High Country Magazine August 2016

On the Appalachian

Volume 12 • Issue 1 August/September 2016

Wine Trail

The Local Wedding Industry – SUSHI - Steve's Garden Mica Mining in Avery – Grandfather Mountain State Park August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

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DI A N N E DAVA N T & A S S O C I AT E S Excellence By Design Since 1979

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2016

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Actually, they did.

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High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

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High Country Magazine

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C O N T E N T S Wine Country in the High Country

The Appalachian High Country is only few formalities away from earning the official stamp of approval as North Carolina’s third American Viticultural Area, which will legitimize the region’s ability to grow wine grapes with distinguishing features and characteristics.

20

Destination on High

The same natural wonders that draw tourists from across the country make these mountains a perfect spot for beautiful destination weddings. Find out what local vendors are doing to make dreams come true for their clients as the wedding industry continues to boom in the High Country.

Steve’s Garden

Get to know the gardener who has lovingly become known around these parts as “The Pumpkin Man” and find out why he works hard to share his love for growing with the greater community.

52

Makoto’s Sushi

Check out this writer’s adventures at Boone’s own Makoto’s Restaurant and find out what goes on behind the scenes at this local favorite

Mica Mining

72

This glittery mineral found just below the ground’s surface was so common in the late 1880s on many properties in the High Country that many mountain folks made a living selling what they could dig up.

Centennial Celebration

Grandfather Mountain State Park Superintendent Sue McBean weighs in on the shared mission of the state park and the Morton family to preserve the natural integrity of the mountain, inviting the public to help celebrate the state parks system’s 100th anniversary.

on the cover

92 Painting by Mary

Martha McKinley

Title: The High Country Through Rose Colored Glasses About the Painting: My husband and I have enjoyed outings to the local wineries especially when they have live music and guests are visiting us.

This painting is the fourth in the High Country series. The more distant mountains are only loosely based on the back side of Beech Mountain as seen from Shawnee Road. I added the ribbon as the painting evolved.

The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway weaves in and out close to this region and the ribbon references our ties to the Blue Ridge Mountains in this area. The closer, colorful, somewhat quilt-like fields, are a reminder that the wineries are weaving an important component into the fabric of our mountain community.

Visit www.mmmckinley.wordpress.com unframed 24 x 36 inches 8

High Country Magazine

August July 2016 / September 2016

READER SERVICES ABOUT US

The first High Country Press newspaper was published on May 5, 2005, and the first issue of High Country Magazine went to press in fall 2005. In March of 2012 the newspaper made the transformation to an online newspaper at our new website: www.HCPress.com. Our new “webpaper� is still packed with information that we present and package in easy-to-read formats with visually appealing layouts.

Our magazine represents our shared love of our history, our landscape and our people. It celebrates our pioneers, our lifestyles, our differences and the remarkable advantages we enjoy living in the mountains. Our guiding principles are twofold: quality journalism makes a difference and customer care at every level is of the greatest importance.

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

G A L L E R Y

&

F R A M E M A K E R S

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Our magazine is a wonderful way for businesses to advertise to our readers. Our magazines tend to stay around for a long time, on coffee tables and bed stands, and shared with family and friends. To find out about advertising, call our offices at 828264-2262.

BACK ISSUES

Back issues of our magazines are available from our office for $5 per issue. Some issues are already sold out and are no longer available.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography and page reprints are available for purchase. For sizing, prices and usage terms, please call our office. Some photos may not be available and some restrictions may apply.

FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES

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

Contact us at:

High Country Press/Magazine P.O. Box 152 1600 Highway 105 Boone, NC 28607 www.hcpress.com info@highcountrypress.com 828-264-2262

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High Country Magazine

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FRO M T HE PUB L ISH ER

A Publication Of High Country Press Publications

Editor & Publisher Ken Ketchie

Art Director Debbie Carter Advertising Director Jeffrey Green

A Toast To The Wine Growers!

S

omething really big is getting ready to happen, and I think people will appreciate it for a long time to come, maybe even for centuries . . . especially if you enjoy the story – and taste – of wine! Thanks to our local wine-grape growing pioneers, our surrounding area will soon be designated as the Appalachian High Country American Viticultural Area (AVA). Think Napa or Sonoma valleys from California wine country. The AVA label tells the geographic pedigree of a wine and reflects a region’s distinctive growing conditions such as climate, soil and elevation. The U.S government began these AVA designations in 1978 to keep pace with similar wine appellations used in Europe for many years. Today there are nearly 250 AVAs across the U.S., with more than half located in California.

The High Country and a few surrounding counties that spill over into Tenneessee and Virginia are now part of this federally-recognized network of unique wine growing regions.

And this all happened in a relatively short amount of time.

Folks have always grown grapes in the backyards across the mountains, but in the early 2000s a fellow named Dick Wolfe started proposing the idea of growing grapes commercially to produce bottles of wine to sell to the public. A couple years later, Steve Tatum planted grapes behind his house after becoming fascinated with the winemaking process.

They both were probably thinking the same thing: maybe we can make some money growing wine grapes and establishing a winery in the High Country. The general consensus had always been that grapes couldn’t mature in the mountains because of the harsh winters.

But despite the naysayers, it didn’t take either man long to turn their dreams into reality. Banner Elk Winery opened to the public in 2006, and Tatum’s winery at Grandfather Vineyard and Winery opened in 2011. Now, new wineries and vineyards seem to pop up every year.

The story of grape growing in the mountains started to echo about the same time that the High Country Press first started publishing. I remember those early stories about their efforts and now, 11 years later, it’s truly amazing to see how far they have come. In just ten short years, the High Country has become a wine destination with tasting rooms and parking lots full on weekends, bringing in out-of-towners and creating jobs.

This AVA designation is the icing on the cake – and perhaps more. The process took over two years with lots of documentation and meticulous research involved. So what lies ahead aside from the Appalachian High Country wine trail? For a bottle of wine to feature the AVA label, 85 percent of the grapes used in that wine must come from that particular AVA region. So with the demand for more grapes, chances are more farmers will add grape growing to their farms, adding both diversification and revenues to their operations.

So a toast to all of those involved in the budding wine industry across our mountains... job well done!

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2016

Contributing Writers Jessica Isaacs Jesse Wood David Coulson David Spiceland Angela Gazzillo

Contributing Photographers Faisuly Scheurer Todd Bush Peter Morris

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

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

HighCountryMagazine.com Reproduction or use in whole or part of the contents of this magazine without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Issues are FREE throughout the High Country. © 2016

by High Country Press. All Rights Reserved.

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August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

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Calendarof Events august 2016

18

Concerts in the Park: Wolfcreek, Tate-Evans Park, Banner Elk, bannerelk.org

19

Concerts on the Lawn: Old-Time Showcase, Jones House Community Center, joneshouse.org

19

Music on the Lawn: Drive South, The Best Cellar, Blowing Rock, ragged-gardens.com

19

Music in the Valle: Dashboard Hula Boys, Valle Crucis Community Park, vallecrucispark.com

20

Live Music at 5506’ SkyBar: Sweet Sweet, Beech Mountain Resort, beechmountainresort.com

20

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Clay Lunsford, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

20

Blowing Rock Rotary Annual Charity Auction, American Legion Hall, blowingrockrotary.org

20

Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music: The Cockman Family, Harvest House Performing Arts, mountainhomemusic.com

20

Todd Summer Music: The Tillers, Cook Memorial Park, toddnc.org

21

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Shelby Rae Moore, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

23

Concert in the Courtyard: The Original Whip Daddys, Bayou Smokehouse, bayousmokehouse.com

25

Concerts in the Park: Soul Benefactor, Tate-Evans Park, Banner Elk, bannerelk.org

25

Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music: A Musical Journey, Harvest House Performing Arts, mountainhomemusic.com

Music in the Valle

Music in the VALLE, valle crucis community park, fridays at 7pm

27

Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music: Whitetop Mountain Band, First Baptist Blowing Rock, mountainhomemusic.com

27-8/4 Ensemble Stage: “Waiting for MacArthur” Blowing Rock School Auditorium, ensemblestage.com

28

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Sound Traveler, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

September 2016

1

Concerts in the Park: The Whip Daddys, Tate-Evans Park, Banner Elk, bannerelk.org

2

Music on the Lawn: Shelby Rae Moore, The Best Cellar, Blowing Rock, ragged-gardens.com

26

Beauty of the Night Walk, Grandfather Mountain, grandfathermountain.com

2

26

Concerts on the Lawn: North Carolina Songwriters, Jones House Community Center, joneshouse.org

Music in the Valle: Joseph Houck, Valle Crucis Community Park, vallecrucispark.com

3

26

Music in the Valle: The Mountain Laurels, Valle Crucis Community Park, vallecrucispark.com

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Clay Lunsford, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

4

26

Music on the Lawn: The Harris Brothers, The Best Cellar, Blowing Rock, ragged-gardens.com

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Shelby Rae Moore, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

4

Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music: Laurelyn Dossett, Harvest House Performing Arts, mountainhomemusic.com

6

Concert in the Courtyard: DC Collective, Bayou Smokehouse, bayousmokehouse.com

8

An Evening with the Avett Brothers, An Appalachian Summer Festival, appsummer.org

9

Music in the Valle: Folk and Dagger, Valle Crucis Community Park, vallecrucispark.com

27-28

Railroad Heritage Weekend, Tweetsie Railroad, Tweetsie.com

27

High Country Beer Fest, High Country Fairgrounds, hcbeerfest.com

27

Live Music at 5506’ SkyBar: If Birds Could Fly, Beech Mountain Resort, beechmountainresort.com

27

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Wayne Taylor, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2016

DON’T FORGET

EVENTS High Country Beer Fest

Get your tickets to the annual High Country Beer Fest, set for Saturday, Aug. 27 at the High Country Fairgrounds in Boone. From 3-7 p.m. that day, sample a variety of craft beer and food while you enjoy educational seminars, live music and more.

All proceeds from the event will support scholarships and research within the Fermentation Sciences program at Appalachian State University. For more information, visit hcbeerfest.com.

August 27

Ensemble Stage Presents Waiting for MacArthur Four women are changed and marked by a world at war in P. Paulette MacDougal’s story presented by Blowing Rock’s own professional theatre company. Single show ticket prices (plus tax) start at $21 for adults, $19 for seniors and students and $11 for kids 16 and under. Visit the show’s online box office for specific dates, show times and ticket prices at ensemblestage.com. All performances are held at the Blowing Rock School Auditorium, 160 Sunset Drive. For more information, call Ensemble Stage at 828-414-1844.

Aug. 27 Sept. 4

August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

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Calendar

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2016

9-11

Autumn at Oz, Land of Oz, Beech Mountain, landofoznc.com

10

Appalachian State Football v.

Old Dominion: Hall of Fame Day, appstatesports.com

10

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Wayne Taylor, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

10

13th Annual KidFest, Grandfather Mountain, grandfathermountain.com

11

Music at Linville Falls Winery: The Corklickers, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

16

Music on the Lawn: The Nautical Wheelers, The Best Cellar, Blowing Rock, ragged-gardens.com

17

Appalachian State Football v.

Miami, appstatesports.com

17

46th Annual Girl Scout Day, Grandfather Mountain, grandfathermountain.com

18

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Clay Lunsford, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

23

Music on the Lawn: The Harris Brothers, The Best Cellar, Blowing Rock, ragged-gardens.com

24

Music at Linville Falls Winery: Wayne Taylor, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

25

Music at Linville Falls Winery: The Elkville String Band, Linville Falls, linvillefallswinery.com

25

John Muir Day, Grandfather Mountain, grandfathermountain.com

30

Music on the Lawn: The Lucky Strikes, The Best Cellar, Blowing Rock, ragged-gardens.com

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CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Summer 2016 — High Country Magazine

33 15

mountain

echoes High Country Grizzlies To Bring Arena Football To WNC

J

ust days after holding its first major press conference, the High Country Grizzlies were caught off guard whenever the Arena Indoor Football League announced the league was folding immediately.

A few months earlier in April, the AIFL announced the addition of a Western North Carolina franchise, but come midJuly AIFL owner John Morris said that the timing was good to cease operations on the 20-team league.

“We didn’t have to stop the AIFL,” Morris said, “but the timing is right as I feel confident that the new Arena Developmental League (ADL) formed by former league members will carry on the same mission I set out to accomplish over ten years ago.”

Fortunately for stakeholders involved, the High Country Grizzlies were immediately embraced by the ADL. In fact, the Grizzlies were among the first three teams to join the new league along with the AIFL defending champions Columbus Lions and

16

High Country Magazine

The Grizzlies Coaches (from left) Bob Brewer, Josh Resignalo, Jerry Moore and Josh Jeffries the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks.

“This affiliation will give our players an opportunity to chase their dreams and gain exposure on a broader scale,” Grizzlies general manager William Thompson said in a statement.

Though the two leagues are different, the concept is the same: develop football players at a professional level and provide family entertainment at a reasonable cost.

The ADL’s mission statement also speaks to serving the communities in which they play.

In July’s press conference at McKethan’s BBQ, Grizzlies majority owner and a successful entrepreneur Donald Thompson (no relation) spoke to these points in recounting a story about how he was reluctant to become involved until he spoke with the legendary App State football coach Jerry Moore, who is serving as a football consultant for the Grizzlies organization.

“I remember sitting in Applebee’s with Coach Moore and listening to him talk about all the young men he helped throughout his career – not the championships, not the accolades but all of the people that he

August / September 2016

helped,” Donald said. “And I said if there is a little bit we can do to inspire young people, bring a phenomenal entertainment brand and partner with the university to use students as interns and become a fabric of the community, then I wanted to be apart of it.”

The Grizzlies still plan to play home games in the Holmes Convocation Center once the inaugural season begins in March, and tryouts for the upcoming season begin in the fall. The Holmes Convocation Center has a capacity of 6,100 seats for indoor football, and more than 300 players are expected to tryout.

Other ownership and staff personnel include Bryan Bouboulis, a minority co-owner; Grizzlies head coach Josh Resignalo; offensive line coach Bob Brewer; defensive coach Josh Jeffries; and Shauna Godwin, coach of the Grizzlies’ High Country Honey’s dance team.

For more information about the Grizzlies and the Arena Developmental League, click to www.highcountrygrizzlies.com and www.arenadl.com.

By Jesse Wood

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Premier Sotheby’s International Realty | Linville Ridge 2245 Highway 105 South | P.O. Box 704 | Linville, North Carolina 28646 Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

August / September 2016 High Country Magazine

17

mountain

echoes

App State Football Gears Up for 2016

Scott Satterfield

C

oming off a groundbreaking 2015 season, the Appalachian State University football team will embark on its most challenging campaign ever in 2016, with opponents that include Tennessee and Miami.

But as important as those early-season games are to drawing attention nationally to the Mountaineers, ASU is still focused more on what it was unable to accomplish last year — the Sun Belt

Conference championship.

“We were one game shy last year,” junior quarterback Taylor Lamb said, in reference to a home loss to Arkansas State. “That’s our main goal.”

The Mountaineers began work towards that goal on July 30 with their first practice.

Coming off an 11-2 season and a Camelia Bowl win over Ohio University in the Mountaineers’ first bowl appearance, App State became the first Sun Belt team to win 11 games and set standards for a squad moving into the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks.

The only blemish other than that loss to eventual Sun Belt champion Arkansas State was a defeat to a Clemson team which played and lost to Alabama for the national championship.

With 17 starters returning, including star-caliber performers like Lamb, senior running back Marcus Cox and Sun Belt preseason defensive player of the year John Law at linebacker, the Mountaineers could be better in 2016 than last season, but still not see that improvement reflected in its record.

That is because ASU opens its season with its toughest nonconference slate in history. The Mountaineers begin play on Sept.

1 with a Thursday night, nationally-televised game at Neyland Stadium against a powerhouse Tennessee squad.

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High Country Magazine

August / September 2016

“There are going to be a lot of people yelling at us,” said Lamb, who will lead his team into the second largest stadium in America, Of course, Appalachian State fans and players alike remember what happened when the Mountaineers ventured into the largest stadium at Michigan in 2007, with ASU stunning the football world with a historic 34-32 victory.

Two weeks later, in what is expected to be a record-setting crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium, Appalachian will entertain its first major college home opponent when Miami comes to Boone for a Sept. 10 contest.

With the Hurricanes needing to find an opponent to fill its schedule last spring, this marquee home game fell into ASU’s lap.

“Its extremely challenging,” coach Scott Satterfield said. “The first four games are going to be the toughest non-conference schedule we’ve ever played.”

Besides the Tennessee and Miami games, the Mountaineers host Old Dominion and travel to Akron before embarking on their Sun Belt slate.

“I compare (Tennessee) to Clemson,” said Satterfield. And Miami “has tons of talented players.”

Should Appalachian win one, or both of those games, it could propel the Mountaineers into the national polls and maybe even put them into talk of a major bowl game, if ASU can follow through with its goal of a Sun Belt title — something that it is favored to do.

“We are going in the right direction,” said Cox, who has the opportunity to become Appalachians all-time leading rusher this season. “You just have to approach every game the same.”

By David Boulson

I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum.

That’s why I chose Well•Spring.

In those days I kept time with a baton. Now I choose the paintbrush, inspired by the beauty that surrounds me in nature, friends and family.

I’m painting my masterpiece and living retirement in my own style at Well•Spring.

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Resident Since March 2011

CARF/CCAC ACCREDITED SINCE 2003

Taylor Lamb being interviewed on Media Day August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

19

On the Appalachian

Wine Trail

AVA Touts Blue Ridge Mountain Wine

Painting by Mary Martha McKinley 20

August / September 2016 Represented

by Carlton Gallery

High Country Magazine

N

ot long ago, a farmer was considered crazy to think about growing wine grapes in the High Country.

After all, this is a land of moonshine, and socalled experts said it was too damn cold anyway. Also, grape growing and winemaking are endeavors that require substantial investment. But the naysaying didn’t stop folks from experimenting with grapes of the cold-hardy kind on terraced, test vineyards. Those trials started just less than 15 years ago. Today, the curiosity, foresight and hard work of these grape-growing pioneers is paying off with the pending establishment of the Appalachian High Country as a legitimate grape-growing region, one that is capable of producing great Blue Ridge Mountain wine.

August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

21

A New

Designation Touts The Success of

Local Wineries American Viticultural Area

Linville Falls Winery

AVA

Story By Jesse Wood

W

hen brothers, Ed and Charlie, started Shelton Vineyards in Dobson in 1994, the formation of the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area – the first AVA established in the state of North Carolina – was still a decade away.

Aside from The Andy Griffith Show connection, tourism in the region was lacking and the visitors that did were mostly daytrippers.

