The creator of nationalrvparks.com contacted me a few weeks ago to request an interview. Though we rarely camp, an omission that needs to be corrected, I responded.
The questions?
For a "newbie" RVing family or camper that's interested in camping in the Carolinas which RV Park, Campground or Trail would you recommend they visit?
Before an individual or family begins there camping vacation in the Carolinas, what supplies do you recommend they bring?
Did you always have a natural affinity towards traveling and learning new things or did you develop that overtime?
What websites or other blogs would you recommend to RVers/campers or adventure travelers visit before they travel on there next vacation in the Carolinas?
Would you say your writing and traveling with your beau has brought you closer together?
You can read the interview here.
Next up: Richmond's battlefields and Waterfalling along Highway 64!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Alice Wisler on Moonshine and NASCAR
My noveling life intersects with my love for the Carolinas in today's post. Recently, North Carolina author Alice Wisler stopped by my writing blog to share a tale from the mountains. A tale she wove into her new novel, A Wedding Invitation.
This comes at a great time. Not long ago, I purchased James Stehlik's Distilling the Mysteries of Hogback Mountain, a presentation on moonshining in South Carolina's Dark Corner. While we haven't hiked Hogback--in addition to the mountain's name, literally a term meaning "A ridge with a sharp summit and steeply sloping sides"--my husband and I have hiked trails near there, where evidence of past moonshine operations still exist. It piqued my interest. I recently watched a UNC presentation on Dark Corner, and I look forward to reading Mr. Stehlik's book, which I'll review here.
Until then, here is Alice Wisler on moonshining in North Carolina, and its influence on NASCAR. I included two photos I snapped while hiking trails in the old Dark Corner.
Sugar, water, malt, cornmeal and yeast. These are the key ingredients for moonshine. No, I'm not planning on making a batch today, but I am interested in the subject, especially since it fits in with my novel A Wedding Invitation, and making moonshine has been quite profitable in my state of North Carolina.
What's the history of moonshine? Well, one thing is for sure, it came about before NASCAR (National Associate of Stock Car Auto Racing). In fact, making a moonshine run in a fast car was how NASCAR got her beginnings. During the Prohibition years of 1920 through 1933, running from the law in order to make a moonshine delivery at night in a souped-up car was common in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Once Prohibition ended, the question of what to do with these racing cars was raised. That's when car races became popular entertainment in the rural South. Wilkes County, North Carolina was the hot spot to see the races. Vance Packard called Wilkes County the bootleg capital of America.
Who invented moonshine? We can thank the Scots and the Scotch-Irish, who settled in the Appalachian Mountains 300 years ago and made moonshine like they did back in Scotland. In their Scottish farmlands, these farmers used leftover grains to ferment into liquor. The farmers, weary of over taxation on their properties and the absence of religious freedom, immigrated to America for better lives. They brought their hopes, families, and distillery ingenuity with them.
Today, folks are curbing the 180 proof moonshine of days gone by and giving the whiskey a smoother, gentler taste. Liquor stores sell moonshine flavored with fruit which is easier on the palate. And moonshine is legal to produce as long as you have a license like the makers of Catdaddy, a distillery in Madison, North Carolina.
In A Wedding Invitation, there is much talk of Uncle Charlie, a notorious relative, who had his share of moonshine tales. Here's some about him on page 53.
I nod, recalling having previously heard the name of this particular cemetery. Uncle Charlie is buried there, with a headstone that has a motorcycle engraved in it. My great-uncle liked to ride fast, and my relatives tell me that his Harley out-sped any police car on the Forsyth County squad. He also made moonshine, borrowing a recipe from Scottish immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains.
Anyway, I saw a program on how moonshine was made in our mountains (and am sure it still is), and ever since then knew I had to incorporate my new knowledge into one of my novels.
Moonshine, truly a Southern tale of adventure, secrecy, and the birth of NASCAR.
----------------------------
Alice J. Wisler grew up as a missionary kid in Japan. Her first novel is Rain Song (Christy Finalist 2009), followed by How Sweet It Is (Christy Finalist 2010), and Hatteras Girl. Her fourth novel, A Wedding Invitation, was released on October 1, 2011. All of her books take place in North Carolina where she lives with her husband, two dogs, and children. Alice also teaches grief-writing workshops---Writing the Heartache---and speaks at conferences, retreats, and seminars in memory of her son Daniel, who died in 1997 from cancer treatments at the age of four.
This comes at a great time. Not long ago, I purchased James Stehlik's Distilling the Mysteries of Hogback Mountain, a presentation on moonshining in South Carolina's Dark Corner. While we haven't hiked Hogback--in addition to the mountain's name, literally a term meaning "A ridge with a sharp summit and steeply sloping sides"--my husband and I have hiked trails near there, where evidence of past moonshine operations still exist. It piqued my interest. I recently watched a UNC presentation on Dark Corner, and I look forward to reading Mr. Stehlik's book, which I'll review here.
Until then, here is Alice Wisler on moonshining in North Carolina, and its influence on NASCAR. I included two photos I snapped while hiking trails in the old Dark Corner.
~~~~
Sugar, water, malt, cornmeal and yeast. These are the key ingredients for moonshine. No, I'm not planning on making a batch today, but I am interested in the subject, especially since it fits in with my novel A Wedding Invitation, and making moonshine has been quite profitable in my state of North Carolina.
What's the history of moonshine? Well, one thing is for sure, it came about before NASCAR (National Associate of Stock Car Auto Racing). In fact, making a moonshine run in a fast car was how NASCAR got her beginnings. During the Prohibition years of 1920 through 1933, running from the law in order to make a moonshine delivery at night in a souped-up car was common in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Once Prohibition ended, the question of what to do with these racing cars was raised. That's when car races became popular entertainment in the rural South. Wilkes County, North Carolina was the hot spot to see the races. Vance Packard called Wilkes County the bootleg capital of America.
