedule keeps him dexterous on his instrument.

I’m officially here for an interview, but when I ask if I can set up a microphone, Arvil says, “You can find out everything you need to know about me on YouTube. Let’s play fiddles.” Laying aside my original intentions, I eagerly get out my instrument. I changed the strings earlier that morning, so it’s painfully out of tune, but Arvil waits patiently while I wrestle with the tuning pegs.

Born in 1932 in the Paw Paw community of Madison County, North Carolina, Arvil taught himself to play the fiddle by listening to his older brother, Gordon, and other musicians in the area. A talented musician, as a teenager he began performing with many seminal groups of early bluegrass including Zeke & Wiley Morris, the Sauceman Brothers, and Reno & Smiley. Though he enjoyed the excitement of touring with different bands over the years, it was hard work and he grew weary of the road. He eventually chose to work a full-time job as a meat technician at Ingles and play music on the side. Now retired, he focuses on his teaching and, on the weekends, performing around the area.

Arvil’s fiddle playing is hard to put in a box. Unlike a lot of musicians in the area who identify with a certain genre, when I ask whether he plays bluegrass or old-time music, he simply says, “I play fiddle music.” While most of his early counterparts in Madison County were old-time fiddlers, Arvil came of age during the development of “long-bow” fiddling, popularized by Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith

22

in the 1930s. This new style linked melody notes together into one bow stroke, resulting in a smoother style of playing. Arvil’s unique style incorporates elements of old-time fiddling, square dance tunes, as well as the double-stops and long bows of bluegrass fiddling.

Lessons always start out by playing Arvil’s fiddles, and he usually seems to have a newcomer in rotation, which today turned out to be a newer Chinese-made fiddle. “It’s one of the best, easiest playing fiddles I’ve ever played.” It’s especially great to play for square dances, he explains, when you have to play a song for five to six minutes. After I try his Hopf violin and a Stradivarius copy on loan from a fellow musician named Bryan McDowell, we begin to play.

We start off with “Bitter Creek,” a fiddle tune I picked up at the Mount Airy Fiddler’s Convention, and also used to play with my husband’s grandfather, the pioneering bluegrass fiddler Jim Shumate. Arvil’s version is a bit different, but we’re able to play the tune together. Ever a master of improvisation, Arvil shows me a way to play the first section in the lower octave to change up the melody.

Next we work on variations for “Hop High Ladies,” known as “Miss McCloud’s Reel” in Irish circles. He shows me how to drone on the low strings along with the melody to “make it old-timey.”

Arvil explains that he worked up all these variations from playing at square dances. “I experimented, since nobody was listening anyway, because they’re out there concentrating on the beat. So that’s where I came up with a lot of these different arrangements.”

Arvil Freeman.

HANNAH FURGIUELE PHOTO

While Arvil has toured and performed across the country, teaching has become his calling and he’s passionate about sharing music with others. “Back when I was trying to learn, I didn’t have anybody to learn from. Most of the old-time fiddle players definitely weren’t going to show you, sit down like we’re sitting down. That’s what I’m here for now … my main goal the remainder of my life is teaching. I’ve got 22 students and I’ve got some youngsters coming up—10, 11 years old—that will knock your eyes out. I love it.

There’s nothing I like better than teaching.”

We wrap up our time together playing double fiddles on a haunting Bill Monroe tune called “Jerusalem Ridge.” When I thank him for his time and the lesson, Arvil says, “I enjoyed every minute of it,” and I know it’s true.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Natalya Weinstein is profiled on page 9.

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VIEW FROM PROPERTY

MOUNTAIN EXPLORER ROVING THESE HILLS AND VALLEYS

ROCK OUT Over the river and through the woods? Forget Grandma’s house. To Chattanooga, athletes go—especially from October 1 to 15 during River Rocks. The annual sports spectacular brings together outdoors lovers for events in rock climbing, trail running, kayaking, open water swimming, rowing, cycling, off-road biking, and paddling, with live music and other entertainment throughout. No matter the sport, the natural splendor of the Scenic City’s mountains, rivers, and forests sets an inspiring backdrop.

“Chattanooga has any type of outdoor activity anyone could want, from the simplest to the most extreme,” says event producer Ann Ball.

Fan favorites—among elite athletes as well as spectators—include the StumpJump, an intense 50-kilometer trail run; Swim the Suck, a 10-mile swim through the Tennessee River; and the final challenge of the Triple Crown of Bouldering, a series of competitions held at three of the Southeast’s premier sandstone climbing spots. New this year: a 15-kilometer version of the StumpJump and a two-mile kids race as well as the one-mile Snail Darter open swim. Find the schedule and more details at riverrockschattanooga.com. CHATTANOOGA PRESENTS! PHOTO

OUTLOOKS Mountain Explorer

These Boots Were Made for Hiking B Y K AT H Y K Y L E

A map and a pair of hiking shoes changed my life.

My older sister bought me my first hiking boots when I was fresh out of college, adventurous and fortunate to have a job that gave me independence. She visited in the summer, leaving behind the flat and industrial Midwest. I bought my first map at the Pisgah Ranger Station for a couple of dollars, and so began our exploration of the Southern Appalachians.

In between her visits I wrote for a small-town newspaper. I spent my weekdays writing about and for people with deep connections to the mountains. Farming and hunting put food on the table. This was novel to me, because my family had bought our food from grocery stores. On Saturdays, I packed my lunch in my knapsack, and headed to one of the trails on the green map with friends or by myself. It was in the woods that I learned the forest turns problems into trees and boulders.

Hiking was not without challenges. There were a couple of times my friends and I lost our way in the wilderness, but we would run into others on the trails who were more experienced at following a map, and they steered us toward the right path. While backpacking with my sister one summer, we nearly got hyperthermia during a

thunderstorm. Despite the rain and wind, we quickly heated up when climbing a steep trail to the top of a mountain, but then just as quickly cooled down when the trail leveled at the top of the mountain. We put up our tent while a hummingbird hovered. We climbed into our sleeping bags, and warmth and health returned.

The diversity of the land revealed itself. I hiked into wilderness areas, across balsam balds, and along mountain streams. I climbed boulders the size of cars. I tried fishing and caught native speckled trout. Coyotes howled while I camped. One night in a campground in Cataloochee, my sister and I saw a black bear stalking campers.

The campers were comfortably reading beside their RV. Their bright lantern created a barrier to the darkness, but not to the wildlife. One summer morning, a bear—running from a dog—interrupted our breakfast of oatmeal.

The rhythm of the mountain seasons has become familiar. The stark tangle of branches in winter adds a stillness and unimpeded views. The spring brings a daily choice of wildflowers; yellow trout lilies grow low to the ground and announce a new season. In late summer, tall Turks Cap lilies reach for the sky. The yellow and red fireworks of leaves in the fall signal the upcoming season of rest and withdrawal of both tourists and wildlife.

Through the years, I have bought countless pairs of hiking boots; more stores have opened, glad to outfit me. I added more equipment for my walks. Hiking poles make steep descents easier. Rain jackets, rain pants, and zip-off hiking pants allowed me to adapt to the fickle mountain weather. The material of the outdoor clothing changed from cotton to water-resistant and became lighter in weight.

The internet appeared and I found the Carolina Mountain Club.

Now I don’t hike alone and don’t have to recruit friends to hike. I met my husband on the trail with the club. With my new hiking clan, we have seen turkeys, rattlesnakes, newts, and elk. We quickly learned to stand aside when mountain bike riders come down the

Hikers traverse Roan Mountain.

KATHY KYLE PHOTO

26

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

trails. Horseback riders are rare, but add a solemn and large presence.

My daughter was born in these mountains. She grew up hearing the roar of waterfalls and knowing the peace and beauty of the forest. We have floated down mountain streams in inner tubes and kayaks to get relief from the summer heat. We have picked wild blueberries and strawberries. We have fished for stocked trout in mountain lakes.

I have gone from living in a remote home in the mountains—where neighbors could not be seen or heard but whippoorwills and mayflies could—to living in a mountain town where squirrels and tourists are common, and I can easily walk to Main Street.

Paths still meander toward me. It is getting more difficult to find a trail in these mountains I haven’t hiked, but the rocks and trees still transform my problems, and the friends I have made and the memories we have created have changed me. They have taken me home.

Kathy Kyle is a writer in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Trails With Friends Hiking with a club has advantages. You don’t have to plan the hike, and you can share a ride to the trail and meet likeminded people. Some clubs build, repair, and blaze trails. Here is a sampling of hiking clubs in this region: SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIKING CLUB y Where: The Smokies and the mountains of East Tennessee y Maintenance: Appalachian Trail within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park y smhclub.org CAROLINA MOUNTAIN CLUB y Where: GSMNP and Western North Carolina and South Carolina y Maintenance: Mountain To Sea Trail-Heintooga Road to Black Mountain Campground, Appalachian Tail (92.6 miles) y carolinamountainclub.org TENNESSEE EASTMAN HIKING AND CANOEING CLUB y Where: East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and Southern Virginia

y Maintenance: Appalachian Trail (134 miles) y tehcc.org/schedule THE NANTAHALA HIKING CLUB y Where: Franklin, N.C. area y Maintenance: Appalachian Trail (58.6 miles) y nantahalahikingclub.org THE PISGAH HIKERS y Where: Pisgah National Forest (Brevard, NC area) y pisgahhikers.org HIGH COUNTRY HIKERS y Where: Hendersonville, N.C. area y highcountryhikers.org MOUNTAIN HIGH HIKERS y Where: North Georgia and Western North Carolina y mountainhighhikers.org ASHEVILLE HIKING MEETUP y Where: Western North Carolina y meetup.com/asheville-hiking

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FIELD GUIDE Mountain Explorer

“Moonrise at Sunset” painting

by Jo Ridge Kelley.

October Sky

BY DON HENDERSHOT

W

e in the Northern Hemisphere experienced the autumnal equinox on September 22, with the hours of daylight and dark virtually equal.

Ever since, we have been turning away from the sun, the light growing softer and the shadows longer. There’s something about that fall light that creeps into our very being and says, “Slow down, take a break, catch your breath, and look around at this beautiful planet Earth.”

Poets and painters strive to capture the essence of that autumn lighting. “Autumn is a perfect season to be out painting en plein air,” says Jo Ridge Kelley, an award-winning contemporary painter from Waynesville, North Carolina.

“With the sun at a lower angle in the sky, the light is sparkly and golden across the landscape.”

Kelley knows the soft autumn light won’t last long. “The colors on my palette are mixed a little warmer to try and capture this fleeting light,” she says. “I find I use more cadmium orange in my green mixtures and often tone the canvas with a wash of Indian yellow, creating a gold light that will bounce back through the other colors.”

There’s more than color theory behind this mysterious fall magic.

According to Brian Dennison, who earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University and teaches astronomy at the University

of North Carolina-Asheville, the sun hangs lower in the autumn sky, when compared to the same time of day in the summer, because of the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth’s axis.

“As we orbit the sun,” Dennison explains, “the Earth’s tilt does not change appreciably, but from a fixed latitude this causes the sun to appear high in the sky in summer and low in the winter. This occurs because the Northern Hemisphere tends to be oriented toward the sun in summer and away from the sun in winter.”

So as we are looking back over our shoulders at the autumn sun, the days are growing shorter. Dennison says this phenomenon occurs fastest in early fall. “We tend to easily notice the lowering sun and shortening days in late September and early October,” he says.

Dennison, who assisted in the development of the Lookout Observatory at UNC-Asheville, goes on to explain: “To many observers, the lower illumination angle of the sun may seem to cast a somewhat gentler appearance on the landscape, compared with the harsher illumination of the summer sun high in the sky. Perhaps most noticeably, shadows are longer in autumn. Also, when the sun is low in the sky, blue light tends to be scattered away by the atmosphere and the illumination reaching the ground has a somewhat greater proportion of colors at the opposite end of the spectrum, red in particular.”

In other words: Autumn is awash in the soft underbelly of the sun’s light; the warm reds and syrupy oranges are pouring out over the landscape. You may not know why, but your psyche is probably drawn to it. It’s the reason you slip on your sweater and go for a walk on those afternoons of Indian summer.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Don Hendershot is a naturalist in Waynesville, North Carolina.

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FAVORITE PLACES Mountain Explorer

Waterfalls and streams (below left) lead the way to the summit of Pinnacle Park (above), where the author, as a child, poses with his brother (below right). NICK BREEDLOVE PHOTOS

Peak Experience

BY NICK BREEDLOVE

T

here’s something special about hiking the same trail year after year. For the last 20 years, I’ve been going back to Pinnacle Park in Sylva, North Carolina.

The park features 1,110 acres of conserved land with wellmaintained trails, tumbling waterfalls, pristine streams, endless wildflowers, and a panoramic view that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

My youngest memory of hiking to the Pinnacle was when I was 10. My brother, dad, and I would trek to the top. Our reward at the top—in addition to that view of endless mountain ranges that never ceases to awe me—was PB&J sandwiches for lunch.

