You really 'Otter' go to the mountains

Our family headed up to Honey Bear House a recent weekend to escape the heat of Raleigh. And guess what? It worked! When we left the City of Oaks around 1 p.m., the temperature was already at 98 degrees. When we arrived in Seven Devils around 5, it was around 75. And that was about the warmest it would get all weekend (with almost no humidity).  It was a NICE reprieve.

I wanted to share some of the highlights of the weekend; we packed a lot in, yet still managed to relax and recharge.


Here is a shot of my lovely bride and me from the deck of Our Mountain Place.

The kids ALWAYS love "swimming" in the hot tub. This was one of Roman's first times, and he could not be happier.

Saturday morning we just had to go gem mining. We checked out Foggy Mountain for the first time, and it was a blast. (Spoiler alert: We just so "happened" to find lots of gems.)

After some good kid fun, we had to have some adult enjoyment as well. We headed over to one of the hidden gems of the High Country: Grandfather Winery.  We enjoyed some good wine and music (by the Romantic Egotists) while the kids played in the Watauga River. It was one of the most relaxing (and cheap) 3 hours we've ever spent.

Saturday ended; life was good. And I'm always amazed at how different this view looks, not only season to season, but throughout the day.

Sunday was mostly spent at the "new" Otter Falls in Seven Devils. I say new, but obviously the waterfalls and the creek have been there; however, the town recently acquired the land and it is now a wonderful public park (still in progress; a new trail is being worked on as we speak). It's about a mile from our house, and it is maybe our new favorite spot. We played in the water, climbed on some rocks, and Roman even did some "fishing."

Later that day, it was, sadly, time to go back to life and back to humidity. But it was about as perfect a weekend as you could have.

See ya soon, High Country!

Wanna learn some history about N.C.'s ski slopes?

North Carolina is fortunate to have topography that allows for winter sports. The High Country alone boasts several ski slopes, as well as tubing at Hawksnest. Now a new book celebrates that heritage.

“North Carolina Ski Resorts,” the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series. The book, by author Donna Gayle Akers, was released just this week.

The book boasts 200 vintage images, many of which have never been published, and chronicles the history of the state’s ski industry.

During the early 1960s, local leaders in western and northwestern North Carolina were dedicated to developing winter recreational opportunities in the mountains. North Carolina’s ski industry dates back to the winter of 1961–1962, when the Cataloochee Resort in Maggie Valley developed the first ski slope in the state.

Once thought impossible to make snow south of the Mason-Dixon Line, technological innovations in snowmaking allowed several other resorts to develop through the 1970s, including Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Wolf Ridge and Ski Sapphire Valley, all of which still operate today.

Images of smaller ski areas such as Hound Ears, Seven Devils, and Mill Ridge, are featured to honor these now defunct clubs.

Many of the present-day resorts have incorporated snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice-skating and snow tubing, along with mountain biking trails for summer recreation on the slopes.

“North Carolina Ski Resorts” showcases the rich recreational history of western and northwestern North Carolina.

Highlights of North Carolina Ski Resorts include:

• Many of the images date back to the beginning of the ski industry in North Carolina.

• Each ski resort has a unique story of their survival that can be seen through historic photographs.

• Changes in ski technology are evident in the photographs, as safer bindings and boots were developed.

This books is available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at 888-313-2665 or online.

Hawksnest tubing in the spotlight

Sarah Kendall with the Moms Charlotte recently blogged about her experience snowtubing at Hawksnest. Sounds like she had a blast.

Looking for some good family fun this winter season? Put Seven Devils, North Carolina into your GPS and head to Hawksnest for a day of snow tubing. It is a must-do fun day for the whole family. The drive from Charlotte is a bit over two hours, but the high-action fun is worth the drive.

...

Looking around the crowds, everyone appeared to be in good spirits and having a great time. I overheard two young siblings who got tired after an hour and wanted to sit with their grandmother. My ten and eight-year old daughters didn’t want to stop, but I believe just one session was enough for us.

