outdoor life fall-winter 2011
YOUR GUIDE TO REGIONAL ADVENTURES
Conservation Hero Photographer David Ramsey
Fall Gardening Cool Weather Options
Leaf Peepers
Best Fall Color Destinations
Taking Flight October Bird Walks
Outdoor Festivals Tipton-Haynes Historic Site History at Rocky Mount Nature Photography Contest
Autumn Adventures
Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches Fishing | Tailgating | Storytelling | Hunting | Skiing
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outdoor life fall-winter 2011
YOUR GUIDE TO REGIONAL ADVENTURES Rocky Mount
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A Living History Museum
Beck Mountain opens for fall
a-MAIZE-ing
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About OL Welcome to the 2011 Fall/Winter issue of Outdoor Life — your guide to regional adventures in Northeast Tennessee,Western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia and destinations throughout the Southeast. In this issue, we offer informative articles on many different outdoor activities such as skiing, hunting and cold-weather gardening. Full-color photographs accompany the articles, and the magazine also offers an extensive listing of regional outdoor festivals. In addition, Outdoor Life contains articles on activities such as birding, hiking, sailing and fishing. This issue includes information on such popular destinations as Rocky Mount Living History Museum, Tipton-Haynes Historic Site and Roan Mountain State Park. The front cover photo by Brandon Hicks depicts brother and sister hikers, Jeff and Kristen Alman, as they walk past a local cornfield. Be sure to look next year for the annual spring-summer issue of Outdoor Life. For information on advertising, call (423) 542-1539. For information on editorial content, call (423) 297-9077. Visit our website at www.outdoor-life.net for more details. •••••• Editor: Bryan K. Stevens. Writers: Ashley Rader, Robert Sorrell. Jason Mullins, Tim Chambers, Rick Sheek and Greg Miller. Photography: Brandon Hicks, Danny Davis and Matt Hinkel. Copy Editing: Janie McKinney. Front cover and inside design: Melissa Hale. Advertising: Shirley Nave, Marcella Peek,Tony Bell and Jessica Wilson. Advertising Design: Phyllis Davis, Melissa Hale, Robin Johnson and Lora Dunnigan. Publisher: Nathan Goodwin.
Meet Your Neighbors The Red Fox
5 On The Slopes
Ski Season Just Around Corner
18 Autumn Gardens
outdoor life | page 3
Bountiful Fall Freshness
19 Don’t forget to check out the spring-summer issue of Outdoor Life in 2012.
Tall Tales
National Storytelling Festival returns for 39th year of yarn-spinning Oct. 7-9 The world’s premier storytellers will take the stage in Jonesborough the weekend of Oct. 7-9, as Tennessee’s oldest town plays host to the 39th annual National Storytelling Festival. Produced by the International Storytelling Center (ISC), the three-day outdoor festival features performances by internationallyknown artists and has been hailed “the leading event of its kind in America” by USA Today. This year’s featured performers include audience favorites Donald Davis, Bil Lepp and David Holt, regional voices like Waddie Mitchell and Elizabeth Ellis, and international perspective from Ireland’s Clare Muireann Murphy. The 2011 Festival will feature performances by nearly two dozen storytellers who represent a wide variety of traditions, including folk tales, personal narratives and ancient legends from across the world. “Our lineup is just as diverse as our audience,” said Susan O’Connor, ISC’s Director of Programs. “Our tellers represent different cultures, ethnicities, styles and geographic regions. The Festival is so much more than a showcase of professional talent; it’s a transformative experience. n See STORYTELLING, 11
Elizabeth Ellis is among many of the popular favorites returning to this year’s festival.
Ghost Story Concerts, Midnight Cabaret popular features of Storytelling Festival
The National Storytelling Festival returns for three days in October to historic downtown Jonesborough. Come hear America’s favorite storytellers at this nationally-acclaimed, three-day outdoor festival. The program features something for everyone including nightly family-friendly ghost story concerts and late night programs for adults. On Friday and Saturday, stories begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at midnight. Performances continue on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Festival-goers can choose from several combinations of weekend, single day and special event tickets. Weekend family rates, group discounts and senior citizen discounts are available.
Ghost Story Concerts The National Storytelling Festival’s wildly popular Ghost Story Concerts will take place Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for all ages and can be purchased in advance at the International Storytelling Center or on the day of the event. Tickets are general admission only and it’s ground seating so be sure to bring your blanket and arrive early! For more information about Ghost Story Concerts or the National Storytelling Festival, call 1-800952-8392 or 753-2171 or visit www. storytellingcenter.net. Midnight Cabarets n See SCHEDULE, 31 outdoor life | page 4
Kathryn Windham, who passed away earlier this year, will be sorely missed at this year’s National Storytelling Festival. She was a long-time teller at the annual event.
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) • The Red Fox is a common animal across the United States in a variety of habitats. • An adult Red Fox can weigh between 10 and 20 pounds. • A female fox is called a vixen. The male fox is called dog, regnard, reynard or tod, which are terms that have not quite taken hold as well as vixen. • Young foxes are known as kits, cubs or pups. Litters can consist of four to 10 pups. The young remain with their mother until about the age of seven months. • Red foxes are small dog-like animals with a sharp pointed nose and erect ears. Although they can come in colors from black
to blonde, they are usually red. They have black legs and a bushy tail with a white tip. • The Red Fox ranges across most of the United States and Canada, except for the far north in Canada and Alaska and much of the western U.S. and Hawaii. The Red Fox can also be found in Europe and Asia. The Red Fox has been introduced to Australia, with detrimental consequences for native wildlife there. The Red Fox has become quite adapted to urban and suburban environments as well as rural settings. Traditional preferred habitats have included wooded areas, prairies and farmland. • The Red Fox is an accomplished omnivore, which mean its diet can include both plants and animals. A well-balanced Red Fox diet may include insects, birds and eggs, mice and other rodents, crayfish, snakes, rabbits, nuts, berries and fruits. Because of its role in keeping rodent populations in check, the Red Fox is beneficial to humans. • In captivity, the Red Fox has lived for 12 to 15 years, but lifespan in the wild is often no
more than one to four years. They have few natural enemies other than humans. They compete for resources with other wildlife, such as coyotes and wolves, but do not usually fall victim to attacks by these creatures. • The Red Fox is one of several North American mammals that carry a strain of the rabies virus. Other strains are carried by bats, raccoons and skunks. • Relatives of the Red Fox include the Bengal Fox, Blanford’s Fox, Cape Fox, Corsac Fox, Fennec Fox, Kit Fox, Pale Fox,
Rüppell’s Fox, Swift Fox, Tibetan Sand Fox and the Arctic Fox. The Gray Fox, which also occurs in Tennessee, is not a member of the Vulpes, or True Fox, genus. • North America is home to five species of foxes: Red Fox, Gray Fox, Kit Fox, Swift Fox and the Island Fox. • A group of foxes is known as a “skulk.” However, foxes are typically solitary. A female fox and her cubs do form temporary family groups that break up as the young reach maturity.
Photo by Ronald Laubenstein/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
A Red Fox photographed in a field covered by autumn leaves.
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History Expo Tipton-Haynes Historic Site offers variety of fall and holiday events
by jason mullins ol staff jason@outdoor-life.net
Tipton-Haynes Historic Site is gearing up for numerous events, including the grand opening of a new permanent exhibit. Penny McLaughlin has been the director of Tipton-Haynes for the past 22 years. She says the fall and winter seasons offer plenty of activities for the entire family at the historic site. McLaughlin said the new permanent exhibit and the Grace Brading-Spurrell Gallery opened on Sept. 24. She said the event kicked off a full season of familyfriendly activities including a sorghum and scutching festival as part of the opening of the permanent exhibit. The Tipton-Haynes home was origi-
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nally constructed in 1784 by Colonel John Tipton. One of the signers of the Tennessee Constitution, Tipton was a leading advocate of the creation of the State of Franklin. In 1788, he led local supporters into battle against troops from North Carolina in the Battle of Franklin. In 1813, His son, John Tipton Jr., received the log home as part of his inheritance. The younger Tipton followed his father’s footsteps and entered the world of politics. Tipton was a member of the Tennessee General Assembly for over 15 years. During that time, he was elected as Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate. McLaughlin said the story of the Tiptons is only part of the historical information available at the site. “The
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museum has a great depth of history. The exhibit starts with the presentation of a tooth we found in our cave of a dire wolf, an extinct wolf from the Pleistocene (a time period ending around 11,000 years ago),” McLaughlin noted during a tour of the new museum wing. The dire wolf has been extinct for approximately 10,000 years. “We have had a good amount of archaeology done. Prehistoric and some of the archaic American Indians used this as a hunting area. We present that portion of the area’s history in this exhibit,” McLaughlin added. The museum exhibit also discusses European exploration including Spanish Conquistador and explorer Hernando DeSoto, the first settlers and pioneers and French botanist Andre Michaux. Michaux was appointed by King Louis XVI in 1785 to travel to the United States to study and investigate plants which may be of value to France. McLaughlin says Michaux’s travels eventually led him to what would later become Tennessee where he stayed as a guest of Colonel John Tipton. He later named and documented numerous species of plants in North America and
the Caribbean. Landon Carter Haynes received the home as a wedding present in 1839. Haynes, a local attorney, later served in the Tennessee House of Representatives as Speaker of the House. Despite local sympathies in East Tennessee leaning toward the Union, Haynes served as a Confederate Senator during the Civil War. Following Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender in 1865, Haynes was arrested by Union officials. Another East Tennessean, President Andrew Johnson of Greeneville, granted Haynes a pardon after the war. McLaughlin said an important part of the permanent exhibit documents the lost State of Franklin. “Many of our visitors want to know about the lost State of Franklin. They see the bank, the road and everything else named for it and they want to find out more.” She said a video presentation and a chronology will give museum visitors the history and the important dates on the State of Franklin. “Even though it no longer exists, it still hangs around and it will continue n See EXPO, 26
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Numerous volunteers give of their time and their efforts to Tipton-Haynes. Oscar Wagner is a volunteer at the historic site. In this photo, he takes a few moments to check the health of the cane crop in the Tipton-Haynes garden plot.