Years ago, Sylva town leaders had the vision to preserve Pinnacle Park for generations to come. They traded development rights for a conservation easement on the property, protecting it in perpetuity. On the southern edge of the Plott Balsams mountain range, U.S. Forest Service Land borders the park on two sides.

In 1997, the North Carolina Nature Conservancy purchased a 1,594-acre tract between the park and Waterrock Knob, which connected Pinnacle Park to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Autumn’s cool temperatures make Pinnacle Park a perfect fall hike. With about 1,800 feet of elevation gain, the trail is rated moderate to rugged. It takes about four hours

to complete the seven-mile round trip—including time for taking plenty of photos and lunch at the top (bring your own PB&J). The first two miles feature rocky and uneven terrain, so be sure to bring good hiking shoes.

At the top, you’ll come to a clearing with a narrow path.

Don’t stop there—follow the trail through a tunnel of Spanish moss-covered trees. Emerging from the tunnel reveals the Pinnacle’s rocky outcropping. Scramble down the rocks and up the boulder to get the view of a lifetime.

You’ll look out and see a 270-degree view that includes Balsam, Cullowhee, downtown Sylva, and Franklin. Bring a pair of binoculars and try to locate Sylva’s historic courthouse.

DIRECTIONS: From downtown Sylva, take Main Street east to the Business 23/N.C. 107 intersection. Turn left on Business 23 (Asheville Highway), and turn left again onto Skyland Drive. Continue east on Skyland Drive approximately 2.6 miles to Fisher Creek Road (S.R. 1446). Turn left onto Fisher Creek Road, and follow it about 2.1 miles to its end at the entrance to Pinnacle Park’s gravel parking area.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nick Breedlove is the director of tourism for Jackson County, North Carolina.

What’s your favorite place in these mountains?

Tell us about your top spot for the chance to be featured in a future issue of Smoky Mountain Living. Email editor@smliv.com.

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Discover Dillsboro

Browse in charming shops, watch artisans perfect their craft, dine at nationally recognized restaurants, stay in a cozy Bed and Breakfast. Dillsboro offers small-town hospitality and a location convenient to all there is to do in the Great Smoky Mountains!

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31

IN GOOD TASTE Mountain Explorer

Cooking for a Cause

BY FRED SAUCEMAN

T

he architecture and the ambiance still reflect the days when eating establishments had to classify themselves as private clubs in order to sell liquor. The name is a link to the building’s former life, as a gasoline station.

And it’s a gutsy name, too. It took some gumption for the Woods family in Newport, Tennessee, to come up with a name like the Grease Rack. But it was a stroke of genius. People have remembered it over the years and have flocked there for platter-size steaks, despite the restaurant’s off-the-beaten-path location. You take a road that bisects a hillside cemetery to get there.

But the Woods family has never been short on fortitude. Inherited polycystic kidney disease has decimated their ranks, but they cook on. Near the restaurant is the small building where the late Earl Woods, the restaurant’s founder, took his dialysis treatments.

A plaque right inside the Grease Rack’s front door honors over 175 organ donors. Oris Cagle, a friend of the Woods family, was the organizer of the Earl Woods Chapter of Organ Donors. Back during the days of pop-a-top Budweiser cans, the family saved aluminum beer tabs to help raise funds for kidney patients.

Kidney disease killed Earl Woods and two of his sons. Earl’s son Buddy, who now runs the restaurant, has been kept alive with a transplanted kidney, donated by his wife LuAn. As we talk, his iPhone alarm goes off, reminding him to take his anti-rejection medication.

I’ve been eating at the Grease Rack for years, but a recent visit was bittersweet. I was pleased to learn that the restaurant is staying in the family, under the management of Buddy Woods. But his mother Joyce, who had been known to throw a potato across the kitchen when someone rushed her, has died. Her daughter Judy, I learned, passed away several years ago. Interviewing Joyce and Judy was a joy. They held nothing back.

“Earl tried slot machines in here, but that was about the time a new district attorney general came into office and everybody had to get rid of all that stuff,” Joyce once told me. “We sold liquor down through the years. The last time they got us for selling without a license, we decided no more liquor.”

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Surf and turf (above) at the Grease Rack. The restaurant’s distinctive name is a nod to its home in a former gasoline station.

BUDDY WOODS PHOTO • FRED SAUCEMAN PHOTO

If you go: y y y y

The Grease Rack 555 Morrell Springs Road Newport, Tennessee 423.623.9279

A small anteroom is a holdover from the days when diners had to press a buzzer and be checked out thoroughly before being allowed to enter the restaurant. Joyce told me it was a way to “keep out anyone with an unsavory reputation.” Plastic membership cards were once required, too.

When Joyce retired her tongs, she passed along to her employees her method of dunking steaks in a soy sauce bath before grilling them. Her grill and grate are still in use.

Service is speedier these days, but Buddy has resurrected a

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

reminder of his mother’s slower era, a hand-painted sign she commissioned that reads, “The reward for your patience is the very best food in town. Thank you for waiting. Earl, Joyce & Judy.”

Joyce would regularly advise her son Buddy never to get into the restaurant business. “I took her advice for 36 years,” he says, as he takes a phone call to arrange a wedding rehearsal dinner at the restaurant.

Just like the architecture, the Grease Rack menu has meaning. Bite-size beef tips, known as “Baby Steak,” were added to the menu when Earl had to reduce his meat consumption during dialysis. The 16-ounce strip steak covered in fried onions is known as “Harold’s Special,”

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named for Harold Smith, who worked at the Stokely plant down the hill and often lent his maintenance skills when something needed fixing at the restaurant.

From pumping Texaco gas and selling tires in the early days to serving up rib-eye steaks and New York strips today, community connection has always defined the Grease Rack. And so has perseverance.

“You learned a lot of things from Mama Joyce,” Buddy tells me. “One of those things is work.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Fred Sauceman’s

latest book is Buttermilk and Bible Burgers: More Stories from the Kitchens of Appalachia, published by Mercer University Press in Macon, Georgia.

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33

LIVING HISTORY Mountain Explorer

No Country for Big-Box Stores

BY CO RY VA I L L A N CO U R T

A

s a little girl, Kelly Sutton sang along to Dolly Parton while dancing on the counters of the Big Creek Country Store. Now the 30-year-old spends her days behind those counters, finding her rhythm as a small business owner in the isolated community of Mount Sterling, North Carolina.

Sutton’s great-grandparents, Mack and Etta Caldwell, built the Big Creek Country Store in 1927. The same year, Carolina Power and Light built the Walters Hydroelectric Plant on the nearby Pigeon River, where it still operates today. The Big Creek Country Store served the needs of the secluded settlement, offering groceries, clothing, and household items until the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 and the completion of the Appalachian Trail in 1937 began to draw the occasional outsider.

Over the decades, the population of Mount Sterling dwindled; today it tops out at 30-something. After the store closed in the late

34

1980s or early 1990s, the building began to decay. But in 2012 Sutton moved to Mount Sterling eager for a fresh start. After three years of cleaning and renovating the shuttered shop—which had turned into a storage space for the possessions of deceased relatives, and one with a bat problem to boot—she reopened the heavy wooden doors of the Big Creek Country Store last fall.

Today a cowbell mounted on the outside of the screen door signals the arrival of visitors— lost hikers looking for the Appalachian Trail, the mail man doing his rounds, folks in need of basic commodities.

“They think it’s funny, but I’ve got a sign out front that says free directions with any purchase,” Sutton says. “It’s sort of a joke, but it’s serious too, because if I just gave directions all day, I’d never make any money.” Top: The Big Creek Country Store in The store sits just three- Mount Sterling. Above: Darlene (left) and quarters of a mile south of the Kelly Sutton, owner of the store.

CORY VAILLANCOURT PHOTOS Tennessee border, and less than a quarter mile from both the Big Creek Ranger Station and the trailhead for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Chestnut Branch Trail. Big Creek Country Store lists a mailing address 18 miles away in Newport, Tennessee, despite being physically

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

located in Haywood County, North Carolina.

FedEx and UPS drivers, however, use physical addresses for delivery, and Sutton’s is technically Waynesville, despite being located almost 40 miles from town in a valley with no cell service and a shoddy GPS signal. Complicating matters further, the store’s Waynesville address—67 Mount Sterling Road—is often confused with a similar address north of Clyde, 30 miles to the southeast.

Much of Sutton’s extended family lives in the area and owns almost all of the land, as they have for generations. Many residents are retirement-age but still plant gardens and hunt, making them nearly self-sufficient.

When they do need something from the outside world, Hartford, Tennessee, is a convenient but expensive option seven miles distant.

Prices in Tennessee are “a lot higher” than North Carolina, Sutton says, because of taxes and the bustling tourist economy.

“If they need something I don’t have, I’ll try to get it for them,” she says, admitting that she stocks up on periodic runs to the Walmart in Waynesville or the Sam’s Club in Asheville because most distributors won’t deliver to her farflung location.

Though she grew up in Boone, Sutton’s been part of the community since she was born and remembers spending almost every other weekend of her life there.

“We used it for a home for a long time,” she says. “We had two bedrooms in the store part and two bedrooms on the side, which were also the living room and kitchen. My bedroom was the kitchen. My main memory is waking up to the sound and smell of coffee.”

The building itself hasn’t changed much since it was originally constructed—especially the interior. It’s about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, with a counter running almost the entire length of the structure.

The walls aren’t exactly walls—the thick, two-by-twelve boards that make up the shelving that rings the store are what actually hold up the roof. Locally cut hemlock siding running on the exterior is nailed to wormy chestnut on the inside, which is in turn nailed to the shelves.

Those shelves are stocked, floor to ceiling, with a curious mix of survival gear, food, apparel, personal care items, local artwork, and antiques. Sunscreen, beef jerky, socks, sanitizer, sketches, and stemware abound, offering options for hardcore hikers, weekend

WWW.SMLIV.COM

warriors, or ambling antique hunters just looking for a bargain.

Sutton rings up purchases on her tablet computer. “We have internet and phone now,” she says. “That’s a first for this building.”

If the idea of paying for antiques (or junk food) with debit cards on a tablet in a 90-yearold country store isn’t odd enough, Sutton produces one of her grandfather’s ledgers from 1949, on which he used to keep track of what was owed and by whom.

Among entries for primitive household staples like beer, bleach, flour, and lard, the ledger says that on Nov. 30, 1949, someone named Ray bought tobacco and pencil lead.

That set Ray back 30 cents.

“When I was little I used to play store in here all the time,” Sutton says. “I had a little cash register, and my mom would have empty egg cartons, and I would ring people up. I was an only child, so I had to entertain myself. I would have never thought that I’d end up doing this for real.”

Cory Vaillancourt is a reporter for Smoky Mountain News in Waynesville, North Carolina.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

35

DESTINATIONS Mountain Explorer

TAPOCO LODGE PHOTOS

A Stay With a Story TAPOCO LODGE & THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

BY JASON FRYE

F

ly over the Smoky Mountains and one thing becomes apparent: This is a wild place. That wildness calls us to come visit. Towns across the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains began as vacation retreats for the wealthy who traded the heat and humidity of piedmont summers for mountain breezes and crisp nights. But before their resorts and manor houses began to pop up, there were towns and enclaves here.

Throughout the national park, visitors can walk and drive among the remnants and homesites in several places; others are lost to time and water as they sit at the bottom of the manmade lakes surrounding the park. On the southern tip of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, two such places stand today: Tapoco Lodge and the Road to Nowhere.

The Tapoco Lodge has entertained visitors to this part of the Smoky Mountains since 1930. It started as a company retreat for the Tallassee Power Company and was built on the site of the town of Tapoco, which sprang up to support the Cheoah Dam Workers in the 19-teens. Over the years it changed hands, closed, reopened, and changed hands again. In 2014, investors from Gatlinburg and Knoxville took over the property and have taken to ushering it into the modern era while retaining the splendor of its original incarnation.

The Lodge sits on 120 acres along the Cheoah River and offers guests a taste of rustic luxury in eight cabins, six lodge rooms, and three lodge suites. On the grounds, Tapoco River Grill serves outstanding food; you can, and should, dine on the river terrace. The food is simple—brick-oven pizzas, fish

36

tacos, grilled trout, steaks—but exceptionally prepared, and the terrace is home to the popular Cheoah River Bash, a white-water event that packs the terrace with onlookers cheering on paddlers who challenge the high water provided by the dam’s annual water release. It takes place on October 1, and it books up quick, so make your reservations for next year if you can’t get a room this year.

While the white water draws a certain kind of visitor, others come to explore the area.

Close to 10 miles of hiking trails start on the property and one leads to Bear Creek Falls; the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is a short drive away and it’s home to some monumental trees. Anglers visit for the flyfishing, which is some of the best in the Southeast. Film buffs come to see where The Hunger Games filmed in Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and where Harrison Ford leapt from the Cheoah Dam in The Fugitive. Two-lane enthusiasts come for the curves and the thrills to be found on the Cherohala Skyway (connecting North Carolina and Tennessee) and the Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile road with 318 curves. But they all come to see and stay and sup at Tapoco.