“About the only tourism in this area were people visiting Mount Airy – or Mayberry, so to speak,” he said. “Now, I see one, two, three, four hotels built and several restaurants have opened up.”

Since Ed and Charlie established the Yadkin Valley AVA in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, two other AVAs, which are federally recognized wine grape-growing regions, have been established in the state: Haw River Valley and Swan Creek. But it’s the pending Appalachian High Country AVA that particularly excites wine connoisseurs, vintners and grape growers in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia.

The pursuit of the AVA classification was spearheaded by the High Country Wine Growers Association (HCWGA), and after a two-year vetting process, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is only a for22

High Country Magazine

August / September 2016

Grandfather Winery

Villa Nove at Watauga Lake Winery

Current Wineries in the Appalachian High Country AVA 1861 Farmhouse Winery, Watauga Banner Elk Winery, Avery Elk Mountain Winery, Avery Grandfather Winery, Watauga Linville Falls Winery, Avery New River Winery, Ashe Plumtree Valley Vineyards, Avery Spencer Mountain Winery, Watauga Thistle Meadow Winery, Alleghany Todd Winery, Watauga Watauga Lake Winery, Johnson, TN Winery at Blueberry Farm, Avery

Vineyard at Linville Falls

Current Vineyards in the Appalachian High Country AVA Banner Elk Winery: 6 acres, Avery Bethel Valley Vineyard: 8 acres, Watauga Chateau Laurinda Vineyard: 1 acre, Alleghany Chris Kirkpatrick’s Vineyard: Watauga Creston Vineyard:: 3.5 acres, Ashe Dick Wolfe’s Vineyard: Avery Elk Mountain Vineyard: 3 acres, Avery Exclamation Pointe Grapery, 3 acres, Avery Grandfather Vineyard: 5 acres, Watauga Hattie Hill Vineyard: 3 acres, Watauga Mary Johnson’s Vineyard: 2 acres, Johnson, TN Mt. Vale Vineyard: 38 acres, Grayson. VA Linville Falls Winery: 9 acres, Avery Plumtree Valley Vineyard: 1 acre, Avery Randy Combs’ Vineyard: 1 acre, Avery

Grandfather Vineyard

Raven Rock Vineyard: 2 acres, Avery Spencer Mountain Vineyards: 1.5 acres, Watauga Sterling Caroll Vineyard: 10 acres, Watauga Villa Nove Vineyards: 7 acres, Johnson, TN

Planned Vineyards Within Appalachian High Country AVA Dr. Charles Nash: 5 acres, Mitchell Mr. Mark Conley: 5 acres, Mitchell Chad Calhoun: 3 acres, Mitchell Dr. Keith Kuhny: 5 acres, Mitchell Bob Hardin: 10 acres, Carter, TN Joe Miller: 5 acres, Carter, TN Mike Nidiffer: 2 acres, Carter, TN Lou Nemeith: 2 acres, Carter , TN

Villa Nove Vineyard August / September 2016

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Dylan and Steve Tatum of Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

Jack Wiseman of Linville Falls Winery

mality or two away from signing off on the petition. Come fall, the Appalachian High Country will be an official AVA. This classification essentially puts a “stamp of approval,” as Shelton said, on a particular region’s ability to grow wine grapes with distinguishing features and characteristics to make unique wine. In his neck of the woods, Shelton attributed the growth of the wine industry to the AVA designation. When the Shelton’s planted 200 acres of grape vines in the ‘90s and opened up their winery a few years later, only one other winery existed in the Yadkin Valley. Today, dozens of wineries are in operation there. “Oh yeah. It was very important to the development of the wine region in this area,” Shelton said.

Unlike the Yadkin Valley, where the wine industry spurred tourism and drew in motorists from interstates and highways like I-77 and U.S. 421, the High Country is already a tourist draw. The AVA will compliment the skiing at the resorts, the Saturday football games at App State, the four seasons of outdoor excursions on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the shopping and dining in the historic downtown districts and other area attractions like Grandfather Mountain or Tweetsie Railroad. But aside from all the potential economic benefits, the AVA will tell the world that great wine is made in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“Oh man, I think it’s going to be something else,” said Jack Wiseman, owner of Linville Falls Winery and a member of the HCWGA. “No place is going to have the same flavors we are going to have because of our particular soil, elevation and microclimates. We were called the Shrubbery Capital of the World.

Who knows? One day we might be called the White Wine Capital of the World.”

Moonshine to Appalachian Wine If you grew up within the boundary of the eight-county Appalachian High Country AVA – Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell and Watauga in North Carolina; Carter and Johnson in Tennessee; and Grayson in Virginia – in the old days, you’re likely more familiar with corn liquor than wine, kind of like Wiseman, who is 84 years old. Although he made his first batch of wine with his grandmother, Ida, at the age of 8 years old, he lived in a land of moonshine and learned how to make wine as a kid in the ‘40s. “I grew up on the Toe River, and it was a moonshine world,” Wiseman said.

After he served as an Army medic in the Korean War, he worked as sheet-metal mechanic in a California shipyard, and on the weekends, he would visit the vineyards and wineries of Napa and Sonoma valleys, where some of his friends and relatives worked. With his knowledge of the spirits and distillation

The First Grapevines Planted

Dick Wolfe 24

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While Dick Wolfe, co-owner of Banner Elk Winery, surely wasn’t the first person to plant wine grapevines in the High Country, he does claim the first test vineyard – near Matney in 2002 – with commercial scale in mind. A pioneer in the local wine movement, Wolfe had a hand in the first winery in Abingdon, Va., before moving to the High Country. Along with planting grapes and opening a winery, Wolfe also taught a number of current growers and vintners at ASU and Lees-McRae.

Linda and Wayne Gay of Watauga Lake Winery

Dick Wolfe of Banner Elk Winery

acumen, Wiseman said he felt right at home visiting the wineries Mitchell County TDA, Mountain Electric and the Watauga like Christian Brothers and hanging out at the brandy distill- County TDA. “I don’t want it to sound negative, but the people that are eries. He even reciprocated the knowledge by making two or what we call our leaders, the [Avery County Board of] Commisthree moonshine stills.

This was back when the California wine industry was in its sioners mainly, need to open their eyes and see what’s happeninfancy; the famous Napa and Sonoma Valley AVAs were still ing down here at Linville Falls Winery,” Wiseman said. “Three 15 to 20 years away when Wiseman befriended a couple of “old weeks ago, we had 160 cars from all over the United States, and Italian boys.” They would pick grapes at the vineyards and then if they can’t see what that could turn into and supposedly we make Dago Red wine. About this time, Robert Mondavi parted are a tourist capital with our cool summer climates. We are cerways with his family’s wine operation and started his own win- tainly not a manufacturing county, so if you can attract 160 cars ery in Napa Valley. “That was one of my favorite places to go. I on a little spot in Linville Falls, then somebody needs to open met those people, and I would watch and ask them questions,” their eyes and say, ‘Hey, that could be big.’”)

You could say the thought of attempting to grow grapes in Wiseman said. “I just fit in because I knew how to make moonshine and brandy when I was in California, and I fell right in the High Country in the 21st century was considered just as crazy to some. Dr. Dick Wolfe, a founding co-owner of Banner with the alcohol crowd.”

Today, Wiseman owns Linville Falls Winery in Avery County. Elk Winery and Villa, remembers that pervasiveness well. Wolfe It’s situated near the Blue Ridge Parkway at about 3,200 feet. Wise- taught adult classes on grape growing, among other duties, at man opened the winery in 2012, and the 40-acre estate features a Appalachian State University and Lees-McRae College, where Mapnine 1: acres Vineyards and Wineries within the proposed AVAand wineries in some of his fellow students operate vineyards Tuscan-inspired tasting room and nearly of grapevines the High Country today. to make Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines.

Like Wiseman, Wolfe grew up in Appalachia. His father Just as folks thought Wiseman was crazy to plant hundreds Map 1: Vineyards and Wineries within the proposed AVA of thousands of Christmas trees in the ‘60s prior to the Frasier Fir Grayson County, VA The High Country Appalachian boom upon returning to his naAVA Region and Locations of tive North Carolina, some also Grayson County, VA Vineyards & Wineries thought he was crazy to create a little Tuscany in Avery County, Alleghany County, NC where alcohol is still considered Johnson County, TN somewhat taboo.

Alleghany County, NC Ashe County, NC (In fact, Avery County was Johnson County, TN Ashe County, NC the only county government to not provide funds for the research and establishment of the AVA, and Wiseman stepped up, Carter County, TN Carter County, TN Watauga County, NC Watauga County, NC forking over a $1,000 from his own pocket on behalf of Avery County. HCWGA raised about Avery County, NC Avery County, NC $10,000 for the application proLegend Legend cess from Allegheny County, Proposed AVA and county boundaries Mitchell County, NC Proposed AVA and county boundaries Mitchell County, NC Vineyards (21) Ashe County, Carter County Vineyards (21) Wineries (10) Tourism Development AssoWineries (10) ciation (TDA), Grayson County, HCWGA, Johnson County 0 5 10 20 30 40 Miles Chamber, Linville Falls Winery, 0 5 10 20 30 40

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Miles

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The Tasting Rooms

Linville Falls Winery

If the winery is technically where the magic of fermentation happens, then the tasting room is where the palate enjoys the vintner’s secrets. The wineries in the High Country – and the Appalachian High Country, for that matter – feature state-of-the-art tasting rooms, where you can relax, soak in the mountain vistas and elegant estates, and partake in sipping some great, authentic Blue Ridge Mountain wine. worked in the West Virginia coalmines with Italians who migrated to the coalfields. His father befriended some of the immigrants, including one family with the Milano surname in 1950. “They wanted to put in a vineyard,” Wolfe recalled. “They said, ‘We can’t have a meal without a glass of wine,’ and up in West Virginia, we had moonshine.” So the Milanos started a little vineyard, and as a child, Wolfe helped to plant grapes and make wine.

Thus began Wolfe’s lifelong passion and skills for grape growing and wine that evolved after a career in nuclear engineering. He had a hand in the first winery started in Abingdon, Va., and after securing a grant from the state to create test vineyard in Matney, Wolfe planted the first wine grapes (not counting the concord variety) in the High Country in 2002. The 50 vines planted consisted of four varietals of French-American hybrid grapes that Wolfe thought could withstand the cooler, mountain temperatures. Three of those four varieties did well, and the grape-growing industry in the High Country slowly blossomed from there.

Thinking back about being on the forefront of growing

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August / September 2016

grapes and attempting to count the number of medals that our local wineries have been awarded, Wolfe remembered a university study dismissive of the High Country as a potential grape-growing region. “When they did a survey of the entire state, they made a comment that said, ‘Forget about the High Country. It’s just too cold up there to grow grapes,” Wolfe said. “Now that we’ve won gold medals in the state fair, I am sure glad to go back to these guys and say, ‘You all might have been wrong down at N.C. State.”

Grandfather Winery

Pickin’ & Stompin’ At a High Country Wine Growers Association meeting in October 2014, a slight buzz was prevalent, both from the excitement that a possible AVA was looking more like a reality and relief that the rigorous and meticulous application process was complete – at least on their end. The first words out of the mouth of Johnnie James of Bethel Valley Farms as he stood before HCWGA members and updated the group on the AVA application with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau were “It’s official. I filed it this morning.”

James was the lucky soul tasked with seeing the completion and submission of the AVA application. (While James is considered the “catalyst” of getting the extensive application submitted, ASU graduate student Bianca Temple, under the guidance of ASU Geography and Planning Professor Jeff Colby, took this application on as a summer project in 2014.

Derek Goddard of Blue Ridge Environmental Consultants was involved in the petition, and Patricia McRitchie was hired for an initial feasibility study.)

James, who has owned a second home on Beech Mountain for about 15 years, decided to start farming after a success-

Watauga Lake Winery

August / September 2016

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Production Facilities The atmosphere of a winery – at least the back of the house where the actual wine production takes place – looks more like a science lab with huge stainless steel vats, hoses, buckets, testing equipment and rows of wine barrels. In the fall, these facilities in the High Country really come alive as fresh-off-the-vine grapes are crushed, pressed and barreled, ready to begin the aging process.

Grandfather Mountain Winery

Banner Elk Winery

Linville Falls Winery 28

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August / September 2016

ful career as a CPA for one of the largest accounting firms in the world. Because he worked heavily with agricultural clients, including primarily family-owned farms, the transition to farming after 30 years crunching numbers seemed natural.

Several years ago, James undertook the monumental task of transforming an old, abandoned farm into a fruit producer.

On 12 acres of the 39-acre spread, James planted about 6,500 raspberries, 3,500 blackberries and 1,200 blueberries. And on a suggestion from Steve Tatum at Grandfather Vineyard and Winery, James planted grapevines – 3,500, in fact. “It was a lot of planting and a lot of caring,” he said.

But before he could even start planting the seeds or staking the fruit-supporting trellises and posts, he had to clear an overgrown, partially timbered property that had been abandoned for more than a decade. The undertaking also included rebuilding an old barn and digging a 1.2acre irrigation pond. “I lost 25 pounds that first year just clearing [the property],” James said.

Since the initial planting, James is just now starting to see the fruits of his labor.

See, grapes don’t grow right away. “They are kind of like citrus in Florida. They both take about four years from the time you plant them to the time they produce their first commercial crop,” James said.

“It’s not for the quick footed. It’s a farming of patience. It’s four years. It’s slow go, but we are there now and that’s exciting.” Last year, James was able to harvest a small bounty of wine grapes, but this year will be the first commercial-sized crop.

Around September, James will start randomly pulling off clusters of grapes throughout the vineyard, squish them all together to test them on a refractor for the sugar content – or the grapes’ Brix, as it is called in wine circles. Once the grapes

test for the sufficient amount of Brix that vintners look for to create their product, the vines will be picked clean and grapes delivered to wineries like Grandfather Vineyard and Winery, for example, in between Foscoe and Tynecastle.

Once there, the Tatum family and staff, donning overalls stained the color of red wine, will turn thousands of grapes into wine along the banks of the Watauga River. During the fall harvest season, the hours are long, but Dylan Tatum, the winemaker and general manager of Grandfather Vineyard and Winery, looks forward to these fruitful days. “It only comes once a year,” Tatum said during a harvest a couple years ago. “Tis’ the season.” Like all farmers, the Tatums celebrate the fall harvest that is always a culmination of hard work, patience and hopefully a little bit of blessing from Mother Nature.

Before the wine is barreled for aging and bottled, the grapes must be crushed and pressed. Sometimes the crushing takes the form of a grape stomping at a wine festival, but for commercial production vintners usually opt for a slightly While the local winemaking industry isn’t yet a teenager, the more efficient method. The process of crushing, pressing and Appalachian High Country region is producing stellar, awardfermenting the wines takes about three months, and dependwinning wines. In recent years, local wineries have hauled ing on the color of grape, the skin will remains in contact enough medals to fill as showroom at the local and regional throughout the fermentation process. “That’s where the red competitions such as N.C. State Fair, the Mid-Atlantic Southwine gets its color,” Dylan said. “When making red wine, we eastern Wine Competition, Wines of the South and more. But always ferment our red grapes on the skins because it extracts beyond Appalachia and the greater South, our local wineries the color and flavor out of the grape.” have even been recognized for having a gold-medal winning Dylan caught the wine bug from his father, Steve Tatum, Body Magazine - November 2014 wines at the International Eastern Wine Competition based in who first planted grapevines on hillsides near the Watauga Sonoma, Cal. That area, as you may know, is renowned as a River in between Banner Elk and Foscoe in 2003. Asked how world-class, wine grape-growing region. he became involved in the wine industry, Steve simply said,

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Grandfather Vineyard and Winery At the base of Grandfather Mountain and on the banks of the Watauga River sits Grandfather Vineyard and Winery, which is the first-producing winery in Watauga County. In 2003, Steve Tatum (below) planted the first of hundreds of grapevines, and his son, Dylan, (above) received degrees in viticulture and winemaking – both making the way for the winery and tasting room that opened in 2011. Grandfather Vineyard and Winery is located in between Foscoe and Tynecastle.

“Well, my wife and I always enjoyed having a glass of wine or two.” That led him to research whether or not wine grapes could grow in the High Country. That first year he planted about 200 grapevines, and the following year he planted roughly 2,000 vines. The family has since planted several hundred more on their vineyard.

While a winery seems like a natural progression or expansion from a vineyard operation, the Tatums opened up their winery with a bit of trepidation. “It’s a money thing to start with, and they are money hogs,” Steve Tatum said. “Everything that has the word wine attached to it, you can just go ahead and jack it up several dollars from anything else.”

But as Steve pointed out, his son’s enthusiasm for winemaking alleviated some of the concerns of upstarting a winery. See, Dylan took the love affair with wine one step further by earning degrees in the art of winemaking. He received degrees in viticulture (study of grapes) and oenology (study of winemaking) from Surry Community College – on top of his bachelor’s from App State in business management.

That first year, the Tatums bottled 400 to 500 cases of wine “at the most,” according to Steve; that figure has since grown nearly ten-fold, and Tatum expects more growth. “It’s been a great ride. It has. It continues to grow. We are going to be somewhere between 4,000 to 4,500 cases of wine this year,” Steve 30

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said. “I never thought we would be at that size, and we’ll probably grow a little more.”

Wine’s Ripple Effect For a bottle of wine to showcase the Appalachian High Country label, 85 percent of the grapes used to make wine must be grown within the AVA’s eight-county, tri-state boundary. With the local movement as strong as ever and with only about 10 wineries in the Appalachian High Country region – as of the application filing – the demand for local grapes will certainly increase.

More than 20 vineyards with approximately 71 acres of grapes planted exist within the 2,400-square-mile AVA boundary. That doesn’t count another planned eight vineyards comprised of 37 acres in the future. The elevation range within the AVA boundary is 1,338 to more than 6,000 feet, although elevations below 2,000 feet are excluded. According to the petition, the vineyards are situated between 2,290 and 4,630 feet with a majority at or above 3,000 feet. The average slope is nearly 36 degrees with vineyards planted on sunny slopes ranging 9 to 46 degrees.

Vineyard owners in the Appalachian High Country tend to plant cold-hardy hybrid varietals like Marquette, traminette, seyval blanc, cabernet franc, vidal blanc and Frontenac, according to the petition filed with the TTB. These hybrids can with-

“It’s been a great ride.

It has. It continues to grow. We are going to be somewhere between 4,000 to 4,500 cases of wine this year” Steve Tatum, owner Grandfather Vineyard & Winery

stand cooler temperatures and reach maturity quick than other varietals. Vintners in this region also take advantage of the cooler weather by producing ice wines from grapes that are naturally frozen on the vine.