outdoor life | page 6
Conservation Hero David Ramsey uses photography to protect, preserve nature’s beauty
by jason mullins ol staff jason@outdoor-life.net
Unicoi County native David Ramsey has been using his photographic skills to help preserve the scenic beauty of East Tennessee for the past 15 years. Now, his efforts have also resulted in national recognition for his conservation efforts. Ramsey, who is a manager in the outfitters department at Mahoney’s in Johnson City, has been a shutterbug for a quarter of a century. “I don’t consider myself a professional photographer because I do have a day job to pay the bills,” Ramsey commented. Despite his reluctance to classify himself as a professional photographer, Ramsey’s work has graced the pages of numerous conservation and outdoor magazines. His pictures have appeared in Blue Ridge Country, AT Journey: The Appalachian Trail Conservancy Magazine, Appalachian Life and Field and Stream. “I am very proud of the fact that I will be honored by Field and Stream with their ‘Hero of Conservation’ award for my work on the Rocky Fork conservation project,” Photo courtesy of David Ramsey David Ramsey has photographed some of the most scenic views in the Southern Appalachians, including the Roan Highlands of Ramsey said. “In October, I will be going to Carter County. Ramsey said the balds on top of Roan Mountain and the accompanying views are a “natural treasure.” He noted Washington, D.C., to receive the honor and I will also be featured in the October issue of that whenever he speaks to Appalachian Trail hikers, they invariably vote the Roan Highlands as one of the most breathtaking views along the entire length of the AT. the magazine.” Growing up in Unicoi County, Ramsey During this time, Ramsey decided to purchase the land to prevent development. chronicity or fate, but one day while I was said he has had a lifelong love affair with the working, I had an old friend come in to the Ramsey said the group was not able to raise resign as manager at Mahoney’s to concennatural beauty of the East Tennessee area. He store,” he said. “We started talking and he trate on his photography career. the necessary capital to buy the Rocky Fork said when he started taking landscape and “I had developed something of a reputaWatershed. told me the Rocky Fork tract was for sale.” nature photographs, he quickly discovered tion for my work and was doing relatively “At this point, I was starting to think we With family roots stretching back generathe power of a photograph. Ramsey recalled tions in the Rocky Fork area, Ramsey said he would never get another chance to save this well with it,” Ramsey said. “But then all the the emotions he felt when he would “come magnificent place,” he lamented. “I tried to issues with Rocky Fork popped up and I felt I was concerned about the potential sale. back from an outdoor trip and share the put it in the back of my mind and let it go.” had to put the photography on the backThe Rocky Fork Watershed is a 10,000photographs with others.” In early 2006, Ramsey learned the owners burner. Unfortunately, I struggled finanacre tract of land located in Greene and “I saw how it would have a positive cially for several years. That’s why I had to of Rocky Fork were considering a potential Unicoi counties. For decades, the land was impact,” Ramsey said. “It piqued their eventually go back to my manager position privately owned and open to non-motorized sale. He said a newspaper article inspired interest about the places I was shooting. That use by hunters, fishermen and hikers. at Mahoney’s.” him “to jump in with both feet. The headbecomes almost as addictive as shooting the Other than the small community of Rocky Despite the personal setback, Ramsey lines on the paper read ‘Rocky Fork: The photos.” worked on putting together a public awareNext Wolf Laurel?’ Fork, the land has remained undeveloped. During the mid-1990s, Ramsey became “I felt my blood turn cold,” he continued. ness campaign to save the Rocky Fork Ramsey said he and several other individuals active in the effort to save the Rocky Fork Watershed. He made numerous appearances “I was speechless. The article indicated an began to work to prevent private developers Watershed from development. He said he effort by local businessmen in Unicoi County before local organizations, church groups, from purchasing the land. Despite the sale had just returned to the area after living in outdoor groups and schools using his phowas under way to turn Rocky Fork into a of Rocky Fork in the late 1990s, the land Knoxville for several years to focus on his tography of Rocky Fork as part of a Power gated community and ski resort, much like remained undeveloped. photography. During this time, Ramsey also Point Presentation. Wolf Laurel in North Carolina.” The land again went up for sale in the began working at Mahoney’s Outfitters. Ramsey knew he had to get involved in early 2000s. Eddie Williams, a Johnson “I don’t know if you would call it synorder to save the watershed from developers. n See RAMSEY, 8 City attorney, was leading an attempt to outdoor life | page 7
Ramsey n Continued from 7
Ramsey also worked with local photographer Jerry Greer to create a website about the Rocky Fork conservation effort. Ramsey said the website served as a catalyst for a letter-writing campaign to elected officials from this region. “Whenever we received media coverage from press, radio or television, we would post a link to the story from our website,” he said. Despite their efforts, Ramsey said the project would not have succeeded without the help of conservation groups. Not long after Ramsey first saw the headlines on the Rocky Fork development proposal, he placed a called to Carl Silverstein, the executive director of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. SAHC was initially organized to protect and conserve the Roan Highlands. During the early 1970s, after construction of ski resorts in Western North Carolina, Florida developers considered purchasing land in the Roan Mountain area of Carter County. SAHC was able to solicit donations and funds from private individuals and organizations to purchase land in the Roan Highlands which prevented the development projects. Since the 1970s, SAHC has bought and protected the area from Roan High Knob to U.S. Highway 19E. “Without their efforts, the Roan Highlands would look much different than they do today,” he said. “Condos and ski slopes would dot the highlands of Roan Mountain. SAHC saved the Roan Highlands.” Ramsey said he knew SAHC would be an excellent partner on the Rocky Fork project due to the organization’s connections with other conservation groups and private philanthropists who could generate the necessary funds to buy the 10,000-acre tract. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy agreed to Ramsey’s request to make Rocky Fork a priority project. The price tag for the entire Rocky Fork Watershed was $40 million. Ramsey said he and SAHC knew they could not get the funding to buy the land on their own. Two other groups, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Conservation Fund, agreed to assist in the effort. Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Conservation Fund had already made unsuccessful attempts to acquire and to protect the watershed. “Those three organizations were the three groups that came together to try to find all the different funding sources from the federal government, the State of Tennessee, private individuals and anywhere else they could find it,” Ramsey said. “If it worked, the ultimate goal was to get those lands transferred to the state and federal governments to be used as public land.” The Conservation Fund took the role as the lead agency on finding sources of capital to buy Rocky Fork. According to Ramsey, the group acts as a bridge funding organization by putting “money into the land acquisition. Then as the state or federal government has money available, they will sell the land to them for permanent protection. They are not in the business of owning land. They simply hold it until the money becomes available. That’s what they have been doing on the Rocky Fork Tract.” For the next three years, the three conservation groups and individuals from the area, including Ramsey, worked tirelessly to make the dream of protecting Rocky Fork a reality. Ramsey said public support was essential to the effort. He said despite a purchase contract for Rocky Fork being in
Photo courtesy of David Ramsey
The Rocky Fork Watershed is a 10,000 acre tract of land located in Greene and Unicoi Counties. David Ramsey said the combined efforts of concerned residents and conservation groups were crucial in saving the area from developers. The Conservation Fund and the United States Park Service closed on the purchase of Rocky Fork in December, 2008, for $40 million. Ramsey said the project to preserve Rocky Fork is the most important conservation project on which he has participated.
place, public outcry caused the investors and developers to back out of the contract. Once the contract was dissolved, the Conservation Fund began negotiations with Rocky Fork’s owners to buy the land. An option to purchase contract was negotiated between the parties. Ramsey said the agreement gave them a year to find $40 million in funding to buy the watershed. By late 2007, the Conservation Fund was able to find approximately one-third of the necessary amount to buy, but the owners agreed to a one-year extension on the purchase contract. Ramsey said the dream of conserving Rocky Fork became a reality when the Conservation Fund and the United States Forest Service closed on the purchase of the 10,000 acres on Dec. 15, 2008. “I can’t overestimate how vital Senator Lamar Alexander’s support on getting the funding for this project was to its success,” Ramsey noted. Ramsey said the Conservation Fund has been slowly transferring tracts of land in Rocky Fork to the state and federal governments and “by Fiscal Year 2012, all of the land should be transferred and the Conservation Fund will recoup all of the money from the sale.” “By far, this is the most important conservation project I have participated in,” Ramsey commented. In addition to his love for Rocky Fork, Ramsey said there are other places in East Tennessee he holds dear. “The Roan Highlands is truly one of the most beautiful areas,” he said. “When hikers from the Appalachian Trail come in to Mahoney’s, they invariably vote the Roan Highlands as one of the most breathtaking views along the entire outdoor life | page 8
length of the A.T.” Ramsey’s work has received numerous accolades, but one of his proudest moments was when he received a call in 2007 from Cheryl Henderson, Executive Director of the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville. He said he was asked to submit a couple of examples of his photographic work for a new exhibit on East Tennessee history called “Voices of the Land.” “When you first walk in to the exhibit, the entrance photograph is one I took in the mountains of Unicoi County. They made it the signature image of the exhibit. I’m very proud of that. I get choked up just thinking about it. To be honored in that way, it truly was the thrill of a lifetime,” Ramsey admitted. The photograph, which was also used in the museum brochures and for invitations to the “Voices of the Land” opening, is the signature image of the exhibit. In addition to his “Hero of Conservation” award from Field and Stream next month, Ramsey has received past honors from Blue Ridge Outdoor as a “Blue Ridge All-Star.” Regardless of the honors, Ramsey said he will continue to use his photography to raise the need for the public to participate in land conservation. “When I started to develop my conservation ethic, I quickly realized the power of photography as a tool for conservation,” Ramsey explained. “The more I looked at some of the great landscape and nature photographers and their work, the more I discovered how their work had been used to help protect and preserve some of the most important natural treasures we have in this country.”
Life in 1791
Rocky Mount Living History Museum planning holiday events, 15K run By Robert Sorrell OL STAFF rober t@outdoor-life.net
where Barsheba Cobb is likely to ask visitors how they came to arrive at the house: horse and carriage, horseback or by foot. One may stump the hostess by mentioning A tour of the Rocky Mount Living an automobile given that the horseless History Museum in Piney Flats shows a glimpse of life in 1791 and, no matter the carriage wasn’t invented until more than a century later. season, there’s always plenty of activiThe Cobbs will take visitors through ties and events to enlighten, educate and the living room, the upstairs bedrooms entertain visitors. and the office. The necessary, complete The Massengill Overmountain Muwith wiping material, is outside. seum, William Cobb home and smaller Rocky Mount Living History Museum buildings on the farm come to life every day as Rocky Mount also schedules many Director Gary Walrath said that unlike most historic museums, Rocky Mount is a seasonal and historical events. living history site, where the tour guides The main historical focus of the site, “stay in character.” Tours are given by the located in Piney Flats between Johnson City and Bluff City on U.S. Highway 11E, is Cobb family and friends. The tour of Rocky Mount is not comto represent the year 1791, when the Cobb plete without a visit to the weave house, farm served as the Territorial Capital of the Southwest Territory between 1790 and blacksmith shop, woodworking shop and a structure used to store food and cook. 1792. Due to extreme heat of the fireplace, Rocky Mount’s museum features the cook worked in a separate structure, so several items and documents from the the wooden Cobb house would not catch late 18th century. Visitors can also tour fire. Here, vegetables from the garden are the Cobb home, which was constructed hung and dried, breads are baked, meats of native logs in 1772, as well as several are cooked and butter is churned. Once smaller buildings, such as the weave house and the necessary. The first stop for food is prepared, it is taken to the dining visitors to Rocky Mount is the Cobb home, area in the Cobb house, where family and
Photo by Brandon Hicks
Costumed re-enactors demonstrate the way of life during the late 1700s at Rocky Mount in Piney Flats.
friends eat twice a day. Children eat their meals at separate times. At the weave house, flax and sheep wool is processed for clothing, quilts and rope. Dyes are also prepared using everything from berries to nuts from the farm. In addition to the house and surrounding structures, there is also a barn and pasture where sheep roam regularly. “We have events scheduled throughout the year,” Walrath said. “We will have the first Overmountain Trail Victory Run and the first Veterans Day event at Rocky Mount.” The first-ever Overmountain Trail Victory Run is scheduled for Oct. 8. The 15K run will begin on Sycamore Shoals Drive in Elizabethton and end at Rocky Mount. It will follow the same trail that the Overmountain Men used to travel to Kings Mountain. But instead of traveling to Kings Mountain, the runners will head back to Rocky Mount for a victory celebration. The museum will open during the run. There will also be tours, a pumpkin patch, hayrides, apple butter, crafts and more. On Saturday, Oct. 22, Rocky Mount will host the Spirit of the Harvest. Visitors can
participate with the family and friends of the Cobb family as they gather in the rewards of their labor throughout this productive year with the harvest of the crops and the preparations being made for the long winter season. A Veterans Day Candlelight Tribute is scheduled for Nov. 11 at Rocky Mount. The event is a special walk through time to honor the men and women who have sacrificed to win and keep our freedom and way of life secure on the battlefield and at home. A Candlelight Christmas is scheduled at Rocky Mount for Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10. This holiday event is “a special time of the year to join with the Cobb family in celebration of Christmas in the year 1791 with candlelight and decorations as the custom of the late 18th century before the heavy commercialization of the holiday in a more modern era. Music, dancing, decorations and sacred tales will all be part of the experience at A Candlelight Christmas. For more information visit rockymountmuseum.com or call 1-888-5381791. Rocky Mount is located at 200 Hyder Hill Road in Piney Flats, a short distance from U.S. Highway 11E.
Photo by Brandon Hicks
The Cobb House at Rocky Mount features an office where the Southwest Territory was governed. William Blount, the governor, was a regular visitor to the Cobb farm.
outdoor life | page 9
Leaf Peepers
Region offers superb fall color destinations By Ashley Rader OL Staff ashley@outdoor-life.net
ton, turn left following Highway 321/67. Approximately a mile and a half later turn right onto Dennis Cove Road. The exit is marked by the location of Citizens Bank. Follow this road for about 10 miles into the mountains to Dennis Cove Campground. Visitors can either turn back and follow the same route out from here or continue on Dennis Cove Road until they reach a fork in the road with Little Stoney Road, a gravel road. Following Little Stoney Road will bring them out by Watauga Lake on Highway 321/67. Amenities in the campground include picnic tables, hiking trails, fishing, grills, restrooms, drinking water and waterfalls. Tour three directs visitors through Tiger Creek and is estimated to take one and a half hours to complete. Drivers follow Highway 19E toward Roan Mountain and turn onto Tiger Creek Road, which is found approximately one mile past the old rock school on the left. The route circles past Ripshin Lake and back to Highway 19E. Amenities along this route include restrooms, hiking trails and picnic spots. The fourth tour takes motorists to Roan Mountain. The tour follows Highway 19E to Roan Mountain and turns on Highway 143 to Roan Mountain State Park. Follow Highway 143 to the “top of the Roan” and return the same route. Amenities on this trip include picnic tables, hiking trails and waterfalls. Holston High Knob is the destination for the fifth tour. Visitors will take Highway 91N through the Stoney Creek community approximately seven miles and turn left on
Photo by Brandon Hicks
One of the most popular family fall activities in the mountains is to go leaf “peeping,” or viewing the changing colors of autumn’s foliage. Families across the country travel to the mountainous areas each fall to take in the breathtaking beauty that comes with the changing leaves. For people in East Tennessee and the surrounding area, there is no need to take a long trip because the picture-worthy vistas are found right in their back yard. For visitors to Carter County, Carter County Tourism Coordinator Annika Hampton recommends the foliage tour developed by the Tourism Council. The tour, called “Autumn in Carter County,” is a driving tour that takes leaf peepers to several of the scenic spots around Carter County. There are eight driving tours and one boating tour to give visitors plenty of options when looking for fall foliage. The first tour, with an estimated duration of three hours, takes visitors over Shady Valley. The tour starts on Highway 91N in the Stoney Creek community in Carter County. Motorists continue on Highway 91N to Highway 421 in Shady Valley in Johnson County. From Shady Valley, participants take Highway 67 to Mountain City and from Mountain City, visitors continue on Highway 67 past Watauga Lake and back to Elizabethton. Tour number two takes visitors into Dennis Cove and has a driving time of an hour and a half to two hours. Leaf-lookers should follow Highway 19E into Hampton. In Hamp- n See LEAVES, 11
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Photo by Brandon Hicks
A drive on Ripshin Mountain offers some scenic fall color opportunities, especially around Ripshin Lake.