You can’t drive the Road to Nowhere because, well, it goes nowhere. It enters the national park, follows a winding course for a few miles, goes through a tunnel, and ends. Just stops in its tracks. The road was part of a proposed Parkway—Lakeview Drive—that would skirt the banks of Fontana Lake and provided families displaced by the building of the lake access to family cemeteries. Support for the project dropped and funding fell through. The road became what it is now: two paved lanes curving through the Smoky Mountains and a tunnel.

For a while it was a place of controversy, but much of that has died down; today it’s a tourist attraction, a strange place with a strange name and a strange history. Still, hikers, anglers looking for a trout stream, mountain bikers, and a few family members willing and able to make a tough trek to family graves show up and hit the trail.

The trails starting at the Road to Nowhere go almost anywhere. If you’re looking for a challenge, lace up and head to Clingman’s Dome, a big overnight trip. If you’re looking for stunning photo opportunities (think leaves in full color reflected in the lake), just follow the trail along the lake and take any spur out to a bluff or beach to find your beauty shot. Shorter hikes are more popular, so if it’s solitude and quiet you seek, go far.

But wherever you go here, whether it’s a hike to the shore, a leisurely ride along the trails, or off to some stream for a day of fly-fishing, take a moment to look around and remember this place used to be home.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

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AROUND BACK AT ROCKY’S PLACE The Ultimate Folk Art Gallery in the South!

Representing a plethora of self-taught artists.

Best selection by artist “Cornbread” in the Universe! Established 2002.

3631 Hwy. 53 E. at Etowah River Rd. Dawsonville, Ga. • 706.265.6030 aroundbackatrockysplace.com Sat. 11-5; Sun. 1-5 BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS ARTS ASSOCIATION AT THE ART CENTER Come visit one of the largest fine art and fine craft gallery experiences in North Georgia at The Art Center. The Art Center is home to the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association and features multiple gallery spaces showcasing a variety of regional artists and one-of-a-kind artwork.

420 W. Main St. • Blue Ridge, Ga. 706-632-2144 • blueridgearts.net Tues.-Sun. 10-6

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BURTON GALLERY Welcome to Burton Gallery, a northeast Georgia tradition of fine art and craft. Paintings, pottery, wood, jewelry, folk pottery, and other handmade work by local artists.

150 Burton Dam Rd. • Clarkesville, Ga. 704-947-1351 • burtongallery.net THE FOLK POTTERY MUSEUM The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia showcases the handcraft skills of one of the South's premier grassroots art forms, and will explore the historical importance and changing role of folk pottery in Southern life.

283 Hwy. 255 • Sautee Nacoochee, Ga. 706.878.3300 • folkpotterymuseum.com

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he Southern Appalachians have a rich artistic history. As long as folks have lived in these majestic landscapes, they’ve been molding, shaping and putting together items that serve not only practical purposes but also aesthetic ones, too. From weavers to potters, painters to metalsmiths, glassblowers to woodcrafters, these artisans reflect generations of heritage and innovation. Promoting and perpetuating this beauty are the galleries that are as unique and varied as the artists themselves.

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EXPLORE

THE GOLDEN CARP An eclectic assortment of home accessories, artwork and fine gifts. Design work, staging and consultations available for residential and commercial.

107 Webster St. • Dillsboro, N.C. 828.586.5477 • thegoldencarp.com GREEN ENERGY PARK The Green Energy Park is an award-winning, renewable energy art center that provides enhanced economic development, environmental protection, and unique educational opportunities for the community. The GEP offers public classes and demonstrations in glassblowing and blacksmithing, and allows studio rentals to support local artists.

828.631.0271 • jcgep.org THE JEWELER’S WORKBENCH The Jeweler’s Workbench specializes in unique handcrafted jewelry, limited edition watches, kinetic art and other artistic gifts and treasures.

Featuring over 50 artists from the Great Smoky Mountain region and from across the country.

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80 N. Main St. • Waynesville, N.C. 828-456-2260 • thejwbench.com

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MARK OF THE POTTER The oldest crafts shop in Georgia in the old Grandpa Watts’ Gristmill, celebrating over 45 years in the same location. Mark of the Potter features handcrafted pottery, a potter working weekends, and other crafts. Don’t miss the best view on the Soque River with generations of huge brown and rainbow trout (protected, of course).

706.947.3440 • markofthepotter.com MIMI’S ORIGINAL ART, INC. Representing self-taught artists that use impressionist styles, with vibrant and exciting colors captured on pillows, cards, coasters and more. You can entertain and decorate from favorite scenes and famous cities. mimioriginalart@gmail.com 386-265-6380 SMOKY MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS Mountain lap dulcimers and “Masterworks” hammer dulcimers. Mark Edelman has been playing and building the mountain dulcimer for over 35 years! Mark says you will be truly amazed at the simplicity of learning to play the Mtn. Dulcimer and he guarantees that we can teach you a simple tune in 2 minutes.

5 miles from Gatlinburg in Morning Mist Village 601 Glades Rd. #27 • Gatlinburg, Tenn.

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SUSAN MARIE DESIGNS With visionary talent and skills acquired in thirty-three years as an award-winning goldsmith, Susan Marie transforms nature’s most exceptional gemstones, diamonds and pearls into wearable contemporary elegance. As a G.I.A. Graduate Gemologist, she selects the most vibrant and highest quality cut stones to create fine jewelry.

Four Biltmore Ave. • Asheville, N.C. 828.277.1272 TPENNINGTON ART GALLERY Teresa Pennington is a self-taught colored pencil artist who renders, in amazing detail, the scenery and landmarks of western North Carolina and beyond. See her distinctive work at TPennington Art Gallery in downtown Waynesville, N.C. 15 North Main St. • Waynesville, N.C. 828.452.9284 • tpennington.com

WAYNESVILLE GALLERY ASSOCIATION The Waynesville Gallery Association is represented by 9 unique galleries: Burr Studio, Cedar Hill Studio, Earthworks Gallery, Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery & Gifts, The Jeweler’s Workbench, the mahogany house art gallery and studios, TPennington Art Gallery, Twigs and Leaves Gallery, and Village Framer.

The group promotes and participates in Art After Dark which happens the first Friday evening May through December. waynesvillegalleryassociation.com THE WILLOWS POTTERY Creating functional handmade stoneware since 2003. Specializing in custom dinnerware and vessel sinks, we are proud to provide an excellent selection of locally made gifts.

7273 S. Main St. • Helen, GA 706.878.1344 • thewillowspottery.com

TWIGS AND LEAVES GALLERY Stroll down Main Street in Waynesville to find a unique gallery where art dances with nature.

Browse through an unforgettable collection of nature-inspired works by 150 primarily regional artists and crafts persons. Take home a piece of art that echoes the wonder of nature.

98 N. Main St. • Waynesville, N.C. 828.456.1940 • twigsandleaves.com

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ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECES, HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA

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May through December

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Funded in part by Haywood County Tourism Development Authority • 1.800.334.9036 • visitNCsmokies.com

Southern Appalachian Galleries

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Craft heritage thrives in Southern Appalachia.

Whether toiling in tucked-away mountain workshops or bustling tourist studios, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best artisans carry on traditions that have been passed down through the generationsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;oftentimes in their own families. The makers featured here put their hearts and hands into each of their one-of-a-kind works.

BY BECKY JOHNSON

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Exquisite hand engraving is a signature element on each of Oyster’s split bamboo fly rods, each one a custom design. JERRY MUCKLOW PHOTO

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A Fisher of Men Bill Oyster

If fly-fishing is an art, fly rods are the paintbrush. But for the true disciple, fly-fishing is a religion—and the split-bamboo fly rod is their altar.

“For the American fly fisher, this is our samurai sword,” says Bill Oyster, a master craftsman who’s perfected the intricate and elusive skill of making split bamboo fly rods.

At his studio in Blue Ridge, Georgia, fly-fishermen enamored by the mystical bamboo rod will camp out for hours at the viewing window overlooking Oyster’s workshop.

“That’s the question—what is it about the lure of the bamboo rod?” Oyster poses. “As a fly-fisherman you always notice them.

Any time someone pulls out a bamboo rod there is always some reverence that goes on.”

Making a bamboo fly rod is a meticulous craft. There’s far more involved than peeling off a strip of bamboo cane and whittling it down to form. Each rod is the fusion of long thin bamboo slivers, derived by splitting the stalk and hand-planing strips into slender triangles, each one tapered to an infinitesimal

46

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point and then seamed into a hexagon bundle.

For Oyster, every rod is a labor of love, a fitting homage to the intricate pursuit of fly-fishing. “Fly-fishing is so involved and so beautiful and so artistic. I call it fishing for grown-ups. It is not just about catching the fish,” Oyster says.

When Oyster isn’t building rods, he’s leading workshops to carry on the traditional art form. The split-bamboo fly rod is a uniquely American invention, dating to the mid-1800s. It’s more whippy and nimble, an adaptation coined for the narrow trout streams of Southern Appalachia where flies must be landed among the hazards of laurel thickets and low-hanging hemlocks.

“There wasn’t room for the big wooden rods like the English used. Here, we needed something shorter and more flexible,” Oyster says.

Oyster’s own foray into bamboo rod-building was a hardfought journey, however.

“The only guys who knew were other professional rod makers, but they wouldn’t tell you anything. It was a very closely guarded secret,” Oyster says.

There was no Google back then, no YouTube instructional videos, no online forums. Oyster tried combing the reference section of libraries for historical fly-fishing literature, but in the

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

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“As a flyfisherman you always notice them. Any time someone pulls out a bamboo rod there is always some reverence that goes on.”

— Bill Oyster

end, it came down to old-fashioned reconnaissance. Oyster sniffed around fly shops, asking anyone he came across if they knew the craft.

“They’d say ‘Go see old Jerry, he’s a master craftsman and he’s made them,’” Oyster recalls.

But when he got to Jerry’s, he came up empty. It turned out old Jerry made a noble stab at bamboo rod, but got stumped and gave up. Oyster rooted out many men who’d tried, but none who’d pulled it off.

Once, Oyster thought he’d finally hit the jackpot. His slippery but fearless quest led him to New England, home to a known network of old bamboo rod builders. He tracked them down during a fly-fishing rendezvous and sauntered up to their circle, but was met with silent disdain in return.

“That knowledge was their career and they were protecting their livelihood,” Oyster says.

“I knew that was not good for the craft. The average age of a bamboo rod maker was like 150. That means it was dying out.”

Oyster came away more determined than ever, but realized he was on his own to reinvent the time-honored craft of split bamboo-rod building.

“I worked until I needed the next tool and said OK, now I can safely buy this tool because I made it this far,” Oyster says.

After Oyster mastered the process, he soon found the wader was on the other foot, with curious anglers now probing him for the secret. Initially, he followed the same creed of secrecy that had dogged his own pursuit.

“Because that’s the only the only thing I knew. I thought you weren’t supposed to tell,” Oyster says. “But I didn’t enjoy telling people, ‘Go away I don’t want to talk to you.’

I felt like I had been in an argument.”

Oyster’s next move was a game changer, one that quite likely saved the craft of bamboo fly rod building. He not only shared the process readily, he launched workshops to teach others the art.

“People said, ‘Oh you are just going to train your competition. You are going to put yourself out of business in a few years,’” Oyster says.

Top: Bill Oyster holds sold-out workshops at his studio in Blue Ridge, Georgia, where fishermen work under his tutelage to build their own fly rod. Above: Carrying on his father’s tradition, Cutter Oyster, 11, built his first fly rod this summer.

JERRY MUCKLOW PHOTO • BECKY JOHNSON PHOTO

But the vast majority who came to him were hobbyists, just interested in building a rod of their own to cherish, and to deepen their personal connection with the art of fly-fishing.

“I discovered there was a whole market of people who thought it would be cool to make their own bamboo fly rod,” Oyster says.

There’s another reason he wasn’t too worried.

“It is a very acute peak of the mountain, and if you aren’t at the top, you aren’t making a living,” Oyster says.

Oyster, 45, is indeed at the top, one of the most revered rod builders in the world. Oyster’s WWW.SMLIV.COM

finely crafted rods are highly-sought—his most notable customer is probably former President Jimmy Carter, adorned with an engraving of the presidential seal.

Every Oyster rod includes a custom engraving job on the handle—he can replicate any image a customer dreams up—a signature element that sets his rods apart.

A hand-crafted bamboo fly rod is a hefty investment, at least compared to their massproduced graphite counterparts. But they aren’t just for the elite. A brick layer made $200 monthly payments for three years to get one.

Oyster’s wife, Shannen, is his right hand and biggest champion. She schedules his workshops, manages orders, runs their retail store front, and regales the procession of spectators who come by to see the bamboo fly rod master at his craft.

Their two young children are part of the shop’s daily rhythm as well. This summer, his 11-year-old son likely became the youngest fly fisher in history to build a bamboo rod, taking a seat behind the workbench as a student in one of Oyster’s rod-building workshops.