One of my daughter’s said, it was awesome and the other asked, when can we go again?

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/13/4690225/snow-tubing-at-hawksnest.html#storylink=cpy

Oh, and in case you've forgotten, there's always a good place to stay VERY close to Hawksnest! (Blatant shilling over!)


Photo courtesy of Moms Charlotte.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/13/4690225/snow-tubing-at-hawksnest.html#storylink=cpy

Yes, indeedy: a new park in the works

(Image from Town of Seven Devils)

The quality of life in Seven Devils is about to get even better -- if you can imagine it.

Week before last, the town received notice that it has been awarded a $135,000 grant to purchase pristine property for a new town park, which we mentioned a couple of months ago.


The land is a "wooded area with a stream and waterfall, known locally as Otter Falls Park, according to Town Manager Ed Evans."

The grant is for $135,800 and is contingent upon a 50/50 match with local government funds. The total cost of the acquisition is expected to cost $271,600 – that includes $265,000 for the purchase of the 9.78-acre tract and several thousand for due diligence such as an appraisal, survey and title search.

Clyde David Little is the seller of the property, which, according to a resolution adopted by the Seven Devils Town Council, has historical significance for its usage by Native Americans and for being a track bed for the original Tweetsie Railroad. 

Evans said that portions of the funds for the purchase of the property could come from a lender, general fund balance and/or donations. Before applying for the grant, Evans said citizens were asked how they felt about the project.

“Actually every comment, email and letter we received was positive,” Evans said. “That doesn’t mean there wasn’t opposition, but if anyone was opposed, they didn’t voice their opposition.

Residents were also asked if they were willing to donate funds and the majority of people expressed a willingness to contribute financially to Seven Devils first potential natural park area.

“We are hoping a portion of it can be funded through donations,” Evans said.Currently, the village has two tennis courts with a small playground nearby. That is the extent of the public land in Seven Devils. 

“That is one reason this is important to so many of our folks … This 9.78-acre parcel is the midway point in town. It’s all wooded, natural, has a small stream, a small water fall. It’s a very pretty piece of property,” Evans said. “In my opinion, it’s an ideal parcel to keep natural [with] trails.” 

THIS is a good sight to see!

We talked yesterday about the crazy weather that Superstorm Sandy has brought us. One of the benefits is the early snow on the area's ski slopes! Here's an image from the webcam* at Appalachian Ski Mountain, via Ray's Weather Center%.



*The High Country is blessed with a host of great weather-related webcams. For conditions closer to Our Mountain Place, be sure to check out the Seven Devils webcam, looking back toward town hall:

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%And no trip to the mountains should be complete without first checking out Ray's Weather Center. Bookmark it TODAY!

This is so ex-siding!

We are changing things up at Our Mountain Place!

Honey Bear House is in the process of getting new siding. The exterior of the home is in need of a little TLC, and since we're not exactly in love with the color ...




... we decided to make an improvement. Here is a (camera phone) photo of how it's coming along. We are changing it from what I like to call "Blah Yellow" to "Cypress."



We will also be adding chocolate brown gutters.

What do you think so far?

Man, I miss these sunrises

It's been a while since we have personally spent a night at Our Mountain Place. Fortunately, some good friends were able to get up there and enjoy the High Country over the weekend. They sent us this breathtaking shot from one of the mornings. I can't WAIT to get back up there. Soon ... soon.

Want some Seven Devils beer, Seven Devils people?

Again, ya gotta love Google Alerts. One about Seven Devils beer came in my inbox a couple of days ago.

Apparently Olde Hickory Brewery our of Hickory has a flavor called "Seven Devils," a Scottish ale. Some of the reviews (via Beer Advocate) laud the "same beautiful aromas you receive from the barrels used for Event Horizon are found here. Very well balanced. Some warm alcohol pokes through as well as dark malts and molasses. I also get small hints of graham crackers and raisin." Another says the beer "[A]lmost tastes like a whiskey sugar daddy dipped in apple cider."