Leaves n Continued from 10
Panhandle Road to get to the Holston High Knob. The road is gravel after the first mile. Amenities on this route include a campground and picnic tables. The sixth tour takes visitors along Watauga Lake. Follow Highway 321/19E/67 into Hampton and turn left to continue on Highway 321/67. Follow the road along the lake and through the mountains. Cross over the Butler Bridge to turn around and follow the same route to return. Tour seven follows Gap Creek Road to the Laurels Recreation Area. From Highway 19E in Hampton, tour followers turn on to Highway 361 and travel it until reaching Highway 362, which is still Gap Creek Road. Follow this road until it reaches West G Street in Elizabethton. An alternate route is to continue on 361 instead of 362 to end up in the Milligan College area on Highway 359. Turn right to return to Elizabethton. Amenities at this stop offer picnic tables, hiking trails and restrooms. The final road tour ends at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watauga Dam. Visitors take Highway 91N through Stoney Creek to Blue Springs Road. It is on the right side of the highway. Turn onto it and follow the signs to the Watauga Dam. Return the same route. Amenities include a campground, boat launch, picnic tables and fishing. For those who want to take to the water, a lake leaf-viewing tour is also available. Visit Lakeshore Marina (423-725-2223) or Fish Springs Marina (423-768-2336) to rent a pontoon and take a self guide tour along the shore line to see the leaves from a new perspective. Roan Mountain State Park in Roan Mountain is a popular destination in Carter
County to people who want to take in the fall foliage. Park Superintendent Pat Gagan said the park sees a big increase in visitors when the leaves begin to change colors. Gagan said park visitation generally falls off after Labor Day as students are back in school and summer vacations are over. He said the park is a “ghost town” until the leaves start changing colors on the trees, generally around the end of September. After that, visitors start to increase and traffic stays heavy until usually the end of October. The leaf-looking visitors sometimes come and lodge in the cabins or at the campgrounds at Roan Mountain State Park during their stay. Others come in tour buses that drive through the park on the way to Carver’s Gap. Gagan said it varies from year to year what time the visitors will come. He noted there is a national color watch that tracks the changing of the leaves and that most of the visitors use that as their guideline. When they are at the park, some of the
Storytelling
popular places to view the leaves include the Miller Farmstead and anywhere along the highway through the park to Carver’s Gap. Gagan said the park recently painted the homestead. With its white exterior and red roof, this historic farmhouse makes a striking picture when all the leaves around it start to change. The park has visitors from all over the southeast but has regulars from North Carolina, Florida and Ontario Province in Canada. Gagan said they stop at Roan Mountain as a halfway point to view the leaves before continuing on to Florida for the winter. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is another destination that sees a high number of leaf viewers. In October, the park averages one million visitors who come mainly to view the leaves. The state tourism website, fall.tnvacation. com, lists the most desirable areas to visit in the park to see the leaves. These include Clingman’s Dome, the highest mountain in the state at 6,643 feet. The road to Clingman’s
Dome is seven miles with pull off spaces to view the surrounding mountains. At the top, a short hike up a steep, paved trail brings visitors to a lookout tower with a view of several states. Other favored hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains include Sugarland Mountain Trail, Gregory Bald Trail, the Appalachian Trail accessed at Clingman’s Dome and the Newfound Gap Trail. Driving tours in the park include Newfound Gap Road, Heintooga Ridge Road, Foothills Parkway and Cades Cove. Other leaf-peeping sites include Asheville, N.C., including the areas of Hendersonville and Brevard, Balsam Mountain near Cherokee, N.C., and the Cherokee National Forest, which runs from Chattanooga to Bristol along the Tennessee and North Carolina line. The typical peak of leaf season in East Tennessee occurs in the last two weeks of October. For constant updates on foliage information, call the Tennessee Fall Color Hotline at 1-800-697-4200.
Reno Harrell (10:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 8, respectively). The largest and oldest event of its kind in America, the National Storytelling Festival has been an American institution since 1973. Today, it attracts nearly 10,000 audience members from across the United States and around the world. For Jimmy Neil Smith, founder of the Festival and president of ISC, the Festival is a powerful demonstration of storytelling’s universal appeal. “As millions of story lovers all over the world know, there
is no substitute for the power, simplicity and basic truth of a well-told story,” he said. “Since the first Festival, people have gathered in Jonesborough each year with their families and friends to listen to and tell stories — paying tribute to the world’s stories, storytellers and storytelling traditions.” The National Storytelling Festival is sponsored in part by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. For more information and ticket prices, visit www. storytellingcenter.net or call 1-800-952-8392 ext. 221 or 753-2171.
n Continued from 4
People go away understanding how stories can enrich their lives at work, in the community and even at the dinner table.” Storytelling concerts, which are held under big-top tents scattered across the historic town, begin at 10 a.m. on Oct. 7, and continue until 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 9. Separate ticketing is available for two special events: the ever-popular Ghost Story Concerts (8 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 8) and the adult-only Midnight Cabarets featuring blues man Rev. Robert Jones and award-winning songwriter Michael
outdoor life | page 11
Taking Flight October bird walks offer chance to view passing migrants
By Bryan Stevens OL Editor bryan@outdoor-life.net
Come out any morning in October for a leisurely stroll along the Watauga River in search of migrating birds. The annual October Saturday bird walks will return to Sycamore Shoals Historic Park in Elizabethton for five Saturdays in October. Dates for these walks in 2011 are Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Members of the Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society conduct these free weekly bird walks each Saturday in October beginning at 8 a.m. from the parking lot at the Visitors Center at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Participants will scan the treetops with binoculars for migrants — tanagers, vireos, warblers and grosbeaks. They will also search for waterfowl, herons and kingfishers along the Watauga River and look for sparrows in the fields on the grounds of the park. Through the years, these walks have produced some interesting observations of birds ranging from Great Blue Herons and Peregrine Falcons to Blue-winged Teal and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Sightings change from week to week as the month progresses. The variety of warblers flitting through the treetops in early October are replaced by sparrows in the brushy fields later in the month. Over the years some of the better birds on the count have included Orangecrowned Warbler, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Purple Finch, Northern Raven, Great Blue Heron, Black-throated Blue Warbler and Northern Waterthrush. In addition to the October bird walks, the chapter has conducted two Christmas Bird Counts for decades. One count is based in Elizabethton and the other CBC is held in Roan Mountain. The 68th consecutive Elizabethton CBC was held Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010. Despite some wintry weather, a total of 28 observers in six parties found 79 species. The Roan Mountain CBC was held Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010. This count featured cold temperatures and mostly to partly cloudy
Photo courtesy of David Thometz
A group of birders cross a bridge on the walking trail at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park on one of the October Saturday bird walks conducted last year at the park.
skies, a light to moderate breeze, with 1 to 12 inches of snow. Amazingly, the road to Carver’s Gap — which ascends to an elevation of 5,500 feet — was passable. Six observers in two parties found 41 species, which is about average for this count. Officers for the chapter include Roy Knispel, president; Kathy Noblet, vice president; Darla Anderson, treasurer; and Mary Anna Wheat, secretary. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month, except July and August, on the lower level of the science building on the campus of Milligan College. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. and feature a guest speaker each month. For more information about the Lee and Lois Herndon Chapter of TOS, send e-mail to ahoodedwarbler@aol.com or go to www. groups.yahoo.com/group/HerndonBirdClub/ to visit the chapter’s Yahoo group, which offers photo galleries, a message board and other interactive features to keep members informed of group activities.
Photo by U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service
Some birds are common in other parts of the United States, but only infrequently visit northeast Tennessee. The Wilson’s Warbler, pictured above, is a good example. This bird passes through Tennessee only during its spring and fall migrations, stopping to rest and re-fuel.
outdoor life | page 12
All Aboard
Visitors embrace Tweetsie’s Ghost Train
BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — The 22nd spooktacular season of Tweetsie’s Ghost Train® Halloween Festival, the most popular Halloween celebration in the High Country, begins Friday, Sept. 30, and continues every Friday and Saturday night through Oct. 29. The Ghost Train will howl through the Blue Ridge Mountains and guests of all ages will experience thrills, chills and a frighteningly good time. Daytime visitors can still enjoy all of Tweetsie’s Wild West adventures, rides and attractions, but when the sun goes down, the Halloween characters emerge. Hop aboard the Ghost Train and let engineer Casey Bones and his crew take you on a scary journey into the night. Visit The Boneyard and venture into the 3-D Maze and the disorienting Black Hole. Enjoy a spooky stroll through the Freaky Forest, and encounter scream-worthy surprises along a dark and desolate woodland pathway of terror. Brave visitors can also tour the spine-chilling Haunted House and discover 13 spooky
rooms, each one guaranteed to both startle and challenge the imagination. Although some attractions are recommended for adults and older children, there are plenty shows and attractions for the youngest guests too. Kids can enjoy traditional trick-or-treating throughout the park. At the Haunted Palace Saloon, visitors of all ages will be enchanted and amused by the spooktacular black light show. And at the Creepy Carnival, the family can take a spin on a variety of amusement rides. Dance with the Ghouls and Ghosts at the lively Halloween party on Tweetsie’s Main Street. The Ghost Train Halloween Festival is safe, scary fun for all ages. The gates open at 7:30 p.m. Due to the popularity of this annual event, a limited number of tickets are available for each evening. Many nights often sell out, so ordering advance tickets online is strongly recommended. Admission is $28 for adults and children, while kids ages n See TRAIN, 16
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outdoor life | page 13
Safe Hunting
Classes teach rules before hitting the trails By RICK SHEEK OL STAFF rick@outdoor-life.net
A pair of local hunting experts have determined that mishaps involving tree stands are the most common accidents associated with hunters in Carter County. “We do have hunting accidents involving firearms,” Carter County Wildlife Officer Dennis Ward said. “Particularly the biggest cause of accidents or involvement in accidents is tree stands. Falls from tree stands, either once you’re in your stand or climbing into or out of tree stands.” Completion of a hunter safety course is required for any Carter County resident born after Jan. 1, 1969. Upon reaching the age of 10, that is the law that must be followed by any person wishing to hunt. “Especially tree stand safety, that’s the No. 1 accident in hunting — falling out of a tree stand,” said Howard Craft, a certified hunter education instructor at H&S Hunting and Fishing in Elizabethton. “Then of course when you’re hunting, if you’re using archery equipment you ought to know how to use it. If you’re using a firearm, you definitely want to be safe with a firearm — not only to your safety, but the safety of others.” A young person under age nine can hunt if supervised by an adult that has completed hunter safety or is exempt from the requirement. “For the most part, I believe most hunters are pretty responsible and conscious about the responsibility they are taking on as being a hunter,” Ward said. “As with anything, there are a few that take it lightly — take chances,
shooting. That would be some of your biggest concerns.” The game warden stressed that this is a prime opportunity for locals to take advantage of the opportunity at hand. “We’ve got a lot of national forest in Carter County, and all of that national forest is open to hunting as part of the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area,” Ward said. “Unless it is it posted otherwise as a recreation area, campground, safety zone or something of that nature.” The knowledge all starts with teaching the youth. “We enjoy it,” Craft said. “Ninety percent of our classes are boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14. We have children of our own in those age groups, so it gives us Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service satisfaction to help the kids get involved in Educate yourself about hunting safety to enjoy an accident-free season while bringing the outdoors.” home a trophy buck. The game warden stressed the state the opportunities for the deer and take does. things of that nature. It can be a cause of department is content with the role and job Especially early, but later on once the gun accidents.” being performed by local agencies teaching season is open with the liberal seasons they There doesn’t seem to be a concern with these classes. have in Middle and West Tennessee they’ll fatalities among hunters. In other words, “That’s wildlife agency’s responsibility pass us up. accidental shootings in the woods. to teach and put on the hunter education “But early in the year, early in the season, courses,” Ward said. “Now we do have vol“There have been fatalities here, and most of them have to do with tree stand accidents,” Carter County is one of the leading counties unteer instructors that go through a training Craft said. “Overall, Carter County has been a for harvest. It is popular in our area, and and certification process to teach the class, we’re fortunate to have the amount of public and administer the exams for the hunter pretty safe place as far as hunting goes.” land that we’re allowed to hunt.” But our county is blessed with the best safety — and I feel confident that we do have It all boils down to being trained. A hunter a very good working relationship with the land statewide for this activity. must know the rules before hitting the trail. “In Carter County, it’s a very popular volunteers that teach the courses.” “First of all, he needs to know how to sport,” Ward said. “Carter County is usuCraft points out this is a fine activity for use the weapon,” Craft said. “He ought to ally one of the leading counties early in the young people, who aren’t tied in with the be familiar with the surroundings where season, especially when it comes to deer school extra-curricular activities. he’s hunting at, make sure there aren’t any harvest — because we do have a lot of bow “It keeps them out of a lot of trouble,” houses or ground work in places he might be hunters who get out and take advantage of n See HUNTING, 16
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Come Sail Away Sailing club proud of 40-year history
by jason mullins ol staff jason@outdoor-life.net
When most people think about sailing, they instinctively develop a picture in their minds of a large sailboat doing battle with an angry sea. Others may see a small sailboat floating peacefully upon a gentle bay breeze. But for a group of local sailing enthusiasts, a day on the water only requires a short drive to Watauga Lake. On any given weekend throughout the year, there is a good chance you will see the same group of people at the sailboat dock at the Watauga Lakeshore Marina on U.S. Highway 321. These friendly folks make up the ranks of the Watauga Lake Sailing Club. The WLSC is a group of individuals who are passionate devotees of the sport. Formed in 1979 by a group of sailors who enjoyed sailing Watauga Lake, the club has continued to steadily grow ever since. WLSC Past Commodore Clarke Lucas said, “When the first races were run on the lake in 1979, we asked the other sailors if they would be interested in joining a sailing club and they said ‘yes.’ We had another race after that, along with an informal get-together and we’ve been getting together ever since. “When we first started the club, we had around 15 members. Today, we have 82 members in the organization,” Lucas recalled. He said the make-up of WLSC represents a broad cross-section of society. “We have everybody from those who are out of work to people who have a lot of money. We have doctors to lawyers to Indian chiefs,” Lucas joked. “We all come from different walks of life, but we love to get together on the weekend and enjoy sailing on Watauga Lake.” John and Billie Middaugh are active members of the Watauga Lake Sailing Club. Middaugh has been sailing for over 50 years. He and his wife own the Watauga Lady, a 30-foot, 1988 Catalina sailboat. Middaugh skippers the boat while his wife and other sailing club members man the sails. During the Labor Day weekend race, the Middaughs were joined on Watauga Lady by the current WLSC Commodore Mark Galloway and Josh Noe. Middaugh pointed out the three most important keys to sailing. “Direction of the wind, direction of the boat and the way you’ve got your sails set are extremely important. If you change one, you have to change something else,” Middaugh said. He and the other members enjoy a strong camaraderie in their passion for sailing, but they also enjoy the competitive aspect of the races and some good-natured jabs at the boats in the back of the pack, Middaugh said. WLSC sponsors races throughout the year, including the upcoming schedule for this fall and winter. On Sunday, Oct. 2, WLSC will hold the third race of their fall schedule. Galloway said, “Our summer races are a little less serious. We have water cannon and water balloon fights during the races. When we get into the fall races, however, our members have a healthy competition with each other. We n See SAILING, 16
Photo by Jason Mullins
Two sailboats jockey for position during the Labor Day weekend race of the Watauga Lake Sailing Club.The Captain’s Table Restaurant, located on the shore of Watauga Lake, is an ideal spot to watch the action. WLSC Commodore Mark Galloway said on most race weekends, people will gather at the restaurant for a clearer view of the racing.