Hundreds of fly-fishermen have cycled through Oyster’s rod workshops over the past 15 years. In high demand, his workshops are booked solid a year in advance. Red pinheads cover a map tacked to a wall of the studio, a testament to the many anglers who’ve made the pilgrimage to northern Georgia to study under Oyster’s hand.

The real journey for the novice rod builder, however, is a spiritual one, a once-in-alifetime opportunity where fly-fishermen forge a profound bond through the craft.

“It is extremely rare to have a class where a grown man doesn’t cry the night of the last dinner,” Oyster says.

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Master of Clay Tommy Bullen

Tommy Bullen never takes no for an answer, especially from a lump of clay.

A traditional craft born of necessity, pottery is a boundless art form in Bullen’s no-holds-barred world of innovation. The head potter and lead design for the Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Bullen is a fiddler, a tinker, an inventor, a designer. Through it all, he constantly pushes the clay envelope to expand their massive and unique inventory.

His team includes 10 crafters—five makers who mold and throw the clay and five finishers who complete the pieces with glazing and firing. Together, they churn out 80,000 pieces a year, making it one of the most successful handmade pottery operations in the country.

Despite their large-scale production, tradition dies hard at Pigeon River Pottery. Today’s potters still fire their pieces in the same kiln and mix their clay by the same recipe as their predecessors did 70 years ago.

The potters studio is housed on the grounds of the Old Mill, an

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historical darling among Pigeon Forge destinations. The Old Mill dates to the 1800s, and its water wheel still churns out batches of stone-ground grain daily. Pottery is just one of the many handmade crafts for sale in the shops of the Old Mill Square.

An example of the potters’ vast repertoire, Bullen’s kitchen crockery line leaves no stone unturned: from the requisite pie plates, casserole pans, bread bakers, soup bowls, and jam jars to the more obscure wine toppers and bacon cookers.

But Bullen always has new ideas in the pipeline. He’s currently experimenting with corn on the cob dishes and a juicer.

Sometimes, he even culls ideas from the shop’s guest book.

“There’s one visitor who keeps writing, ‘Why don’t you have a butter dish?’ Three months later she’s back again, writing in the guest book, ‘You still don’t have a butter dish,’” Bullen says.

Shelf space is Bullen’s biggest enemy these days. Do you suspend the line of bear spoon rests and bear business card holders to make room for the newfangled sponge holder shaped like a pig? (Incidentally, the exaggerated snout sticks over the edge of the sink for the drips to drain out.)

One of Bullen’s more unique inventions of late: a pottery amplifier for your cell phone speaker, much like the horn on old phonograph players.

Tommy Bullen, the chief potter for The Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. DONATED PHOTO

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

More Home Artisans y As an artist, MELISSA WEISS draws her inspiration from the earth, quite literally. A potter in Asheville, North Carolina, Weiss digs her own clay mud, screening and mixing the organic compound by hand. The raw process behind wild-harvested clay gives her pottery a distinctive iron-specked look, complemented by her signature white, black, and gray tones produced by an ash glaze. Her unique designs and muted glaze styles are a blend of industrial, Appalachian, indigenous, and modern geometric elements. melissaweisspottery.com.

district. Between commissioned jobs, he fed his artistic passion making fireplace sets and hooks to sell in his downtown shop Maple’s Forge.

So it was natural for his mother to become a metal worker. “The forge was there, the tools were there, the knowledge was there, so it was passed down,” Bullen says.

His grandfather’s forge was his playground as a child. “I would round up a bunch of scrap pieces and pile them together and play with them,” recalls Bullen, now 37.

In hindsight, Bullen’s destiny to become an artist was cast at birth.

“If I did really well in baseball I didn’t really hear anything about it. But if I did a drawing it went on the fridge,” he says.

As he got older, his mother sent A sense of place is evident in Bullen’s creations, from nature him to sundry handicraft themes to traditional Appalachian face jugs. DONATED PHOTO workshops at the nearby Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, a century-old institution borne of the Southern Appalachian craft revival movement of the 1920s.

“Most kids were going to Camp Smoky or playing outside in the summer,” Bullen says. But Bullen was learning the craft of basket weaving, metal working, stained glass, painting—and of course pottery. Even now, at the top of his game, Bullen still takes time to sneak in an Arrowmont — Tommy Bullen, master potter pottery workshop to continually with Old Mill Pigeon River Pottery hone his craft.

Bullen’s never far from his “We used to take our phones and set them inspiration. The Great Smoky Mountains in bowls and broken pots while we were National Park wraps around the 20-acre working so we could hear them a little better, family tract where his home studio sits. A and we worked on making it a sellable sense of place is evident in many of his pieces, product,” Bullen says. from the tree silhouettes in his candle While Bullen’s inspiration is distinctly 21st luminaries to the dogwood flowers on his century, his craft roots run deep as a thirdmugs. generation Smokies artist. His mother “You just kind of absorb it being around it, dabbled in many mediums, a metal sculptor and it translates into your work,” Bullen says. by trade specializing in ornamental branches Bullen doesn’t always have time for art. As a child, Bullen would be pressed into inspiration though. Some days, Bullen is a service at the living room coffee table, using a clay machine—pinching and pressing, ball ping hammer to add texture and veins to rolling and molding, cutting and carving, hundreds of tiny copper leaves, and as he got whipping out hundreds of tiny clay animals older, using snips to cut them out. from dawn to dusk.

Bullen’s grandfather was the craft patriarch He averages a staggering 10,000 pottery of the family. A metal worker in Gatlinburg, animals a year: bears, raccoons, foxes, pigs, Bullen’s grandfather forged benches, railings, cats, turtles, frogs, ducks, sheep, and the list sign posts, and trashcans for the downtown goes on.

“Buying a handmade piece is a way of capturing

y KUDZU FACTORY in Mountain City, Georgia, is on a mission to develop creative, innovative, and functional products made of kudzu, including arbors, chairs, vine baskets of every size and shape, hoops, craft forms, and larger-than-life woven sculptures, as well as candles from the leaves. 3001 Highway 441. y Bringing a new concept to market can be an insurmountable hurdle for designers. ZAC LOPEZ-IBANEZ is trying to break down that barrier.

Based in Asheville, North Carolina, his firm Fehlo connects the home décor designs of contemporary craftspeople to customers looking for eclectic, handcrafted wares to furnish their homes. The lighting, furniture, and accessories he selects for small-run production are sleek and organic, with an emphasis on elegant yet understated lines. fehlo.com.

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your experience. If you saw where it was made and met the person who made it, when you grab that piece at home, it takes you back to that moment, back to that experience.”

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

is its signature line of bear figurines.

Each item is handmade yet mass There are nearly 30 poses in all— produced, the secret lying in Bullen’s bears walking, bears sitting, bears patterns. Each piece is a balance of rolling, bears sniffing, bears lapping form and function, weighing the honey—and some buyers collect artistic merits of design against the them all. ease of large-scale hand reproduction.

“They get mad if I don’t release one If a vase handle is too intricate, it every year,” Bullen says. His latest, will take the potters too much time to and possibly his favorite, is Banjo make, driving up the price of the Bear, its small arms spread open as if piece. cradling a banjo.

Bullen loves the challenge of Bullen introduced a line of face jugs designing a new piece that can be built to Pigeon River Pottery about 10 years and glazed quickly to keep the pottery ago, rekindling the traditional affordable.

Southern Appalachian folk art dating “You have to get price right so back to the 1800s. Face jugs were everybody wins. I think that is my traditionally used for storing spirits, favorite part of all of this—coming up adorned with ugly faces to scare with a design that balances the art with children away from the liquor stash. the process so people can still afford Unlike the mass-produced pieces, it,” Bullen says.

Handmade clay animals are one of Pigeon River Pottery’s most each face jug is an original. “The Bullen shatters the stereotype of popular collectible lines, including the signature Smokies black bear. crazier the look, the uglier the jug, the handcrafted art being something for the DONATED PHOTO better. If I have an eye falling out or a rich. Anyone with a few bucks can take Bullen spots his work everywhere he goes, tooth missing, those will move the fastest,” home their own piece of Pigeon River from a teapot on the counter of a friend’s lake Bullen says.

Pottery—even if it’s just a magnetic finger vase house to toothpick holders at local diners.

As for the butter dish? One day, Bullen for the fridge, the perfect holder for that button One of Pigeon River Pottery’s top sellers says, one day. violet plucked on the way to the mailbox.

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Pete Long, a Cherokee wood carver, hand-hews a slab of wood outside his traditional logcabin studio before shaping it into a dough bowl.

BECKY JOHNSON PHOTO

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Pioneers of Cherokee Design Pete & Christy Long Cradling a block of freshly hewn white oak between his knees, Pete Long slides his curved knife across the rough slab, peeling back the layers of wood as easily as dipping ice cream. With each stroke, the pile of curly shavings at his feet grows, and a smooth oblong dough bowl slowly comes into being.

His daughter, Christy Long, perched on the edge of her father’s band-saw, watches him work as the sun breaks over the ridge and glints through the cracks of his log-cabin workshop.

“His coffee is as stout as wood carvings,” Christy says, raising a pottery mug with the profile of a Cherokee warrior to her lips.

Deep in the Smoky Mountains of Cherokee, N.C., this fatherdaughter duo is quietly carrying on a long legacy of traditional Cherokee craft. Christy credits her father with passing on more than just a trade. From him, she’s learned the art of resiliency, the art of resourcefulness, and the art of resolve.

“To me, it is the wellspring that came down from traditional thought,” Christy says.

Handmade in the truest sense, Pete’s woodcarvings unite his ancestral landscape and native ingenuity. He cuts his own wood from the forest, slabs it on a band-saw he built from scrap parts, and sculpts it with tools he made—whether it’s a chisel forged

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from the push-rod of an old motor or an anvil fashioned from a piece of a junked backhoe.

“You use what you can get your hands on to get by,” Pete says.

“I can’t run to the hardware store every time I turn around.”

For Pete, woodcarving is just another way of deriving a living from the land—not much different than the life of his grandfather who was a woodcarver, a farmer, and a logger.

Carving a hummingbird to peddle at tourist craft shops wasn’t much different to his grandfather than growing a crop of corn to eat or cutting a load of firewood to sell. The same was true for Pete while raising a family of five on the economically depraved Cherokee reservation in the 1980s. He would often stay up all hours for days at a stretch to finish a carving to take to town and sell.

“We had bills to pay and groceries to buy,” Pete recalls.

While his art was born of necessity, Long is revered as one of the more accomplished carvers in Cherokee, with several of his statues and sculptures on permanent display in the promenades of the Cherokee Casino and Resort. While woodcarving is a family legacy, the transmission of knowledge in Cherokee culture is absorbed rather than taught or tutored.

“It has to come from inside the person who’s doing it,” Pete says. “It’s not something somebody can instill in someone else.”

Christy no doubt inherited the trait of adaptation from her father, but has put her own artistic mark on Cherokee craft by infusing contemporary objects with ancient designs. To Christy,

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Cherokee art isn’t static, nor should it be confined to stand-alone collector’s items or fine art. Instead, Long adorns every day objects with the elegant symmetry of native motifs—a light switch plate, a rolling pin, a cutting board, a wallet, a day journal.

“I try to create functional items made by Cherokees in the 21st century that people can use in their homes,” she says. “I am constantly trying new ideas and pushing boundaries.”

While Christy defies the traditional Cherokee mediums of pottery, basketry, and beadwork, she clings to the traditional elements of Cherokee design. Cherokee symbols resonate in her work, subtle yet omnipresent, subconscious yet conveyed.

Some are simple: a pair of wooden earrings shaped like a breast cancer awareness ribbon, but as a feather instead of a ribbon. Others are highly intricate, like her dough bowl design called “Ebb ‘n flow,” which illustrates the sacred view of water and interconnectedness of life.

Cherokee stories are the nucleus of her designs, which depict native belief systems.

“Our designs are rooted in ancient stories,” Christy says.

In the spirit of her father’s ingenuity, she loves inventing items with multiple uses, like a pair of earrings engraved with a basketweave design that can be used as a pottery stamp.

“How cool is it for a potter to have this pair of earrings they can wear, but take off and use as a tool to stamp their own work?” Christy says.

Christy Long pushes the boundaries of Cherokee modern art, incorporating Cherokee legends and stories into her intricate designs. BECKY JOHNSON PHOTO

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More Cherokee Craftspeople y A renowned Cherokee basket weaver, MARY THOMPSON carries on the skilled craft of turning river cane into water-tight vessels adorned with intricate geometric patterns using double-weave technology. She learned the art from her mother and has now passed it on to her daughter— linking three generations of basket makers. Thompson’s work is highly collected and is featured in many notable collections of Cherokee art. authenticallycherokee.com/artists/ mary-thompson. y A once almost-lost art, Cherokee finger weaving is only practiced by a few native crafters today, including Cherokee artist KAREN GEORGE. Rather than using a loom, finger weavers tie a fistful of long yarns to a pole frame and weave the thread together from the top down. George creates tight, colorful fabric sashes, often incorporating seed beads into her weaving. George demonstrates finger-weaving at the living-history Oconaluftee Indian Village and markets her work through the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual. blueridgeheritage.com/traditionalartist-directory/karen-george. y The flute is one of the earliest musical instruments made by the ancestors of modern man, dating back tens of thousands of years.