I guess that's good?

Heads up: Seven Devils is a seasonal, meaning it may not be around long.

From Olde Hickory's website:

Our newest experiment with barrel aging. This time we brewed a delicious Scottish Ale (anyone remember our Nessie's?) and aged it in bourbon barrels.Our brew master says "It's like drinking a candy bar." Notes of chocolate, caramel, and coconut blend with the caramal and roasty maltiness typical of Scotch Ales. Available on tap and in 22oz bottles. 8% abv

Follow the High Country on Facebook

I don't know why it didn't hit me to look for them, but a number of High Country hot spots can be found via social media. The Town of Seven Devils, for instance, is on Facebook. So is Hawksnest. (Be sure to "like" them.) Also making its way to Facebook are Woodlands BBQ, Mast General Store and others.

Any others?

More autumn fun

We made it up to Seven Devils a couple of weekends ago with some good friends and their kids. The weather was perfect for some hiking, gem mining and more. Enjoy the photos!

Ah ... the mountains in autumn ...

We just finished up a wonderful weekend in Seven Devils. The leaves are *just* starting to change to their vibrant autumn magical colors ... the night air was crisp and cool ... and the animals were foraging for food for the winter.

We arrived just after 5 in the evening on Friday, settled into Our Mountain Place and had a lovely dinner with our friends. Saturday began with a trip to Linville Falls (the "Grand Canyon of the East"). Having had a bunch of rain in the days leading up meant some very powerful waterfalls. We had been there in June, and the difference was astonishing. On the way back, we saw an approximately 4-foot-long rattlesnake in the m

iddle of the Blue Ridge Parkway (not far from Roseboro Road), which was a "thrill" for parents and kids alike.

After Linville, we headed to the Foscoe Mining Company where the kids had a blast. They kept thinking they

were going to mine some diamonds and pearls, but the many other gems were more than enough to give them a thrill. We

then hit the always-popular Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, where we loaded up on candy.

More rain was in store Saturday night. It started around 8 p.m. and poured until about 7 a.m. on Sunday. However, we were blessed with a break in the rain; Sunday was GORGEOUS. We had planned to go to Moses Cone, but figuring it was to be a wee bit muddy, we instead just went into

Blowing Rock to shop (downtown and at Tanger outlets, shown), play on the playground and then have lunch at Canyons. My wife and I have probably been to BR a dozen times, and it was our first time at Canyons. The food was great, and they offered a nice jazz brunch on Sundays. After some ice cream at Kilwin's, we loaded up and headed back to Raleigh, dodging rain the whole way back.

We can't wait to get back to OMP. Unfortunately, it won't be until November when we bring more friends up. Hopefully they'll enjoy it as much as our other friends did.

Seven Devils SafetyFest is July 2

We won't be able to make it, which is a shame: sounds like a nice time.

On Saturday, July 2, the town of Seven Devils will host its eighth annual SafetyFest Bar-B-Que Dinner, Raffle, Craft Show & Silent Auction, according to the Mountain Times.

All are invited to eat-in at town hall or stop by for a carry-out. Dinners include pork barbecue, roll, baked beans, cole slaw, drink and dessert. Adult dinners cost $7; children's (under 12) are $5. Meals will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The craft show will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there is still room for more crafters. Silent auction items will be on display at Seven Devils Town Hall, starting Monday, June 27. Bids close at 2:30 p.m. on July 2. Raffle winners will be announced every hour, with winnings including a 32-inch HD television, Kindle Reader and more. Raffle tickets are available at town hall.

Linville Falls, Pappy's, Art in the Park and more

The family spent a wonderfully-relaxing weekend at Our Mountain Place -- even though we had a few touch-ups and chores to do for the place. Still, we found ample time for fun stuff after marking the must-do things off our list on Friday night. That left plenty of time for the "want-tos."

