North Carolina Town Named 'Most Charming Small Town' In The Entire State

 North Carolina is filled with stunning small towns across the state, destinations that offer a quiet beauty by letting the natural scenery, friendly atmosphere and unique attractions shine bright enough to draw you in and experience something you may not get in a bigger, bustling city.

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According to a list compiled by AFAR, the "most charming small town" in all of North Carolina is Black Mountain, praised for its stunning mountain views, availability of live music and exciting and "whimsical" galleries.

Here's what the site had to say about the most charming small town in the state:

"Set in the painterly Blue Ridge Mountains, this folksy town of around 8,500 is only a 20-minute drive east of Asheville but feels a world apart. After ambling around Lake Tomahawk or hiking the 9.5-mile, out-and-back Graybeard Trail in nearby Montreat, enjoy a weaving or pottery exhibit at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, shop for handcrafted jewelry and candles at Seven Sisters Craft Gallery, or go into carb-load overdrive at the Blue Ridge Biscuit Company."

FACT CHECK:

Sentence one  in last paragraph is ok. but sentence 2 falls off the track by confusing a museum in Asheville for the Black Mountain College of the 1930-1950 era with the 2 actual museums in  Black Mountain...one of history of the area, and one of Arts. It is correct that you can shop at Seven Sisters Gallery in Black Mountain, or enjoy good breakfast stuff at the Blue Ridge Biscuit Co.  I do lots of these things regularly myself in Black Mountain, except the old college museum down in Asheville, or the mountain hike in Montreat.

Incidentally, the photo included with the article isn't from Black Mountain either!

But hey, when you're named the "Most charming Small Town" in the Entire State, you shouldn't complain.

A real home in Black Mountain

Today's quote;

Each word we speak has a life of its own, a vibratory signature that creates waves into the expanse of the universe.

Potpourri

 

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, 2022 

Black Mountain loves its library and librarians!

Linville Gorge

Holman Apartments, Black Mountain 1930s (no longer here)

This building has 2 apartments, 1 bedroom each. Near Lake Tomahawk.

I still miss the old gazebo at Lake Tomahawk, waiting for a new one.

A CGI video about Black Mountain HERE

Today's quote:

Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. -Amelia Earhart, aviator (1897-1937)

The eyes have it - plus some news about alcohol consumption

 

Last Friday I went to optometrist for annual eye exam. But the day before the appointment, they called to say my insurance had dropped them from covered list...so did I want to private pay? I agreed, for this time, and intend to call my insurance and complain. The optometrist office said that small outfits aren't being kept on the provider lists from insurance often now. I think I'll find a new one, though this one has been close to my home so I've used it for years. 

See, even the camera can't read the bottom line! My prescription for far sightedness and astigmatism hadn't changed, so I didn't need new lenses. She said the right eye can't be corrected any more than 20-25, whatever that means. 

After all the tests she found two interesting things.

I already knew I was dealing with dry eyes. But she also saw some mucous so said I needed to do antihistamine drops daily as well as the ones that help with dry eye. Now if I can just remember to do so!

The other interesting thing about my right eye is that she found wrinkles in it. I didn't get clarification as to where, but she said that contributed to not being able to correct it to 20-20. I'm quite satisfied that the worst I have to deal with is wrinkles, since I have them all over my body by now anyway.

However, it does limit my binocular vision, of being able to tell the distance things are away from me, which usually means I reach and come up short to touch them. But sometimes it can end up with me bumping into things. That I really don't need.

So the upshot of my eye exam was incredible gratitude to have the miracle of eyesight at all...where light hits those cones and rods, and turns them into electric messages to go through nerves to my brain and give me the information that I am seeing a lake, a sky, a bird, and colors of blue and green all around me. 

Yes, I'm visually oriented in the world. 

And last night I saw that Black Mountain, my quiet little town where all stores close at 5 pm, and just a few night clubs and restaurants are open the rest of the evening, now will have liquor available for special events on sidewalks and streets! Wow. The first one will be the Blues Festival in 2 weeks, I assume, since the promoters of it are also those who promoted the Social Event Ordinance which allows vendors to apply for ABC licenses for the events. Not sure what that means. Here's the article in the Citizen Times, which I couldn't share on FB, but it has a link HERE.

I don't feel good about this. Maybe I've just seen too many negative experiences with people drinking to excess. But it is akin to the New Orleans Mardi Gras experience to my mind. Not the town I want to live in at this point in my life.

Today's quote:

In 1917 Herbert B. Swope of the New York World won the first Pulitzer prize for journalism, and when he picked up his award, said: “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula of failure — which is try to please everybody.”

The view above the tracks

 Doughtery St. comes down the hill and makes a sharp turn into the beginning of Sutton St. At that corner above the tracks is now the Cove Auto repair shop. It opened in that location sometime since I' moved to this town in 2007...but I don't know what was there just before. The tracks haven't changed over the years.

A few weeks ago I showed a post card taken from the site of the Gladstone Hotel looking across the tracks HERE.

This early 20th century postcard captures the train pulling into Black Mountain station (coming from asheville) with the Gladstone (Gresham) Hotel perched on the hill nearby to the right. All the closest  trees on the left and the siding tracks are no longer  there.

"Hotel Gresham was located along the north side of the railroad tracks in downtown Black Mountain. Provided by Swannanoa Valley Museum."