“Our climate is brutal on grapes,” Watauga County’s Extension Director Jim Hamilton said, in noting that the grape growers in the region have all had to put in a tremendous amount of investment, labor and research, such as experimenting with the varietals to see what works for their particular microclimate. Here in the mountains, the sunny hillside across the street can have drastically different climates than a shady holler.

While the talk of wine grapes serving as a replacement for, say, a fallen crop like tobacco exists for farmers, Hamilton sees wine grapes as more of an “auxiliary” crop for those looking to diversify. “Wine grape growing is a very expensive endeavor. Like most crops, it’s not for the faint of heart, and it’s even a more fickle commodity than most. I would view it as an auxiliary crop for those that are brave enough and have the financial fortitude to embrace it,” Hamilton said Hamilton noted that tourism derived from folks travelling the wine trail – to the wineries and vineyards – in the AVA will compliment other agritourism enterprises like the pumpkin patches, corn mazes, the farm tours, pick-your-own blueberry operations, and choose-and-cut Christmas trees destinations complete with hot chocolate and hay rides. “Any additional element we have that can boost our tourist offerings is good for the economy in general, so it should have ripple effects,” Hamilton said.

Taken together and on a state level, wine and wine-grape farming has more than a $1.7 billion impact on the economy, ac-

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Watauga Lake Winery and Villa Nove Vineyards

By trade, Linda and Wayne Gay were Italian importers in the decorative accessory and furniture industries before purchasing 35 acres overlooking the Watauga Lake, a setting that reminded them of the Italian Alps. The couple planted 4,200 grapevines in the Villa Nove Vineyards and restored an old five-room schoolhouse into the Watauga Lake Winery with tasting room. The Tuscan-inspired estate is located in Butler, Tenn.

cording to a 2015 report by Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP. The It should help the economy immensely.”

In their previous life, prior to founding Villa Nove Vineyards number of wineries in the state grew from 89 in 2009 to 130 in 2013. The number of grape growers and wineries also increased and Watauga Lake Winery in Butler, Linda and Wayne were a about 30 percent: from 400 grape growers on 1,800 grape-bear- couple of importers from Italy in the decorative accessory and ing acres to 525 grape growers with 2,300 grape-bearing acres furniture industries. In the early 2000’s, the Gays went for a drive after leaving the High during that same timeframe.

Point furniture market, fell Wine-related tourism exin love with the mountains penditures increased 65 perof East Tennessee, which recent in the state from $156 minded them of the Italian million in 2009 to $257 milAlps, and ended up purchaslion in 2013 as the amount ing 35 acres overlooking Waof wine-related tourists intauga Lake after seeing a for creased 36 percent from about sale sign on that drive.

1.25 million to 1.71 million They built their “Villa during that same time period.

Nove,” an Italian-inspired For wineries located a bit farmhouse named after the off the beaten path, the AVA small town in northern Italy is expected to have a more Linda Gay, where their import business pronounced impact as wine Owner, Watauga Lake Winery began, and a couple years connoisseurs follow the wine later, Wayne decided to plant trail through the Appalachian High Country and beyond. One such winery is the Watauga some grapevines. As the couple likes to joke, the landscaping simply got out of hand 4,200 grapevines later.

Lake Winery in Butler, Tenn.

In 2012, they renovated Johnson County’s old five-room Big “We are not Boone or Banner Elk or Blowing Rock,” acknowledged Linda Gay, who founded Watauga Lake Winery Dry Run Schoolhouse into an elegant tasting room and event with her husband, Wayne. “[The AVA] should bring a great deal center, spacious enough to seat 100 guests, with a full caterer’s of tourists on the trail and that means more people will eat in kitchen for food and wine pairings, gourmet dinners and cookour area, get gas in our area and stay at our lodging. So … Carter ing classes. The renovation was intensive. As Linda said, “BasiCounty and Johnson, as they are passed through, will be visited. cally, there isn’t an inch of it that has not had to be redone except

“[The AVA] should bring a great deal of tourists on the trail and

that means more people will eat in our area, get gas in our area and stay at our lodging."

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Banner Elk Winery and Villa Founded by Dick Wolfe and Angelo Accetturo, Banner Elk Winery and Villa is situated on a 20-acre blueberry farm in Banner Elk. The countryside winery opened in 2006 and has won multiple gold medals, for example, in both the N.C. State Fair and International Eastern Wine Competition in Sonoma, California. Although Wolfe is still the head winemaker, David Craig recently came on board and is doing a fine job making wines. The tasting room is open daily and from May to October, the winery hosts tours on Saturday and Sunday by appointment only.

Winemaker David Craig

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Linville Falls Winery Jack Wiseman always dreamed of growing his own wine grapes and opening a winery in his native Avery County. A pioneer in the Frasier fir Christmas tree industry, Wiseman’s dream finally became a reality when he established a Tuscan-inspired vineyard and winery on a 40-acre estate near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Linville Falls Winery opened in 2012 and has since been making great Blue Ridge Mountain wine.

we were able to discern. You have a lot more activity going on in the exterior. The brick exterior was ok.”

The winery is located about a mile from the vineyard and there than we anticipated.’”

Although she won’t reveal more details regarding the haunthoused in the Big Dry Run Schoolhouse, and during tours of the processing area and tasting room, guests learn about the haunt- ings of the old school house in an effort to save the suspense, ed schoolhouse, which was built in 1948, as they sample wines. Linda thinks the Appalachian High Country AVA will have a Although the Gays didn’t realize it was officially haunted un- positive impact beyond the vineyards and wineries. With the advent of the AVA, communitil the Heritage Hunters Society ties along the wine trail will asked to set up audio and video see more wine enthusiasts and equipment one night, guests kept connoisseurs who seek to taste bringing up that notion. Patrons Blue Ridge Mountain wine. tend to experience the paranorThese folks will eat at the local mal activity when looking at a restaurants, shop in the local wall of remembrances for the boutiques and sleep in the local school’s annual classes that the inns. The taxes will help to fill Gays set up. At an event one evethe coffers of local county and ning, a young woman washing municipal governments, and dishes ran out of the old classnew jobs should open up. Linda room restored into a kitchen, abJack Wiseman, noted that the establishment of solutely scared to death.

Owner Linville Falls Winery the Appalachian High Country “We were not expecting to AVA will provide the best of see or hear anything, but we had constantly had guests asking us if we had ever experienced both worlds – enhancing the economy and preserving the “agrianything unusual like a cold wind or feeling as if somebody is cultural roots” of the region. “It’s just a wonderful life,” Linda on your back,” Linda said. “After picking up their cameras and said, “being able to keep our agricultural roots and still have equipment, they called us and said, ‘We really can’t believe all good-paying jobs.” 

“I don’t want to sound like I’m

bragging, but I hear it 10 times a day. ‘Wow. I didn’t know that there was wine like this in the

mountains of North Carolina.’”

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Destination on High

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A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the High Country’s

Thriving Wedding Industry

BY JESSICA ISAACS 36

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Now in its first full year of hosting weddings, 16 Hands Farm is located in West Jefferson.

Photo by Waterhouse Studios.

W

ith abounding charm and limitless natural wonders at every turn, it’s easy to see why North Carolina’s High Country remains a popular getaway for folks in the Southeast. It is also a coveted destination for beautiful weddings, and couples come from far and wide to say “I do” amongst its peaks and valleys.

While a revolution in the wedding world is motivating brides everywhere to create more imaginative and stylish events than ever, the experts behind the High Country’s vast, efficient and thriving industry ensure there’s no better place to get married than in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“You can go anywhere in this area, no matter what town, and there’s beauty everywhere,” said local wedding photographer Jean Morée. “There are amazing mountain views. You don’t have to go to the parkway for that — they’re everywhere.”

No matter the season, the region offers unforgettable experiences for visitors who hail from various corners of the world, and the same is true for High Country brides and grooms.

“All of the weddings here are so well run and put together that it feels elegant, but warm at the same time. It has a relaxed, but definitely polished feel to it,” said Christina Banner, owner of Christina Banner Cakes and Gingerbread Art in Newland.

Of course, wedding photography with towering rock formations and panoramic views in the background is another selling point.

“They want something natural and amazing, and they want these views in their photos,” said Morée. “They want something that isn’t plain and ordinary, and that’s what they get here.”

Although the area attracts couples from many places, most that choose to exchange their vows here have sentimental ties to the High Country.

“Whether you’ve been here once or you vacationed here as a child, this place is just kind of magical,” said Megan Drake, owner and lead

Pixels on Paper Photography

August / September 2016

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“People come here from other areas to get married because they want something natural and amazing, and they want these views in their photos.”

– Jean Moreé, Jean Moreé Photography

Jean moreé Photography

wedding planner at The Elegant Event.

“People want to be here, and they want to share it with their friends and family.”

Many travel from out-of-state, and many come from regions that are within driving distance to the Boone area.

“We do have some from far off places, and they definitely bring in guests from far off places, but the brides themselves usually have ties to Boone,” said Jessica Smith, general manager of the Courtyard Marriott in Boone. “I’d say the typical bride and groom are going to be within our typical target markets, which are Charlotte, Winston, Raleigh — the three big hot spots for tourists in general in this area.”

Whatever brought them herein the first place, most destination brides say the communities and the people here hold special places in their hearts.

“I think there’s a hike in the industry overall as weddings are becoming more and more a personal and special experience,” said Elizabeth Hempfling, owner and lead consultant behind Events by Elizabeth Ashley and downtown Boone’s Wedding Resource Center. “A lot of our destination brides and grooms went to college here or their families have second homes here.

There’s always some kind of connection to the High Country, and it draws more people in because they already love the area.”

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High Country Magazine

An Industry on the Rise

That overall trend toward more personalized ceremonies and receptions has developed across the country in recent years, leading to a boom in the special events industry.

An increased presence in local-level and national print and online publications dedicated to custom-designed affairs, as well as the growing world of wedding style blogs (which has developed into a separate industry in its own right), gives brides everywhere an added incentive to put their big days over the top.

Many local experts, including Janna Avery of Callista Designs, also the resident florist at Linville’s Eseeola Lodge, have witnessed the industry’s growth firsthand.

“When I first started here in Linville at Eseeola, we did four or five weddings a year, and now we have to turn people away,” said Avery. “I think the industry has grown in recent years due to the magazines and blogs, and the destination weddings have become more popular.”

The High Country offers all the elements necessary to create a show stopping soirée, not to mention the incredible backdrops, so it only makes sense that it has seen an uptick in destination weddings in recent history.

“I can’t really speak for the industry as a

August / September 2016

whole, but I can speak for the High Country, certainly. We are growing by leaps and bounds, I would say,” Drake explained.

“Just this year alone I have three international brides, which is amazing. How do people in Thailand and London find this little area? But, they do, and I think that’s a huge indicator that it’s booming for us.”

The region’s most popular months for destination events typically align with Jean Morée, wedding photographer.

LEFT: Jessica Smith, general manager of the Courtyard Marriott in Boone, welcomes guests to her hotel. Photo by Jessica Isaacs.

RIGHT: Pictured left, Megan Drake, owner and lead wedding planner at The Elegant Event, consults with a colleague as they plan an upcoming event. Photo by Peter W. Morris. peak wedding season across the country, with a high concentration of couples looking to book dates in the springtime and in the fall.

During those in-demand months, which begin in April and carry through October, it’s not unusual for a local vendor to tackle two, three, even four weddings in a single weekend. In fact, on average, consultants here book and coordinate more than 30 weddings each in a typical season, and more than 75 percent of their clients are generally out-of-town brides.

Serenity and Sophistication

Recent trends have also sparked an interest in smaller, closer get-togethers — an atmosphere for which the mountains of western North Carolina and surrounding communities have long been known.

“People have decided they don’t really want a wedding with 500 people,” said Donna Cook, owner of the bridal and formalwear shop Did Someone Say Party? in downtown Boone. “They want a more intimate setting with their closest friends,” With an added number of couples seeking peaceful outdoor ceremonies and receptions, more entrepreneurs are investing in nontraditional venues, which have been popping up across the High Country in the past several years.

“The venues are changing. People used to only look for a church or a conference center, for example, and now there are other people providing that opportunity,” said Bob Whitley, owner of River Run Farm in Valle Crucis. “I think we’re conducive to a very relaxed, western, cowboy boot ex-

perience. Almost everybody has corn hole, groomsmen.

“We still see the bride in her formal Frisbees or footballs. Little kids have places to run around and they can’t get hurt. attire, but the weddings are getting more The adults have places to walk around and informal. A lot of the men are wearing a we’ve even had some groomsmen down in vest and a jean and they’re not wearing the traditional tuxedo,” said LouElla South of the river fly-fishing after the wedding.”

“It’s much more of a family reunion South’s Specialty Clothiers in Boone. “We because they’re not here for just two may see a shirt and a vest and a tie, but hours. They’re here for the bulk of four we’re not seeing the jacket like we used to days. They’re here in blue jeans, shorts and T-shirts while they’re Owner of Callista Designs, Janna Avery is also the setting up, chatting, telling stories resident florist at Eseeola Lodge in Linville. Here, she’s on each other and having a good pictured picking blooms from the gardens on the time. It’s a real big celebration.” resort grounds. Photo by Peter W. Morris.

Kelly Carpenter, who owns and operates 16 Hands Farm in Ashe County, is in the midst of her first full year hosting weddings. She’s noticed her clients, both local and destination, enjoy the dynamics of an elegant event in a pastoral setting.

“A lot of people, especially if they’re not from here, like to envision mountain scenes that are outdoor and rustic. It’s the common denominator for this area, in a sense,” Carpenter explained.

“They want an atmosphere that’s casual, relaxed and serene. The local people like it here, but I’m also getting people from places like Miami, Florida, who have fallen in love with the area and want to bring their families.”

This inclination toward more intimate celebrations has also manifested in formalwear trends, particularly among grooms and August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

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Elevating Expectations

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true community of likeminded business-

Elevating Expectations es and entrepreneurs, the High South

Event Professionals network allows its members to work together to support, eduLETTE cate, encourage and inspire one another, creating a united front from which they promote the High Country as the ultimate go-to for superior, stylish and perfectly executed affairs.

The membership features an expansive list of local vendors and consultants from all asS/BRAND ELEMENTS pects of the event planning industry. A quick click over to its website gives you access to a massive directory of well-informed experts: florists, photographers, videographers, caterers, stationers, bridal shops, party planners, ensee. In the summer, we see a lot of the E V E N T P RO F E S S I O N A L S tertainers, site coordinators, rental companies, khaki suits instead of the tuxedo.” venue directors, transportation providers, offiComfortable and easygoing doesn’t ciants and so much more.

Elevating Expectations necessarily mean casual, however, and The association’s bimonthly get-togethers most destination couples look for a give members a chance to share stories, comcoalescence of high quality, designer pare notes, get to know each other, make elements and classic, sophisticated style friends and build valuable working relationwith a rustic, humble twist. ships.

Lucky for them, the High Country To learn more about HSEP, view a vendor dipurveys a vast and varied network of rectory or find out how to join the group, visit professional vendors and experts who highsouthevents.com or contact HSEP Presispecialize in offering high-end services, dent Elizabeth Hempfling at 828-919-6750. which are often tailored to meet spe-

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cific needs.

“We are a small town and a small community; but, because we have so many weddings here, we have drawn amazing vendors,” Drake explained.

“We have amazing, big city quality photographers, caterers and more. You get the best of both worlds here — you get cozy, close-knit relationships with the vendors, but they are topnotch and would survive and do well in big cities.”

The area’s ever-growing community of industry pros guarantees that no bride, destination or local, should need to consult off-the-mountain suppliers.

A Major Investment

FLETCHER & FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY 40

High Country Magazine

Within the community of vendors who make these dream days happen, a major network of specialists have formed an association known as High South Event Professionals, which aims to promote the High Country as the premier special events destination in

August / September 2016

In her bakery in Newland, Christina Banner works to complete delicate sugar flowers that will later top her custom wedding cakes. Photo by Jessica Isaacs. the Southeast.

“That’s part of what we, as vendors, do on the back end. We work as a tight-knit team and like a family,” said Hempfling, who serves as the organization’s president. “We all feel that bond to put out a good product for our clients who are coming here for that kind of experience.”

Among the HSEP alone, potential clients can choose from hundreds of Shop owner Donna Cook, right, fits Kiera Symmes in a designer bridal gown in her downtown Boone store, Did Someone Say Party?, which has been in operation for 27 years. Photo by Peter W. Morris.

qualified, educated and skillful vendors, all of which share a common interest in the success of the industry.

Several professional wedding consultants are available in the vicinity of Boone who offer complete planning and coordination services.

Throughout the process, brides and grooms can consult with countless vendors who cover stationery and paper products, wedding jewelry, designer bridal gowns and formalwear, hair, makeup, beauty treatments, indoor and outdoor venue spaces, officiants, cakes, catering, beverages, custom décor, floral design, music and entertainment, photography and videography, gifts and favors, rentals, transportation, concierge services, accommodations and more.

Average destination brides in the High Country budget somewhere between $30,000 and $75,000 to spend on their dream weddings, and, with so many services offered right here in the community, much of those expenses are incurred through business with local entrepreneurs.

Certain restrictions apply.

See store for details.

Michelle Hrin Photography

Most couples spend a majority of their wedding budget on the reception, which includes booking the right venue.

“They have to find the right place that fits the characteristics of their personalities, and then they have to look at the logistics of it,” said Carpenter. “It’s one of the more memorable assets to the wedding, so it has to be a comfort to them. It has to meet all of their needs and touch on their personalities.”

Reception costs also incorporate catering and food service, beverages, cakes, entertainment, rentals, décor, important fees and countless other details. The remaining aspects of the budget, and the percentage that’s allotted to each of them, vary depend-

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August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

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FLETCHER & FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY

ing on the couple’s priorities.

Many brides choose to allocate a substantial portion of the budget for high quality professional photography and videography.

“People who value photography and want something they can look at, hold onto and display for years are the people who will think photography is an important investment,” Morée explained. “They are the people who still hang pictures of their family on the wall, still look at photo albums and know it’s important to memorialize this important event.”

Floral design is another aspect that varies in cost depending on how important the right arrangements are to the couple’s overall vision for the day.

“For a lot of girls, they like the thought of their designs making it onto a blog or into a magazine. Some girls, especially that come here, come from a long line of women who appreciate flowers,” said Avery.

“Their mothers and grandmothers have always loved flowers, too.

“It brings it to life when you add flow42

High Country Magazine

ers to the room. It softens the space and the nature of it just makes it feel fresh and polished. Especially with the natural venues that we have, it brings the natural beauty in from the outdoors.”