Photo by Jason Mullins
John and Billie Middaugh are active members of the Watauga Lake Sailing Club. The Middaughs love to spend time on the weekend at Watauga Lake aboard their 30-foot catalina sailboat, the Watauga Lady. Middaugh said the WLSC members are a close-knit group of people who share a passion for sailing. outdoor life | page 15
Sailing n Continued from 15
keep score during the fall and spring races and follow the rules more strictly.” The overall points winner for the year is honored with the Commodore’s Cup. The trophy is on permanent display at the Captain’s Table restaurant, which is located next to Lakeshore Marina. Galloway said the length of the races can vary from a short lap around Watauga Lake to a long distance race. WLSC officials will place markers in the lake prior to the start of the event to let the skippers know where the start/ finish line is and where to make their turns during the race. “For the spring and fall races, we’ll have three of the markers placed in the lake. The start and finish lines are marked by the official’s boat and a marker. We have a countdown to the start of the race with an air horn. You’re not allowed to cross the line until the starting horn is blown. There is another marker near the observatory and then we will run to a marker right in front of the recreation area. After that, the boats go back to the start/finish line.” Galloway said if the wind conditions are favorable, the race will consist of two laps. He said most races take approximately 90 minutes to two hours to run. “Sometimes, even if the wind isn’t the best for sailing, we’ll still keep racing because we’re having fun that day,” noted Galloway. This fall, races are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 16. Both races are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. The Commodore’s Cup race is one of the most important races on the calendar every year. This year, the event is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. Despite the potential for bitterly cold weather, one of the most popular races is held every year on New Year’s Day. The Frostbite Race has been part of the schedule for the last several years. Galloway said the race has taken place in “70 degree weather with everyone wearing short-sleeve shirts and shorts to snow blowing in the air. There’s been a couple times we had to shovel snow off the decks of our boats. With Watauga Lake, you just never can tell what kind of weather you’ll have.” Other events scheduled for this fall and winter include a dam picnic on Saturday, Oct. 15. Lucas said the members will tie their boats together near Watauga Dam and have a picnic on the water. Owning a sailboat is not a prerequisite for membership. Several members do not own a boat, but they still participate in the club’s activities, including the numerous races throughout the year. “We have open membership. Anyone is free to join our club. We have several members that don’t own a boat, but go out with the other members who own a boat. We also have people who own two boats. We have one couple that owns a 22-foot yellow Tanzer and they also have a 34-foot boat on the coast that they take to the Bahamas in the wintertime,” Lucas said. He said one couple derived so much enjoyment from owning a sailboat, they sold their home and cars and bought a 38-foot sailboat. Currently, about one-third of the members live in Western North Carolina and the other two-thirds live in the Tri-Cities area. “We do have members who live in Kentucky and as far away as New Mexico,” Lucas mentioned. The cost for a family membership is $34 for the first year and $24 per year after that. If you are interested in joining the WLSC, contact (423) 538-4643 or email ACRAL@ chartertn.net.
Photo by Jason Mullins
The Watauga Lake Sailing Club sponsors numerous races throughout the year. The annual schedule begins with the Frostbite Race on New Year’s Day and continues well into fall. The next race is set for Sunday, Oct. 2. “Our summer races are a little less serious,” said WLSC Commodore Mark Galloway. “We have water cannon and water balloon fights during the races. When we get into the fall races, however, our members have a healthy competition with each other.”
Hunting n Continued from 14
Craft said. “And they don’t necessarily have to hunt, either. You don’t have to be a hunter. “You can learn the sport of archery, the sport of sporting clay — shooting sports. It’s not all about just going out and hunting, it’s getting people involved in the outdoors.” And this isn’t a male-dominated sport. “We see that once people try it, especially ladies, they get involved a little bit,” Craft said. “They find out it’s not about killing something. It’s about sport. That’s not what we’re interested in.” The safety angle is a benefit to all residents of our county. “The things about hunter education is learning to respect land owners, respecting the property we have,” Craft said. “Even the government lands that you’re allowed to hunt on, public lands. We teach them to respect other hunters, and especially the archery hunters. “We see in archery hunting, No. 1 they need to be patient anyway. There’s a lot of people who love the outdoors. That class of people is what we find to be the most enjoyable of all hunters.” There is a no-tolerance rule when instructing the young people. “Leave drugs and alcohol alone,” Craft said. “That doesn’t mix with hunting. We try to stress that to our kids, and don’t even get involved with people that are doing that. Don’t even hunt with somebody that’s involved with drugs.” When setting out to hunt that buck, hunters need to first strap on that waist belt around the tree. “A lot of times, what I think we see, is they may try to stretch outdoor life | page 16
their steps too far if they’re using a fixed stand,” Ward said. “If they’ve only got six or eight climbing steps, they’ll try to put too much distance and stretch those out too far — and make it harder than it needs to be to reach from step to step. “That puts them in awkward positions, trying to reach from one step to the next. Especially with those lock-on or stationary stands, the first step should be down into that stand right into the center. A lot of times hunters will try to get another extra foot or so, and try to climb up into their stand.”
Train n Continued from 13
two and under are admitted free. Convenient print-at-home tickets are available at Tweetsie.com. Tweetsie Railroad will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 30. The park’s daytime hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. during the Ghost Train® Halloween Festival. October is particularly busy in the High Country as the fall foliage is at peak color, so make your lodging reservations early. Tweetsie Railroad is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on U.S. Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, N.C. For more information and Ghost Train Halloween Festival ticket purchases, call 877-TWEETSIE (877-8933874) or visit Tweetsie.com. Find Tweetsie on Facebook or follow Tweetsie on Twitter@TweetsieRR.
Game On!
Game-day tailgating tips and recipes (Family Features) — You know watching a game is more fun with a bunch of friends — so why not host a game-day party so everyone can cheer on the home team together? Use these tips and recipes as your playbook for a game-day party that scores big on taste and fun. Chili Champs • Let guests get in on the food fun by hosting a chili cook-off as part of the party. Invite everyone to bring their favorite chili to compete for bragging rights. Offer fun awards for “Hottest,” “Best Tasting” and “Most Creative Ingredients.” You can also have awards for “Best Named Chili” and encourage fun names like “Devil’s Breath Chili” and “Buzzard’s Beak Beef ’n Beans.” • Set up a toppings bar so everyone can load up on their favorite add ins. Include different kinds of cheeses, peppers, onions, guacamole, salsa, queso and sour cream. Have some crackers and cornbread, too — they’re easy items for non-chili cookers to bring. Dip Tips Dips are must-have munchies for hungry fans. And there are plenty of ways you can keep them satisfied: • Keep it simple. Pick up some ready-toeat dips such as Wholly Guacamole and Spicy Wholly Salsa. Made with 100 percent natural ingredients, these dips bring great taste to the game-day table — with no fuss from you. • Make it hearty. Feed the frenzy with a hearty Seven Layer Dip and plenty of chips. You can make it the day before and set it out about 30 minutes before kickoff to bring it up to room temperature. • Shake things up. Step up your game by set-
ting out a wide variety of dippers. Have different types of chips like blue corn, sweet potato and salt and vinegar. Get flavored crackers, pita chips and a veggie tray, too. • Make it fancy. Dress things up a bit with cherry tomatoes stuffed with guacamole, or a warm and savory crab dip. Party Pizzas • Scratch delivery and frozen pizzas from your playbook. Try a fresh and easy homemade pizza like the California Confetti Pizza. Cut it up into appetizer sized bites to make it even easier to eat. • Set up a pizza bar with heat-and-eat crusts in full and mini sizes that can be piled up with everyone’s toppings of choice. Then, pop them under the broiler or on the grill for a few minutes for quick, customized pizzas. For more great game-day recipes, visit www. eatwholly.com. Wholly Chili
Wholly Chili 3 tablespoons canola oil 4 cups chopped yellow onion 2 large Poblano chilis, diced 3 tablespoons minced garlic 5 pounds ground meat 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 1-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano 1-1/2 tablespoons onion powder 3 tablespoons paprika 8 tablespoons chili powder n See RECIPES, 32
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outdoor life | page 17
Hit The Slopes
Southern-style skiing at its best
By Robert Sorrell OL Writer robert@outdoor-life.net
Country Club is open nearby for golfing. It is the highest course east of the Mississippi River. New this year, Shelton said there is a tube With about a half-dozen resorts, skiing continues to be one of the most popular win- run located off Exit 3 on Interstate 26. Other ski areas of North Carolina include tertime activities in Western North Carolina. Appalachian Ski Mountain, located at 940 The resorts range from the Cataloochee Ski Mountain Road in Blowing Rock. The Ski Area near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Appalachian Ski Mountain resort has 12 slopes. For more information, call the resort at 800-322-2373 or visit apnear Blowing Rock. The resorts of North Carolina also compete with those across the pkimtn.com. Cataloochee state line, such as Ski Area, which Ober Gatlinburg Photo Contributed features 16 slopes, in Tennessee. People of all ages visit regional ski resorts, such as Ski Beech Resort in Beech is located in MagThere are also Mountain, N.C. gie Valley at 1080 several popular Ski Lodge Road. resorts in Virginia For more inforand West Virginia. mation about The Wolf Cataloochee, call Ridge Ski Resort 1-800-768-0285 in Madison or visit www.cataCounty, N.C., loochee.com. is conveniently Ski Beech located near InResort is located terstate 26 and is in the Beech popular among Mountain comAsheville and Trimunity at 1007 Cities skiers, says Beech Mountain O’Neal Shelton, Photo Contributed Parkway. The president of the Ski Beech Resort operates 15 slopes in the resort has 15 Madison County Beech Mountain community of North Carolina. slopes. For more Chamber of Cominformation merce. about Ski Beech, contact 800-438-2093 or “They had a very good year last year,” Shelton said. “We had a lot of fresh snow and visit www.skibeech.com. Sapphire Valley Ski, an intimate resort a lot of people came to ski.” with two slopes, is located at 4000 Highway O’Neal says Wolf Ridge’s long run is one of the most popular slopes in Western North 64 West in Sapphire, N.C. For more information, call (828) 743-7663 or visit www. Carolina. skisapphire.com. Wolf Ridge has 23 ski slopes, more than Sugar Mountain Ski Resort is located in any other resort in the region. There are two the Sugar Mountain community at 1009 quad lifts, two double lifts and two surface Sugar Mountain Drive. This large resort has lifts. There are also two ski lodges and two 20 slopes. For more information, contact ski schools. Three free parking areas are 1-800-784-2766 or visit www.skisugar.com. also available. Wolf Ridge also offers cabin The Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is located at rentals. 106 Nave Hollow Loop, Elizabethton, TN 37643 578 Valley View Circle in Mars Hill. For more “They are expecting another great year,” information, visit skiwolfridgenc.com or call Shelton added. 1-800-817-4111. During warmer weather, the Wolf Laurel
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outdoor life | page 18
Good To Grow Playing it cool with fall gardens
these vegetables, in spring and again in late If you think the end of summer means summer. your vegetable gardening days are done, • Don’t delay. Ideally, you should plant you’ll need to reconsider. The weeks when your fall crops before the end of August, summer fades into fall are actually an opalthough if you miss that window, it doesn’t portune time to plant cool-weather crops. mean you can’t still have a successful fall Fall is a great time of year for planting harvest. It just might take more time and vegetables. Some of nature’s most nutritious greens ingenuity. • Pick a place. Your existing garden and veggies thrive in cooler temperatures. is the perfect place to plant cool weather Planting them now, at summer’s end, can crops. Remember, frost flows downhill like ensure a bountiful fall harvest. Plus you’ll water, so spots at the top of a slope or in save a bundle by avoiding the produce south-facing locations will remain warmaisle in your grocery store for a few more est. months. • You can also plant your fall crops The sunny, cooler weather of autumn is perfect for many vegetables. With increased in raised beds, which are easy to cover rainfall and temperatures ranging between when frost threatens, or in pots that can be brought inside when temperatures dip too 60 and 80 degrees in the day and higher low. than 40 at night, your • Know how they plants suffer less, grow. Pay close attention increasing your likelito “days to maturity” hood of good harvest. information listed on You can even cope plant tags. You’ll want with frost; some hardy to give plants enough vegetables can thrive time to produce before without frost proteckilling frost arrives. tion, and covering less • Good gardening resistant plants when practices will get your frost threatens can keep fall garden growing. them thriving. Loosen soil before you The secrets of sucplant and mix in some cessful fall planting Photo Contributed all-natural fertilizer, like don’t differ much from Combine some edible herbs with Bonnie Plants Herb and the techniques you’ve cool-weather pansies for your fall Vegetable Plant Food. used during high plantings. Made from soybean season. Cool crops will oilseed extract, this need at least six hours food contains 150,000 nutritional and vital of sun daily, ample water and a steady supply of much-needed nutrients. You can organic compounds including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, enzymes, get a jump-start by planting transplants. Seed germination of cool crops during late plant hormones and carbohydrates, it’s summer requires much attention to detail. an excellent source of nutrition in home gardens. Transplants are a quicker, easier route to Consider these popular plants from Bonensure success. nie: Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of Packman Broccoli — This hardy vegetables and herbs in North America, offers some quick tips for picking the right vegetable develops best during the cool season. It matures in 45 to 55 days and has plants for your fall garden: large, bright green, mildly flavored domed • Choose fast-growing, leafy cool heads. Plant transplants 18 inches apart in crops like broccoli, Swiss chard, lettuce, rows 30 inches apart. kale, spinach, collards and arugula. Leafy Top Bunch Collards — This hybrid vegetables are actually harder to grow is heavy yielding, early maturing and more in the summer, when the heat can cause uniform than traditional varieties. The them to “bolt,” forming flowers and seeds. Bolting leaves edible portions tasting bitter. n See GARDENS, 30 You could choose to plant two rounds of
