Pinnacle Pass and Great Rock Table

To my knowledge, this particular location has never been named. We have trekked up to this ideal lunch break destination half a dozen times, so I decided to call it Great Rock Table. Not to be confused with the great Table Rock, with a whole park named after it. The Great Rock Table is situated on the Pinnacle Pass Trail in Jones Gap Park. It is smack dab in the middle of a 10 mile hike (more or less depending on the route) and a great place to start a campfire, kick back with a brew and fire up some flavor packed bratwurst. We have seen very few people in this remote region but today we met this adventuresome couple who appear to share our basic philosophy. I have said it many times but it bears repeating:

The View is Worth the Climb!

More Pictures>>>

Tupelo Honey Cafe - A Taste of Charleston in Asheville

From honey dipped biscuits and black rassberry jam to fried okra (southern popcorn) and scratch-made Mac & Cheese.   

If you ain't home, you'd think you was. 

Tupelo is a Honey of a place to treat your taste buds right. These two charming belles invented a concoction that will knock your socks off... Guaranteed!!! Their homemade Raspberry Vodka was Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in a crystal goblet.

Tupelo is not your knock off Kountry Kitchen, it is elegant yet casual and as Edisto Island, it is quite purposefully, shabby-chic. If you can't make it to the beach this weekend try wading into the Tupelo Honey Cafe. You may think your back on Meeting Street.

The Park In Laurel Park

Each morning I rise to a beautiful day. Rain or shine there is the promise of something special, something new.

I know this, in part because Dolce, my wife's Shih Tzu, always awakens with a smile and an eager anticipation of our daily walk to "the park". Laurel Park, park, is only steps away from us. It does, in many ways, represent what I mean by "The Pretty Little City with a Great Big Heart". Laurel Park is the meeting of young and old, man and woman, human and canine. Each morning there is an impromptu parade of pets. Precious loved ones of all shapes, sizes and coiffures. All smiling and prancing proudly while their honor bound escorts follow with plastic bags in hand. The cinder trail meanders causally through carefully planted and trimmed bushes and trees, then strolls past a stream, a pond and a playground for the children. Everyone nods and says hello, admiring your pup as you return the compliment in kind. You take your time and you see each soul in it's search for meaning in their different stages of life and you know that in some small measure, each finds peace, tranquility and meaning, here.

DuPont Forest Mushroom Gang

Every detour leads to a new adventure. That has become my mantra living in Hendersonville. Today I had plans to jump in on a High Country Hikers outing. Unfortunately I failed to make advance plans (like find out where they were meeting) But... all was not lost, not by a long shot. 

To the contrary I was invited to join in with an experienced group of hikers and we had a great day on some lesser known trails in the great DuPont Forest. Covering 10,000 acres and boasting over 90 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, I've been on several and will refer to DuPont often in my 1000 reasons, but today we explored a few of those roads less traveled.

We walked several miles, somewhere between 3 and 6 depending on whose electronic device you believed, but there was nothing electronic about the experience and these guys have done it all. One gentleman told me about refurbishing the Hendersonville Train Depot

 to it's original condition and colors. He also participates in the Apple Valley Model RR Club at the corner of 7th Ave. and Maple Street.  They had stories about working the Appalachian Trail, clearing trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway and developing the Holmes Educational Forest. Where many of the major sites in DuPont, Triple Falls, Hooker and Bridal Veil Falls are very well traveled, the only folks we saw on today's hike were the rangers. We stopped for a chat and updates on what's happening in DuPont and they mentioned they were on the lookout for someone who graffitied a Mushroom on one of the picnic tables.  Not Us! But we will be sure to report in if we find 'em!!!
Hence "The Mushroom Gang" was born.
I just want to say thanks again to a great bunch of guys who took me in and showed me some great trails. They meet each Monday @ 9am in the Fresh Market parking lot. If you enjoy a nice hike, if you show up on time and if you're lucky they may take you for a spin as well.

Four Seasons Country Market - The Best Tomatoes in North Carolina!

The Best Tomatoes in North Carolina!!!