One of the most considerable expenses a bride will incur is the cost of her bridal gown, the purchase of which is always one of the most important decisions made in the process of planning a wedding.

“It’s the dress of all dresses. They go from there christening gowns to their prom dresses, and then your last special dress is your wedding dress,” said Cook.

“There’s just sort of a magic that goes with the wedding dress, because most girls think about it from the time they’re old enough to think about being in a wedding gown to the time they’re actually getting married.”

This expense is perhaps the least predictable variable, as every bride’s choice in this decision is affected by style preference and many other factors, including how its significance compares with other aspects of her budget.

Bridal gowns from top designers are

August / September 2016

available here in the High Country at Did Someone Say Party?, which has been in business for 27 years, and South’s, with 33 years in business, at various price points, although typical gowns purchased in the area fall in the $800-$2,500 price range.

Whatever style a bride prefers, these local shops ensure she will find exactly what she wants for the price that suits her budget.

“You know, the bride is the feature,” said South. “She’s the feature of the whole thing.”

Economic Impact

Not only are destination brides spending large portions of their budgets with local businesses when they book here, they’re bringing with them large numbers of out-of-town guests, typically at least 100 or more per wedding.

“With a destination wedding, by definition, you have people traveling, and success breeds success,” said Whitley. “If we do 15 weddings of 200 people at River Run Farm, that’s 3,000 people who attend

F

or many years prior to the 1980s, the mountains of western North Carolina were known as “the High South.” The High Country Press Publications team started a new magazine, High South Weddings, in 2015 because we believe the moniker accurately reflects what today’s High Country has to offer brides, grooms, friends and families, starting with fresh mountain air and matchless southern hospitality.

Within its pages are stunning photography, helpful information regarding local resources and the stories behind some of the area’s most beautiful ceremonies and receptions.

We added High South Weddings to the repertoire last fall, and the inaugural edition, which was released in November, has already accomplished something big.

The publication focused an all things weddings in the North Carolina High Country and surrounding communities in Virginia and Tennessee. Martin Printing, a company in Easley, South Carolina that has been family owned and operated since 1902, published the inaugural 2016 edition.

The folks at Martin entered HSW 2016 into the race for this year’s Printing Industry of the Carolinas Awards, “a premier symbol of excellence in the graphics industry” of the region, where it was awarded Best of Category.

Wedding season in the High Country is in full swing now, and our team is already working on the 2017 edition of High South Weddings. Stay tuned for updates and be sure to grab a copy when it hits stands at Thanksgiving.

To receive a free copy of High South Weddings, contact editor Jessica Isaacs at jessica@highcountrypress.com with your name and mailing address.

If you’re interested in advertising in High South Weddings, contact publisher Ken Ketchie at ken@highcountrypress.com, give us a call in the office at 828-264-2262 or stop by and see us during business hours at 1600 N.C. Highway 105 in Boone.

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Eileen Gaddy and her husband, owners of Gadabout’s Catering, discuss plans for upcoming events in their kitchen, located in the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk. Photo by Peter W. Morris.

Robert and Helen Whitley are pictured with their horses on their property at River Run Farm in Valle Crucis, which has hosted many weddings over the past three years. Photo by Peter W. Morris.

Kelly Carpenter, left, is pictured with a colleague representing 16 Hands Farm at the High South Event Professionals wedding expo held in March at the Boone Mall. Photo by Ken Ketchie.

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August / September 2016

a wedding in this valley and get to experience the Mast General Store, the restaurants, the hotels and the B&Bs, and we’re just one of many.”

Many of the area’s hotels offer room block services, which guarantee space for guests when booked in advance for some of the season’s most popular weekends, often at discounted rates; and when guests are coming into town for weddings, they typically choose to extend the stay.

“A lot of times, people will add on to either before or after the wedding block. With a wedding on Saturday and a maybe rehearsal on Friday, people want to come early or stay later and bring their family and make a vacation out of it,” said Smith, who often recommends and offers extended room blocks at the Marriott to brides and wedding planners.

Guests who visit the High Country to share in a wedding experience are more likely to find additional ways to enjoy the area while they’re here.

“People are coming in and staying in the hotels. The ones that aren’t a part of the rehearsal dinner are eating dinner out on Friday night; they’re having breakfast on Saturday, probably lunch on Sunday,” said Eileen Gaddy of Gadabout’s Catering. “If it’s a later wedding, maybe they’re going whitewater rafting or taking a horseback ride.”

With guest lists averaging anywhere from 150-300 guests per wedding and more than 30 weddings or more per consultant in a year, the industry’s economic impact far exceeds the funds that are spent planning the actual ceremony and reception.

“Guests are more guaranteed to come when they have that invested interest in coming to see their loved ones and share that joyous occasion. They’re already going to be tied to coming here, so they may extend their stay and make that their summer vacation or their fall getaway,” Smith explained. “They’re not going to the beach or another destination because they’re already invested in this trip to come to a wedding.

“I think the real impact here is the trickle down effect of the families that are eating out and looking for more things to do when they’re not at the weddings.”

Behind the Scenes

It takes a lot of work to pull off a dream wedding without a hitch, and the folks who do that here in the High Country are all hardworking, ambitious entrepreneurs and small business owners who make sacrifices to do what they love to do.

“It’s a lot of sacrifice for me. My job is everything. It’s my life when it comes to my dedication to my clients and taking care of their events to make sure they don’t have to stress about certain things,” Hempfling said. “The statistics are there, too, that wedding planning is one of the most stressful jobs out there for that reason, because of all of the things we take on. There’s no such thing as nine-to-five in what we do, because our ultimate goal is to make sure that people are happy.

“As a planner, for me, it’s welcome bags and shuttle schedules and electrical requirements, safety issues, health code and fire code. Those are the things that really matter on the back end, and, if it’s not all done right, it could be

Average Destination Wedding Budget in the High Country $30K-$75K to/

Attire

Ph o

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eo Paper Goods r

Reception

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/ D e co

ult a

s Fl o r a l

Con s

groom’s tux or suit and accessories Paper Goods: 5% • Which can include: save-thedates, invitations and RSVPs, programs, seating and place cards, menu cards, thank-you notes, postage Photo/Video: 10% • Which can include: photography, videography, additional prints and albums, misc. fees, bridal portraits, engagement session Transportation: 2% • Which can include: rental for bride and groom, rental for bridal party, transportation for out-of-town guests, valet parking Favors and Gifts: 2% • Which can include: welcome baskets, bridal party gifts, favors

O t he

Consultant: 10% • Complete wedding planning services Ceremony: 2% • Which can include: venue or site fee, officiant cost or church donation Reception: 45% • Which can include: venue, rentals, food and service, beverages, cake, entertainment, sound system, dance floor rental, misc. fees Florals/Décor: 10% • Which can include: floral arrangements for ceremony and reception, flower girl’s buds and basket, ring pillow, bridal bouquet, bridesmaid’s bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, reception decorations, lighting Attire: 10% • Which can include: gown and alterations, headpiece and veil, bridal accessories, hair/makeup/beauty treatments,

Weddings Rings: 2% • Which can include: bride’s rings, groom’s ring Miscellaneous: 2%

The numbers listed here are based on average responses collected from wedding planners in the area.

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High Country Magazine

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FLETCHER & FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY

a nightmare. That’s why all of our vendors are a good, core group who help execute some of the most major logistics that guests would never even think about. There’s just so much that people don’t see when they think it’s all peonies and pearls.”

Knowledgeable in all aspects of wedding planning, consultants must virtually be experts in every field.

“A caterer is in charge of food and they know the food like the back of their hand.

A photographer knows how to take great shots and is focused on the photography; but the wedding planners, we’ve got to know it all,” Drake explained. “We have to be knowledgeable in alcohol and rentals and all of that, so I think that’s a challenge in and of itself — to be able to answer questions and issues intelligently on all things weddings.”

An event professional’s day-to-day routine may look much different from that of someone who works during standard business hours.

“You have to be willing to give up your weekends in the summers, and even in the wintertime,” Avery explained. “You have to work long days, especially in the flower aspect of it. Flowers only last so long, so they usually come here on Wednesday, and 46

High Country Magazine

that makes for very long Thursdays and Fridays preparing for a wedding.”

Those who work in the special events industry face challenges that are unique to the work that they do, which often involves unusual hours and unpredictable schedules.

When the products they offer are oneof-a-kind works of art, like a specialty wedding cake topped with meticulous sugar flowers, the hours vary based on each project.

“You don’t really know how long something’s going to take, especially in a more handmade, custom situation,” Banner said. “Certain jobs could be faster than you think and certain ones can definitely take longer than you think.”

Whatever field they’re in, these experts have learned that it’s important to use time wisely and set aside family time in advance.

“If you’re not careful, you’ll book every single day and you’ll have no downtime at all,” said Carpenter. “You have to learn how to schedule two or three things in a weekend, or even in a day, even if it’s just a visit. It’s constant, and I work a fulltime job, too, so it’s a real challenge.”

Running a business comes with a certain degree of flexibility, although it also

August / September 2016

requires one to be available whenever a client might need them.

“I can create my own rules; but then, my brides might change those rules. Maybe I’ve got a 9:30 a.m. yoga scheduled and a bride wants to come in town that day to plan her wedding,” Gaddy said. “She takes priority because she’s a destination wedding and she only has certain days that she can come into town. Flexibility is really important.”

The wedding industry can be a difficult one to work in for many reasons, but most of those who find themselves doing so are willing to tackle the challenges they face because they love what they do.

“The first five years my store was opened, I directed weddings just to make this work. Everybody could get paid but me, and it never made me any money, so I would direct two or three weddings a weekend just to keep this business going,” said Cook. “It’s finally started paying me, but I’ve been here for 27 years this year. If I hadn’t loved what I was doing, I would have given it up a long time ago. You have to love what you do and not be concerned about the dollar.”

Friendly Competition

Perhaps what’s most unique about the

High Country’s booming wedding industry is the closeness of the people behind it.

“Over the years, we’ve all worked really hard to create a foundation of good relationships and good networking. With our organization, High South Event Professionals, we take the time outside of doing these events to meet and catch up and we message each other if we run into an issue,” Hempfling explained. “That’s part of why leadership in this organization has been really important to me, because I see the value in that. When we have this good connection and relationships on the back end, you’re always going to produce a better product for the clients on the front end. Everybody sees that and values that and knows its worth.”

Gaddy, a founding member of the HSEP organization, said experts in the area share similar experiences and therefore become a support system for one another.

“We know what each other has sacrificed.

We’ve given up some family time, the higher income and the job security,” said Gaddy. “I think we just have a lot of really nice people in the industry up here, and they’re very professional. It’s nice when you work with other professionals you’re proud of. You’re proud to be associated with them.”

Even vendors within the same field are often close friends in this community, creating unity that you won’t likely find in other cities and major markets.

“Again, that’s one of the most amazing things about this area. Just today alone I have been in communication with two other wedding coordinators, just trying to get questions answered and make sure everybody’s needs are covered,” Drake said. “We

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Do What You Love Although working in the wedding industry comes with its fair share of challenges, most local vendors will tell you they love what they do for many reasons. Here’s what a few of them had to say: > “What other job can you go to where everybody is happy and joyful and smiling and there’s a party at the end of the day? It’s really just a pleasure. You get to see people at their happiest. It’s that simple.” – Jean Morée, photographer > “I love seeing the finished product of months of planning. When you finally see it come together and you see the bride and how excited she is, it’s in that moment when they realize all the stress was worth it. I think that’s probably the most rewarding feeling that you can have.” – Janna Avery, Callista Designs and resident florist at Eseeola Lodge > “More than anything, I love being able to accommodate people on such a special occasion. You feel like you’re a part of it. Every time a bride starts walking down the aisle to the music, I start crying. It doesn’t matter who it is.” – Kelly Carpenter, 16 Hands Farm are technically competitors, but we’re also friends and we’re colleagues and we get along well. I love working in this area and being friends with the people that I’ve met through weddings, because then it’s easier for weddings to be successful.”

Networking amongst like-minded professionals offers these folks a chance to lift each other up and to develop friendships with peers in similar fields.

“It’s unusual, but it’s the truth,” Avery said. “I’m great friends with all the other floral designers in the area. I think there’s enough work up here to go around for everyone, so it really is funny that way.”

Wedding vendors in the High Country have a shared interest in the success of the industry, and therefore recognize the significance of working together.

“It’s just a friendly atmosphere, which you don’t have in big cities,” Morée said.

“I think it’s really important for vendors in the area to refer to each other so people don’t feel like they have to leave the area to find a professional and bring them here.

Supporting each other locally is really very important.”

They aren’t scared to ask each other for help when they need it, and often go out of their way to make things easier on one another when possible.

“If the cake person shows up late for 48

High Country Magazine

> “I joke that we’re paid wedding crashers and therapists all rolled into one. I somehow manage to get the most amazing brides and grooms that I am actually still friends with after the fact. It’s just fun. I’ve got three kids and this job enables me to stay home with them, because it’s not a nine-to-five, which I love. I work from home and can be with my kids and go to rehearsals and weddings on the weekends. They love that, too, because I’m always bringing home flowers or dessert. It’s great and I love it.” – Megan Drake, The Elegant Event > “We usually become lifetime friends with the bride. She comes back and tells us when she’s pregnant and we get to meet her children and she gets to tell us all about herself, so we just enjoy staying in touch with them and becoming lifelong friends. It’s just so sweet. We’re a family business, but we’re also like a family.” – LouElla South, South’s Specialty Clothiers > “We love the people. Every family has their own story to tell.” – Helen Whitley, River Run Farm

FLETCHER & FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY

some reason, like they’re caught in traffic, I’ll release someone to go help them bring everything in and get everything set up. We always say it takes a team to do a wedding,” said Gaddy. “It develops a good sense of professionalism. If I’m friends with the other vendors, I can trust them.”

In fact, it’s not unusual at all for one vendor to send business to another.

“I know and trust other cake people and they know me. You never know if you need to help someone out or they need to help you out. I would be very happy to do that and I would hope the others would

August / September 2016

Store owner LouElla South and employees/ friends are pictured in South’s Specialty Clothiers, which is located in the Boone Mall and his been in operation for 33 years.

Pictured from left are Carolyn Brown, LouElla South and Leslie Billingsley.

Photo by Jessica Isaacs.

be, too. It’s nice to have that, especially in an area like this,” Banner said. ”I can’t do every wedding that comes anyway, so I give other cake makers’ names out constantly. If a bride comes to me and I’m booked, I have at least three or four people that I very regularly give their names out.”

The bonds shared between this network of professionals may be unique, but one thing is for sure: it translates into a better, more efficient wedding planning process.

“If we all get along, everything runs smoothly. I’m in constant communication with the caterers and the florists, and not just about work. We text on a regular basis or we are Facebook friends and we share photos,” said Drake. “It makes it a better experience for our clients because we know one another, we trust one another and we know that we can lean on the person if there’s ever an issue. We know we’re able to talk about it and look at how we can make it better in the future.”

That closeness means the industry runs like a well-oiled machine, and it makes dreams come true every day.

“There is one common goal: happy clients and happy vendors,” Hempfling said.

“We all want it to be a joyful experience and we have fun while we’re doing it.” 

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Olga Krimon, Indian Corn August / September 2016

High Country Magazine

49

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SouthMarke - Main StrEEt, BLowing rock 828-295-4438 or Toll Free: 800-825-1828 • email: servesyourightnc@yahoo.com 50

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August / September 2016

August / September 2016

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Steve Combs

How His Garden Grows! story By David Coulson — photography by Faisuly Scheurer

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August / September 2016

“The best thing about gardening is being able to watch everything grow, just like everything else in nature.”

O

Veteran gardner Steve Combs gets his hands dirty as he examines his bean crop at his farm near Cove Creek.

n a humble acre of land, running aside Cove Creek, a nine-foot wall of green beans and towering stalks of sweet, yellow corn grow quietly, but impressively in the lush green garden belonging to Steve Combs.

A closer look inside of a metal gate reveals continual surprises: Multiple varieties of bright, red tomatoes; sun-baked, yellow squash and large, green zucchinis; quickly-ripening, green peppers; gargantuan red cabbage.

Different types of beans, chili, shelly and still more green beans are sprinkled on vines at various other places in the garden, providing another line of protection against the elements.

These tantalizing delights spark the taste buds and please the eyes in an overwhelming, visceral way as a visitor walks around the well-constructed rows, precisely constructed to best utilize space.

Out of view, beneath a perfect balance of rich, brown soil that has naturally

flowed into place over the years and the regular application of chicken manure, red and brown potatoes find a perfect place to grow to fullness.

And in the distance, cultivating slowly to fall glory are the prize pumpkins that Combs has carefully fostered for years.

These gleaming, orange treasures first brought public attention to this thoughtful farmer’s passion as a generation of children in Watauga County has enjoyed a bountiful harvest of fun and nutrition each Halloween.

Combs became known as the “Pumpkin Man” in the early 1990s, as he delivered these colorful, traditional members of the squash family to various elementary schools. It is a ritual that still persists every October.

“Even today, I’ll run into a kid who calls me the pumpkin man,” Combs explained.

A broad smile creased this robust, 56-year-old’s face as he walked through his prized and productive field on a hot and humid afternoon.

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Steve Combs walks through his little slice of heaven as he shows off his special garden.

A variety of vegetables thrive in this combination of great soil, good moisture and the tender loving care that Combs provides.

“I’ve pretty much gardened all of my life,” said Combs.

Nearby, a rabbit scurried about, looking for a quick meal. While Combs wasn’t overly disturbed with this Briar Rabbit want-to-be, he makes plenty of effort to

limit the impact of such interlopers.

Of more concern are the ground hogs, who have tried to take up residence through the years.

He carefully examined some of his beans and pointed out the need for more

rain to counteract the effect of a recent heat wave.

“The best thing about gardening is being able to watch everything grow, just like everything else in nature,” said Combs.

It has been a pleasure that others have enjoyed as well.

One of his long-time neighbors, Nell Tester, used to adjourn to her front porch across the street daily to watch Combs’ farming activities, until she died a few years ago at the age of 100.

As the sun rises each day in these rich, Appalachian Mountains, Combs stumbles out of bed to check up on his garden.

“I like to get my cup of coffee and Opposite PAGE: Steve Combs earned a local reputation as Watauga County's "Pumpkin Man." For years, Combs has not only grown a pumpkin crop, but has shared it with county children, while teaching them about agriculture.

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THE

Pumpkin Man

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Steve and Denise Combs have have raised two teenage daughters, Victoria and Skylar (Victoria far left, Skyler far right). Helping around the farm helps the girls learn life lessons and responsibility, Steve says.