Today, folks are curbing the 180 proof moonshine of days gone by and giving the whiskey a smoother, gentler taste. Liquor stores sell moonshine flavored with fruit which is easier on the palate. And moonshine is legal to produce as long as you have a license like the makers of Catdaddy, a distillery in Madison, North Carolina.
In A Wedding Invitation, there is much talk of Uncle Charlie, a notorious relative, who had his share of moonshine tales. Here's some about him on page 53.
I nod, recalling having previously heard the name of this particular cemetery. Uncle Charlie is buried there, with a headstone that has a motorcycle engraved in it. My great-uncle liked to ride fast, and my relatives tell me that his Harley out-sped any police car on the Forsyth County squad. He also made moonshine, borrowing a recipe from Scottish immigrants who settled in the Appalachian Mountains.
Anyway, I saw a program on how moonshine was made in our mountains (and am sure it still is), and ever since then knew I had to incorporate my new knowledge into one of my novels.
----------------------------
Alice J. Wisler grew up as a missionary kid in Japan. Her first novel is Rain Song (Christy Finalist 2009), followed by How Sweet It Is (Christy Finalist 2010), and Hatteras Girl. Her fourth novel, A Wedding Invitation, was released on October 1, 2011. All of her books take place in North Carolina where she lives with her husband, two dogs, and children. Alice also teaches grief-writing workshops---Writing the Heartache---and speaks at conferences, retreats, and seminars in memory of her son Daniel, who died in 1997 from cancer treatments at the age of four.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Photos: Swansboro and Cedar Point Tideland Trail
Last week, we spent a few hours along the White Oak River, first in Swansboro, and then hiking along the river's estuary at Cedar Point Tideland Trail. Cedar Point is a nice, short, scenic hike, and we particularly enjoy the view of the estuary from the boardwalks.
It was our first trip to Swansboro, and found the little fishing village both charming and inviting. As an added plus, it's located near Hammock's Beach State Park. Now that the mosquitoes are dying out, we hope to check that out in the near future.
Photos from our trip:
It was our first trip to Swansboro, and found the little fishing village both charming and inviting. As an added plus, it's located near Hammock's Beach State Park. Now that the mosquitoes are dying out, we hope to check that out in the near future.
Photos from our trip:
Saturday, October 01, 2011
Return to Bath, NC
A clear cool day at the start of autumn inspired us to take a long drive, so we hopped over to Bath, NC for a few hours. Some may remember Bath was the first town in North Carolina, and home to surveyor John Lawson and later, Blackbeard. It's also the setting for my story Saints & Sinners, which took second place in the short story category at this year's Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. But that's not why we're fond of the place.
Little has changed in the four years since our last visit. The streets are still tidy, the houses charming. St. Thomas Church still draws visitors to its sanctuary, and the waters of Bath Creek, off the Pamlico Sound, are still inviting. It's a quiet, picturesque stop for those in the area.
While there, we visited the Pirate's Treasure, a small gift shop located a couple houses down from Blackbeard's historical marker. The shop was closed during our last visit, so with a welcome hanging on the door, we went inside.
I usually don't mention stores in my posts, but Mrs. Anderson's warmth and friendliness, not to mention the adorable handcrafted ornaments she sold, are reminiscent of Mount Airy's Mayberry, and harder to find than the penguin gourds displayed on one of her shelves. If you have an opportunity to stop by, so do, and check out the Christmas room. You won't believe what she did with a handful of prickly sweet-gum seeds.
After a short walk around St. Thomas Church, we took the Bayview Ferry across the Pamlico River toward Aurora, famous for its fossils. While it doesn't sound exciting, I once happened on a 2006 survey of the region, and was surprised by the species found imprinted there:
During the relaxing, thirty-minute ferry ride, we noticed a hint of red in the trees lining the bank of the river.
It won't be long until fall color is in full bloom. When it is, we'll be meandering around the Carolinas, enjoying as much of it as we can.
Little has changed in the four years since our last visit. The streets are still tidy, the houses charming. St. Thomas Church still draws visitors to its sanctuary, and the waters of Bath Creek, off the Pamlico Sound, are still inviting. It's a quiet, picturesque stop for those in the area.
While there, we visited the Pirate's Treasure, a small gift shop located a couple houses down from Blackbeard's historical marker. The shop was closed during our last visit, so with a welcome hanging on the door, we went inside.
I usually don't mention stores in my posts, but Mrs. Anderson's warmth and friendliness, not to mention the adorable handcrafted ornaments she sold, are reminiscent of Mount Airy's Mayberry, and harder to find than the penguin gourds displayed on one of her shelves. If you have an opportunity to stop by, so do, and check out the Christmas room. You won't believe what she did with a handful of prickly sweet-gum seeds.
After a short walk around St. Thomas Church, we took the Bayview Ferry across the Pamlico River toward Aurora, famous for its fossils. While it doesn't sound exciting, I once happened on a 2006 survey of the region, and was surprised by the species found imprinted there:
(The area) contain one of the largest known concentrations of marine vertebrate fossils in the world. Among the more prominent vertebrate fossil assemblages found at the site are sharks, fish, sea and terrestrial birds, baleen and toothed whales, walrus, and true seals.How mining for phosphates—a process visible near the Aurora terminal—has affected the fossil collection, I don't know. I'll have to ask when I visit the museum in Aurora.
During the relaxing, thirty-minute ferry ride, we noticed a hint of red in the trees lining the bank of the river.
It won't be long until fall color is in full bloom. When it is, we'll be meandering around the Carolinas, enjoying as much of it as we can.
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