Today, Cherokee crafter ERNIE LOSSIAH carries on the tradition of handmade cedar flutes. An artist of many mediums, Lossiah is also a wood and stone carver, with one of his carvings residing at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. lossiaharts.wix.com/lossiaharts

Finding everyday applications for Cherokee symbols is a hallmark of Christy Long’s work, like this set of Scrabble tiles (inset) engraved with the Cherokee syllabary. DONATED PHOTO

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Versatility is inherent in Long’s creations— such as her circular cork boards with geometric Cherokee patterns that can double as bulletin boards or a mouse pad.

Christy is often commissioned as an artist to design and produce custom work, from engraving the side-arms carried by the Cherokee police force to the winner’s medallions awarded in the tribe’s annual halfmarathon.

But sometimes Long creates art for art’s sake. One morning, her children woke up to a plate of eggs and toast engraved with “good morning” in Cherokee syllabary.

“It makes me happy when I know I have created something beautiful and meaningful that challenges stereotypes, confronts cultural appropriation, and shares our story with the world.”

— Christy Long

Each product begins with a design development phase, followed by a handmade prototype. Some pieces are sold in the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual in downtown Cherokee, N.C., but her portfolio is so vast most of her prototypes exist only in her catalog, waiting for a buyer to commission its reproduction.

Christy is regarded as a pioneer of Cherokee design, with some of her work featured in the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian—such as her Seven Clans executive pen set, an example of native elements in modern applications.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

“It makes me happy when I know I have created something beautiful and meaningful that challenges stereotypes, confronts cultural appropriation, and shares our story with the world,” Christy says.

A contemporary take on Cherokee syllabary is a theme in Christy’s work, whether it’s applying graffiti-style Cherokee lettering to skateboards or wooden preschool blocks engraved with the characters of the Cherokee alphabet.

“I hope to lift the veil of cultural amnesia that has resulted from centuries of suppression and forced assimilation,” Long says.

Christy is an expert at bridging worlds, not only in her art but her life. She was raised in the white world by her non-Cherokee mother in Sylva, North Carolina, and knew little about her Cherokee heritage in her childhood. When her mom died at the age of 16, she was both physically and spiritually lost. Her DNA was Cherokee, yet she was an outsider when she came home to the reservation, known as the Qualla Boundary.

She was eventually taken in by her extended Cherokee family, but finding acceptance wasn’t always easy.

“I was caught in the middle of two worlds.

It took a long time to blend them,” she says.

Christy’s journey to rediscover her Cherokee heritage—the philosophy of what it means to be Cherokee—has been intentional, from learning how to bear hunt to participating in spiritual stomp dance gatherings.

“I love my culture and I want to share its infinite beauty with others,” she says.

Christy has recently been producing a line of ornate dough bowls, crafted from wood harvested and cut with her father’s help. The dough bowl is a symbol in its own right of the Appalachian families who inhabited the mountains since time immemorial, Christy says, but her version brings Cherokee legends to life with the artist.

Christy’s path as an artist is hard to define.

She calls herself a designer, a creator, and a maker. But an artist?

“Art is a hard concept to discuss. What is art? What is Cherokee art? What is contemporary Cherokee art?” Christy says.

As she sees it, Cherokee art is rooted in functionality. But ultimately her art is a tangible outlet for expressing Cherokee identity in contemporary objects. “Not only are you expressing the pride in your culture, but it is a topic of conversation about who we were, who we are, who we want to be,” Christy says. “The need is to tell our stories in every way we can. Our culture is the future of our community.”

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Tim Gardner, a celebrated mountain fiddler, carries on the tradition of building handcrafted banjos, an art passed down from his father.

LEAH BEILHART PHOTO

The Man Behind the Strings Tim Gardner There’s two sides to every coin, three to a triangle, but a hundred or more to a Cedar Mountain Banjo.

Luckily, Tim Gardner knows all of them.

Sliding back from his workbench, Gardner loops his woodworker’s apron over a nail and pulls one of his latest creations to his knee. Bright, buoyant notes leap into the air, as if the banjo was somehow alive in his hands.

“The banjo is more than the sum of its parts. There’s a sound envelope that resonates out from the entire instrument,” Gardner says. “All the parts have to work together in harmony.”

Based near Brevard, North Carolina, Gardner’s handcrafted

Cedar Mountain Banjos feature an aesthetic grace and warm luster that quickly charms anyone who lays eyes on them.

Behind every banjo, there are dozens of hidden steps, each one inching the raw wood—woods with stellar tonality like curly maple, rosewood, cherry, and locust—closer to its perfect form.

Gardner’s a luthier, an artist, a craftsman, and, some days, just a cog in his own assembly wheel.

“You wear a lot of hats being a builder. If you want to actually be profitable at it, you are mixing art with manufacturing,” says Gardner, 36. “You are also a process engineer at the same time.”

The rim of the Cedar Mountain Banjo pots are made from dozens of small blocks joined like a giant hoop-shaped jigsaw puzzle, a construction technique handed down from Gardner’s father.

Mountain music imbibed Gardner’s upbringing. His parents, Lo and Mary Gordon, were anchors in the old-time music community, with their music store in downtown Brevard doubling as a regional musicians’ hub.

As a kid, Gardner trailed along to bluegrass and old-time music festivals with his dad, who would casually mosey up to a pickin’ circle with a Cedar Mountain Banjo in his hands and join in.

Lo started Cedar Mountain Banjos in the mid-1990s, the name borrowed from the small community where they lived outside Brevard. Lo stumbled into banjo building thanks to his maker’s streak. After fashioning one from a kit as a hobby project, he began wondering if he could build one from scratch, and the tinkering began.

“There were very few custom banjo makers then,” Gardner says.

Twenty years later, Cedar Mountain has more than 600 banjos under its belt.

Gardner’s been lucky to follow in his father’s footsteps, not only inheriting the know-how but the legacy of craftsmanship that Cedar Mountain Banjos has carved out.

Cedar Mountain Banjos have made their way into the instrument arsenals of several bluegrass stars, including the famous Asheville-based mountain musician David Holt and Grammy-winner Al Petteway.

Despite his early immersion in the mountain music scene—he took up the fiddle after his mom at the age of 7—his foray into the family banjo business was a gradual evolution.

A forestry major in college, Gardner landed back home in Brevard between firefighting gigs out West. He was scraping together a living playing the fiddle and working odd jobs when the stars aligned.

“I was working construction one February—and it was really cold,” Gardner says, who was 25 at the time. “I needed a job, and Dad needed a helper.”

Lo had two builders working for him already, but was so consumed by the business side of the operation—managing orders, finding suppliers, juggling the books, courting customers—that he rarely spent time in the workshop himself anymore.

He took his son under his wing, and Gardner soon became the classic tale of an apprentice who surpasses his master. But it was a hard road at first, trying to learn a new craft within the dynamic of a father-son relationship.

“It was a lot of pressure. He is very exacting, too,” Gardner says.

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More Music Makers y Devoting a lifetime to the most traditional of Appalachian instruments, JERRY READ SMITH has been making hammer and mountain dulcimers in Black Mountain, North Carolina, for more than 40 years. Stop in to his store, Song of the Wood, and you can try your hand at more than 15 dulcimer models, along with unique instruments like the Celtic harp or cane flute. Smith is one of the few luthiers keeping the heritage of psalteries alive, an medieval ancestor of the dulcimer. songofthewood.com. y What good’s a banjo without a CAPO CADDY? Hatfield Music Banjo Supplies in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is home to a unique collection of banjo accessories by Jack Hatfield, including banjo practice boards, pick pouches, antigravity straps, and pick-ups.

Hatfield is a banjo legend—as a musician, an inventor, a teacher, an author, an historian, a composer, a luthier, and influential leader in the preservation of traditional music. hatfieldmusic.com. y A luthier of the finest order, BOB KOGUT makes violins out of Lenoir, North Carolina. Kogut builds his fiddles to carry a rich, sweet, deep tone—shunning the stereotype of a shrill or squeaky instrument even in a beginner’s hands. Kogut names each fiddle he makes, and for custom jobs comes up with the name in concert with its owner-tobe. A testament to his reputation, a Kogut Violin is auctioned every year at Merlefest. webpages.charter.net/koguts.

Cedar Mountain Banjos are known equally for their warm, rich tone and fine craftsmanship.

Tim Gardener takes a break from his work bench (inset) to test the tonality of his latest creation.

BECKY JOHNSON PHOTO

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from bar gigs and picking circles to concert halls and festival stages.

The day of reckoning finally came, however.

“He eventually said, ‘I’m out, Tim. If you want this to keep going you have to take over,’” Gardner recalls.

The post-college revelry was waning by then anyway. He was married with a child in the cards, and decided the time was right.

Cedar Mountain Banjos is now headquartered on the first-floor of Gardner’s house outside Brevard. A true home studio, wayward Legos sneak down the stairs and streamers from his daughter’s birthday party the week before still flutter from the doorway. He’s hasn’t given up his fiddling career either, with shows still covering his calendar.

Gardner’s making about 30 banjos a year these days. He could do more, but it’s a lifestyle choice to carve out time for his family and his own musical interests.

As for the banjos, the original design refined by his father—a model Gardner calls Vintage Cedar Mountain—needs no improvement.

Aside from the construction technique, the beauty lies in the proportions: the rim thickness, the neck taper, the peg head size, the heel joinery.

But Gardner has put his own stamp on the Cedar Mountain Banjo line nonetheless. One of his additions is the Bella Rosa, which pushes the boundaries of his father’s open-back clawhammer classic. Gardner calls it a crossover banjo, with a brighter bell-like tone suited for a range of playing styles, from bluegrass finger picking to old-time strumming.

He’s also developed the Bungalow model, inspired by the —Tim Gardner, second-generation historic arts-and-crafts style of master banjo builder with Cedar Mountain bungalows widespread throughout Banjos outside Brevard, N.C. the Asheville region. Created with eco-friendly traits in mind, it uses domestic, locally sourced wood, and skips the Gardner’s father soon started dropping typical shell inlay on the neck. hints, however, nudging Gardner to get out Cedar Mountain stands behind its solid from behind the workbench and take a more craftsmanship with a lifetime warrantee. active role in running the company. But Gardner would make it longer than that if he Gardner was content to be craftsman while could. He hopes every banjo he makes will be his dad played the businessman. His life was a family heirloom one day, passed down in a sweet spot. A master banjo builder by day through the generations like the craft his and bluegrass fiddler by night, Gardner was father passed down to him. living the musician’s dream. He bounced Now 10 years later, Gardner has built nearly 400 of the signature Cedar Mountain Banjos—more than three times the number his dad ever built, mostly because his dad was a slave to the office side of the business.

“For a long time I thought, ‘I don’t want to be a business owner and work for myself.’ I just wanted a pay check,” Gardner recalls.

“When you buy a

product from a small maker, you aren’t just buying a product. You are buying them.

They like being on a first-name basis with the artist, and that whole collaboration process.”

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Susan Leveille, a master fiber artist, comes from a long line of weavers. Wearing cloth of her own creation, Leveille is never more at home than when she’s behind the warp of a loom. KATHRYN RAY PHOTO

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Weaver of Heritage Susan Leveille Cradled in the corner window of her riverfront studio, Susan Leveille glides her nimble hands over her loom like the eddies rolling down the Tuckasegee in the distance.

There’s a mesmerizing cadence to the craft: the soft clack of the petals lifting and lowering the heddle, the gentle lapping of the header against the warp, the swish of the shuttle tossed deftly through the maze of threads, all the while towing a thin cotton strand that’s along for the ride.

Leveille often gets lost in her own weaving, the worries of the world melting away as she focuses solely on the fabric furling from her fingertips.

“If I am thinking about what I am going to make for supper, then I’ll look back and have made a mistake. Detail matters. One thread wrong, and it will be there in the cloth forever,” says Leveille, a master weaver and the owner of Oaks Gallery in Dillsboro, North Carolina.

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Leveille’s mountain roots go back generations, her ancestors settling in the Cartoogechaye community of neighboring Macon County before the Civil War. In those days, weaving was a necessity. The loom was a household fixture, as ubiquitous as a washboard or ax.

“They had to weave everything that was textile in their home—the diapers for their babies, the sheets on their bed, the clothes on their back, the curtains at the windows, the cloth to dry the dishes with,” Leveille says.

Nonetheless, weaving became an outlet for artistic expression, even for the poorest substance settlers. “It was a necessity first and foremost, but mankind has forever wanted to have things of beauty around him,” Leveille says.

Household fabric production was the single most timeconsuming task for Appalachian women: raising the flax or sheep to make fibers, spinning the thread, weaving the cloth, gathering roots and bark for dye, and finally sewing the garments by hand.

So when the industrial revolution finally reached the mountains, the family loom was quickly forsaken for store-bought

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cloth. Within a single generation, weaving nearly became a lost art, until its rediscovery during the craft revival of the 1920s.