“I give a lot of stuff back to the people. I believe in giving back.

Some people are takers and some people are givers. In order to receive, you first have to give.”

Combs arrives in his garden early each day.

Steve says no place gives him as much pleasure as his garden.

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August / September 2016

walk through my garden,” he said, reflectively. “I get up early and see what’s going on. We have a lot of weird weather around here. Things can change quickly.”

On a Friday evening last month, severe winds roared through the county as some of the most impressive thunderstorms in many years tore through the trees in the distance and rain pounded the ground.

Some of the corn stalks in the Combs’ garden were bent to the ground, but most of the crop survived with minimal damage.

This thoughtful farmer surveyed the carnage and quickly determined that he needed a new process to re-stake his corn and tomatoes with tobacco sticks and string to help them withstand any future weather threats.

Walking along the rows of corn a few weeks later, Combs was pleased with his salvage project as the corn and tomatoes ripened towards harvest.

“I love to walk out here,” Combs said. “It gives me my exercise, it clears my mind, it’s a way to relate to God.” Combs’ love of agriculture traces

Green peppers ripen towards their eventual harvest.

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Steve Combs is sworn in as a member of the Watauga County School Board.

Community service has been a strong part of his character during this county native's years in Sugar Grove.

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back to this same plot of land and the lessons that he learned from his father, Bryant, who died of a heart ailment when Steve was 16 and a junior at Watauga High School.

Bryant Combs took his boy out into the field one day and admonished him with an important lesson of life.

Looking about the plentiful garden, Bryant Combs said: “Son, this is the most important thing you will ever learn.”

While his father was teaching him to garden, his mother taught him selfreliance with her ability to churn butter and make cheese. She also canned veg-

etables and made jam and jelly.

“In those days, everyone in the community had cows for fresh milk and chickens for eggs,” Combs said. “My mother cooked on a wood stove.”

Other lessons also were grounded into the younger Combs, foremost being an attitude of giving back to others, particularly those who are not as privileged.

This productive slice of land — which his family originally purchased for $7,000 and that Bryant Combs insisted not be sold — has flourished to such a degree that the Combs family has turned

Combs shows off his delightful and appetizing squash. Here he holds yellow squash and zucchini, which thrive in the rich soil fed by nearby Cove Creek 58

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August / September 2016

I

Deer, No More!

t is a question that farmers in the Appalachian Mountains have pondered for almost as long as they have tried to grow agricultural products in this hearty soil — how do you keep the proliferation of white-tailed deer out of your crops?

Steve Combs scratched his head for years over that question, too, before finally coming up with a unique and stately-looking solution.

With Cove Creek running along one side of his acre-large garden, Combs had long been aware that deer had used the creek area for centuries. So he came up with the idea of building a rather creative wall.

He began stringing up green-bean vines to the height of nine feet.

“In talking to a lot of hunters, I learned that deer will not jump over anything where they can’t see where they will land,” Combs explained.

This brilliant idea worked well, but Combs added one more twist to bother the deer further. He began putting bars of the fragrant Irish Spring soap at intervals between the bean vines.

As the summer heat begins to slightly melt the soap, it lets out a smell that the deer dislike even more than the wall of bean vines.

Problem solved.

“I haven’t any issues with deer since then,” said Combs.

August / September 2016

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Diagram of Steve Comb’s Garden 2 Rows of Tomatoes

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this farming adventure into philanthropy.

“I give a lot of stuff back to the people,” Combs explained. “I believe in giving back. Some people are takers and some people are givers. In order to receive, you first have to give.”

Combs has been a giver for years, with involvement in food charities with the Western Watauga County Food Outreach, Alliance Bible Fellowship (a church where his brother Terry and sister-in-law Wanda are members) and Harvest House.

He was also instrumental in the development of a Farm Heritage program at Cove Creek Elementary School, where he donated materials and built gardening beds in the 1990s that students there still utilize today.

One time when talking to students at the school, Combs asked one of the youngsters where pumpkins come from?

“Harris-Teeter,” the boy answered.

The youngster quickly learned the correct answer while working in the school’s garden.

Combs has also served a term on the Watauga County School Board and is run-

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This picture from the Watauga Democrat shows the garden beds Steve Combs has constructed at Cove Creek Elementary School.

They have given a generation of students a unique hands-on learning experience.

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High Country Magazine

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How His Garden Grows!

G

ardening may be a passion for Steve Combs, but it is also a family affair for him, his wife Debbie and their two teenage daughters.

Daughters Victoria and Skyler have specific chores dealing with the garden and with the family’s burgeoning collection of chickens, which provide one of the key elements of the garden’s growth — nutrient-rich manure.

“The garden brings us together as a family,” said Combs. “We love to have our family around us.”

Victoria, 14, is a student at Watauga High School. She handles the care of the chickens in the evening.

“I am not a morning person, so that works out better for me,” said Victoria.

Skyler, a 13-year-old eighth grader in her final year at Cove Creek Elementary is busy with all sorts of after-school activities, including her love of softball, so she takes on the chores in the morning.

“The thing I like the most about the farm is eating the fresh food,” said Skyler.

The two girls also help their dad gather the abundance of produce that comes from the prodigious farm.

“The work teaches them responsibility,” the elder Combs said.

One of the most fun things that the girls love about the farm work is getting to drive Steve’s tractor, a skill that is preparing both Victoria and Skyler for driving

cars in the years ahead.

There is also plenty of work to be done around the kitchen as Victoria and Skyler help Debbie prepare meals and learn the art of canning that their mother excels at.

Debbie cans beans, tomatoes and squash and also prepares homemade spaghetti sauce and chili. She also relishes the chance to put her handiwork to the delicious jams and jellies the Combs family enjoys.

Debbie is currently preparing to teach one of her neighbors how to can as harvest approaches for another season.

The family also does preparation on

the large amount of potatoes that the garden produces, giving them another tasty resource to use during the winter.

Farming isn’t all fun and games, the girls admit.

“The part that bothers me is the planting,” Victoria said. “Harvest time is not so bad.”

Skyler said that she enjoys the work on “most days,” but added that “you have those days when it’s rough.”

But both of these girls are quick to understand that, like their parents, the lessons they are learning will come in handy in the future.

Victoria (left in the top photo) and Skyler Combs are a big part of Steve Combs' work crew in his beautiful garden.

The girls also help with the family's chickens (below left photo). Steve and Denise's pride and joys as little ones.

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August / September 2016

ning for the school board again this fall.

Other charitable pursuits have included work with the Watauga County Job Ready program, WAMY Community Action, Cub Scouts, Watauga County Parks and Recreation, the American Red Cross, Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation Center, the Jones House and various sorority groups at Appalachian State University.

He also has credentials as a Methodist lay minister and teaches regular Sunday school lessons for residents at Glenbridge and has coached youth softball.

Many around Watauga County have become friends with the personable Combs from his work of nearly 30 years at the Boone ABC Store.

“I sold the very first bottle of (legal) booze in Boone,” Combs said.

But nothing has given Combs as much joy as working in his special garden.

“I’ve lived a very full life,” said Combs. “I hope I’ve had a positive impact on kids and that they have learned life lessons.” 

Steve Combs puts tender loving care into all of the crops he grows in his immaculate garden. Here he checks on his Blue Lake pole beans.

August / September 2016

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Summer Dining Guide

WE’RE SERIOUS ABOUT GOOD GRUB AAA FOUR DIAMOND RATING TEN YEARS RUNNING

restaurant

bar

& CATERED EVENTS

BOONE, NC • (828) 963-7400 RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

O U T D O O R D I N I N G • B A R / L O U N G E • C AT E R I N G • P R I VAT E F U N C T I O N S 64

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August / September 2016

PLACES TO DINE THIS SUMMER

䌀栀攀琀漀氀愀 刀攀猀漀爀琀 愀琀 䈀氀漀眀椀渀最 刀漀挀欀

It’s the height of the summer dining season in the High Country, and there’s no better time to enjoy a casual lunch, a relaxing brunch or a romantic dinner. For your culinary inspiration, you’ll find dozens of fine establishments in the following pages.

Canyons Blowing Rock. Located just off of the scenic, winding highway 321 in Blowing Rock, this historic restaurant and bar is well known all over the High Country for its spectacular and breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its scrumptious southwestern choices and unique takes on classic American food or dishes. All dishes on the menu are freshly prepared in house with the finest ingredients available. Canyons in Blowing Rock regularly offers a wide variety of seasonally fresh items, so ask about the fantastic nightly specials in addition to the daily menu selections. Every Sunday, enjoy a delicious brunch accompanied by live jazz music. Canyons also offers a diverse selection of domestic and imported wines and a large selection of beers chosen to complement the items on the menu. Just ask a member of the friendly staff for a recommendation, or try something new. n 828-295-7661. www.CanyonsBR.com. See ad on page 66

匀甀洀洀攀爀 䔀瘀攀渀琀猀 圀攀搀渀攀猀搀愀礀猀 ⴀ 匀琀攀愀欀 漀渀 琀栀攀 䰀愀欀攀 吀栀甀爀猀搀愀礀猀 ⴀ 䴀甀猀椀挀 ☀ 伀礀猀琀攀爀 一椀最栀琀 昀攀愀琀甀爀椀渀最 吀栀攀 䰀甀挀欀礀 匀琀爀椀欀攀猀 䘀爀椀搀愀礀猀 ⴀ 䈀漀渀ǻ爀攀 一椀最栀琀 眀椀琀栀 匀ᤠ洀漀爀攀猀Ⰰ 䰀椀瘀攀 䴀甀猀椀挀 ☀ 䐀爀椀渀欀 匀瀀攀挀椀愀氀猀

CASA RUSTICA BOONE. Conveniently located right off of Highway 105, Casa Rustica offers some of the finest Northern ItalianAmerican cuisine in the High Country accentuated by a cozy, fireside atmosphere. Dishes on the menu from the crisp salads to the scrumptious pastas are adapted from old family recipes that have been handed down for generations. The chefs and owners at Casa Rustica are also committed to offering local beef in their cuisine and proudly offer homestyle meals made with love and meticulous care. Casa Rustica’s extensive wine list is updated every 30 days to include interesting vintages and new organics for guests to try. Enjoy live jazz every Thursday night and classical guitar every Sunday. The FAIRWAY restaurant also features a full bar and fantastic drink selecCAFE & tions to delight even the pickiest patron. n 828-262-5128. www.casarustica1981.com. See ad on page 66 VENUE

㠀㈀㠀⸀㈀㤀㔀⸀㔀㔀 㔀 簀 挀栀攀琀漀氀愀⸀挀漀洀 August / September 2016

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CHESTNUT GRILLE AT GREEN PARK INN BLOWING ROCK. Taking local and sustainable to new heights, the Chestnut Grille restaurant maintains its own 1/3 acre garden on site, which supplies the kitchen with a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs throughout the summer and fall seasons. We offer contemporary American fare that’s unique, yet familiar, in a warm, and casual setting. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free guests will find the menu, and our chef very accommodating. We offer an extensive and thoughtful wine list along with a selection of seasonal and local craft beers.

Located just inside the Green Park Inn. Listed on the National Historic Register. Patio dining is offered seasonally.

Live piano music in our lobby Friday and Saturday nights, year round, and live music on the Veranda, seasonally. n 828-414-9230. www.greenparkinn.com.

See ad on page 69

C.R. Catering

E N J O Y L O C A L Q U A L I T Y, F L AV O R & F R E S H N E S S Since 1981 we have pledged an ongoing commitment to serve local farm fresh foods and support our beloved community. We are honored to call the High Country our home.

www.CRCateringCo.com | 828.406.7721 www.CasaRustica1981.com | 828.262.5128

FAIRWAY CAFE & VENUE

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boone. C.R. Catering Co. is Casa Rustica Restaurant’s sister company. We are pleased to offer the High Country’s finest gourmet catering for events on and off site. We provide fresh, distinctive food and quality service for each and every event.

We are happy to accommodate dietary restrictions, and regularly prepare vegetarian, glutenfree, and vegan meals. North Carolina’s freshest seafood and the finest locally grown vegetables appear regularly on our custom designed catering menus.

Want a family favorite included in your menu? No problem! We can customize any item for your special event. Need the perfect space to accommodate your catering needs? We can serve 25 to 150 guests on-site with ease. Give us a call. n 828-406-7721. www.CRCateringCo.com.

See ad on page 66

DIVIDE TAVERN & RESTAURANT BLOWING ROCK. Located in the lobby of the Historic Green Park Inn, the Divide Tavern sits directly astride the Eastern Continental Divide. Long a gathering place for Captains of Industry, Heads of State, and celebrities from authors to August / September 2016

actors, the Tavern offers unique pub fare, as well as chef designed pub classics. Experience a less formal dining alternative while still enjoying delicious fare, all set in the ambiance of a bygone era.

Local, craft and draft beers, seasonal and specialty cocktails offer guests a tempting twist alongside classic cocktails. We also offer an impressive selection of wine by the glass, or the bottle. Enjoy live Sunday music on the veranda (seasonally) and live piano in the lobby Friday and Saturday nights, year round. n 825-414.9230. www.greenparkinn.com. See ad on page 69

Six Pence

Restaurant & Pub A Taste of England here in Blowing Rock

EAT CROW BANNER ELK. Eat Crow is a wonderful little cafe specializing in fresh baked, delicious goods including a large variety of baked pies and cakes. These delectables are offered by the slice, or you have the option to order a whole one to take home and enjoy. We also offer fresh made sandwiches at lunch time that can not be compared to any other “sandwich shop” in the area. Since we know life can be very hectic, for your convenience we prepare whole meals and fresh soups daily that are ready for you to take home and heat up for your family.

These entrees vary daily. We are always creating something delicious! All sandwiches are served on farmhouse or whole wheat bread. Choices of sides include fresh fruit, firecracker coleslaw or chips. We are open Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and are located near Foscoe on Hwy. 105 between Boone and Banner Elk. n 828-963-8228. See ad on page 68

Featuring British & American Fare

Inside Our Dining Room or Outside on our Beautiful Patio

Dining: Sunday - Thursday , 11:30 am - 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday until Midnight

The Eseeola Lodge linville. Guests enjoy breakfast and dinner daily as part of their accommodations package, but all High Country visitors are welcome to enjoy the finest cuisine. Spend a leisurely morning with us, or grab a quick bite on your way out for the day. Either way, an outstanding breakfast awaits you each morning in our dining room. Then enjoy lunch at the Grill Room in the Linville Golf Club, where resort casual wear is appropriate for daytime meals. For the evening meal, select your choice of seven meticulously prepared entrees crafted by Chef Patrick Maisonhaute at the helm of your culinary experience. The menu changes daily, and also offers an extraordinary seafood buffet every Thursday evening with seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Reservations are required, and gentlemen are required to wear a coat for the evening meal. n 800-742-6717. www.eseeola.com. See ad on page 71

Full Bar (open until 2am)

20 Beers on Draught focused on Imports and Micro Brews

Courteous and Friendly Staff

fairway cafe & venue boone. Not just for golfers! The Fairway café is located at the Boone Golf Course with a beautiful view of the course with an inside dining room or outdoor patio seating. The public is welcome to come enjoy the local fare.

The menu is extensive with an array of salad selections, a half of dozen sandwich choices, hot dogs anyway you like FAIRWAY them and hamburgers from the classic CAFE & to the fancy. The spacious indoor area VENUE features a beautiful 32 foot handcrafted maple bar. Our venue is also perfect

828.295.3155 } } 1121 Main Street, Blowing Rock, N.C. August / September 2016

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EAT CROW EAT PIE

EAT CAKE

EAT PIE

EAT CAKE EAT PIE EAT CAKE

Delicious Sandwiches

(Served on our homemade bread)

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

Catering

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

828.963.8228 www.eatcrownc.com

Fabulous British Chef/Owner

Dominic& Meryle Geraghty

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am-4:30pm 9872 Hwy. 105 S. in Foscoe Serving Lunch until 3:00

for any of life’s memorable moments.

Ideal for cocktail parties, fundraisers, wedding events and anniversary parties.

The Fairway Venue features clean minimal lines, stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, and views of the beautiful North Carolina Mountains. We have full ABC permits and can seat about 100 inside and roughly 40 on the outside patio.

Looking to accommodate even more?

A tent can be set up if needed. Come check us out! n 828-264-0233. www.

CRCateringCo.com. See ad on page 766

F.A.R.M. CAFÉ boone. In May 2012, F.A.R.M. Cafe opened its doors with our mission to build a healthy and inclusive community by providing high quality & delicious meals produced from local sources, served in a restaurant where everybody Feed All Regardless of Means eats, regardless of REAL. GOOD. FOOD. means. Our meals are nutritious and delicious! Some meals include items with meat, some are vegetarian and/or vegan. Our menu changes daily and is served by our volunteers and staff. F.A.R.M. Cafe tries to have something for everybody each day,

so we also always have gluten free and dairy free items. Our daily menu can be viewed at www.farmcafe.org/menu or on Facebook or Twitter. We are located in beautiful Downtown Boone. n 828-386.1000. www.farmcafe.org.

See ad on page 68

Gamekeeper Blowing Rock. You haven’t fully experienced the region until you’ve dined at The Gamekeeper. It’s a true gourmet restaurant, with the perfect blend of upscale elegance and simple mountain charm. The Gamekeeper is famous for Southern favorites - ultimate in comfort food - prepared with creativity and originality, offered through an evolving seasonal menu that blends the traditional with the exotic, satisfying both the meat lover and the vegetarian.

Housed in a 1950s stone cottage, The Gamekeeper is an upscale restaurant that offers an eclectic mix of Southern foods and mountain cuisine, offering a selection of unique meat dishes including mountain trout, buffalo rib eye, ostrich, duck and beef tender-

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The F.A.R.M. Cafe is revolutionary and delicious!

Yelp Review

617 W. King St., Boone 828.386.1000 Monday - Friday 11:00 am until 2:00 pm www.farmcafe.org 68

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August / September 2016

loin. The friendly staff literally waits on you hand and foot, assuring that you’ll leave happy and satisfied. The restaurant is located off Shulls Mill Road near Yonahlossee Resort. n 828-963-7400. www.Gamekeeper-NC.com. See ad on page 64

THE LOCAL BOONE. a place to enjoy a fresh meal, crafted in-house from local High Country ingredients. Serving traditional southern favorites, she-crab soup and shrimp & grits, as well as grass-fed beef burgers, specialty sandwiches, unique tacos, wood-fired flatbreads & pizzas, quinoa bowls, steaks, seafood and plenty of gluten-free and vegan choices.