Photos Contributed
Different varieties of lettuce can provide an edible harvest as well as some vibrant fall color for outdoor plantings. Swiss chard (bottom) is both edible and a source for color in the fall garden.
outdoor life | page 19
Double Parked Roan Mountain, Sycamore Shoals planning lots of autumn fun for all
By Greg Miller OL Correspondent
Carter County is doubly blessed with having two state parks within its borders. So, when it comes to looking for things to do during the cool and brisk autumn season, visitors and local residents alike head to Roan Mountain State Park and Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. As the seasons change in Elizabethton and Carter County, so do the activities that are available to city and county residents, and Sycamore Shoals and Roan Mountain are working hard to ensure plenty of activities are available for hometown folks as well as visitors. On Saturday, Oct. 1, Roan Mountain will host its annual chili cook-off. “Competitors can start preparing their chili at 8 a.m., with judging taking place at noon,“ said Pat Gagan, the park’s director. “They must prepare a gallon of chili on-site at the campground shelter. Most cooks use propane heaters that they bring, although there are a limited number of electrical outlets in the shelter.” Gagan said the annual chili cook-off “is always fun for the entire family.” He added that prizes are awarded in different categories, including hottest, best tasting and best named chili. “The weather is cooler in October, and park visitors warm up with a free bowl of chili,” Gagan said. The number of participants varies from year to year, according to Gagan, with 12 gourmands preparing chili last year. “An estimated 200 visitors dropped by to sample the home-made chilis and offer their comments on the authenticity of ‘real’ chili,’” he said. The Roan Mountain Autumn Harvest will be held at the Miller Farmstead on Saturday, Oct. 8, from noon to 4 p.m. “Come and celebrate the season with mountain crafts, food and entertainment,“ Gagan said. “There will be corn grinding, ice cream making and traditional fall activities that characterized the early life in Appalachia.” The annual Halloween in the Campground extravaganza will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 6-9 p.m. “Campers decorate their sites and children trick-or-treat,” Gagan
Photo by Brandon Hicks
A glorious backdrop of fall color against this classic waterwheel greets visitors each fall at the Roan Mountain State Park Visitors Center.
said. “There will be a haunted hay ride, games and a bonfire.” In addition, Roan Mountain is always a popular destination for “leaf peepers” looking to admire some brilliant fall foliage. After the last leaves have fallen from the trees, however, the park shifts its attention to the holidays. The Old Time Yule will be celebrated at Miller Homestead in the park on Nov. 12. “Roan Mountain State Park ends the year by wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas at the historic Miller Farmstead,” Gagan said. “Come experience how Christmas was celebrated years ago, before electricity. There will be traditional music and old-fashioned Christmas treats.” In February, there is a Winter Naturalists Rally to attract visitors to the stark glory of the Roan in the frigid season. Gagan said the annual winter rally hosted by the Friends of Roan Mountain is always popular and well attended. “Although it lasts only one day, hikes, collecting trips and seminars are jammed in to that day,” he said. Gagan said no detailed agenda has yet been released for the 2012 Winter Naturalists
Rally, but noted that the full schedule will be available at the park and published in the Elizabethton STAR when plans are finalized. The park offers cabin rentals, which offer convenient accommodations for those traveling to nearby ski resorts in western North Carolina. For more information on any and all activities at Roan Mountain, call (423) 7720190. Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton also has a full slate of fall events and holiday festivities. On Saturdays in October (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29), bird walks with the Lee and Lois Herndon Tennessee Ornithological Society Chapter will be held at the park. Participants will meet for these free walks at 8 a.m. in the parking lot at the visitors center. Meet other birders and naturalists at Sycamore Shoals for a morning of birding during the migratory season. The Fort Watauga Knap-In will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Knap-In at Fort Watauga is a celebration of Tennessee Archaeology Week. Watch primitive skills craftsmen make
outdoor life | page 20
arrowheads, spear points and other survival tools. Demonstrations of primitive tools such as the bow, arrow and atlatl will be available throughout the day. The 17th Annual Sycamore Shoals Quilt Show will be held at Sycamore Shoals on Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2. Hours Thursday to Saturday are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday‘s hours are from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Sycamore Shoals Stitchers and features a show and demonstrations by local quilters held in the park museum. Bed quilts, wall hangings, holiday and baby quilts, miniatures and antique quilts will be on display. An evening of “Scary Stories” at the more than 200-year-old Carter Mansion will terrorize willing victims on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. The park will host the annual Christmas Craft Show on Friday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m.4:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov.12, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 13, from 1-4:30 p.m. The craft show will feature 48 local crafts persons. The Harvest Celebration and Militia Muster at Fort Watauga are on tap at Sycamore Shoals on Nov. 19 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Nov. 20 from 10 am.-3 p.m. The Washington County Militia musters its troops for good times and good cheer at this event, which will feature re-enactors in period dress providing demonstrations of old-time skills and scenes from daily life in America’s colonial past. The Winterfest Christmas Tree Exhibit and Art Show will be held at the park throughout December and closing on Jan. 4. The opening reception will be held from 1:30-4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27. Christmas at the Carter Mansion is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3, from 6-9 p.m. The public is welcome to spend a candlelit evening in the oldest frame house in Tennessee, decorated with bright greenery for the holidays. Enjoy music, refreshments and costumed interpreters acting out scenes from an 18th century Christmas on what was then the American frontier. Sycamore Shoals will host “Olde Christmas: Militia Muster at Fort Watauga” on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. n See PARKS, 31
Photography competition seeking entries BOONE, N.C. — The ninth annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition (AMPC) will opened for registration and submissions on Monday, Aug. 1. Amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age and older are encouraged to submit at www. appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition’s close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18. A partnership between Appalachian State University Outdoor Programs, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, AMPC celebrates the unique people, places and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians and attracts entries from across the United States. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition has grown into one of the region’s most prestigious photography competitions with over 600 submissions last year and viewed in person by over 10,000 people at the Turchin Center for Visual Arts. The AMPC is made possible
NOW
through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mast General Store is sponsoring five categories for this year’s competition and will be providing over $1,000 in prizes for those category winners. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is sponsoring the category, “Blue Ridge Parkway — A Ribbon of Road.” Photographers are encouraged to capture images of the Blue Ridge Parkway that incorporate some aspect of the actual roadway itself. Those submitting images to the “Blue Ridge Parkway — A Ribbon of Road” will be asked to identify the Parkway location (e.g. GPS coordinates, Mile Post or other identifying indicators of the road’s location), and describe in a short story of a paragraph or more why the Parkway is of particular significance as captured by the n See COMPETITION, 31
Photo courtesy of David Ramsey
The Cherokee National Forest comprises nearly 640,000 acres of land throughout East Tennessee. The forest stretches from the mountains of Johnson County in the north to Polk County in Southeast Tennessee. The only portion of the Cherokee National Forest not in the State of Tennessee is located in Ashe County, N.C. Unicoi County native David Ramsey has photographed throughout the region for the last 30 years. In this photo, a young black bear cub takes in the scenery from a seat in the fork of a tree.
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outdoor life | page 21
The Catch
Cold weather fishing requires patience, perseverance By Tim Chambers OL STAFF tim@outdoor-life.net
You can find the campgrounds full of visitors during the summer months at Roan Mountain and Wilbur Dam, but the fishing spots are flooded with visitors, too. Where do they all go during the winter months after the warm weather disappears? Many of them return to do what they love best — fishing, which has become a huge outdoor activity in the frigid months around Watauga Lake, rivers and streams. The Watauga is a hotbed for many of the area’s river fishermen. The cold waters that flow through the Wilbur Dam are stocked with trout, including brown and rainbow. Some prize brown trout have been reeled in during the winter months, according to avid fisherman Will Barkley. “I’ve been fishing up and down the Watauga River on and off for 15 years, and I’m amazed at the brown trout and their size,” said Barkley. “I’m just an amateur, but some have been rather impressive that I’ve taken home.” Barkley went on to say that fly fishing can be difficult at times during the winter. “It’s like the trout get selective on certain baits,” he said. “It’s like a crapshoot.” Barkley went on to say that the best success he’s found when fishing the smaller streams is when using a strike indicator and a split pea shot. He also enjoys fishing for walleye. “I like November because when the river gets around 50 degrees the walleye begin
their spawning runs up and down the river,” he said. “I have a lot of success using flies and minnows as bait.” Barkley said that at times while the river is generating, he found the fishing to be good downstream. “I don’t know if it’s all the activity or not, but for some reason I’ve always been able to catch the trout in some swift waters,” he said. Barkley said he uses a lot of handtied and store-bought flies to trout fish in the winter. He also touched on how aware the fish can be about the surroundings. ‘Trout’s eyes are a little higher on their bodies, so they can see a little more of what’s going on in the river,” Barkley added. “I try to cast my fly above them so the water can bring the lure back to them.” Barkley said that patience and perseverance is needed during the winter fishing months. “You’ll be surprised at what you might take home,” said Barkley. “The two Ps have been the keys to helping me become a better fisherman.” Bass Fishing For longtime bass fisherman Kenny Timbs, the cold weather doesn’t play a factor in keeping him away from the waters. “I mostly bass and crappie fish,” said Timbs. “Bass fishing in the winter is good on Watauga Lake and Holston, too. The fishing stays good until the water gets down below 40
degrees or under, and then it’s hard to catch them.” Like Barkley, Timbs loves to fish in late fall. “The best time I’ve found to bass fish is during the month of November, when the water is still around 50 degrees,” he said. “I usually have success with crank bait, jigs, floating flies and silver buddies.” Timbs said that many of the bass fishermen had a lot of success using the floating fly last January on Holston Lake. He also stated that fishing can be more difficult during the winter
months than summer because of bass eating habits. “Fish are not going to feed during the winter time as often as they do during the summer, so they’re not going to be as active,” said Timbs. “In the summer you might be able to catch them all day long, but during the winter it might be for only a couple of hours. Their metabolism is slow, so they don’t feed as much when it gets cold.” Timbs said that safety should be used at all times, especially during the winter months. He also stressed how important it was to have on the proper attire. “I suggest several layers of clothes,” said Timbs. “You can always take them off, and a good coat and insulated coveralls is a must.