"Built in 1882 as the Mount Mitchell Hotel, this structure served as the first hotel for the town. Unfortunately, the original building burned down in 1905 following a fire caused by sparks from coal being transported on the nearby train tracks. By 1911, a new hotel had been built at the same location, known as the Black Mountain Hotel. In time, this hotel was called the Gladstone - and later the Gresham. By 1947 this building had also burned down."

Source: Black Mountain News: Valley Rewind: Black Mountain's Hotel Gresham, details from Swannanoa Valley History Museum, April 1, 2024

Are you tired of seeing our dogwoods yet?

Looking the other direction, there's the same train depot, which now houses arts and crafts in The Olde Depot store.

As I stood near the tracks taking the above photos, I looked down to see this hardy volunteer plant.

The view looking down hill from the tracks, with an old stone building which might have been there when the hotel was.

Today's quotes:

History is all explained by geography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (1905-1989)

Today I celebrate with all of you,
The miracle of sunlight,
The humble joy of being and breath
And the mystery and grace of each new day.
—Vincent VanGogh
The Field Next to the Other Road

Montreat College in Black Mountain

Montreat (just north of Black Mountain) is the home of the college of the same name, as well as vacation and retirement homes (mainly for Presbyterian ministers and their families.) But in the last year or so, Montreat College opened another campus which had formerly been a retreat and before that had been a private mansion and grounds. That story needs telling in a separate post. But here's a good article I found on the internet "Intheoaks"

As the sign says, there are atheletic fields here, which are missing in the original Montreat College, just a couple of miles a way. The "Manor House" is probably the old mansion, I'm guessing.

The drive takes one back through heavily wooded areas, then there are parking lots available for students, and other smaller buildings.

The Manor House

These little shabby shelter buildings may be left from the last "retreat center" days...or earlier.

Today's quote:

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

Vincent Van Gogh

Some homes in old Black Mountain

 

Yes, the weeping cherry trees were still in bloom that week.

I don't know what this pretty pink bush was.

A Bradford Peat tree about to turn green

The first glance at a budding azalea. It looks pretty old with many prunings.

The (also old) azalea bush by my front porch, taken April 8.

Today's quote:

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.

OMAR KHAYYAM

Sharing with Floral Friday Fotos

Sharing with Thankful Thursday

No sunshine that day

  Taken before the eclipse, just a cloudy day! ( partial eclipse will be around 3:00 pm EDT in Black Mountain)

Echoes of past vines on the window that's not used.

The view without any mountains...just a cloud about 30 feet above us. Red awning is for the Trailhead Restaurant. The stone building with wood door entrance in the middle is My Father's Pizza. Both of these are locally owned. The warehouse style building faces a pathway going from this parking lot over to Cherry St. and has several shops. 

Lots of cars like to park here to go to a variety of shops and restaurants. Here we see the Dripolator Coffee Shop (locally owned) to the left, with Harwood Funeral Home across State Street.

A well built ramp allows handicap accessibility to The Cutting Crew.

This locally owned shop is in the rear of the building housing the Dripolator. Joe is not taking new customers, but stays busy 5-6 days a week. I'm so glad to be a regular customer!

Today's quote:

Gratitude practice isn’t about pacifying our painful or challenging times—it’s about recognizing them and finding self-compassion as we do the work.

ALEX ELLE

Tis Cherry Blossom time

 I probably have more than these, taken the days before a big frost on Mon. 3.18.24. or maybe Tues. night. Another one will come this Saturday night, 3.23.24. 

So enjoy as I ride around Black Mountain shooting with a phone...nothing much professional, just for the joy of seeing and sharing.

I think there will be some cherry blossoms by the lake too...more soon from there!

Today is  Palm Sunday, 

National Cocktail Day, 

World Tuberculosis Day

Today's quote:

When we recognize our true inner worth, a few dark clouds passing through our minds will not intimidate us. We will see them for what they are—small, dark figures passing through an expansive sky of well-being and truth.

Rock situating

 

At Town Square, as I sat at the red light, I observed a group of people situating some big rocks. I don't know if they are new, or just being adjusted. The people are probably members of the beautification committee.

Woman in dark coat arrives, and appears to give directions to the three men in orange.

I sure hope she's not expecting them to lift that rock and put it over there where she's indicating.

I'll have to drive by and look again soon to see the results!

March 19: First Day of Spring, (though the equinox is actually it's tomorrow, this year!) 

Certified Nurses Day, 

Let's Laugh Day

Today's quote:

The earth I tread on is not a dead inert mass. 
It is a body—has a spirit—is organic—and fluid to the influence of its spirit—and to whatever particle of the spirit is in me.
—Henry David Thoreau

Some views around town in February

 

This is one of the most "unfavorite" shops in Black Mountain. Why? Not just because their products are deadly for adults...and they push them on young people trying to grow into "savvy adults," but because this building is located right across the street from the Primary School. That's young children's educational site. They may learn to read, and just look what they can see out the bus windows or from the playground during recess!

Driving further toward town on State St (Hwy 70), I can see a local savings bank (Black Mountain Savings) across from me.

The old Depot and part of the red caboose. Photo by Fred McCormick 2020

Next to the red caboose...

Turning a few times on First Street, and there's this little building going up. Is it a tiny home? Or perhaps a bit bigger? I would wonder...there are roof trusses already laid down.  But it's really squeezed in between its neighbors.

Sharing with Tuesday's Treasures

Today's quote:

Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. 

-Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946)