The Local also features 20 taps, serving mostly local and regional beers, as well as national favorites. At The Local you can enjoy drinks & appetizers while relaxing on comfortable leather couches in the lounge, play a game of billiards, or watch your favorite sports event on large flat screen TVs. The Local is also the place to be for Live music performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Experience Local. Open Daily 11am. Sunday Brunch 11am-4pm. n 828-266-2179. www.TheLocalBoone.com. See ad on page 71

Red Onion Café Boone. Established in 1985 as one of the classic restaurants in Boone NC, the Red Onion Café opens daily at 11am and serves continuously to hungry guests well into the evening. The Red Onion Café has created its niche in the High Country for more than 30 years by offering customers a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere and an extensive menu at affordable prices. The café has something for every member of the family, including burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta, fish, steak and delicious homemade desserts. Look for weekly dinner specials and the kid’s menu items as well. The Red Onion Café also offers several of the region’s top beer and wines to compliment any meal as well as friendly staff on hand to assist with your choices from the extensive menu.

The outside patio is perfect for a comfortable outdoor lunch or for a cozy dinner on warm evenings. n 828-264-5470. www.theredonioncafe.com. See ad on page 70

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN Patio Dining Available

New Seasonal Menu Selections Include Garlic-Herb Shrimp .......................15

Local Trout ....................................18

Brick Chicken ...................................9

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon .................16

White Stone Grits, Grilled Asparagus, Lemon Grass Sauce

Brick Pressed Half Chicken, Zip Sauce, Yukon Mashed Potatoes

Latin Spiced Braised Short Rib ......17 Mashed Yukon Potatoes, Crispy Shallots, Red Wine Beef Jus

Crispy Braised Pork........................13 Slow braised pork shoulder, Roasted Carrots, Carmalized Red Onion and Bacon Jus

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vidalia Boone. Centrally located on King Street in downtown Boone, Vidalia is a casual, upscale restaurant featuring “creative American cuisine.” Featuring creative menu items for lunch and dinner, it offers daily specials, various events, wine tastings and special nights. Famous menu items include the apple and gorgonzola salad, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles and mushroom ravioli, with finishing choices like stone ground grits and cheddar mac n’ cheese. All of these choices come to you from the culinary mind of Chef Samuel Ratchford, who also owns the restaurant with his wife Alyce. Taking pride in the local community, the restaurant is proud to offer various local ingredients and choices to patrons who are looking to try local fare. Vidalia holds all ABC permits and has an extensive wine list which routinely features over 60 different wines which can be expertly paired with meals by the staff, a large selection of craft beers, martinis, whiskeys, scotches and cordials. Vidalia’s menu changes twice a year to keep it seasonal and practices farm-to-table food, using local vendors as much as possible. n 828-263-9176. www.vidaliaofboone.com. See ad on page 68

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Sushi Photography by Ronald Dhing

August / September 2016

By David Coulson

T

here is something extra special about the experience of restaurant dining. It isn’t just the gastronomic adventure of eating fine food, it is also the visual encounter of food that is perfectly prepared and displayed in a compelling fashion.

Fine dining engages all of your senses. There are the smells of each restaurant that penetrate your nose when you enter your favorite eatery, increasing your anticipation of what you are about to eat. And your ears pick up on the excitement of other diners already enjoying their meals nearby.

But few things increase the excitement of what is to come like your first view of what you are about to eat.

Few foods put as much emphasis on the visual aspect of eating as does sushi and no restaurant has done that popular style of food better in the High Country than Makoto’s.

Makoto’s has been a local favorite in Boone since Ray Bass established his Japanese restaurant here in 1981, with its flair of cooks producing highly-flavored meals on the Teppanyaki grill as guests watch with pleasure.

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photography by Faisuly Scheurer With the increased popularity of sushi in the past 20 years, Makoto’s dove headfirst into that trend in 2004 by adding a sushi bar and the results have been spectacular ever since.

Many other restaurants have come and gone, trying to offer similar food

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Makoto's restaurant has been an institution in Boone since it opened in 1981.

during the years, but Makoto’s has carved out a well-earned reputation that still is going strong.

There are few foods that capture this writer’s attention as much as sushi, so much so that I have made many futile efforts over the years to duplicate the

August / September 2016

delectable creations of fish, rice and nori (dried seaweed) at home.

While the product of these efforts have been mostly eatable, they haven’t held the visual spark of what you get at the restaurant. So with that in mind, I ventured to Makoto’s on a couple of recent afternoons for some hands-on learning experience.

I was greeted warmly, yet warily by co-owner Ronald Dhing, who seemed to have his doubts about how well we could pull off this experiment.

“Making sushi is a complex process,” said Dhing. “Everything is about timing and the attention to small details.”

But at the same time, sushi is — at its heart — a food that is meant to emphasize its simplicity of clean, fresh taste.

“A lot of the simplicity of sushi is lost to (Asian) fusion,” Dhing said.

No dish emphasizes this more clearly that the stereotypical California roll, which combines artificial crab sticks, avocado, cucumber and smelt roe (fish eggs) rolled with the rice and seaweed.

“They don’t even have avocados in Japan,” Dhing note, wryly.

There is a marriage of necessity between the cultural differences of tradi-

tion and experiment, a concept that needs to be kept in unique balance.

On the Makoto’s sushi menu, you will find both the traditional and the experimental.

On the experimental side, Dhing took months to find the right combinations of ingredients for one of Makoto’s signature rolls, the Fuji Apple roll. It combines Fuji apple, goat cheese, spicy tuna, crushed nuts and cucumber rolled in soy paper. Green onion and tobiko serve as garnish.

“There was a lot of trial and error in getting that right,” Dhing said.

The experimental approach has an important component.

“That’s how you get people eating sushi,” said Dhing.

Customers have also had a hand in the development of the menu. One in particular ordered a special roll so often that it eventually became known as the Boone Special roll. It includes salmon and white fish that are deep fried and topped with three special sauces and garnished with scallions and orange roe.

“There were some customers who would always order the same thing when they came in, so eventually we just added it to the menu,” Dhing said.

For traditional sushi fare, the tuna and salmon offerings are always tasty at Makoto’s, while Chef Michael Ho’s techniques with his eel dishes make them extra special.

Altogether, there are 22 nigiri sushi offerings, 15 maki rolls, 23 special chef ’s rolls and nine dinner entrees on the sushi bar menu, as well as 19 appetizers.

There are even a couple of sushi “pizza” dishes, one featuring tuna and another with salmon, with ingredients spread on a flour tortilla.

Dhing’s son Jett was behind the creation of the sushi pizza, while his wife Gwen contributed the Sushi Jammer, spicy tuna crunch, wrapped in lettuce.

Perhaps the biggest secrets of success for Makoto’s sushi bar are the consistency of cooking and the ability to get fresh ingredients to the High Country.

“We believe in fresh ingredients, fresh everything,” Ding explained.

“Every place is a little different.

Preparation is the one of the keys to excellent sushi. At the far left, cucumbers are cut to the perfect width and length. From top to bottom, melt-in-your-mouth tuna is sliced exactingly, octopus is readied for rolls, tuna is diced for the spicy tuna rolls (bottom left) and a whole salmon is broken down with a few precise cuts from a master chef (right).

August / September 2016

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The rice is then cooled Care and experience are what precisely before being we’re capable of doing.” moved into a large, woodOn this writer’s latest en bowl for the next step. excursions to the sushi bar, Here, a large wooden padI met Makoto’s veteran sudle is use to stir the stillshi chef Michael, who has warm rice, with steam disa quarter-century of experisipating into the air above. ence with this style of food At the right time, a guarded preparation. blend of sushi vinegar, Watching carefully, it perfectly measured, is inwas easy to see not only the troduced into the rice and precision of his craft, but blended into the mixture. the speed in which he conProbably no step in the structed his rolls. process is as important as Dhing said that one of Simple perfection is a good description of what customers getting the rice exactly right the keys to capturing the see every day when their sushi rolls are delivered to their tables. as it is cooled and seasoned. flavors of sushi is to preThe visual element of each dish is of utmost importance.

From there, the rice is pare the food as quickly as put into containers to keep possible with a minimum of it at the right temperature handling. The temperature and it is wheeled back to the sushi bar for use in constructing of the fish is crucial.

But that complicated process begins hours before, when the rolls.

Other preparation work begins well before customers arthe staff starts preparing the short-grained sushi rice that rive for lunch, or dinner. Ho’s crew will cut vegetables definiforms the basis for the meal.

The specifics of the process at Makoto’s are considered one tively, while also making sauces to fastidious standards.

One sushi chef was meticulously chopping tuna to tiny morof many trade secrets, but it starts with the careful handling of the precious rice. It is washed and soaked in water for closely- sels for mixing into the spicy tuna blend, to be used for a variety watched timetables before being boiled in an exacting manner. of sumptuous rolls. Another was peeling cucumbers and slicing

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W

hen Ronald and Gwen Dhing met while working at Makoto’s in the late 1980s, little did they know that they would one day own and run this timeless Boone restaurant.

“It was like something out of (the movie) Tequilla Sunrise,” said Gwen.

“The match made in Makoto’s heaven.”

Gwen was a public relations student in the Communication Department at Appalachian State University, who grew up in Kannapolis. Ronald was living halfway across the world in Singapore when he decided to follow his brother to ASU and study graphic arts.

The two met as they were working their way up the ladder at Makoto’s.

Gwen became the general manager of the restaurant after graduating from college in 1990 and Ronald has served in a number of capacities.

Both described working at Makoto’s as a family atmosphere back then, something they have tried to maintain since taking over the operation in 2004. and buying it outright in 2006. “For everybody that

claims “Makoto’s: Post-Game Tradition Since 1981” in Appalachian State gold and black.

Resting in a glass display stand near the front desk is a signed football., one of game balls from Appalachian State’s stunning 34-32 victory over Michigan to open the 2007 season.

An inscription reads “Thanks for your commitment to this town and university. You are a great example of ALWAYS doing more than is expected.”

It is signed by ASU’s legendary coach, Jerry Moore.

When previous Makoto’s owner Ted Mackorell began to have health issues, he began to rely more heavily on Ron and Gwen and eventually made large requests of the couple. With Mackorell Ronald and Gwen Dhing dying of cancer, he asked them to take works here, it’s like a family,” said Gwen. over the restaurant when he was gone.

“It’s very harmonious. It’s just a fun place It showed the degree of trust he had in to be.” this family to carry on the tradition he had Another element that the Dhing family started. has continued is close community ties.

“We try to keep everything the same,” A banner in the waiting room pro- said Gwen. “Consistency is the key.”

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Hands of care with the speed of lightning prepare and plate the sushi at Makoto's. Consistency and the attention to detail is extremely important to the quality of the meals customers enjoy at the restaurant.

them to precise widths and lengths.

I tried to take things in intently as I watched Ho make exacting cuts to the fish, as he carefully broiled eel and salmon skin to exquisite perfection. I watched him work with the rice as he gathered a small ball into his hand and formed it into shape and asked him questions like a precocious five-year-old.

You come away from such a lesson with your head exploding with information and stunned at the amount of skill needed to do something like this at such a professional level.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I’m still learning,” said the humble Ho. A week later, I was anxious, but excited about the chance to try my hand at sushi-making.

Dhing was my personal instructor.

“It took me two years to learn how to do this well enough to make sushi for our customers,” said Dhing. “I would jump in and help (when things got too busy) and that’s how I learned.”

Even after a decade of occasionally pinch-hitting in the sushi bar, Dhing is deferential to the skills of his sushi chefs.

With a cutting board in place and the essentials of nori, fish, vegetables, smelt roe and a shaker of toasted sesame seeds nearby, we embarked on constructing a 78

High Country Magazine

photography by Faisuly Scheurer

California roll.

With a pair of light plastic gloves on my hands, the first test was to form the sushi rice into proper shape. Such a simple task was easier said than done. I grabbed a ball of rice and was told to gently shape it into the shape of a football.

“You want to handle it enough to make it stick together, but not too much to turn it into mush,” Dhing lectured.

“You want it to stick together, but you want to be able to taste every grain of the rice.”

My first effort fell apart when I tried to place it on the nori and I struggled to press the rice gently enough on my second effort. Finally, I got the rice in its proper place on the seaweed.

The next step was to carefully spread the rice with my finger evenly across the

entire piece of nori. It took some time and didn’t look as pretty as Dhing’s, but eventually it was workmanlike enough.

Next we spread a small amount of the delicate, but taste-bursting roe on the rice and sprinkled the proper amount of sesame seeds on the rice. Then we placed the pre-sliced cucumber down, sliced the artificial crab sticks in half, lengthwise, and put them on the rice, followed by thin slices of avocado.

With the ingredients where they belonged, it was time to proceed to the rolling. I was instructed to turn the nori over, so the rice was on the surface of the cutting board. Then it was time to begin rolling the rice over, so it would be on the outside of the roll.

At this point, we broke out our bamboo mats, covered in plastic wrap, to

“Making sushi is a complex process. Everything is about timing and the attention to small details.”

August / September 2016

D

Fillet Mignon, teriyaki steak, lobster, ennis and Leeanne Earl of Morchicken, chicken livers, or vegetables ganton had Makoto’s on their to combine with the sweet carrots bucket list when they decided to and rice. spend their anniversary in the High There are also a variety of comCountry earlier this month. binations available and guests can “We had wanted to make it also order additional items off of the up here for years,” said Leeanne, as sushi menu. her and her husband finished up This writer ordered the yakiniku, a pleasant lunch on a recent afterwhich was cooked to medium-rare noon in the Makoto’s dining room. perfection and blended perfectly On the other side of the 10-seat with the grilled rice, the soft and table was a mother with her six sweet carrots and that always delidaughters, delighting in oohs and cious shrimp sauce. aahs as a huge flame burst up from Before guests take part in their the Teppanyake grill — a flat, metal entrees, they are treated to a crisp surface where the Japanese chefs and flavorful Japanese soup that create their meals. has a fresh mushroom slice swim“Everybody calls it hibachi,” said ming in it, followed by a salad with Makoto’s co-owner Ronald Dhing. the choice of ginger dressing or “It drives me crazy. A hibachi is a shrimp sauce. little grill you use at home.”

The choice of salad dressing is As a cook named Hector took difficult, considering the flavor of his place behind the grill, he enterboth. As an added bonus, the two tained the small crowd with his indressings are available for sale, so tricate knife skills, juggling his utenthat guests can take these delightful sils to grab their attention. sauces home with them.

Hector piled his rice on the grill This writer’s family has also disto begin the cooking process and covered that Makoto’s wonderful then began tossing small bits of the The making of food in Makoto's dining room is an ginger dressing is also available for rice into the mouths of his youngest experience of sight, sound and smell as the cooks sell at Walmart. guests. They laughed with delight delight crowds each day for lunch and dinner.

Makoto’s offers a full wine list and respect for his dexterity. and other beverages, alcoholic and While the sushi bar at Makoto’s has been a welcome addition to the dining fare at the restaurant for non-alcoholic, side orders and desserts like Makoto’s bananas, tasty red over a decade, the bread and butter of the operation has been the din- bean and green tea ice cream and hot fudge cake.

Makoto’s also offers service for special events, such as birthdays. ing room, which has seven cooking stations, allowing 70 customers to Lunch, or dinner is extremely filling and customers frequently be served and entertained at the same time.

A number of other restaurants featuring Japanese-styled grill have exit with leftover boxes that make for a delicious lunch, or dinner popped up in Boone over the years, but Makoto’s has survived and the next day.

“We try to keep everything the same,” said Gwen Dhing, Ron’s wife thrived since it opened under the ownership of Ted Mackorell in 1981.

Dhing said it is the consistency of the operation that has allowed and partner in the restaurant. “People like to eat with their eyes too, as well as their stomachs.” for Makoto’s to be successful.

That is one of the things that keeps customers coming back. You “We pay a lot of attention to detail,” Dhing explained. “We want the food to show consistency every time someone comes to dine with us.” know what to expect at Makoto’s.

As the lunch crowd finished their meals on this particular day and An incident from a number of years ago easily illustrates that Hector prepared to exit, after carefully cleaning his grill, the guests alconcept.

Dhing said he once began receiving complaints from long-time lowed him to leave to a big ovation. customers that the tasty shrimp sauce Makoto’s is known for had changed in taste. He learned that the paprika that the restaurant had previously used was no longer available and the new spice being used was not up to his stern standards. After some trial and error, he finally found a type of paprika that met his approval and returned the shrimp sauce to its expected quality and taste.

The guests on this afternoon seemed to give Dhing and Hector, the cook, a sense of approval.

Diners have a choice of two kinds of shrimp, scallops, yakiniku (thinly-sliced steak marinated in garlic, ginger and Japanese spices), August / September 2016

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photography by Faisuly Scheurer

“You want to handle it enough to make it stick together, but not too much to turn it into mush.

You want it to stick together, but you want to be able to taste every grain of the rice.”

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form the shape of the rolls. After softly and carefully getting the shape as correct as possible and tucking in some ingredients on the ends, it was time to cut the rolls.

As I worked, Gwen Dhing stopped by the sushi bar.

“Do you need a job?” she joked.

She later snapped pictures of our efforts.

Instrusting me with his handcrafted, left-handed Japanese knife, Dhing told me to let the blade easily slide through the roll. He also worried about the placement of my thumb in relationship to the sharp blade.

“Make sure you don’t cut yourself,” he warned.

I pressed too hard on my first path, but it went better from there. I cut the roll in half and then in half again before finally ending up with six pieces of sushi.

Now it was on to trying to make shrimp sashimi — sashimi being a piece of fish on formed rice. While it seemed easy, again handling the rice was trickier than it looks. After a couple of false starts with getting the correct amount of rice, I formed it into shape and spread a light bit of wasabi on the rice.

The next trick was taking the formed rice in one hand and grabbing the piece of shrimp in my opposite hand by the tail. Again, this seemingly simple chore was tougher than it looked, but finally I was able to get the shrimp in place and get the tail tucked in properly.

Now came the simple plating, with two of the California rolls placed upright on each side of that roll for visual benefit and the shrimp sashimi placed next to the California rolls. I slapped a small bit of ginger in one corner of the plate and a ball of wasabi on the opposite side.

It was simple, but enticing and now it was time to eat. The sushi tasted as good as usual, thanks more to the efforts of the rice preparation and all of other work from start to finish more than anything I had done.

But there was a satisfaction in knowing that I had made them.

And there was also an increased respect for what goes on behind the scenes in the creation of these yummy treats. 

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100 Years of Mica Mining The Story of Plumtree Avery County’s Pot Of Gold

By David Spiceland

“T Avery County Fire Marshal David Charles Vance, son of Tar Heel Mica Company President Ivor Vance, holds a sheet of processed mica in the Avery County Historical Museum.