On Friday, we went on a little hike around Seven Devils -- something we hadn't done before. We checked out some new roads, some new homes and even saw the resort and lake. We even saw some chipmunks!

We then went into Blowing Rock where we saw some great Art in the Park -- right before the rain got us. We managed to buy a terrific aluminum photo print from Jerald Winter. (Ironically, the print we got was for Our Beach Place. Go here and see if you can see it. It's photo 12 of 20.)

We left Art in the Park and did some shopping before heading over to Pappy's in Banner Elk for dinner. It was awesome. Charity and I both got pulled pork platters, with Texas toast. I got the beans (some of the best beans I've ever had) and fries. She got sweet potato fries and corn. The girls even loved it -- there's a bit waterwheel in the back to watch!

Sunday we got up and headed to Linville Falls (hopefully photos to come) to do some hiking. We were actually there for several hours which, with a 2- and 4-year-old, we were quite impressed. Linville Falls is as pretty as ever, and the weather was great. Once again, we got out just before some rain.

Anyway, we once again made a video to show some of the additions to the house, which we have dubbed "Honey Bear House." You can view it in the video below. Warning: the video quality is not great. And neither is the narrator. So sue me.

You could never get bored

Here's a nice look at some upcoming events to the High Country. Don't miss out on these awesome happenings! Horse shows, concerts, art ... the area has it all!

We plan to personally make it to Blowing Rock's Art in the Park at some point, and Grandfather Mountain is always a winner!

It is finished!

Well, the place in Seven Devils is completed! We have dubbed it "Honey Bear House." Check out the photos, and let us know if you want to rent it out!



The living room.


The Master bedroom.




Exterior



The basement or "Bear's Den."



Bedroom No. 2

The brand-new kitchen!

Almost there!

We went up OMP this past weekend to put some furniture together and check on the general progress which, you will see, is coming along swimmingly.

We are *this* close to having it ready for rentals. (Contact us if you're interested!) We're thinking by Memorial Day.

As you'll see, the painting is done, the cabinets are in, the flooring is completed, the stove is cleaned and ready to rock (we enjoyed it Sat. night!) and the couches and beds and dresses are ready for your bottoms, heads and clothes, respectively.

Interior is coming along!

Well, looks like the paint colors are in. It's always a little nerve-wracking when you're waiting to see if you still like the color you picked out at the hardware store when it's slathered all over your walls!

Well, we ARE excited. We couldn't be happier about our paint choices. They really brighten the place up.

The blue is the color in the main living space: living room and kitchen.

The green is what is on the walls in the basement and bedrooms.

Thoughts?

(Thanks to Steve M. for providing the photos!)

Now THIS is why we bought the place

We headed up the mountain over the weekend to take some items that need to be installed into the house. We quickly remembered WHY we bought the place. Here it is March. It's 75 degrees in Raleigh, but snowing in Seven Devils. Nice.

I'll let the photos tell the tale: Grandfather Mountain, Moses Cone, the landscape.

Can't wait to get back again.

One of the (sleepy) bears and some deer at Grandfather.

Our Mountain Place ... BEFORE

Below is some video footage of our house that we took a few weeks ago so you can take a virtual tour of our home in Seven Devils ... BEFORE the work is done. Listen as my lovely wife explains what we plan to do.


Enjoy!

We've done our part, now just have to get some renovatin' done

We trudged up a bunch of stuff to the mountain place in Seven Devils. And we even have picked out the paint colors, flooring, kitchen plan, cabinets and more. We still have to get some appliances, but we are hopeful that in just a couple of months (fingers crossed), it will be done, and we can start enjoying it (or enjoying some rental income from it - double fingers crosse). Oh, and we even got some Broyhill furniture to be delivered when it's done.

If you are interesting in renting it (look for an early June start), let us know at collards12@yahoo.com