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n See FISHING, 30
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It’s also good to have an extra change in case you fall in or get wet because of hypothermia. Always make sure you have your life jacket on.” His brother Samuel is also a longtime bass fisherman and a member of the Hampton Bass Club. He said that fishing in the winter takes a different technique than during the summer. “You have to fish deeper, slower and use different lures,” Samuel said. “Digestion is slow for the fish, so they don’t eat sometimes for two or three days because of the cold. It’s much more difficult to catch them during this time.” Timbs said that Watauga, South Holston and Boone Lakes are good for winter bass fishing along with Cherokee and Douglas. He noted that smallmouth are best at the first three during the cold parts. He said the rivers can be fished at all times. “The Watauga and Holston rivers are right below the dam, so the temperatures won’t vary that much,” he said. “The water stays fairly warm so you can pretty much use the same bait year-round. People troll a lot on the lake catching rainbow and lake trout.” He said one major difference when fishing for trout in the winter than summer would be the depth. “In the summer you have to go deeper, around 100 feet, while you can get by with 4550 feet during the winter,” he said. “For trout and smallmouth, we might have as good of fishing as you can find because the rivers stay
FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! For more information contact the Avery County Chamber of Commerce (828) 898-5605 (800) 972-2183 • events@averyconty.com www.WollyWorm.com • www.AveryCounty.com
outdoor life | page 22
Food & Festivities Outdoor festivals, holiday events offer variety of fun-filled activities
By Bryan Stevens OL Editor bryan@outdoor-life.net
34th Annual Woolly Worm Festival Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 15-16 This two-day festival in Banner Elk, N.C., will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the grounds of the Banner Elk Elementary School. The Woolly Worm Festival is co-sponsored by The Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk and The Avery County Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy fun rides, visit arts and craft vendors, race a woolly worm, enjoy live music or sample something delicious from a food vendor. For more information, call (828) 8985605 or 1-800-972-2183.
An exciting diversity of festivals and other events will keep locals and visitors entertained this autumn and through the upcoming holiday season. Here’s a sampling: Unicoi County Apple Festival Friday-Saturday, Oct. 7-8 The 34th annual Unicoi County Apple Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. The festival, drawing more than 100,000 annual attendees with 2010 being another record setting year of 110,000, has been consistently named one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 events in the southeast and is a three-year winner of the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association’s Pinnacle Award. The premier two-day event offers something for everyone — handmade crafts, antiques, entertainment, a large children’s area, a Blue Ridge Pottery show and sale, contests and a smorgasbord of food. The craft festival, featuring nearly 350 vendors from around the country, will be lined along the downtown streets of Erwin and will showcase unique arts, crafts and foods. For more information, call (423) 743-3000. National Storytelling Festival Friday-Sunday, Oct. 7-9 The world’s premier storytellers will take the stage in Jonesborough the weekend of Oct. 7-9, as Tennessee’s oldest town plays host to the 39th annual National Storytelling Festival. Produced by the International Storytelling Center (ISC), the three-day outdoor festival features performances by internationally-known artists and has been hailed “the leading event of its kind in America” by USA Today. This year’s featured performers include audience favorites Donald Davis, Bil Lepp and David Holt, regional voices like Waddie Mitchell and Elizabeth Ellis, and international perspective from Ireland’s Clare Muireann Murphy. For more information and ticket prices, visit www.storytellingcenter.net or call 1-800-952-8392 ext. 221 or (423) 753-2171. Shady Valley Cranberry Festival Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 8-9 Celebrate the cranberry bogs of Shady Valley at this two-day event. Festivities include a parade, live music, arts and crafts and food vendors. For more information, call the Johnson County Visitors Center at (423) 727-5800. 32nd Annual Heritage Days Friday-Sunday, Oct. 14-16 On the second full weekend in October, Rogersville’s historic downtown plays host to East Tennessee’s most enjoyable weekend. Join the fun with more than 100
Elizabethton Octoberfest Saturday, Oct. 22 The third annual Octoberfest will feature multiple antique, crafts and food vendors, live entertainment, a costume contest, car show, corn hole tournament and a race and family walk. Activities will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Elizabethton. This year’s Octoberfest will also offer ghost tours of downtown Elizabethton with the Homespun Storytelling Guild, a Doggy Diva pet fashion show and a Poker Stroll. For more information, call the Elizabethton-Carter County Chamber of Commerce at (423) 547-3850.
Photo by Hannah Bader
A variety of food vendors will once again be on hand for Elizabethton’s Octoberfest.
juried craft artists offering a wide variety of lovely handmade items, Craft Demonstrations, Traditional Appalachian and Celtic music, Appalachian Dancers, Historic Re-enactors, Rod Run, Art & Photography Show, Quilt Show, Needlework Exhibit, Antique Farm Equipment Show, Young’uns, Yard and Children’s Activities, Heritage Children’s Train, Festival Food, Chili Cook-Off. Visitors will want to stop at the charming local shops and restaurants. Visit the Historic Hale Springs Inn and McKinney’s Fine Dinning Restaurant on Main Street. For reservations call (423) 272-5171 or visit www.halepringsinn.com. For more information, call the Rogersville Heritage Association at (423) 272-1961. Stories from the Pumpkin Patch Saturday, Oct. 15 Visitors to this event at Tipton-Haynes Historic Site in Johnson City can listen to stories around a bonfire or in the cave, take a hayride around the grounds, take a haunted house tour, play games and make crafts during daylight hours and enjoy a hot dog roast with all the trimmings. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.tipton-haynes.org. outdoor life | page 23
Witches Wynd Storytelling Oct. 22-23 This event offers two evenings of storytelling at its finest at Exchange Place in Kingsport. Professional storytellers will spin their yarns in the nooks and crannies of old log buildings and relate legends and lore to groups who move from place to place in this interactive event. The yarns start spinning at 8 p.m. Exchange Place is located at 4812 Orebank Road in Kingsport. For more information, call (423) 288-6071. Spirit of the Harvest Saturday, Oct. 22 Spirit of the Harvest will take place at Rocky Mount Museum in Piney Flats. The public is invited to join with the Cobb family and their friends as they celebrate the harvest with a full day of activities. Blacksmiths will be in the blacksmith shop. Watch as volunteers and staff make apple butter and apple cider on the historic site. Storytelling and other activities will take place throughout the day. For more information, call (423) 538-7396 or (888) 538-1791, or visit www.rockymountmuseum.com. Tobacco Festival Saturday, Oct. 22 Celebrate the annual Tobacco Festival in Pennington Gap, Va. This year’s festival theme is “Harvest Time in Lee County.” The day starts with a 5-K race and then continues with arts and crafts, live music, dancing, live entertainment, a visit from The Mayberry Deputy, home cooking, a parade n See FESTIVITIES, 24
Festivities n Continued from 23
and much more. Come meet your friends and celebrate Lee County’s heritage. The fun lasts from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Children and pets are welcome at this family-oriented event. For more information, call the Lee County Chamber of Commerce at (276) 546-2233 or visit www.leecountyvachamber. org. The Crack Between Worlds: A Ghost Story Concert Thursday, Oct. 27 “The Crack Between Worlds: A Ghost Story Concert with Jeri Burns and Barry Marshall” will be held at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough at 7:30 p.m. Join resident storytellers The Storycrafters as they dare to take listeners to the edge of the unseen in a special ghost story concert. Peer across to the places that can give chills and so much more! Tickets are $15. Reservations are recommended, as seating is limited. For tickets or more information, call 1-800-952-8392, ext. 222 or visit www. storytellingcenter.net. Scary Stories at the Carter Mansion Thursday, Oct. 27 Come out to hear some terrifying tales at Tennessee’s oldest frame house. What tales could this historic home — built by John and Landon Carter around 1780 — tell if its walls could talk? The Carter Mansion is managed by the Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area. For more information, call (423) 543-5808. Halloween Haunts and Happenings Friday, Oct. 28 Celebrate autumn and Halloween in Tennessee’s oldest town by visiting Historic Downtown Jonesborough. For more information, call (423) 753-1010. Pumpkin Palooza Saturday, Oct. 29 Celebrate autumn and Halloween with “Pumpkin Palooza” in downtown Bristol. Bring your ghosts and goblins for some Halloween fun. Kids are invited to wear their costumes, decorate their own pumpkins and then go trick-or-treating at participating merchants on State Street. For information, please call Believe in Bristol at (423) 573-2200. Christmas Craft Show at Sycamore Shoals Friday-Sunday, Nov. 11-13 This three-day event features an indoor craft show and outdoor food vendors at the Visitors Center at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton. For more information, call (423) 543-5808. Fraser Fir Lighting Tuesday, Nov. 15 The Lighting of the Fraser Fir in front of the historic Folsom House will be held in downtown Elizabethton on Nov. 15. This annual event has become the traditional kickoff for the holiday season in Carter County. Call the Elizabethton-Carter County Chamber of Commerce at (423) 547-3850 for more information.