Several varieties of tomatoes all produced by local farmers and hand selected by Ray!

The Four Seasons Country Market is everything you are looking for in fresh fruits and vegetables and unique quality dairy products. I first discovered the Amish Market, as I call it, when I turned right out of Lowe's and followed 7th avenue into town. This slight detour lead me to discover the Market, The Underground Bakery, Daddy D's and Appalachian Brewery and the  Historic Hendersonville Train Depot home of the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club, all in the same area.

 Ray can give you the life story on each of several tomato varieties including the low acidic Yellow Tomato and colorful Heirloom! They also have other local seasonal picks including snap beans, broccoli, apples and pumpkins. Ray and his wife have managed their select product business with the Knowledge, Dedication, Love and Respect for their Customers:

Four Reasons to shop 

Four Seasons Country Market.

Knowledge, Dedication, Love and Respect

Incredibly Delicious!!! 

Their Amish Dairy Products include fresh churned Amish style roll Butter and Buttermilk. The Buttermilk is irresistible and while your thinking breakfast  with pancakes and corn bread, how about a side of thick cut Bacon. 

 Look for The Four Seasons Market when you come to Hendersonville. 

If you Live in Hendersonville, you should already know.

Oktoberfest Southern Appalachian Brewery

Oktoberfest in Hendersonville

It Really Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

Bratwurst or Dog!

Family...

and Friends!

Four Seasons Running Club 10K Race to Jump Off Rock

I decided to start a new post for the actual race. For me, as I am sure for many involved, the race began way before the 9 am "Jump Start". My race started at 5am just getting out of bed. Then, with the hardest part completed, I road my bike over to the Jones Gap Baptist Church.The organizers; Henderson County Runners Club and Four Seasons Running Club were already there with sign up sheets and hospitality tables and had the whole race mapped out with volunteers readied at check points. A lot of time and effort went in to organizing and coordinating this event and wasn't I relieved to know that the Laurel Park Police provided an official sweeper, making my job so much easier.

  I was free to ride back and forth among the runners at the beginning of the event and toward the end had the privilege of partnering with a person who had just participated in an  Iron Man event in Augusta GA just a few weeks ago. 

This event, as she described it while running, included a 13.1 mile Run, a 56 Mile Cycling event and 1.2 Miles Swimming (in the Savannah River!!!). I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

The race today was all about Winning! Not in the Times, not in the Awards, and certainly not in the genre of Charley Sheen. It was all about Winning by Being There and Participating! There were Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons, Friends and Neighbors actively participating, each at their own pace. Even passers by and residents from their balconies were waving and shouting support as runners raced by. Just as, I was told, some 4000 participated in the Iron Man, I foresee Oktoberfest and the 10k @ Jump Off Rock event in Hendersonville growing in number by leaps and bounds in the coming years. I would also love to see a cyclists contingent, something like 10k vs 10 miles - Man vs Machine. After all there is no place more beautiful than Jump Off Rock and no community more supportive than Laural Park and Hendersonville.


Not to mention the Oktoberfest at the Southern Appalachian Brewery from 12pm to 6pm. Gosh how time flies... Gotta Go!!!! PS: Join the Jump Off Rock 10k Race next year and you will be Winning Too!

Celebrate Oktoberfest in Hendersonville

Quick Shots on Picasa

It's the morning of Race Day. I'm up @ 5:30am so that's a start. It's 34 degrees out right now so that's a bit brisk to start riding but hopefully it will start edging up in the next few hours. I rode the course yesterday and my athletic and adventuresome neighbors were asking a lot of questions leading me to believe they may end up on the start line this morning as well. My job, of course, is not to run the race but ride my bike as the "sweeper", the guy who follows the last runner and looks out for safety issues. I'll find out more specifics when I get there this morning. The Race begins at 9 Am from the Jones Gap Baptist Church. It runs up to Jump Off Rock via Hebron, Essowah and Roberts... All Up Hill and then back. Of course coasting is one of the great rewards of cycling but runners can't coast. 