Leveille’s great aunt, Lucy Morgan, was a pioneer of that movement. After learning to weave at Berea College in Kentucky in the early 1920s, Morgan came back to the mountains of North Carolina and started the Penland Weavers, a cottage industry that helped impoverished Appalachian women bootstrap their way to a better life.

Morgan later founded the fabled Penland School of Crafts outside Linville, North Carolina, where traditional Appalachian handicrafts were taught to a new generation of makers.

One by one, Morgan’s sisters made the pilgrimage to Penland to learn the traditional craft of weaving, and a family of weavers was born.

“If Aunt Lucy hadn’t started the school, would we have had all the weavers in the family?” Leveille wonders.

Leveille learned the craft as a child, when an aunt showed up to live with them, her loom in tow. She set it up in a spare room, where Leveille spent hours watching her.

“I was just mesmerized,” Leveille recalls. When her aunt married and moved away, she left the loom behind, threaded with yards and yards of thread—called the warp—for Leveille to weave away on.

But eventually, the warp ran out, and Leveille was crushed. Threading a loom was a complicated, technical job, and

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Heritage crafts were an integral part of Susan Leveille’s mountain upbringing in Western North Carolina. Hand-woven cloth was once a household necessity for Appalachian families.

KATHRYN RAY PHOTO

More Textile Artisans y CATHARINE ELLIS, a fiber artist in Waynesville, North Carolina, specializes in natural dying techniques and unique weave patterns, including a line of Appalachian-inspired landscape tapestries. An innovator, instructor, and leader in the fiber arts community, Ellis’ varied projects of late range from teaching natural dyeing in Guatemala to the development of specialty Jacquard fabric for the Oriole Mill in Hendersonville, North Carolina. ellistextiles.com. y AMBER JENSEN is a fabric designer, weaver, and seamstress with a signature production line called Sketchbook bags and backpacks— each one cut, assembled, sewn, punched, riveted, and lined by her two hands. Jensen has masterfully created colorways, textures, and designs that are both nostalgic and trendsetting, a blend of rural Appalachia and urban hipster. Her studio overlooks the French Broad River in Marshall, North Carolina, occupying a historic high school that’s been converted into an artists co-op. Aside from her bag line, Jensen dapples in various textile projects, including portfolio bags for The Wool Lab based in Prato, Italy. sketchbookcrafts.com.

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Leveille hadn’t learned that part. Just 11 years old, Leveille begged her father to send her to Penland for a weaving class so she could learn how to set a loom.

She wove a set of placemats that week that her mother was still using at 90.

Leveille’s family serves as a testament to the power of the craft revival movement to lift up the Appalachian economy. Her father put himself through college and medical school during the 1930s as a pewtersmith, a craft he learned as a teenager at none other than Penland.

“It was his bread and butter, his only source of income,” Leveille says.

When Leveille’s father came back home to the mountains, his day job as a cardiologist left him little time for pewter work. But he held fast to the family’s craft legacy. He opened a working studio, Riverwood Pewter, in Dillsboro and taught the trade to local crafters who then ran the shop. Leveille's sister eventually took up the mantle of the pewtersmithing, and for years the sisters worked next door to each other in the collection of galleries and working craft studios known as Riverwood Shops in Dillsboro, where Leveille's Oaks

Gallery is still housed today.

Leveille was immersed in handicraft circles as a child, traipsing along with her father to weeklong fairs of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild.

“We saw people tying lace fringes and making pottery and carving blocks for block printing. I just thought everybody knew how to do all that stuff,” Leveille says. “I thought everybody had hand-forged andirons in the fireplace, handmade white oak baskets to hold the kindling, handwoven scarves on each dresser, handembroidered linens on the table.”

Leveille has thought a lot about why the Southern Appalachians were such a fertile ground for the craft revival movement. Part must lie with the mountains themselves, she thinks. An unspoken force binds the generations, transcending past, present, and future through the shared heritage of a timeless landscape.

Isolation was likely a factor as well. “That in and of itself meant skills were kept alive,” Leveille says.

But the culture of craft was also preserved out of economic necessity.

“Part of it was the Depression came along, and anything you could do to earn 20 cents was worth doing,” Leveille says.

And thanks to tourism, there was a ready-made market.

“All of that came together to make this the craft mecca of the United States,” she says.

Leveille received the North Carolina Heritage Award in 2014, in part for her artistry but also for advocacy of heritage crafts. Once more following in Aunt Lucy’s footsteps, Leveille’s taught scores of weaving courses and workshops over the past four decades.

“I realized it had been passed down to me and I should do the same,” she says.

“I thought everybody had hand-forged andirons in the fireplace, handmade white oak baskets to hold the kindling, handwoven scarves on each dresser, hand-embroidered linens on the table.”

— Susan Leveille

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

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“The Smokies have one quality that is unique— charm. The Smokies have enduring charm.

Having seen them once they lure you back again and again.

I love them, and they just keep a callin’ ‘come back,’ and it makes me mighty lonesome for them.”

— Rudolph Ingerle

Rudolph Frank Ingerle (1879–1950) “Sunday Afternoon” Oil on canvas, 48 1/8 x 52 1/8 inches THE JOHNSON COLLECTION, SPARTANBURG, SC

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

The Painter of the

mokies S

BY MARTHA R. SEVERENS

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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R

udolph Ingerle wasn’t the first artist to turn his brush on the endless mountain vistas of the Smokies, and he certainly wasn’t the last. But he may have been one of the most influential, as a contemporary of writer Horace Kephart and photographer George Masa who played a role in establishing Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hailed during his lifetime (1879–1950) as the “Painter of the Smokies,” Ingerle encouraged the movement to protect for posterity over 500,000 acres of the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.

From his childhood, Ingerle loved mountains.

Born in Vienna, Austria, he frequently visited his paternal grandparents in Moravia, a mountainous region in the eastern part of the modern-day Czech Republic. As a young teenager, Ingerle immigrated with his family to the American Midwest, eventually settling in Chicago, where he studied art and became active in art circles.

Based in the country’s flat heartland, Ingerle sought inspiration elsewhere for his paintings, first in Brown County, Indiana—an area in the south-central part of the state known for its picturesque rolling hills. He later moved on to the Ozarks, where he explored the unspoiled terrain along the Gasconade River. In the early 1920s, Ingerle looked south and east and discovered the Cumberland Mountains of western Virginia and eastern Kentucky and, in 1926, he first visited the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.

Ingerle proclaimed it was “love at first sight.”

Writing for the Palette and Chisel, a Chicago arts publication, he described his “fate,” as well as the extensive varieties of trees and plants, calling the mountains in May “a vast flower garden.” He mentioned “crystal clear streams tumbling, roaring along, plunging over waterfalls,” and concluded his article with the following declaration:

“The Smokies have one quality that is unique— charm. The Smokies have enduring charm.

Having seen them once they lure you back again and again. I love them, and they just keep a callin’ ‘come back,’ and it makes me mighty lonesome for them.”

The paintings that Ingerle produced as a result of his many forays in the Smokies reflect his passion for the area. An imposing, almost square canvas, “Oconolutfy” shows a full moon rising through the clouds as the sun sets on two intersecting mountain ranges. The area depicted is a river valley and derives its name from a Cherokee village known as Egwantuli—“by the river.”

Explorer and naturalist John Bartram noted it in his journal for 1775. The waters of the Oconaluftee—the conventional spelling of the name—were sacred to the Cherokee. Heavy logging took place there until the mid-1930s, but stopped once the National Park Service took control. In 1940, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a stone and log ranger station, which served from 1947 until 2011 as a visitor center.

Ingerle exhibited his paintings over 30 times at the Art Institute of Chicago, bringing visibility to conservation efforts. A critic for the Chicago Tribune substantiated his influence: “Rudolph F. Ingerle has won an enviable reputation as a landscape painter. In recent years he has done a great deal of painting in North Carolina. His superb mountain landscapes have captured the imagination and heart of an enormous public.”

As his reputation grew, Ingerle believed that he played a modest role in the effort to set aside the Smokies as a national park, which was successfully finalized in 1934. His painting of a rustic cabin surrounded by an autumnal blaze of foliage, “Sunday Afternoon,” may be a tribute to his literary counterpart, Horace Kephart, whose volume Our Southern Highlanders documented his experiences living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The tall central figure with a walking stick and high boots wears a broadbrimmed hat not unlike the one that the writer usually donned. Like Ingerle’s paintings, Kephart’s book is credited with inspiring the park’s founding. His reverential descriptions reveal his enthusiasm: “I loved of a morning to slip on my haversack, pick up my rifle, or maybe a mere staff, and stride forth alone over haphazard routes, to enjoy in my own untutored way the infinite variety of form and color and shade, of plant and tree and animal life, in that superb wilderness that towered there far above all homes of men.”

Though known primarily as a landscape painter, Ingerle also executed a number of Rudolph Frank Ingerle (1879–1950) “Salt of the Earth,” 1930. Oil on canvas, 52 x 48 inches ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM, GIFT OF MR. AND MRS. LESLIE H. GEDDES, 1951

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

1820-41

Cocke County, Tennessee

The Adventurous Side of the Smokies Rudolph Frank Ingerle (1879–1950) “Oconolufty” [Oconaluftee] Oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 32 ¼ inches THE JOHNSON COLLECTION, SPARTANBURG, SC

remarkable figure studies. His compelling “Salt of the Earth” is an expression of Depression-era regionalism akin to Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.” Ingerle declared in his article: “The natives are the finest strain of Anglo-Saxon, hospitable, kind, living mostly in log cabins in the ‘holler,’ as they call the valley. The mountaineers are fine types and afford great opportunities for figure painting. Here, I believe, is one phase of American life and landscape that is still pure.”

“Salt of the Earth” may have been one of Ingerle’s favorite paintings, as it remained with him until his death in 1950; it was acquired shortly afterward and given to the Rockford Art Museum by Mr. and Mrs. Leslie H. Geddes. According to the museum’s curator, Carrie Johnson, “It is a treasured piece in our collection.” No less an authority than Dr. William H. Gerdts, professor emeritus at The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, agreed, writing to the museum in 1987: “He appears an interesting artist, and certainly your painting is a top quality one.”

As the so-called painter of the Smokies, Ingerle deserves more recognition for his advocacy of a distinct American geography and culture. With an artist’s eye and sensibility, his evocative vistas and figures studies convey the essential allure of what has become the country’s most popular national park, and, as he said, the Smokies “lure you back again and again.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Martha R. Severens is profiled on page 9. This article is derived in part from material that appeared in Scenic Impressions: Southern Interpretations from The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, SC, co-published with the University of South Carolina Press, 2015.

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Scruffy No More

25 Ways to Discover Knoxville’s New Sheen

BY MARYELLEN KENNEDY DUCKETT 68

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Knoxville

celebrates its 225th birthday this October.

I’ve lived here since 1984. You’d think the place wouldn’t hold too many secrets left for me to discover. Or at least that’s what I thought. But several months ago, I sat down at a long wooden table to break bread with, as it turned out, a Knoxville I had never met.

Gathered alongside me that evening were East Tennessee farmers, bakers, distillers, chefs, community activists, foodies, cheese makers, educators, musicians, and historic preservationists. We had come together to learn about and benefit Nourish Knoxville, an East Tennessee nonprofit dedicated to cultivating relationships between farmers, artisanal producers, and the community.

When I arrived at the dinner, my expectations were low. (I love living in Scruffy City, as we’re sometimes called, but our most memorable moments tend to be tied to the fortunes of the Tennessee Vols.)

I expected to walk away with a full stomach and maybe a slight buzz—that’s all. But the event took me completely by surprise.

Apparently I haven’t been paying attention.

While dining on such culinary creations as ribeye and duck egg pound cake with honey buttercream frosting—made of entirely local ingredients, down to the honey—I could scarcely believe this new, homegrown version of Knoxville that surrounded me. The energy of the group was intoxicating, and not just because of the spiked chai cocktail we were sipping.

In the intervening weeks and months, I’ve eaten, toured, shopped, pedaled, and paddle boarded my way around my city.

I’ve stretched my comfort zone, my body, and my preconceptions. Here’s a sampling of my favorite new, unexpected, and under-the-radar experiences.

Bowled 01.Get Over Tucked under Babalu Taco in downtown’s historic J.C. Penney Building, this “Spirited Bowling Experience” is the brainchild of University of Tennessee alums Kevin Rice and Greg Cox. The pair’s new bowling alley-bar-eatery is primarily subterranean, helping keep things cool—and upping the overall MAPLE HALL BOWLING LANES PHOTO coolness factor—even in summer. There are 11 bowling lanes, including two in a private room. The “Maple” in the name, says Rice, is a nod to the wood used to handcraft the lanes. “It really is a beautiful space,” he says. “We tried to preserve as much of the history of the nearly 120year-old building as possible.”

