An installment in our Appalachian Foodways series There are few culinary divides in my home. But one is so large you could drive a truck through it: okra. I’m a fan. I love it rolled in cornmeal and fried. My wife? Well, she’s a Colorado girl who can’t stand it. Most folks either love okra…
An installment in our Appalachian History and Culture series When you think about Prohibition-era rum runners, the image of a fast-talking, fast-driving man usually comes to mind. But in the hills of Virginia, one woman stood out above all the men: Willie Carter Sharpe. Born in Floyd County in the early 1900s, Willie was destined…
An installment in our Appalachian Foodways series I love cooking breakfast; I do so most mornings. It gives a productive start to my day and challenges me creatively. My palette demands variety, so I enjoy trying new variations of old favorites. But whatever I cook must be prepared quickly; I can’t spend all morning in…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series As I wrote a blog post about Jack Tales, I was motivated to try my hand at writing a Jack Tale of my own. Drawing from literary descriptions of Jack, local moonshiner stories, and a neighbor’s tale of a mash-consuming, drunken bear, I put together a short…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series We’ve all heard the story of Jack and the Beanstalk—an English boy, some magic beans, a giant, and an adventure up a towering beanstalk. But did you know that the English Jack has kinfolk in the Appalachian Mountains? Meet the star of Appalachian Jack Tales, a character…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series Hungry Mother State Park might seem like just another peaceful Blue Ridge retreat designed to happily engage vacationers. The sparkling lake, the hiking trails, the beach, the cabins, the campsites, and the mountain air are delightful. But behind this serene landscape lies a powerful story of survival…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series As a boy, I was fascinated by tales of lost treasure: The Hardy Boy’s Tower Treasure, Stephenson’s Treasure Island, and Poe’s The Gold Bug. Stories of long-lost fortunes conjure images of daring quests, secret maps, and the intoxicating possibility of striking it rich. Such tales are everywhere….
An installment in our Blue Ridge Travel series. Visualizing the Blue Ridge Parkway, your mind likely drifts to scenic drives and breathtaking views. But did you know this picturesque route has a surprising connection to something as fundamental as your Social Security check? Behind the creation of the Parkway lies a story involving a key…
An installment in our Blue Ridge Travel series. I don’t think about fences much. I was raised in suburbia, where each backyard was cordoned off by some sort of fence. They kept the dogs in and the neighbors out. But driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, I marveled at the ingenuity of the…
An installment in our Appalachian History and Culture series In the final, desperate years of the Civil War, Confederate desertion rates soared. Exhausted and disillusioned soldiers, many of whom had been away from home for years, abandoned their posts, driven by the desperate hope of reuniting with their families and escaping the brutality of war….
An installment in our Appalachian History and Culture series In the heart of Foster Falls, Virginia, an Inn sits high on a hill, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains’ serene beauty and the New River’s rippling waters. The New River Trail passes by, a rails-to-trails success story that is a magnet for recreation. The luxurious…
An installment in our Appalachian History and Culture series In 2012, I participated in the Heritage Tune competition at the Union Grove Old Time Fiddler’s Convention. The competition is open to musicians of any age who have competed in one of the festival’s twelve instrumental competitions. I competed in the Mountain Dulcimer category, so I…