A map from the 1930's of western North Carolina depicts Avery and surrounding counties and many of the mineral mines they encompassed.

here is no doubt that Mica was a valuable mineral for this part of the world. Most everyone had a little mica on their land. Many of the black people, and whites as well, would walk into Plumtree carrying “croaker” sacks of mica flung over their shoulders. These would be taken into Burleson’s store to be weighed and sold, and they would walk home with the sacks now carrying groceries for their families. Most everyone was a “prospector” looking for usable mica.”

In this excerpt from her book, A View From My Porch: A Look Back at Plumtree, author and Avery County native Fran Vance Clemons gives us a look at what life was like in the High Country in the late 1800s and early 1900s after local folks had new reason to dig up the shiny pieces of mica that were often found on their properties.

What is Mica?

When was the last time you used mica or a product containing it? You probably didn’t know it was there, and you may not have realized that much of the world’s mica originally came from the High Country.

The story of mica mining in this area is about the work it took to get it out of the earth and process it into a variety of forms that we use every day. More importantly, though, it is a story about our people.

The word mica comes from the same Latin word, which means crumb. In the late 1800s, many people in these hills were discovering rocks containing mica in various forms. One was in a block or book form, which resembled sheets in a book.

Casual observers can see mica in its variety of forms sparkling in the ground. For example, in the Sink Hole mine west of Spruce Pine, shiny bits of The Avery County Historical Museum boasts this display of the years of mica mining that happened here in the High Country.

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Though many people don’t know enough about mica to recognize it when they see it, this shiny mineral that lay beneath the surface of the ground represented promise, prosperity and hope for the future for many families in western North Carolina beginning in the late 1800s. While it has not been the only mineral of significance that has been mined in the High Country throughout history, the establishment of the Tar Heel Mica Company in Plumtree and the jobs that came with it mark an important part of life in Avery County over the years. Pictured here, you can see the mica plant, some of the men who worked the mines and some of the women who worked to process the found materials into usable products.

August / September 2016

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David Charles Vance refers to the work of processing mica into usable products as “a lost art.” The mica would make its way to the plant by way of local people who found it and the plant workers, mostly women, would carry out various methods depending on which form the mica took. mica cover the ground, reflecting the rays of the sun.

Pure mica has the look of glass and was used in early lanterns and stoves. In 1879, Edison invented the incandescent light bulb, creating a demand for feldspar (glass) and copper wiring. He also invented the electric motor using muscovite mica as an insulator. Mica was also used extensively in vacuum tubes in radio and television.

One popular toothpaste contains mica for the promised sparkle.

It turns out that mica continues to have a variety of uses including a lubricant in drilling.

Mica was considered so essential to the production of electronic equipment during World War II that the United States declared it a strategic mineral. According to the National Mining Association, ground mica is used in paints, as joint cement, as a dusting agent and in oil well-drilling muds, as well as in plastics, roofing, rubber and welding rods.

Sheet mica is fabricated into parts for electronic and electronic equipment. Today, China and Russia are leading producers, and all of our raw mica comes from other countries; but there was a time in western North Carolina when some could dig in their back yard and find abundant mica.

As new technologies developed, so did minerals to fuel that industry. The invention of the telegraph in 1844 created a need for copper. Edison’s 1878 electric motor required an insulator, something that would not conduct electricity, and mica fit the bill. The rise of radio around 1920 required mica for the early radio sets.

However, in the late 1940s, the invention of the transistor and solid state electronics in the 1960s reduced the demand for mica.

Mineral Mining in the High Country Much of Avery County lies within the Spruce Pine Mining District, which is a product of ancient forces that created the minerals that even today are taken from the earth for their beauty and economic wealth.

There were three minerals that were important to local mining: Feldspar, mica and quartz. Feldspar is used for pottery. Ironically at first, miners threw away the quartz, not seeing its need. It’s worth noting today that quartz in the Spruce Pine area is considered some of the purest in the world. In fact, in every computer or cell phone around the world, there is some amount of quartz from the Spruce Pine area.

Even asbestos was mined for a time in Avery County. According to the Mineral Museum at Spruce Pine, a Penland prospector named William Dibbell used the waste from mica mining as a source of commercial grade feldspar, which is used in ceramics and glass.

Mica mines quickly added feldspar to their product lines.

Avery County has an abundance of minerals that attracted those who knew there was money to be made. The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina railroad ran from Johnson City to Boone and was originally built to haul iron ore after the Civil War from the Cranberry mines to be processed on site and eventually in Johnson City. That iron ore was the richest supply for its time and was actively mined until the early 1930s.

The Museum of North Carolina Minerals at Spruce Pine has displays and information relating to mining in the mountain region 84

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Pure mica has the look of glass and was used in early lanterns and stoves. In 1879, Edison invented the incandescent light bulb, creating a demand for feldspar (glass) and copper wiring.

He also invented the electric motor using muscovite mica as an insulator. Mica was also used extensively in vacuum tubes in radio and television and serves many different purposes in many different products. It was also essential to the production of electronic equipment used during World War II. that occurred over the ages. There’s evidence that Native Americans were busy collecting shiny bits of mica on the surface. Even the Spanish in the 1500s came through the area looking for silver and gold.

North Carolina minerals are as varied as gold in the Charlotte area that began the first gold rush in this country long before the 1849 California gold rush.

There's many abandoned mines south of Watauga County and into Spruce Pine.

Apparently, mica became important to the local economy shortly after the Civil War. A 1923 report by the U-S Geological Survey on Mica deposits in the United States detailed numerous mica mines in the High Country. At one time there was as many as 700 August / September 2016

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The Tar Heel Mica Company in Avery County, pictured top right, kept the pace of the booming mica industry, and its employees often processed the material as quickly as it was brought in my local mines and mountain residents who found it on their lands.

The Meadows Mica Mine, pictured just below it, is said to have been one of the most productive of its kind in history.

mica and feldspar mines in the Spruce Pine area according to the North Carolina Geological Survey .

The Tar Heel Mica Company

The community of Plumtree is located in the southwestern part of Avery County and sits astride the North Toe River. Driving through Plumtree today, it’s easy to miss the history and importance of the former Tar Heel Mica plant to the mica industry and to the local community.

The Vance family and their role in processing mica was important to the regional economy, and today their descendants are proud of that heritage. Founded in 1908 by David Todd (D.T.) Vance (1872-1954), the Tar Heel Mica Company in Plumtree took the mica supplied by local miners and made it into a viable product that competed on a world wide scale.

David Charles Vance, who now serves as the Avery County Fire Marshall, is the son of Ivor Charles Vance (1902-1988), who be86

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came president of the Tar Heel company on the death of his father D.T. Donald Tate Vance was the third and last president of the Tar Heel Mica Company. Three presidents in a company that lasted 101 years is telling of its stability through the years.

In her book, Clemons, who was an older sister of David Charles, said her father, Ivor, was named for a chance meeting in Cranberry between D.T. and the brother of Winston Churchill, named Ivor, Duke of Marlboro, who was touring the iron ore mine and forge.

David Charles explains that D.T., also known as “Pop,” was a smart entrepreneur with the ability to build from scratch much of the Plumtree equipment that rolled out the finished mica for clients.

“He recognized the money to be made in the mica business,” David Charles said. “He paid others to mine in the area and became a major employer.”

Though there were fluctuations with the mica market through the years, activity picked up during World War II, with three shifts

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Although the Tar Heel closed its doors back in 2009, its century of operation in the High Country left behind a lasting legacy.

The building, which remains an important part of the community of Plumtree, now houses the Blind Squirrel Brewery, which is frequented by many locals and visitors.

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host of finished products. around the clock to aid the War efDavid Charles explains that D.T., also fort. Mica was especially important known as “Pop,” was a smart entrepreneur Life in the Mica Mines in World War II. Clemons explains in her book The Depression made it eswith the ability to build from scratch much that North Caroline State Geolopecially difficult for local farmers of the Plumtree equipment that rolled out to make a living. Sometimes they gist Dr. James Stuckey said in 1943 the finished mica for clients. to the governor: would stumble on mica on their “Every big bomber that wings “He recognized the money to be made in the property, which offered muchon a lethal mission across aggressor needed income in some cases. mica business,” David Charles said. countries has about $150 worth of Mining was hard work, and it mica in its engines, and without it, took a lot of capital to bring the “He paid others to mine in the area and small as it seems, the mechanical mica out of the ground. You needbecame a major employer.” bird would be grounded.” ed startup money to buy the necEstablished by the Vance famessary equipment. By all accounts, ily, the Tar Heel Mica Company processed incoming mica, often that was not an easy existence with mica mining often done in brought by local residents who found it on their land, into useable tunnels and some surface work. forms as needed.

Jack Wiseman, who owns Linville Falls Winery, remembers “There were several large machines, all built on site, to punch growing up in Avery County when the mica business was boomout the mica for various uses,” said David Charles. “At the plant, ing. the mica sheets were held together with a resin applied by many “I used to play in it when it was powder,” said Wiseman, who workers. At another Plumtree location, mica was reduced to a pow- remembers also taking sacks of mica to be processed at Plumtree, der the consistency of flour and is added to a variety of products where he could be paid a penny a pound for the delivery. including wallpaper paste.

Some families did well financially with mica, Wiseman re“The Tar Heel would hire women who had the skills to process members. the mica at Plumtree. Some of the mica would come out as a block “Lloyd Aldredge lived in Spear and worked hard all of his life. or book and resembled pages in a book. The women would peel it Lloyd lived in shacks with dirt floors all of his life. He had a large back, and it was eventually taken to a punch press and punch out family of all boys and was a foreman at the Charlie Ridge mine,” the parts as desired.”

Wiseman said. “The mine hit a vein that brought the family great David Charles calls this process “a lost art” and credits the wealth. Lloyd was able to build a stone house one mile below Spear, workers, many of whom were women, with the ability to fashion a which stands to this day.”

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“There were several large machines, all built on site, to punch out the mica for various uses. At the plant, the mica sheets were held together with a resin applied by many workers. At another Plumtree location, mica was reduced to a powder the consistency of flour and is added to a variety of products including wallpaper paste.

The Tar Heel would hire women who had the skills to process the mica at Plumtree. Some of the mica would come out as a block or book and resembled pages in a book. The women would peel it back, and it was eventually taken to a punch press and punch out the parts as desired.”

Women were not allowed in the mines.

“When I was growing up, women were not allowed in the mines. It was bad luck.

So, even with my family’s long history of mica mining and fabrications of mica, I have never visited a mining site,” Clemons wrote in her book. “In the 1940s, I could not locate a single one of the many mines that dotted the hillsides in this area which gave the Tar Heel Mica Company its start.”

Clemons’ daughters, Risa Larsen and Vanessa Hammil, remain committed to sharing the stories of the Tar Heel and local mica mining that made such an impact on families in these mountains.

“People that lived here wanted to stay here, but there weren’t many jobs. Go way back to the late 1800s, and people were mostly farmers and hunters. If they found other things that could keep them here, that was important to them,” Larsen explained.

“There just weren’t many jobs here, especially in the middle of the 20th century when there was a downturn in the area, and folks were having to move away, but mica gave them a reason to stay. Folks that live here like to stay.”

Life in the mines was often carried on past five-day workweek into the weekends, Wiseman recalls.

“On Saturday, many miners would get drunk with some of the moonshine avail-

August / September 2016

able from local bootleggers,” he said. “Fists would fly and all the hard work of the week would result in brawls; but, on Sunday, they’d get ready for the workweek that started on Monday.”

There was always the threat of silicosis from being inside the mine for long durations. Back then, there wasn’t much known about the dangers of long term exposure to the mica powder.

David Charles remembers that some precautions were taken, tough.

“I remember receiving a yearly X-Ray checkup by the State of North Carolina,” he said. “Some thought, too, that the mica dust was different than other carcinogens since it would tend to be coughed up.”

As time developed and transportation in west North Carolina improved, the processed mica could be taken by truck to buyers; but David Charles Vance said: “There was a time when horse and wagon would take the finished mica to the side rail of the Linville River Railway in Minneapolis to connect with Johnson City, Tennessee and the outside world.”

Plumtree Today The mica boom began to slow down by the late 1950s. International competition, cheap labor elsewhere and market forces reduced the demand for local mica. How-

ever, mica samples and masterful illustrations are available in the historical depot located behind the Avery County courthouse. Avery County has worked hard to record its local history, and the museum is a good place to visit and see it up close.

The mining of mica was subject to international trade. In her book “Women, Power, and Dissent in the Hills of Carolina,” Mary K. Anglin says the 1885 saw the emergence of mica mining in India. To reduce the effect on American markets, the Federal government imposed tariffs. Eventually India, China, Canada and other mica markets would replace the mica mining industry in the High Country.

A casual drive through Plumtree today conceals what it once was and how it supported the mica industry and a community on the fringe of Avery County.

In 2009, the Tar Heel Mica Company was closed and its building and equipment were sold after a little more than 100 years in operation.

The building, a significant landmark in the community of Plumtree, lives on as the home of Blind Squirrel Brewery.

The Tar Heel’s mica processing equipment sits in storage. Perhaps one day the public will be able to see how it all worked.

The stories of people who worked in the mines or for the Tar Heel live on in the hearts and minds of those who lived it at the time, including members of the Vance and other founding families and the employees who worked there, some for 50 years or more.

“It means so much to our uncle, David Charles,” said Larsen. “He was born and raised here, and, other than the four years he was in the Air Force, he has always been here.

He has a deep, abiding love of this area.”

There are few mines that operate in Avery County today, and pockets of abandoned mines are still on the landscape. The Christmas tree industry has created an economic boon for farmers on a seasonal basis, but the heady days of numerous mines that supplied the world’s need for mica are long gone.

“There is a certain ‘glitter’ in Plumtree caused by the mica dust and particles in the air around the Tar Heel and surrounding area.

Mica has played such a role in the life and times of the Vances, the Averys, the Burlesons, and many other families that it’s hard to separate mica from Plumtree,” Clemons wrote in her book, which was published in 2008, two years before her passing and one year before the Tar Heel closed its doors. “The Tar Heel whistle, blown to commence the workday, to pause for lunch, and at the end of the workday, is a constant reminder of that fact.” 

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GRANDFATHER

MOUNTAIN

The Old Man As He Always Will Be

North Carolina’s Newest State Park Story by Angela Gazzillo • Photography by Todd Bush

C

omprised of rock formations that have towered over the North Carolina highlands for centuries, our beloved Grandfather Mountain is a natural treasure like no other.

Stately and majestic, he’s long been known as an Appalachian icon — the enduring guardian of the Blue Ridge Mountains with an abiding legacy one billion years in the making.

Our venerable forefather, zenith of the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge, anchors the history of life in the High Country. However, as the newest protected park in the Old North State, he also stands as a beacon for progress and change.

After a prolonged era of private ownership, his grandeur and glory are now preserved for generations to come, and new leadership promises improvements that will make his peaks and valleys more accessible to the public.

As the North Carolina State Parks system celebrates its centennial this year, we, too, are invited to celebrate its steadfast com92

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mitment to our natural resources through its latest acquisition, Grandfather Mountain.

Preserved and Protected For generations, Grandfather Mountain has been known as one of the most popular and iconic attractions in the Southeast. Although the state parks system purchased much of the mountain several years ago, the continued operation of the for-profit attraction has yielded some confusion amongst the general public over who, or what, oversees the mountain.

Folks want to know: Is it privately owned? Is it state property?

The answer is, while the for-profit attraction is still alive and well, the remaining acreage is now government owned and operated as Grandfather Mountain State Park.

In the 1952, conservationist and photographer Hugh Mor-

Pictured From Left: David Sirois, seasonal employee, Chanda Siler, office assistant, Luke Appling, ranger, Andy Sicard, ranger, Sue McBean, park superintendent, Rick Carpenter, seasonal employee. Not in photo: Jason Jarrell, maintenance mechanic, Jose Garrido, seasonal employee, Dan Stevenson, seasonal employee.

McBean relies on a small but mighty crew to help her care for the park, which includes two rangers, one maintenance mechanic and one office assistant, as well as three seasonal employees that started in April and will work through October and another seasonal ranger that works Saturdays and Sundays. ton inherited more than 4,000 acres on Grandfather Mountain from his grandfather, Hugh MacRae. Morton worked to develop the land, which was first purchased into his family by his greatgrandfather in the late 1880s, and make it more accessible to tourists.

From then on, Morton established and grew the now iconic mountaintop attraction. Upon his death in 2006, Morton’s heirs struggled with the decision they would have to make regarding whether to sell the property or keep it in the family.

Ultimately, they elected to ensure the continuation of Morton’s legacy by selling the majority of the property to the state of North Carolina.

In 2008, trustees of the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the Natural Heritage Trust Fund each designated $6 million to purchase the undeveloped “back country” acreage of the property, and the general assembly was later asked to formally authorize Grandfather Mountain State Park as a unit of the state parks system.

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Superintendent Sue McBean, Ranger Luke Appling, Ranger Andy Sicard Grandfather’s remote and rocky backcountry and lack of facilities allows McBean, pictured left, to spend more time in the park that most superintendents get to spend. On the job every day, her team of rangers tackle the same rocky terrain that hikers enjoy.

Details of the purchase were released to the public in a press statement from the state parks office in January 2009: “An agreement announced by Gov. Mike Easley in September calls for the state to acquire 2,456 acres on the landmark mountain for $12 million from the Morton Family and Grandfather Mountain Inc. The acquisition will also include a conservation easement of 749 acres that will be retained by the heirs of Hugh Morton.”

The Morton family then established the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, a non-profit that now operates and manages the attraction, which sits on the 749 acres retained by the family and includes the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge, animal habitats, restaurant and nature museum.

Thus, Grandfather Mountain State Park was born, and new leadership soon arrived to ensure the property’s natural resources would remain preserved and protected for years to come.

Superintendent Sue McBean 94

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Superintendent Sue McBean

Keepers of the Park Sue McBean, a 51-year-old nature enthusiast and native of Cleveland, Ohio, had been living in North Carolina with her husband for more than 15 years when she accepted her dream job as superintendent of Grandfather Mountain State Park.

Her career began with a degree in parks and recreation management earned from Ohio State University. Upon completion of her studies, she did what many adventurous recent graduates do: traveled.

“I spent my first years out of college traveling all over the country, doing fun things in different places,” said McBean. “We moved to North Carolina for my first real job, and I’ve been here with the division now for 23 years.”

She started as a park ranger at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Apex, North Carolina, from which she moved after 13 years to Haw River State Park, which encompasses Guilford and Rockingham counties.