In addition to bowling, there are cozy seating areas for hanging out, live music, a full bar, an outdoor patio, and additional event space upstairs. The food menu, designed by James Beard-nominated chef Alex Bomba, is heavy on “shareable piles” such as a cheesy tater tot base served with a selection of toppings and dipping sauces. Maple Hall opens at 4 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. weekends. Families are welcome, but late night is 21 and up (check the website for specific hours).

Maple Hall Bowling Lanes, 416 S. Gay St., @MapleHallKnox.

02.

Change Your Perspective

Soar, swing, and climb among the trees at Ijams Nature Center on up to six elevated “adventure trails.” The tree-based trails include more than 60 elements, such as zip lines, nets, and elevated tunnels. A flat $49 fee ($44 for ages 8-11) covers two hours of trail time plus a 30-minute orientation and training. Open to ages eight and up. Reservations recommended. Navitat Ijams Canopy Experience, 2915 Island Home Ave., navitat.com.

Your 03.Find Tribe Billed as a “mixed-use creative space,” the Central Collective is a former car radio repair shop reimagined and completely renovated by a pie maker and her photographer husband. The ground floor houses the couple’s respective businesses, Dale’s Fried Pies (dalesfriedpies.com) and Shawn Poynter Photography (shawnpoynter.com). The upper level hosts an eclectic menu of activities, groups, and events. “We’d always dreamed of having a place to explore our many other interests—art, wellness, music, food, and community,” says co-owner Dale Mackey, whose sweet and savory fried pies (such as the Elvis: peanut butter, banana, and Benton’s bacon crumbles) are sold at the Market Square Farmers’ Market, Remedy Coffee, and other locations around town. “We host everything from First Friday art openings to pop-up dinners, and from yoga classes to private parties. It’s been so great to create a space that is really defined by the community and what folks want to see in this neighborhood.” The Central Collective, 923 N. Central St., thecentralcollective.com.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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Knoxville’s

NEW

MUST-DOs

04.

Be a Good Sport

Stuck in a rut? Pay a nominal fee (typically $25 or less) and bring a sense of adventure— as well as the willingness to step outside your comfort zone (and, maybe, into a baby goat petting zoo). “Basically, you show up and don’t know what you are going to do, but it’s going to be fun,” says Erin Donovan, an avid “good sport” whose day job is communications director for Visit Knoxville.

“The night I went literally was like being in eighth grade again. We made something to cover an egg and then threw it off the roof of the building. There were 10 of us—all adults who showed up trusting and ready to try whatever. We were hanging out and meeting each other. It was so much fun, and it’s the sort of thing that’s going on a lot more in Knoxville now.”

Good Sport Nights (or, on occasion, Days) are held monthly. Fees, physical activity level, age restriction, dress code, and food and drink (included or not) varies depending on that month’s event. The organizers don’t reveal the mystery in advance. They do put enough details in the online event listing, however, to help you decide if you’re up for that month’s adventure. Good Sport Night at the Central Collective, 923 N. Central St., thecentralcollective.com.

CENTRAL COLLECTIVE PHOTO

Cauliflower steak.

LONESOME DOVE WESTERN BISTRO PHOTO

With 05.Mess Texas What’s an “Urban Western” Texas restaurant doing in an historic East Tennessee saloon building? For James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur Tim Love, the pairing presented a no-brainer recipe for success. “I chose Knoxville because I have strong ties and history here,” says Love, a 1994 graduate of the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business. “I love doing business in places that I feel connected to, and there’s some really interesting stuff happening in Knoxville now. Plus, when the Patrick Sullivan’s building became available, I couldn’t turn it down.”

The Sullivan’s building—which operated as a saloon from 1888 until 1907, was reborn as Patrick Sullivan’s on St. Patrick’s Day 1988, and had been shuttered since 2011—is widely considered the cornerstone of Knoxville’s Old City. Love’s reinvention of the historic treasure includes the third (and first outside of Texas) locations of both his flagship restaurant and his casual Love Shack burger joint (opening next door to the Lonesome Dove this fall).

“The novel Lonesome Dove is about seeking out the new and adventurous, and never settling,” Love adds. “The same is true for my flagship restaurant. I would never put Lonesome Dove Austin in Knoxville or vice versa, but it’s the same spirit that fills every location. Will there be some favorites from Fort Worth and Austin on the menu? Of course. But Lonesome Dove Knoxville will have tons of its own signatures [such as stacked pheasant enchiladas with Cruze Farms crema] and a personality all its own that reflects the surrounding community.”

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, 100 N. Central St., lonesomedoveknoxville.com.

Fired 06.Get Up After a decade at celebrated Blackberry Farm—where he was named a Grand Chef by Relais and Chateaux and received the James Beard award for Best Chef Southeast in 2013—Joseph Lenn is launching a new venture on familiar territory. “As a Knoxville native, I always hoped to open a restaurant here,” says Lenn, whose eatery is named for his late great uncle, Joseph Charles Holdway, a bachelor who, according to the chef, “ate out for every meal.” The menus will feature wood-fired, regional cuisine, including seasonally fresh ingredients from the nearby Market Square Farmers’ Market (held twice weekly, May to November). The location—in downtown’s historic Daylight Building—is no accident. “I have loved this building for many years,” adds Lenn, who cooked on the sidewalk outside the Daylight in 2011 for a dinner honoring his friend, the world-renowned smoked meat master Allan Benton.

J.C. Holdway, 501 Union Ave., jcholdway.com.

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Your 09.Find Happy Place

Chef/owner Matt Gallaher’s culinary career path also included a stint at Blackberry Farm, as well as world tours with performers such as Tim McGraw and The Eagles, and as chef in the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion. Emilia, which opened in May, is his second downtown Knoxville eatery and first foray into Italian cuisine (including house-made pasta and focaccia). As with Gallaher’s celebrated Knox Mason, the menu celebrates locally sourced and seasonally fresh ingredients, such as beef from Mitchell Family Farm in Grainger County and freshly foraged ramps (wild leeks). Emilia, 16 Market Square, emiliaknox.com.

The 14-building district known as Happy Holler is regaining its mojo. During its prohibition-era heyday, “buy local” meant purchasing illegal hooch from back-alley bootleggers. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, Happy Holler is now legal and home to a growing collection of locally owned shops, restaurants, and craft breweries. The latest arrival is Schulz Brewing Co., opened in May in the former Knox-Tenn Rental & Sales Co. warehouse.

Park on the street and spend a couple of hours visiting new and old neighborhood haunts. Browse the shelves at Retrospect Vintage Store and the vinyl and comics collections at Raven Records & Rarities.

Drink and dine at Central Flats and Taps.

Play the vintage pinball machine and peruse the vintage motorcycle memorabilia at the Time Warp Tea Room. Shop for homegrown and organic foods, plants, and products at the community-owned Three Rivers Market.

Finish up with an old-school soft serve cone from the Original Freezo drive-in, a Happy Holler standby since the 1940s.

Happy Holler Historic District, North Central Street between Baxter and Oklahoma Avenues.

BILL FOSTER PHOTO

the 07.Hit Sauce

11.

Get in Gear

Downtown’s newest concert hall and event venue is the latest production from visionary concert promoter Ashley Capps (co-founder of the iconic Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival). Housed in the former Industrial Belting Supply warehouse, which once stocked gear for mills and mines, the multifaceted space includes 20,000 square feet indoors and over 5,000 square feet in a grassy outdoor courtyard. Big Ears Festival attendees got a sneak peak in March, but the full Mill & Mine didn’t premiere until summer. Upcoming shows include M83 (Oct. 10) and Band of Horses (Oct. 21).

The Mill & Mine, 227 W. Depot Ave., themillandmine.com.

12.

Strike a New Chord

in 10.Roll Dough

It doesn’t get much better than fresh-baked cookies and craft beer. On Mondays, you get a cookie on the house with your first pour at Sugar Mama’s. Co-owners Mike and Hannah McConnell have been pairing scratch-made baked goods with local brews since 2014 but only opened their brick-andmortar shop in April. They also serve breakfast all day, host weekly team trivia and bingo nights, and whip up a decadent beer (or, old-fashioned root beer) float. Sugar Mama’s Bakery, 135 S. Gay St., sugarmamasbakeryknoxville.com.

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OPEN CHORD PHOTO

Milk 08.Forget and Cookies

If you’re unsure about paying $2 for a single doughnut, step inside Makers and inhale. The aromas alone are worth at least a buck. Makers handcrafts small-batch doughnuts using locally sourced and seasonally fresh ingredients such as blueberries and blackberries, Benton’s Bacon, and Intelligentsia Coffee. Flavor options change weekly. Recent varieties include Lemon Drop (lemon icing infused with lemon zest and dusted with white candy sugar balls), Churro (a crispy cake donut coated with a cinnamon-sugar mix), and Key Lime Pie (lime icing, graham cracker crumbs, and a fresh lime wedge). The shop is open Thursday to Sunday, 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. The hours might be limited, but the supply of designer doughnuts isn’t. When they’re open, they guarantee there will be fresh doughnuts available. If for some reason the stash is wiped out when you’re there, you’ll get a coupon for a free dozen on your next visit.

Makers Donuts, 804 Tyson St., makersdonuts.com.

Hidden within West Knoxville’s strip-mall sprawl is one of the city’s newer—and most intimate—performance venues. Once home to Rik’s Music store, the industrial space underwent extensive renovations in early 2016 and still includes a guitar shop, music school, and small café. But it’s the live music several nights a week (plus poetry slams and other performances) that makes Open Chord well worth the drive west from downtown on I-40 (exit 379A). Open Chord, 8502 Kingston Pike, openchordmusic.com.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

SEPT 23 - OCT 30 7th Annual

Take the Aerial Tramway to OktOBERfest for the best views of fall foliage and the Smoky Mountains.

Select German biers will be served with traditional bratwurst, schnitzel, sauerkraut, strudel, and pretzels.

In authentic costumes, the Bavarian Fun Makers Oompah Band will perform the Schuhplattling, yodels, sing-a-longs, and more! Free shows daily.

Call now to make reservations for your winter group outing with us!

Perfect for: t $IVSDIFT t 3FVOJPOT t 4DIPPMT

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Knoxville’s

NEW

MUST-DOs

13.

BYO Book

The Wests—founding family of Market Square’s renaissance—retooled the existing Oodles Italian restaurant to create a new collection of intimate indoor and outdoor spaces. The covered patio remains prime territory for people-watching and noshing on small plates (try the bacon-wrapped chicken skewers and pulled pork sliders). Step inside to sit and spin in the Vino and Vinyl listening bar, a comfy space equipped with turntables, an extensive record collection, and occasional guest DJs. Or cozy up with a cocktail and a hardcover (bring your own or borrow one from the shelves) in the adjacent Bourbon and Books Bar. UnCorked Bar Books Vinyl Bistro, 28 Market Square, scruffcity.com/knoxville-uncorked.

Farms, which provides the organic corn we use,” says Stanton Webster, Knox Whiskey Works manager and one of the distillery’s ten investor-owners. “East Tennesseans appreciate the fact that the corn we use was grown right down the road from us in Jefferson County, and that every part of our process—from the bottles made in Shelbyville to the labels designed around the corner in the Old City by Robin Easter Design—is rooted right here in Tennessee.”

Even the proof listed on the labels is 86.5%, a nod to East Tennessee’s 865 area code. One of the newest products set to premiere soon is a spiced orange liqueur, sure to gain a loyal following in Big Orange Country. Knox Whiskey Works, 516 W. Jackson Ave., knoxwhiskeyworks.com.

15.

14.

Opened in November 2015, Knoxville’s only small-batch craft distillery produces seven different varieties of spirits (with three more planned by the end of the year) and offers tastings and tours. The spirits—which already are earning accolades, including a 2016 American Distilling Institute gold medal for the Old City Heirloom Corn Whiskey—celebrate the heritage and flavors of East Tennessee.

“We support local agriculture by building relationships with farmers like Riverplains 74

16.

Turn Over a New (Tea) Leaf

Sara Griscom, who opened her holistic healing arts and wellness center Gypsy Hands on Central in 2003, has recently added a new source of buzz. “The Tea Temple is an extension of Gypsy Hands, and is meant to educate and nurture community,” says Griscom. In addition to a selection of traditional and medicinal teas, an apothecary providing tinctures and salves, and a menu of (non-GMO, organic, gluten-free) snacks, visitors can learn more about Gypsy Hands’ offerings, such as intuitive consultation, Maori deep-tissue massage, and energy healing. Lil’ Tea Temple On Central, 707 N. Central Ave., gypsyhands.com.

17.

Say Namaste

Raise a Mug

Taste the Heritage

COLBY MCLEMORE PHOTO

K Brew’s baristas craft every cuppa Joe— and hot chocolate, latte, mocha, and other steaming and iced mugs of deliciousness— with artistic flair. Take a moment to savor the fern leaf design or other mini-masterpiece on your foam before sipping. While you’re waiting for your brew, hang out in the indoor hammock room (garage doors open in warmer weather) or the communal gathering space.

Knoxville brothers and owners Michael and Pierce LaMacchia regularly host food trucks and musicians at this location (there’s a smaller shop downtown). Check the K Brew Facebook page for daily updates. K Brew, 1138 N. Broadway, knoxvillebrew.com.