Speedway In Lights Nov. 18-Jan. 7 The region’s biggest and brightest holiday tradition, Speedway In Lights returns to Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway for its 15th season. Powered by TVA, the event is open from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly from Nov. 18 through Jan. 7. The entire family will enjoy this four-mile drive throughout Thunder Valley. Millions of lights and hundreds of displays line the route, and visitors even get to drive on the legendary “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” Make sure you take some time to stop in Christmas Village! Enjoy roasting marshmallows, braving the carnival rides and even visiting jolly ol’ Saint Nick himself. Proceeds from your visit to Speedway In Lights benefit the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, so not only will this event put a smile on your face, but it will also brighten the lives of thousands of children throughout the region surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway. Tickets for Speedway In Lights will be available at the BMS gate. Ticket prices for cars are $10 Sunday through Thursday, and $12 Friday and Saturday. Activity van tickets are $15 each night and bus tickets are $65 each night. The 13th Annual Tellabration! Sunday, Nov. 20 This storytelling event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, N.C. The event is sponsored in partnership with the Southern Highland Craft Guild and the National Storytelling Network. Asheville Storytelling Circle hosts the event. Since its inception in 1988, the annual observance has grown into one of the most impressive collective events in the history of the modern storytelling revival. General admission is $5 with proceeds enabling area storytelling events and activities. Tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event. For more information, call (828) 299-0748 or (828) 777-9177. Christmas Tree Lighting in Bristol Monday, Nov. 29 For the fifth year, BVU will herald in the Christmas season by sponsoring the Community Tree-Lighting at Cumberland Square in downtown Bristol, Va., at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, outdoor life | page 24
Nov. 29. The event showcases a stately 45-foot Norwegian Spruce, which BVU technicians decorate with thousands of lights — about 18,000 of them — for a dramatic and joyous ceremonial display. Cider and hot chocolate will be provided, and Christmas music will be performed by the Virginia High Bearcat Marching Band and local school choirs. For more information, call (423) 573-2200 or visit www. believeinbristol.org. Christmas at the Carter Mansion Friday-Saturday, Dec. 2-3 Celebrate Christmas on the frontier at this holiday event. The public is welcome to spend the evening in this 18th century home on the frontier around 1775. The historic home features beautiful interior craftsmanship decorated for Christmas in the style of 1780s. Costumed interpreters, candlelight, refreshments and music highlight the evening, which lasts from 6 to 9 p.m. both dates. The Carter Mansion is operated within Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton. For more information, call (423) 543-5808. Candlelight Christmas at Rocky Mount Friday-Saturday, Dec. 2-3 A Candlelight Christmas is scheduled at Rocky Mount Living History Museum in Piney Flats. This holiday event is a special time of the year to join with the Cobb family in celebration of Christmas in the year 1791 with candlelight and decorations as the custom of the late 18th century before the heavy commercialization of the holiday in a more modern era. Music, dancing, decorations and sacred tales will all be part of the experience at “A Candlelight Christmas.” For more information, call (423) 538-7396 or (888) 538-1791, or visit www. rockymountmuseum.com. Christmas in the Country Saturday, Dec. 3 This special holiday event is held at Exchange Place in Kingsport. “Christmas in the Country” will offer a variety of events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will close at 4 p.m. with the Yule Log Ceremony. Exchange Place is n See FESTIVITIES, 25
Festivities n Continued from 24
located at 4812 Orebank Road in Kingsport. For more information, call (423) 288-6071. Visions of Christmas, 1861 Saturday, Dec. 3 Visit Tipton-Haynes Historic Site in Johnson City and join the Haynes family as they celebrate an antebellum Christmas. Enjoy holiday music, refreshments and activities in the museum for children. This will be part two of Tipton-Haynes’ celebration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial and features historic events that took place from July 1-Dec. 31, 1861. TiptonHaynes Historic Site is located at 2620 S. Roan St., Johnson City. The site is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available by calling (423) 926-3631 or visiting www.tiptonhaynes.org. Elizabethton Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 3 The annual Christmas parade will be held in downtown Elizabethton on Saturday, Dec. 3, beginning at 6 p.m. This year’s theme is “Tender Tennessee Christmas.” For more information on things to do in Elizabethton and Carter County during the holiday season, call the Elizabethton-Carter County Chamber of Commerce at (423) 547-3850. Candlelight Christmas at Rocky Mount Friday-Saturday, Dec, 9-10 A Candlelight Christmas is scheduled at Rocky Mount Living History Museum in Piney Flats. This holiday event is a special time of the year to join with the Cobb family in celebration of Christmas in the year 1791 with candlelight and decorations as the custom of the late 18th century before the heavy commercialization of the holiday in a more modern era. Music, dancing, decorations and sacred tales will all be part of the experience at “A Candlelight Christmas.” For more information, call (423) 538-7396 or (888) 538-1791, or visit www.rockymountmuseum.com. Guild Artists’ Holiday Sale Saturday, Dec. 10 Guild Artists’ Holiday Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Folk Art Center on Dec. 3 and again on Dec. 10. Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will be on hand in the center’s auditorium on these two Saturdays to sell select work 10 to 50
Photo by Hannah Bader
percent off retail. For the customer, the sale means great deals for holiday shopping and a chance to connect with the craftsperson. It also provides an exciting, festive alternative to mall and big box import shopping. Choose from a variety of gift items including ceramics, jewelry, fiber, paper, glass and wood. Buying from artists supports the local economy and promotes the mission of the Guild which is bringing together the crafts and craftspeople of the Southern Highlands for the benefit of shared resources, education, marketing and conservation. Over 70 artists will be participating over the course of the two sales, with a different group of artists each weekend. Visit www.craftguild.org for a complete listing of exhibitors. While at the Folk Art Center, visitors can be inspired by three galleries showcasing the work of current Guild members and collections from the Guild’s history. They can also shop at Allanstand Craft Shop, the nation’s oldest craft gallery, where they will find gifts for everyone on their list. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in east Asheville, N.C. For more information, call (828) 298-7928 or visit www. craftguild.org. Christmas in Rogersville Saturday, Dec. 10 Beautifully decorated mantels, fresh evergreen adornments, the smell of hot apple cider — welcome to Christmas in Historic Rogersville! The Rogersville Heritage Association is proud to announce the 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes with the theme this year of “Christmas Under Many Roofs.” The Rogersville Heritage Association’s annual Tour of Homes is sure to be the highlight of the season for architecture buffs and history enthusiasts alike. The opportunity to explore some of Rogersville’s finest gems at “Christmas Under Many Roofs” is one that should not be missed. In keeping with the rich tradition of Southern hospitality, homeowners and the RHA invite you and yours to tour
their very own historic homes and buildings on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 8 p.m. Featured locations will include The Amis House, the Arnold Home at Willow Oak Cattle Ranch, Bonnie Blue Farms, Hale Springs Inn, the Holt Home, the Keith Home, the Smith Home and the Rogersville Presbyterian Church. Tickets are $15 if purchased prior to Dec. 10, $20 the day of the tour. Ticket purchasing locations: Otis Home Center, RHA Office (Depot), Green Bank, Mountain Star Mall, Rogersville-Hawkins County Chamber of Commerce or in Kingsport at Charmed Southern. For more information, visit www. rogersvilleheritage.org. Christmas Bristol Tour of Homes Sunday, Dec. 4 You know Christmas is around the corner when the Bristol tour of older homes is promoted. Yes, the 14th annual Bristol Christmas Tour of Older Homes will be held on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. Each year the tour opens private homes and churches of the city to the general public, benefiting a local non-profit organization. This year’s Christmas tour will benefit the historic East Hill Cemetery, which is the final resting place for
many of Bristol’s founders, civil war veterans and generations of citizens. For more information, call (423) 652-0163. Sandhill Crane Festival Jan. 14-15, 2012 Plans for a bigger and better Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival are under way! The event will take place Jan. 14-15, 2012, with activities again centered on the Birchwood Elementary School and the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County. Thousands of Sandhill Cranes now migrate through Tennessee and stop to spend part of the winter at the confluence of the Tennessee and Hiwassee Rivers. With the cooperation of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the objective of the festival is to share the spectacle of these majestic birds and provide a potentially life-changing wildlife experience for visitors, while building awareness for the need to provide adequate habitat and management for Sandhill Cranes and the Endangered Whooping Cranes that regularly accompany them. For more information, email Medlina Welton, Conservation Policy Co-chair for Tennessee Ornithological Society, at weltonmj@ earthlink.net.
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to do so. That’s why we felt it important to include as much information on the legacy and the significance of the State of Franklin in this exhibit,” said McLaughlin. A guidebook will be available to visitors which gives an overview of the information. The guidebook includes footnotes, references and a bibliography on the historical information shown in the exhibit. McLaughlin said TiptonHaynes also has a resource library available to anyone who wants to learn more about the history of Tipton-Haynes and this area. McLaughlin said the museum is designed to be kid-friendly. She mentioned that many museums present information from an adult perspective. “When you think about it, there’s a tremendous amount to read and kids can’t handle it. They get overloaded with information. We didn’t want kids to come into the exhibit and just rushed through. That doesn’t make any sense to me. A large part of the exhibit has been designed with children and families in mind. Plus, teachers and parents can use the guidebooks to create
a personalized tour for the kids,” said McLaughlin. She said interactive exhibits and video presentations have been worked into the museum to keep kids’ interest. Tipton-Haynes will be borrowing numerous items from the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville for the permanent exhibit. McLaughlin conceded, “We are rich in history, but poor in artifacts. That’s why we have put in the request for the artifacts.” The permanent exhibit opened to the public this weekend following a ribbon cutting on Saturday. McLaughlin believes it will be an important part of TiptonHaynes Historic Site. “I have had a few people come in here already and spend an hour looking at the artifacts and reading the information we have listed on the walls.” On Saturday, Oct. 15, from 4-8 p.m., Tipton-Haynes will sponsor “Stories from the Pumpkin Patch.” Visitors to the site can listen to live storytelling in the cave, enjoy a hayride and take a haunted house tour. McLaughlin said “The stories will get progressively scarier as the evening approaches. For those who aren’t inter-
ested in ghost stories or haunted houses, the children can make seasonal crafts and enjoy a weenie roast.” Tickets are $5 for adults and $2.50 for children 12 and under. On Saturday, Dec. 3, “Visions of Christmas” will recreate the holiday season of 1861. “2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. We wanted to give visitors to Tipton-Haynes a feeling of what an antebellum Christmas would have been like for the Haynes family.” She said the event will also offer a recreation of historic happenings which occurred from July 1 to Dec. 31, 1861. “We will be sponsoring this event for the next few years and progress the story through the end of the war in 1865,” McLaughlin noted. Admission to the event is $5 for adult and $2.50 for children 12 and under. The final event of the year is a holiday workshop for kids from Dec. 19 to Dec. 22. The workshop will give children the opportunity to make Christmas presents for their family members. “Far too often, we simply take our kids to the store and let them pick something
to buy for a present. This gives them a chance to make a present for their parents, grandparents or another family member. When you make a gift, it has a lot more meaning than something you purchased at (a department store),” said McLaughlin. The cost for the workshop is $80 for non-members and $75 for a second child. If an annual membership to Tipton-Haynes is purchased before December 3, admission to “Visions of Christmas, 1861” is free and participants will receive a reduced price for admission to the holiday workshop. An Annual membership is $35 and will reduce the cost of the workshop to $70 for the first child and $65 for a second child. Seating for the workshop will be limited to the first 20 children to enroll. Reservations can be made by calling Tipton-Haynes at (423) 926-3631. Tipton-Haynes Historic Site is located at 2620 South Roan Street in Johnson City. The site is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available on the Tipton-Haynes Historic Site at www.tipton-haynes.org.
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a-MAIZE-ing
Beck Mountain Corn Maze announces festivities for upcoming autumn season By Ashley Rader OL STAFF ashley@outdoor-life.net
Corn mazes continue to grow in popularity across the country as more and more people discover the fun that comes with getting lost in a corn field. The Beck Mountain Corn Maze and Entertainment Barn in Elizabethton is growing each year. The maze is open for the fall business season and has plenty of activities for every member of the family. The Carter County attraction opened for the fall season on Saturday, Sept. 17, and will remain open until approximately the middle of November. Owners and operators Curtis and Desie Gentry explained the exact length of the season depends on weather conditions and how long the corn remains standing in the maze. The main attraction at the Corn Maze and Entertainment Barn is without a doubt the corn maze itself. The facility has a four-acre corn maze for visitors to get lost in. The maze is designed by Desie and is hand cleared right before the maze opens for business. Each year the route through the maze is changed to keep it different and challenging for customers who return year after year. Desie draws out the map for the corn maze using a numbered row pattern to make sure the maze on paper is correctly applied to the corn field. Each row of corn is numbered and is matched up with a corresponding row on the grid she used to draw the map. Then when the maze is cut out of the field, those clearing the path just match the number of the corn row to the grid paper to see which stalks of corn need to be removed. The maze has one entrance and one exit with a path the features twists, turns, cross backs and dead ends the lead to detours from the correct way out. The fastest time for completing the maze is 30 minutes and the longest anyone has taken to emerge from the corn field is two hours and 45 minutes. “I guess it all depends on your directional abilities,” Curtis said. Staff at the corn maze have had to
rescue a few individuals who become lost in the maze and cannot find their way out. Starting in October, select corn maze events, the corn maze and hayride, are turned into haunted activities on the weekend. The haunted barn is also opened for visitors. The haunted barn received a makeover last year to add more scenes and offers participants more of a fright. Curtis said approximately 1,400 square feet of the lower level of the entertainment barn will be transformed into 13 scenes of nightmare inducing fun. The Gentrys have been working to prepare the barn for a month and are adding new elements that have not been seen in previous years. “We believe people are going to get their money’s worth this year,” Desie said. “We have a professional magician that is helping us with the haunted barn. We have illusions in the barn that will be really good.” The offerings at the corn maze have proven successful in scaring participants in previous years. “A lot of people will go in about 25 feet into the maze and they will decide they don’t want anymore,” Desie said. “They will turn around and come back out.” The employees at the maze and entertainment barn have been sworn to secrecy concerning what will happen to visitors in the barn, maze and on the hayride. A few of the employees have worked at the corn maze during previous Halloweens and bring back their haunting experiences. The haunted fun will begin at dark on Friday and Saturday nights starting Sept. 30 and will continue until the end of the month. Haunted dates at the corn maze are Friday, Sept. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 1; Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7-8; Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14-15; Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21-22, and Friday-Monday, Oct. 28-31. The last ticket for the haunted maze,
Photo by Danny Davis
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barn and hayride will be sold at midnight but the maze will remain open until everyone has completed the activities they have paid for. Desie noted that on the haunted nights the regular corn maze and hayride will not be available, that they will only be open as haunted activities. The Halloween season is always the busiest time of year for the corn maze. “We want to have 600 people each weekend this year,” Curtis said. “Last year we came pretty close to that and I think we will make that this year.” Visitors can choose to participate in one activity or all three. Depending on the amount of time spent in the corn maze, it could take approximately two hours to complete all three activities. The corn maze also offers hayrides through the forest, when the weather permits; a mini hay maze for children age 10 and under, the Pettin’ Zoo; Grannie’s Place, an oversized playhouse with sand box and slide and Needle in a Haystack. They also have various fall-themed outdoor decorations for purchase including pumpkins, fodder shocks, hay bales and mums. Needle in a Haystack is a search game where a gourd is hidden in a hay stack and is also for children age 10 and under. The finder of the gourd gets to make a craft out of it. The hay ride was extended this year to include a longer ride through the forest. Gentry explained the hay ride is only available when the weather permits as the forest road can become slippery when wet. New trivia mazes were also added this year. A state history trivia maze and a Bible trivia maze are now available. Visitors can find the questions for the trivia on the corn maze’s website,
Photo by Danny Davis
A visit to the Beck Mountain Corn Maze offers fun for the whole family.
www.beckmountaincornmaze.com. To complete the maze correctly, they find the answers to the questions in the order they are listed. Desie noted that the corn maze has brown sand in their playground area instead of white sand. She said that many people believe the sandbox is filled with dirt and not sand. She explained they chose brown sand because the white sand is processed with petroleum products and is not good for children. The corn maze and barn will be open
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on Sunday from 1-6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday. The corn maze will be closed on Monday. In October, the corn maze will be open on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until everyone is served. The last tickets will be sold at midnight. The maze, hayride and barn will be haunted from dark until close on Friday and Saturday. For individual activities, general admission is $6 and children age three
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and under are free. In addition to the general admission, hayrides are $2 and the Needle in the Haystack is $2. On the haunted activity nights, the haunted barn is $9 per person, the haunted maze is $9 per person and the haunted hayride is $5 per person. A combo pack is available for all three at $20 per person. For more information call (423) 543-1045 or (423) 543-CORN. The Beck Mountain Corn Maze and Entertainment Barn is located at 144 Webb Hollow Loop, Elizabethton.