“I was at Haw River for three-and-a-half years when this new place at Grandfather Mountain opened, and it just sounded so perfect. Haw River used to be an Episcopal diocese retreat and

conference center, so they have this train of cabins for kids and four different motel buildings, a conference center and gymnasium, a swimming pool and tennis courts, a kitchen and a dining room,” McBean explained. “It was a lot of facilities management, and then Grandfather Mountain opened and it had… nothing. It didn’t have an AC system or a sewer system or anything like I had to deal with at Haw River. It was a mountain. It was brand new and it just sounded very exciting. It sounded like the place I wanted to be.”

Happy to call Grandfather her home, McBean says her role as park superintendent in the North Carolina mountains is the job for which she was made.

“I should have come here when I was 30, because when you’re young your knees don’t hurt, and I’m 51 now. I was a little old to take the job, really, but it’s what I have always wanted,” she said. “I was really happy to end up in the place that is what people imagine when they think of being a park ranger. They’re not thinking of standing on a beach directing traffic, but it was all a good experience. It was good background and good knowledge to have, but this is the place to be.”

Grandfather’s remote and rocky backcountry and lack of facilities allows her to spend more time in the park that most superintendents get to spend.

McBean relies on a small but mighty crew to help her care for the park, which includes two rangers, one maintenance mechanic and one office assistant, as well Trail clean-up programs invite the public to invest in the park’s natural integrity by volunteering their time.

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The rigorous, rocky terrain of the state park’s back country acreage makes it one of the most popular places for hiking in the area. Through the sale of the park, the state also acquired nine sections of easements that encompass 1,460 acres of land that Morton entrusted to the Nature Conservancy back in 1990. That protection is why activity on the mountain is limited to hiking today.

Photos by Charlie Peek

as three seasonal employees that started in April and will work through October and another seasonal ranger that works Saturdays and Sundays.

Although limited resources are always an issue for state parks, McBean said she is grateful for the funding and support the mountain receives from North Carolina, without which her park could not operate.

“Every park will say that they don’t have the staff they really needs to operate and do the things they want to do. It would be nice to have another ranger, but, as everyone says, we’re doing more with less,” she explained. “The people of North Carolina really love their parks and they support their parks. I think that’s a big deal.”

A Common Goal Although McBean was new to the area at the time and was thrown into the process of the mountain’s separating ownership, she said the transition was a pleasant one.

“The Morton family and the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation have been so easy to work with,” she said. “They were really accepting and inviting, and helped in the ways that they could. We have shared missions.”

Although the state park section and the attraction are operated under different ownerships, the two entities often work together to preserve and protect the mountain’s valuable ecosystem, which his home to 72 known rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species, as well as a variety of watersheds that stem from the mountain and transition into our drinking water.

Stipulations of the purchase ensure that both parties, the state and the Morton family, are equally invested in guaranteeing the preservation of the mountain in the future.

Through the sale, the state also acquired nine sections of easements that encompass 1,460 acres of land that Morton entrusted to the Nature Conservancy back in 1990. That protection is why activity on the mountain is limited to hiking today.

“There’s no rock climbing, no mountain biking, no fishing, because they are written into the easements,” McBean said. “Concurrently, the state has an easement over the private property attraction so it can’t be overbuilt.”

If the Morton family ever decides to sell the 700-plus acres that house the attraction, the state will first rights to buy it, which means the public 96

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State Park Celebration is August 26-27 For Grandfather State Park can rest easy knowing it will be protected forever.

McBean promised the mountainside will never be developed on her watch for condominiums or a ski slope, although she admits that she loves to ski.

“Just not on my mountain,” she said.

She finds comfort in knowing that the property is protected, and believes that the general public shares in her sentiment.

“Whether they come to the mountain or not, a lot of the appreciation is vicarious,” said McBean. “You can live on the coast and still appreciate that there are clean mountain streams up here.”

Centennial Celebration This year, the North Carolina State Parks system celebrates 100 years of preservation and the establishment of its first park at Mount Mitchell, which stands in Yancey County and boasts the highest peak in the United States east of the Mississippi River.

All state parks are participating in the festivities through the 100 Mile Challenge, which encourages hikers and adventurers to hike a total of 100 miles in state parks throughout the year. Want to join in? Visit www.ncparks.gov to print out a log sheet and 98

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August / September 2016

Events planned include guided hikes with commentary from scientists, naturalists and environmental educators about what is seen along the trails, a lecture and even a birthday cake.

simply keep track of the date and mileage you cover with every hike.

Many outdoor enthusiasts are tackling the challenge by touring various parks in the system, although Grandfather Mountain is taking it to new heights and encouraging hikers to accumulate all 100 miles in its park.

Those who complete the 100 Mile Challenge within Grandfather Mountain will earn a T-shirt courtesy of the Friends of the High Country State Parks, a nonprofit dedicated to protection, preservation, expansion and raising state park funding in the area.

McBean assures that it’s not too late to participate, even if you’ve hiked on Grandfather earlier in the year. The challenge includes trails that are not necessarily on the state park property but are still considered part of the mountain, such as Beacon Heights and the Tanawha Trail.

“Grandfather Mountain does not just start at the parking lot of N.C. Highway 105 and go up. Few people realize how massive the mountain really is,” McBean said. “Geologically speaking, you’re still on Grandfather Mountain, so as far as we’re concerned, that counts.”

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Hikers at the start of the Profile Trail In addition to the 100 Mile Challenge, Grandfather Mountain will host a series of celebratory events in honor the state parks system’s centennial Aug. 26-27.

Dr. Patrick McMillan will host a lecture in the library of Appalachian State University on Friday, Aug. 26 entitled “Exploring 100 Years of Grandfather Mountain — A State Park Centennial Celebration.” His inspirational lecture will explore not only the history of the mountain itself, but the extremely diverse ecosystems on the mountain.

“Just listening to him is incredible,” McBean said. “I heard him talk last year, and just left so inspired and happy. He knows everything. Every plant, every mineral, every rock, every geological process, every bird — he’s just amazing! And he’s an incredible speaker.”

A 7 p.m. social event with birthday cake will precede the 7:30 p.m. lecture.

On Saturday, Aug. 27, a series of hikes will encourage the public to get out and enjoy the park. A slower-paced tour along the Nuwati Trail will take hikers to Storyteller’s Rock and will make stops along the way to hear from scientists, naturalists and environmental educators about what they’re seeing along the trail. The two-hour, threemile roundtrip hike will begin at 11 a.m. with groups leaving every half-hour until 1:30 p.m.

A more challenging expedition led by volunteers from the Blue Ridge Hiking Club will lead participants on a three-hour, four-mile trek along the Cragway Trail with a 950’ elevation gain. Tours will leave at 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. that day.

For more information about centennial events, visit www.ncparks.gov. 

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A New Parking Lot for Profile Trail

I

f you’ve ever driven along N.C. Highway 105 through Foscoe and Tynecastle on your way to Banner Elk on a beautiful afternoon, you’ve probably seen a line of at least 10-20 cars parked bumper-to-bumper along the side of the road. If so, what you saw was most likely the result of hikers who set out to explore the Profile Trail deterred by a completely packed parking lot.

With the popularity of the Profile Trail as a favorite local hiking spot, there’s no surprise that the 1980s parking lot can no longer contain all of the interested hikers.

As park superintendent, Sue McBean said it is her job to address the needs of the park, and the profile parking lot was one of her first priorities.

“On every Saturday and Sunday and holiday, if November is beautiful, if April is beautiful, that parking lot is full by 9-10 a.m. in the morning, so it’s very insufficient,” McBean said. “They also do not plow in the winter, and won’t use salt on the ground due to runoff and possible contamination of Watauga River, so the lot is typically The new parking area will be located across from the Pedalin' Pig Restaurant closed in the wintertime during inclement weather.” easements set in place and agreed upon by Grandfather MounSo, as one of McBean’s first tasks, she requested new tain and the Nature Conservancy back in 1990. land for a parking lot.

Many additions are being added to the new parking area, The Parks and Recreation Authority granted McBean’s request and the state purchased approximately 30 acres three as well, thanks to a recent bond referendum through the Conyears ago. The parking lot will be built near the intersection of nect NC Bonds Act that was passed by North Carolina voters North Carolina highways 184 and 105. A trail will also be built in March. The bonds will distribute $2 billion across the state to connect the parking lot to the existing trail on one of several to various projects. Among the allocations, Mount Mitchell

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Funded In Part By The Connect NC Bonds Act will receive $600,000, and Grandfather Mountain State Park and Chimney Rock State Park will receive $1.5 million.

The money will help build 100 parking spaces in the new Profile Trailhead area, as well as bathrooms, a muchneeded addition considering there are no other facilities in the park. McBean also hopes to build a park office and contact or visitor station on site to replace the existing office, which is located in a strip mall on N.C. 105 more than three miles from the trailhead.

“I think that will make a big difference to have a presence in the park,” she said.

The bond referendum will also support the new trail section that will connect to an upper section of the Profile Trail.

“With the upper section you can do two things,” said McBean. “It will put you a little higher on the mountain and cut the distance a bit, and it will give you a nice little loop trail so that people that want to hike but don’t necessarily want to hike the Profile Trail have a place to go.” 

There will be 100 parking spaces in the new Profile Trailhead area, as well as bathrooms, a much-needed addition considering there are no other facilities in the park. Superintendent McBean also hopes to build a park office and contact or visitor station on site to replace the existing office, which is located more than three miles from the trailhead.

801 CREST LANE | LINVILLE RIDGE Located on the 13th hole of the Linville Ridge golf course, this pristine Crestview townhome enjoys fantastic views of Grandfather Mountain. The completely remodeled property offers four bedrooms and four bathrooms complete with granite countertops. The master bathroom offers an air Jacuzzi tub, steam shower with aromatherapy, dual vanities and heated floors.

Additional features include hardwood flooring, outdoor entertaining space with masonry fireplace and built-in Tec grill, two additional fireplaces in the living and dining areas, vaulted ceilings and Wolf and Sub-Zero kitchen appliances. The home offers custom plantation shutters throughout and a generator for added peace of mind.

The location is superb, offering golf cart access, and is within minutes to the course, scenic trails, dining, day spa and the fitness center. $925,000 (offered unfurnished) NATALIE WATSON 828.898.5151 | natalie@linvilleridge.com

premiersothebysrealty.com

premiersir.com/id/39203102

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate and neither suggests nor infers that Sotheby’s International Realty participated as either the listing or cooperating agent or broker in the sale or purchase of the properties depicted.

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

All Area Codes are 828 unless noted.

ADVERTISER

PHONE

PAGE

ADVERTISER

PHONE

PAGE

A Cleaner World............................................... 265-1888 �������������������������� 59

Home Acres Fine Furniture........................... 336-468-1744........................ 14

Appalachian Blind & Closet Co........................ 264-1395........................... 15

Isley Construction............................................ 733-4209........................... 90

Appalachian Elder Law Center.......................... 733-1529........................... 61

Kuester Companies.......................................... 262-3434........................... 80

Art Cellar......................................................... 898-5175 ���������������������������� 9

Lees-McRae College........................................ 898-5241........................... 47

Ashe County Arts Council............................. 336-846-ARTS........................ 99

Linville Falls Winery......................................... 765-1400........................... 26

Banner Elk Realty............................................. 260-1550........................... 58

Linville Ridge................................................... 898-5151.... Inside Back Cover

Barnette Builders.............................................. 898-2378........................... 18

Local, The........................................................ 266-2179........................... 71

Blind Squirrel Ziplines...................................... 765-6353......................... 100

Lodges at Eagle Nest........................................ 771-9343............................. 5

Blowing Rock Estate Jewelry............................ 295-4500........................... 41

Mast General Store .....................................866-FOR-MAST....................... 11

Blowing Rock Furniture.................................... 295-7755........................... 77

Monkees of Blowing Rock................................ 295-0708........................... 51

Blue Ridge Propane.......................................... 733-3603........................... 43

Mountain Land............................................. 800-849-9225 ����������������������� 91

Boone Mall...................................................... 264-7286......................... 100

Mountain Tile................................................... 265-0472 �������������������������� 57

BRAHM............................................................ 295-9099......................... 100

Mountaineer Landscaping................................ 733-3726 ���������������������������� 4

Canyons.......................................................... 295-7661 ������������������������� 66

Neighborhood Yoga.......................................... 265-0377........................... 81

Carlton Gallery................................................. 963-4288 �������������������������� 47

Old World Galleries.......................................... 264-6559........................... 45

Carolina West Wireless................................. 800-235-5007 . ..................... 41

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

Casa Rustica.................................................... 262-5128 �������������������������� 66

Premier Sotheby’s International Realty...........877.425.6001..................3 & 17

Chestnut Grille at Green Park Inn...................... 414-9230........................... 69

Red Onion Café................................................ 264-5470........................... 70

Concierge Auctions...................................... 212-390-0449........................ 63

Reinart Fine Art................................................ 414-9580........................... 49

Consignment Cottage Warehouse..................... 733-8148........................... 88

Salem Windows & Doors................................. 356-7993........................... 27

Dacchille Construction..................................... 964-5150........................... 89

Serves You Right’s! Cute-tique........... 800-825-1828 & 295-4438.............. 50

Dande Lion...................................................... 898-3566........................... 29

Seven Devils.................................................... 963-5343........................... 97

DeWoolfson Down ...................................... 800-833-3696 ������������������������ 2

Shoppes at Farmers Hardware.......................... 264-8801........................... 91

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

Six Pence......................................................... 295-3155........................... 67

Doe Ridge Pottery............................................ 264-1127 �������������������������� 58

Speckled Trout Cafe......................................... 295-9819........................... 70

Drexel Grapevine Antiques................................ 386-1881........................... 61

Stone Cavern................................................... 963-8453 ������������������������ 103

Eat Crow.......................................................... 963-8228........................... 68

Sugar Mountain Oktoberfest.......................www.skisugar.com..................... 13

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

Susan Brown Realty.......................................... 898-2689........................... 81

Eseeola Lodge.................................................. 733-4311........................... 71

Sweetgrass...................................................... 771-9344............................. 7

F.A.R.M. Café.................................................. 386-1000........................... 68

Tanner-Doncaster Outlet............................... 305-205-8665........................ 87

Foley Center.................................................... 262-4391........................... 99

Tatum Galleries & Interiors............................... 963-6466 �������������������������� 35

Gamekeeper..................................................... 963-7400 ������������������������� 64

Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola................... 295-5505........................... 65

Grandfather Vineyard & Winery......................... 963-2400........................... 35

Todd Bush Photography................................... 898-8088........................... 33

Grandview Restaurant....................................... 963-4374........................... 68

Vidalia Restaurant............................................ 263-9176........................... 68

Graystone Eye...............................................888.626.2020........................ 31

Watsonatta....................................................... 264-4540............................. 6

Hardin Fine Jewelry.......................................... 898-4653 �������������������������� 31

Wellspring Retirement Community............... 800-547-5387........................ 19

High Country Polaris........................................ 737-3060........................... 76

www.HCPress.com

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August / September 2016

Stone Cavern

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828-963-TILE • CALL FOR MONTHLY SPECIALS • WWW.STONECAVERN.COM August / September 2016

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Parting Shot...

Shannon Russing

Shannon’s Bed & Bath to Close After 31 Years of Business A

nother small business in Boone will close its doors this summer, this time after 31 years of serving its friends and neighbors in the High Country.

Family owned and operated under the same roof since 1985, Shannon’s Curtain, Bed and Bath has offered its clientele longlasting, high quality, moderately priced home textiles and décor from day one. Over the years, its staff has helped countless homeowners furnish their living spaces, and Shannon’s remains the only local retail shop of its kind in the community.

Like many small businesses, the store has suffered in the wake of economic disaster and a housing market that has still not recovered entirely from its crash in 2008.

Store owner Shannon Russing says her limited access to merchandise due to overseas manufacturing is one of several reasons the shop isn’t making enough sales to stay in business.

“When all of the manufacturing started being moved overseas, with all of the consolidation of the mills and many mills shutting down, a lot of the big retailers started to go to China with their own designers and have their own merchandise made to their specifications, and I can’t participate in that.”

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Shannon’s can no longer purchase the kind of merchandise its customers are looking for — one of many dilemmas that Russing says are hurting small business owners everywhere.

“Now, a department store has its own design people and they have everything they want made overseas. It’s just a sign of the times.

“Our product assortment is not necessarily what we would like it to be. We can’t offer our customers the things we think they would want, because we just can’t buy the merchandise.”

In its heyday, the store’s vast and loyal client base, which included second homeowners, would often make trips to Shannon’s to furnish multiple rooms and houses. Today, many of those clients are aging and downsizing, and many can no longer afford to keep second homes since the housing market crash.

The ever widening cultural focus on online shopping that has plagued small business across the country has also taken its toll on Shannon’s.

Although the Russings are reluctant to close the doors on a business they have built from the ground up, Shannon and her

August / September 2016

daughter Sarah, a talented interior designer, can’t ignore the difficult truths they’re facing as entrepreneurs.

“It’s hard. This has been my baby for 31 years,” said Russing. “It’s hard to give it up, and, yet, there’s so many factors I can’t control or change. We just can’t justify continuing because we are losing money all the time.”

Inventory liquidation sales began in late July at Shannon’s, and how quickly the merchandise is sold will determine the store’s final closing date.

Sarah and Shannon say they’ll always be grateful for the loyal customers they’ve had over time and for the staff members like Janice Tester and Dionne Lanphear who have been their partners in business for many years.

“I’d really, really like to thank all of the people who have supported us over the years,” said Shannon. “We’ve had some really good customers and some really good people who are upset for us. There are no other stores like this one, and I wish people would realize what they’re losing when they don’t support local businesses.”

Shannon’s is located at 1950 Blowing Rock Road in Boone.

By Jessica Isaacs

1,800 ACRES

75° AV E R A G E T E M P.

Linville Ridge Resort

4,945 ABOVE SEA LEVEL

E L E VAT E YO U R L I V I N G Linville Ridge, a luxury country club community near Blowing Rock, boasts award-winning golf, tennis, sophisticated dining venues and social events to fill every calendar. With home opportunities ranging from cottages to custom estates, at The Ridge the possibilities are endless.

Visit our models open daily | From $950,000

linvilleridge.com | 828.898.5151 Home and community information, including pricing, included features, terms, availability and amenities, are subject to change, prior sale or withdrawal at any time without notice or obligation. Drawings, photographs, renderings, video, scale models, square footages, floor plans, elevations, features, colors and sizes are approximate for presentation purposes only and may vary from the homes as built. Home prices refer to the base price of the house and do not include options or premiums, unless otherwise indicated for a specific home. Nothing on our website should be construed as legal, accounting or tax advice. Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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