Whether you’re a yogi or couldn’t tell a downward facing dog from a barking one, you’ll find a welcoming community at the Glowing Body Yoga Studio. Most classes are drop-in and most days include at least one “Karma” class where participants pay whatever they can (suggested donation $7-15). This Happy Holler haven is next to Holly’s Corner and Magpie’s Bakery, and the savory and sweet aromas from both kitchens are irresistible. Save time after class for an Italian Cream cupcake from Magpie’s or a slice of the Lurleen quiche (Benton’s country ham, collard greens, Sweet Valley Farms smoked cheddar) from Holly’s.

The Glowing Body Yoga Studio, 711 Irwin St., glowingbody.net.

18.Move Your Feast Stroll, sip, and munch your way around downtown (or the District in Bearden) on a guided private or small group food tour. The progressive feasts showcase locally owned eateries (such as Café 4 and Bistro at the Bijou) and several locally produced and packaged products, including Goodson Bros.

Coffee and Flour Head Bread. Knoxville Food Tours, knoxvillefoodtours.com.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

WWW.SMLIV.COM

75

SMOKY MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS

Handcrafted Mountain Dulcimers

by Mark Edelman “The Mark of Excellence”

Come, Learn to play Working Craftsman Books, Cases, CDs, Videos

601 Glades Rd. #27, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Located in the Morning Mist Village

(865) 325-1610

SmokyMountainDulcimers.com

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

the 20.Hit Trails

24.Rock the Cradle

Spend an hour, a day, or a whole weekend exploring Knoxville’s premier public playground for all things outdoors. Located across the Tennessee River from downtown, the 1,000-acre Urban Wilderness corridor includes 10 parks and 50 miles of multi-use trails. The new Baker Creek Preserve adds over six miles of trails, including a competition-style (one-way downhill and extremely steep) mountain bike trail funded by a $100,000 Bell Helmets grant. “Ten minutes from town you can get out in the woods for a remote hike, sit on bench, and watch the river go by; take a short hike and look down on the quarry; or rent a bike and ride miles of trails,” says Ed McAlister, president of River Sports Outfitters, which rents bikes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards for use in the Urban Wilderness.

“Within minutes you can be in total isolation with no noise but nature.” Urban Wilderness, South Knoxville, outdoorknoxville.com.

New commemorative markers for the Cradle of Country Music Walking Tour downtown are helping to shine a brighter spotlight on landmarks such as the St. James Hotel, the site of the 1929 and 1930 “Knoxville Sessions” recordings. Launched in 2011, this self-guided tour highlights East Tennessee’s leading role in the creation of country music. Follow the route to learn the history and to retrace the steps of legendary performers such as Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and Elvis Presley. Updated brochures are available at the downtown visitors center (301 S. Gay St.).

21.

Turn Up the Heat

Glassblower Matt Salley is known for his delicate flower sculptures (on sale at the Knoxville Museum of Art gift shop) and for his patience in teaching non-artistic types how to sculpt hot glass. He regularly hosts workshops in his small South Knoxville studio, Marble City Glassworks, or you can schedule a private class for one or two people (or for a group of 4 to 12). Glassblowing is a cool art form, but it gets extremely hot in the studio. During warm weather, schedule private sessions before noon or after 6 p.m.

Marble City Glassworks, 105 Artella Dr., marblecityglassworks.com.

Your 22.Find Type When they’re not creating letterpress concert posters, wedding invitations, or business cards, printmakers Bryan Baker and Sarah Shebaro share the art and craft of typesetting with anyone who wants to learn.

Sign up for a one-time workshop, or schedule a small group or private session to print like it’s 1450 (when Gutenberg invented the printing press). Most classes involve setting type, cutting wood and linoleum print blocks, and operating a printing press. Striped Light Letterpress Studio + Record Company, 107 Bearden Place, stripedlight.com.

20.

23.

Although Ijams has been a public nature park since the 1960s, this 300-acre urban oasis remains a bit of a best-kept secret, even among many Knoxvillians. There’s no charge to hike the center’s 12-plus miles of trails or to climb (at your own risk) the new Ijams Crag, Knoxville’s only outdoor rock climbing area.

The Crag currently has about 12 bolted routes for beginner to expert climbers. In summer, canoe, kayak, and paddle board rentals are available at Mead’s Quarry Lake. Call 865.577.4717, extension 110, for rental information. Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave., ijams.org.

The craft beer scene was slow to brew in Knoxville, with the bulk of the city’s breweries only opening last year. Now, however, more than a dozen area breweries are on the map— literally. The Knoxville Ale Trail map is available online and at the Knoxville Visitors Center, 301 S. Gay St. Some trail locations, such as Balter Beerworks and Crafty Bastard have tasting rooms.

Others, including Fanatic Brewing Co., offer tours. Beer from all breweries is available locally on tap or in bottles or growlers.

Knoxville Ale Trail, various locations, knoxvillealetrail.com.

Move On Up

Follow the Suds

WWW.SMLIV.COM

25.

Tune In

Every day except Sunday, listenersupported WDVX radio (89.9 FM) broadcasts a live music show from a tiny stage inside the Knoxville Visitor Center. From noon to 1 p.m., the “Blue Plate Special” attracts an audience of curious tourists and locals on lunch break. Playing the Blue Plate is popular with new acts, and with musicians appearing in town or just passing through.

Past performers have included The Avett Brothers and Old Crowe Medicine Show.

Get there by 11:30 a.m. if you want a seat (there’s usually about 30 folding chairs set up), and bring a sack lunch or buy a snack at the counter. WDVX Blue Plate Special, 301 S. Gay St., wdvx.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Knoxville-based writer Maryellen Kennedy Duckett wrote “Secrets of the Smokies” in the June/July 2016 issue.

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SELECT LODGING Directory

BEAR DEN LUXURY CABINS AND FAMILY CAMPGROUND Your Base Camp for Mountain Adventure! Luxury Cabins.

Mile post 324.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville and Boone 877.308.2888 • bear-den.com HEMLOCK INN This historic inn, set just off Main Street in downtown Blowing Rock, is only steps from shopping, restaurants and event activities. Eighteen unique rooms, including suites with fully-equipped kitchens. All rooms are non-smoking. Rooms feature private baths, cable TV, air conditioning, phone services, microwave ovens, refrigerators and WiFi. Take advantage of a variety of packages offered throughout the year.

Downtown Blowing Rock, N.C. 828.295.7987 • hemlockinn.net HISTORIC EUREKA INN The Historic Eureka Inn is a beautifully preserved gem located in Tennessee’s oldest town. Come and enjoy relaxing in your own Victorianinspired room, homemade Southern breakfast, and impeccable hospitality.

127 W. Main St. • Jonesborough, Tenn.

423-913-6100 • eurekajonesborough.com

Katelyn Smith & Blake Yarbrough Innkeepers

127 West Main Street Jonesborough, TN 37659

423-913-6100

EurekaJonesborough.com

SMOKETREE LODGE Smoketree’s cozy atmosphere and prime location gives visitors the choice of enjoying the peace and solitude of the Blue Ridge Mountains or the opportunity to partake in many activities available in the High Country.

11914 NC Hwy. 105 S. • Banner Elk, N.C. 800.422.1880 • smoketree-lodge.com

79-39

THE SWAG COUNTRY INN Chosen by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine as the #2 Best Small Hotel in the Unites States, the secluded hideaway itself consists of 250 private acres. The main lodge and cabins, consisting of 15 rooms, are built of 17th and 18th century hand hewn logs and local field stone. For 33 years, visitors have been able to experience just how remote, rustic, refined and remarkable it can be at 5,000 feet. Three gourmet meals are served daily, with turn down service each evening.

Waynesville, N.C. 800.789.7672 • theswag.com THE WAYNESVILLE INN GOLF RESORT & SPA This resort has been welcoming visitors to the mountains with southern hospitality since the 1920s. Traditional resort amenities include historic and mountain view lodging, 27 holes of championship golf, restaurant and tavern, plus outdoor event space and pro shop. Convenient location provides easy access to shopping, skiing, fishing, hiking and more.

176 Country Club Dr. • Waynesville, N.C. 800.627.6250 • thewaynesvilleinn.com

150 W. MAIN ST. • ABINGDON, VA (276) 619-5260

www.themartha.com 78

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

——————————————————

COUNTRY INN

—————————————————————

Smoketree Lodge

1802-19

Eat. Sleep. Hike. Repeat.

1802-21

Just one mile from Downtown Waynesville and 5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Waynesville Inn is the ideal home base for everything from shopping to hiking, skiing and viewing elk in the Smokies.

11914 Hwy. 105 S.

Lodging & Dining Available.

Call for Reservations.

Waynesville, NC

800.789.7672 • TheSwag.com

Banner Elk NC 28604

Amenities: • On-site Restaurant and Bar • Full Hot Breakfast with Stay • 27-Hole Golf Course & Pro Shop • Seasonal Outdoor Pool • Wedding and Event Venues

828-963-6505 Smoketree-Lodge.com Managed by Vacation Resorts International

800.627.6250 | TheWaynesvilleInn.com 176 COUNTRY CLUB DR. | WAYNESVILLE, N.C.

Your place to experience

Unique Lodging – Exceptional Dining

Restaurant open most evenings.

Reservations Recommended

706.754.7295

www.glenella.com WWW.SMLIV.COM

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STORIES

A Shift in Perspective B Y W AY L O N W O O D

M

y dad insisted on visiting Asheville during Halloween weekend, but I wanted him to come earlier. By then, leaves are past their peak in the valleys and have blown away from the ridgetops.

Besides, on that last weekend of October, the weather can be unpredictable. Wouldn’t he rather come during the peak leaf weeks? No, he said, and that was that. Getting him to come in the first place had not been easy, and I didn’t want to scare him off by arguing the point.

My dad does not like to be away from home. As he’s gotten older, his ties to home have gotten stronger. Why go anywhere else? There’s a list of excuses over the phone. Who will feed the horse and the cow and the feral cats? My favorite question that he poses is, “Where will we eat?” It’s laughable. Asheville’s restaurant choices might as well be Rome in comparison with where he lives. He knows this. Yet he clings to his routine like a castaway to his raft, and it gets harder and harder to shake him from it.

Furthermore, there’s an expectation that you will visit him. I remember Dad having many similar conversations with his own father.

“Why don’t you come see us?” he’d say, to which my Grandpa would respond, “Why?” It’s hard to watch my dad grow older. This powerful man who raised several levels of hell now hardly leaves the house. I wince as he recites his aches and pains. Now he has surpassed my grandpa’s final age and I hardly see him.

It’s my fault, too. It’s mostly the Florida heat that keeps me away.

Why anyone would exchange a cool summer evening in the mountains for humid oppression is beyond me. The holidays are off-limits, and who wants to travel during the winter? For us, “Come and see us” is a phrase as generic as “take care,” tossed about with the unspoken understanding that neither of us will budge, and time will continue to slip away.

As the weekend approached, the mountains were still clinging to their summer green. I can never remember why the leaves are late to change—some locals will tell you that we had too much water over the summer, while others say we didn’t have enough.

Some think the slowdown is an effect of global warming, but with the constant stream of conservative television in my father’s den this is a subject completely off the table.

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I nervously watched the weather like never before.

The week before, the air turned cooler and rain blew through daily. Plumes of fog dragged through the tops of the mountains.

Earlier in the week the first hard frost turned the cars’ windshields white. Snow fell in the highest peaks. Friday morning was cold with a layer of thick fog, and when the sun unexpectedly burned through it, a miracle happened: The leaves changed.

We met up at his motel. He seemed almost peppy, buoyed by the change of season. Then the second miracle of the day happened: He gave me the keys to his new Lincoln Continental. If you knew my dad you would understand what a miracle this actually was. I proudly drove him up the Blue Ridge Parkway. There was some minor complaining—a slightly raised eyebrow about my speed—but with the passing views he changed. He chattered and laughed and patted me on the back. Every rounding of every curve was filled with clear vistas. Opening up our views. Carpets of color flooded below us.

We reached Linville Falls. I told him it was a short walk, but the walk was really a hike and would mostly be an incline. I was worried and thought that he might not make it. To my surprise he almost bounded up the trail. When we finally reached the viewpoint he was out of breath with oohs and ahhs. He did not exaggerate.

Color striped the gorge. The reds taking over the oranges taking over the yellows. Layer upon layer.

MANDY NEWHAM-COBB ILLUSTRATION

Community

There is a picture. My dad and me with our arms draped across each other’s shoulders. We’re smiling. We’re are having a good time.

Behind us the fall colors are on fire. He was so happy that he insisted on continuing past Grandfather Mountain into Blowing Rock, and then came the third miracle of the day: He bought me lunch.

As we drove back down the Parkway, canopies of golden leaves flew over our heads. The sun continued dropping in the sky. The trees glowed. We sat mostly in silence. Taking care not to ruin our time together. Knowing that this moment would never come again, we both wanted for it to keep going.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

Waylon Wood is a playwright and performer in Asheville.