Octoberfest
Annual Elizabethton festival planned for Oct. 22 By Ashley Rader OL Staff ashley@outdoor-life.net
Fall festivals are a staple outdoor activity when the temperatures turn cooler and all things of autumn fill the air. Downtown Elizabethton will be transformed into a fall festival when the Chamber of Commerce’s Octoberfest is held Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is the third year the event has been held and it will feature multiple antique, crafts and food vendors, live entertainment, a costume contest, car show, corn hole tournament and a race and family walk. This year’s Octoberfest has been expanded and two new events have been added with festival organizers working on a third. These events will include ghost tours of downtown Elizabethton with the Homespun Story Telling Guild and a Doggy Diva pet fashion show.
The third event that is still in the works is a Poker Stroll through downtown Elizabethton. Chamber of Commerce Director Felicia English said the Festival Committee that helps plan Chamber events had suggested a Poker Run for motorcycles. However, she thought instead of sending visitors out of the festival why not keep them downtown by having a Poker Stroll to the individual businesses. To make the new event a part of the festival, English is searching for five downtown businesses that would be a stop on the stroll where participants could pick up a card for their poker hand. She is also searching for sponsors for the prizes for the Poker Stroll. The day will begin at 9 a.m. with the four mile run and 3k walk. At 10 a.m. the arts, crafts and food vendors will open and the car show will begin. Food vendors will provide a variety of
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festival fare and some more unique offerings as well. Items available for visitors will include pinto beans, barbecue, turkey legs, tacos, kettle corn and of course, funnel cakes, hot dogs and hamburgers. The festival will feature various arts and crafts vendors selling items including homemade dolls, holiday decorations, novels on the history of the area, stained glass, pet clothes, floral arrangements, candles, wreaths, handmade jewelry, toys, children’s books, candied apples, caramel apples and fudge. Downtown merchants are encouraged to participate in the festival day by opening their doors and setting out merchandise on the sidewalks. More festival-goers are expected in the bulk of downtown this year as the car show will take up most of East Elk Avenue. The Octoberfest car show will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The show will feature show quality cars from all time periods, all makes and models. The car show will be held the entire time of the festival and will continue afterward for their traditional Saturday night Photo by Hannah Bader Dozens of craft vendors will offer their wares to visicar show in downtown. tors at the Elizabethton Octoberfest. Registration for the corn hole contest will start fee is $5. Contestants will be judged on at 10 a.m., with a $10 entry fee for single originality, personality and costume. Winparticipants and $15 for teams of two. Parners will receive a trophy. All contestants ticipants must be 13 or over and one team will receive a certificate. member must be an adult. First prize for There will also be a variety of children’s single and team divisions is $100. Trophies activities on Edward’s Island and other will be awarded. The corn hole contest will events planned in the Covered Bridge begin at 11 a.m. Park. There will be entertainment featurRegistration for the costume contest will ing bands and dancers from a local dance begin at 11 a.m. and the contest will start group. at 11:30 a.m. Age divisions are birth to two For more information, call the Elizayears old, two to four years old, five to seven bethton/Carter County Chamber of Comyears old and eight to 10 years old. Entry merce at (423) 547-3850.
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Music, Lights & More Dollywood offers plenty of fall, holiday events PIGEON FORGE — Dollywood’s National Gospel and Harvest Celebration returns from Oct. 1 to Oct. 30. Enjoying autumn at Dollywood will lift your spirits with the biggest Southern gospel festival in the Smokies. The National Gospel and Harvest Celebration offers four weeks featuring free concerts with the price of admission. In addition to listening to gospel music, visitors can watch crafters at work throughout the park as the country’s most talented artisans showcase their artistry with up-close
demonstrations. Handmade treasures for the home, unique collectibles and stunning artwork create an impressive craft exhibit you won’t find anywhere else. Special dishes, all prepared with a taste of fall, showcase some of the harvest season’s most celebrated recipes, including a booth devoted to Dollywood’s signature fried green tomatoes. After this annual month-long fall celebration, Dollywood puts the spotlight on the holiday season for “Smoky Mountain Christmas.”
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around 42 to 45 degrees — even during the coldest months.” Timbs said that anyone interested in joining the Hampton Bass Club could contact him or any of the other members. They have a meeting every Thursday night at Pizza Plus in Hampton before each tournament. “We’ve been fishing on Friday nights during the summer, but we’ll go back to day fishing in October,” said Timbs. “We’ve only got two or three tournaments left this year, but we’ll start back over in January.” Fishing continues to be one of the leading outdoor recreations for East Tennessee and will continue to do so long after I’ve departed for home. President Herbert Hoover once said “be patient and calm — for no one can catch fish in anger.” I might add that nobody can catch one without a pole and bait, either.
leaves are upright, broad, and a beautiful, waxy, deep green. These collards grow best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. Like all collards, they are rich in vitamins and sweetened by frost. Space transplants 36 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Spinach — A cool-weather vegetable related to beets and Swiss chard, Bonnie’s Spinach is a fast-growing plant. It yields many leaves in a short time in fall. Although it prefers full sun, spinach is one of the few vegetables that produce a respectable harvest in partial shade. ••••• With some advanced planning, active attention and the right choice of plants, you can continue to enjoy your garden and fresh, flavorful produce, long after the dog days of summer are done. To learn more about cool season varieties and helpful hints on getting your garden growing, visit www.bonnieplants.com
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This event offers the Smokies’ most spectacular light display and a lineup of live Christmas shows that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, all at Dollywood. This year’s celebration kicks off Nov. 5 and runs through Dec. 30. Four million lights drape the park in holiday splendor, casting a warm glow that sets the scene for a winter wonderland like no other. Create a family tradition at Dollywood’s sensational shows, including the triumphant return of perennial favorite Christmas in the Smokies. Let the heart-
warming sounds of the season set the stage for a Christmas the entire family will enjoy. Don’t miss Santa’s Workshop, where larger-than-life-sized toys and an 18-foottall Christmas tree fill guests of all ages with wide-eyed wonder as they discover a giant wagon, sailboat, dollhouse and more amid the hustle and bustle as Santa and his helpers ready for their big night! Santa’s also the star of the Parade of Lights, along with a cast of brightly lit floats and colorful characters. For more information, visit www.dollywood.com or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
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Competition
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composition of the photograph. Entries will be judged on creativity, impact, subject matter, center of interest and storytelling — effectively sharing the journey by celebrating the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers seven separate categories that will be chosen as winners with over $4,000 in cash and prizes. Competition categories include: Best in Show; Blue Ridge Parkway; People’s Choice; Culture; Adventure; Flora and Fauna; Landscape, and Our Ecological Footprint. The Best in Show wins a $1,000 cash prize and the Blue Ridge Parkway category will win a $500 cash award. A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately 46 that will be displayed in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Feb. 3 through June 2, 2012. From those images, the judges will select the final winners which will be showcased during the exhibition. The AMPC is a partnership between Appalachian State University’s Outdoor Programs, The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. AMPC is made possible through the sponsorship of Virtual Blue Ridge, the premier online resource
for the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the generous support of Mast General Stores’ sponsorship of five categories. Additional support is provided by Appalachian Voices; Bistro Roca, Inventive American Cuisine; Footsloggers Outdoor and Travel Outfitters; and Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants. Keep up on Twitter - Follow BRPGuide using hashtag #appmtnphoto. For more information about this photography competition, please visit www.appmtnphotocomp.org, or call Outdoor Programs at (828) 262-2475.
and on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. European migrants brought Old World holiday traditions to America, from the Dutch “Sinter Klaus” to the Twelve Days of Christmas. Discover the English, German, Scots-Irish and Dutch roots of today’s modern holiday celebrations. On Feb. 18-19, 2012, “Living History: A Militia Muster” will be held at Fort Watauga. Saturday’s event will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m., while Sunday’s schedule will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors are invited
to step into the colorful world of the Revolutionary era. Re-enactors portray a variety of characters, from hunters and farmers to land speculators and backcountry gentry. Finally, as the days of winter begin to wane, the Overmountain Weavers Guild Fibers Show and Sale will be held in mid-March. This Saturday event will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The exact date will be announced soon. For more information on any and all activities at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, call (423)543-5808.
the National Storytelling Festival, call 1-800-952-8392 or 753-2171 or visit www. storytellingcenter.net. Storytelling Showcase The 39th National Storytelling Festival will draw to an end with a Storytelling Showcase of performances. The twohour family event begins Sunday, Oct. 9, at 2:30 p.m. and features individual performances by award winning storytellers from across the world. Admission price
for this special Sunday afternoon event is $20 for adults and $10 for children. Tickets go on sale at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, the day of the event, at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center. Tickets are general admission only, so arrive early for best seating. For more information about the Sunday Showcase or the National Storytelling Festival, call 1-800-952-8392 or (423)753-2171 or visit www.storytellingcenter.net.
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Stay up late at the National Storytelling Festival and enjoy a night of rollicking, grown-up fun at the ever-popular Midnight Cabarets. The adult-only stories begin at 10:30 p.m. and tickets are $20. Acoustic blues man Rev. Robert Jones will take the stage on Friday, Oct. 7, while Southern musician and storyteller Michael Reno Harrell will entertain audiences on Saturday, Oct. 8. For more information about Midnight Cabarets or
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outdoor life | page 31
Recipes n Continued from 17
2 (12-ounce) cans tomato paste 28 ounces Wholly Salsa (spiciness depends on you) 3 quarts chicken stock 2 tablespoons Tabasco Heat oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. When hot, add the onion, Poblano and garlic. Sweat until onions are translucent. Add ground meat and stir to break it up. When meat is completely brown, drain and return to heat. Add dried seasonings and stir to combine. Add tomato paste, stir to combine, and allow it to cook for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste to see if you need any more salt. For a thicker version (for hot dogs, chili burgers, etc.), omit the chicken stock. Seven Layer Dip 1 (16-ounce) can non-fat refried beans 1 (9-ounce) can bean dip 2 (7-ounce) packages Wholly Guacamole Classic, Spicy or one of each 1 (16-ounce) container light sour cream (can substitute plain Greek yogurt) 3/4 package taco seasoning 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 small can sliced black olives 1 large diced tomato 3 green onions, finely chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Mix refried beans and bean dip together and spread onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Next, mix sour cream (or yogurt) together with taco seasoning and cumin. Spread on top of the beans in the pan. Spread guacamole on top of the previous layers then add olives, green onion and tomatoes. Top with the shredded cheese and serve with your favorite chips. California Confetti Pizza 4 ounces Wholly Guacamole 1 (12-inch) purchased, baked pizza bread shell 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned 1/2 cup Wholly Salsa (amount of heat depends on you) 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions 1/4 cup chopped Anaheim chile 1/4 cup red bell pepper 1 cup Feta cheese 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh oregano Brush pizza bread shell with olive oil. Spread salsa over shell. Spread guacamole over salsa. Sprinkle corn, green onions, Anaheim chile, bell pepper, cheese and oregano on top. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake at 450°F until cheese is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. — Source: Wholly Guacamole
Wholly California confetti pizza
Follow the trail to a new discovery,
HIKE CARTER COUNTY! Why hike Carter County? * Access to a variety of hiking and walking trails for all skill levels * Picturesque views of the Southern Appalachian mountain range * Carter County is conveniently located on the North Carolina border * Access to Roan Mountain; with 5 mountain peaks * Trails offering two tier 70-foot waterfalls, foot trails along the shoreline of Watauga Lake, and spectacular views of the world’s largest natural Rhododendron Gardens
www.tourcartercounty.com or call 423-547-3850