Tess and I shared an Italian meal with our good friends John and Karel, at Bayou Roma one of Hendersonville's newest restaurants. John and Karel have traveled Italy and much of the Mediterranean and John being a history buff was able to enhance our meal with some historical background on our Chicken Marsala.  All I know is that I had not eaten all day and I was more than ready to chow down on pasta, a traditional race day carb.

http://www.hvillescoop.com/Hendersonville-Buzz/Calendar/index.php/name/Jump-Off-Rock-10K-Race/event/9997/

Date

Start: Saturday, October 22, 2011 @ 9AM

Address

Jones Gap Church
3007 Hebron Rd Hendersonville, NC

Registration Closing Date

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 @ 11:59 PM PST

Hey Thanks Jeff. I was just looking at Google Maps and is the route going to follow Hebron Rd to sharp Left on to Essowah  to Laurel Park Hwy to Jump Off? or is it going to go Left on Roberts back to Laurel Park Hwy?

In either case I want to do a dry run or two before race day.

Congratulations on organizing and promoting this event. http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20110825/ARTICLES/110829841

http://www.hvillescoop.com/The-Daily-Scoop/Annual-2011/Celebrate-Oktoberfest-in-Hendersonville/

http://www.active.com/running/hendersonville-nc/jump-off-rock-10k-race-first-annual-hendersonville-oktoberfest-2011

I'll try to call to talk with you before game day. I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks

The Hare and Hound in Landrum

Landrum is unique. That's a start.... Sitting at the foot of the hill, Landrum is the first in the String of Pearls and looks and feels more like a mountain town in North Carolina than it's closest South Carolinian neighbors. The town is quaint and inviting. It's main street has a number of merchant shops that have the look, feel and quality of a destination village. The anchor store of this experience is the Hare and Hound. A restaurant pub with a rich textured atmosphere substantiated with a diverse, home style menu with absolutely delicious food. I began today's lunch with White Bean and Ham Soup. Yummmeee and a perfect antidote to this mornings chill in the air. A thick, creamy, beanie soup with deliciously blended bits of ham. Followed by Fish and Chips that rival Hannah's and Black Rose. The home run today was an Irish Coffee made with Baileys Irish Cream, Jameson Irish Whiskey and a head of whipped cream delicately perched on a toothpick scaffold skillfully constructed by our hostess who has been with The Hare and Hound for 10 years. I understand... it was hard to us to leave as well.
Hold the phone Honey Child! Later this evening it dipped into to our "Hound Bag" and tasted Tess's take home "Honey Child Sandwich". This sandwich deserves its own honorable mention. The Honey Child, described on the menu simply as homemade chicken salad with almonds and honey sauce on a toasted croissant, is magnanimous in its understatement. The Honey Child is a talent show of taste and  worthy of adoption.

It's raining today and the stream behind our home is rushing. The sky is misty, cool and the mountains hide beneath a shroud of fog. It's a Beautiful Day! I put the plants out on the deck and I'll take a few pictures to post in a minute. We are closing on our house in Inman, SC tomorrow and I guess that will really make it official. We're not just thinking about it or visiting, we're no longer commuting for long weekends while we "get the house ready". We are here. We live in Hendersonville, NC and we have our licence plates to prove it. We lived 30 wonderful years in Spartanburg and drove through Hendersonville on our way to other places much of the time but we slowed down just long enough to take a second look.

While in Spartanburg we worked every day, had our baby and our son to raise. Basball, Boyscouts, Clogging and Homework. Our whole lives were focused on those two things; Work and Home. I was thinking, with Halloween approaching, how one year in particular, Eric and I worked on our Halloween decorations and contraptions literally for weeks in advance. We rigged up a ghost suspended in the tree nearest the carport and could make it move with hidden wires and remote sound effects. The whole thing was very elaborate and involved. This event really marked a rite of passage from a fear of the Haunted House, in younger days to being master or our scary domain.We probably had at least 100 Trick or Treater's and bags of Hersey's and Reese's to give away. Never had to worry about having too much because our hands were often in the til.

This year I put a piramid of three pumpkins in front. We will get a bag of Reece's but I have Type 2, probably won't dip into the stash too much. Things change.....