Gateway to the Smokies

In this episode, we'll explore the wonderful world of beer and the amazing craft beer revolution, and what it takes to turn your passion into profit.

Corey Bryson, Co-Owner with his wife, Laurie Bryson, of Balsam Falls Brewery—is an award-winning craft beer artisan and certified beer judge hailing from Tampa, Florida. He and his wife are also Cicerone Certified Beer Servers. They now own and operate Balsam Falls Brewing in Sylva where Corey has family roots that go back over 150 years.

He will talk about his craft beer brewing passion and how he and Laurie are making a big impact in the Smokies. Don't miss this fun interview!

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Joseph starts by talking about the Meadowlark Motel which is the show’s sponsor and also smokiesadventure.com, another sponsor as well. Some upcoming events include a mountain heritage book series happening in Maggie Valley at the motel. He also mentions a fly fishing weekend which you can learn more about at meadowlarkmotel.com. Joseph talks about brewing and the industry that is growing in Asheville which supports about 3,500 jobs. He introduces his guest, Corey Bryson, Co-Owner with his wife, Laurie Bryson, of Balsam Falls Brewery. Corey grew up in the Southeast but also spent a lot of time in the Smoky Mountains with his grandparents. Corey also has an information technology background. He was a broadcast engineer for a tv station and also went into IT before opening Balsam Falls Brewery. Out of all of his hobbies, brewing was what stuck with him for a long time. Corey also speaks with Joseph about judging a beer which is what he also does as a trained professional.

Corey is a Cicerone Certified Beer Server which he talks about with Joseph. It takes about 6 weeks to earn this which is considered a first-level sommelier. An expert in beer, he says, would know what makes one beer different from the other like how wine experts would know about wine. Corey says that when he lived in Tampa, Florida, he was very involved in the craft beer scene. His wife was the co-organizer of an international women’s craft beer organization. Corey and his wife worked with some friends from their brew club who decided to open a brewery in Tampa. Corey and his wife had been wanting to move to North Carolina to do the same. They sold their house in Tampa, quit their jobs, and finally moved after a couple of years. Although he only spent summers in North Carolina, he talks about the Smoky Mountains feeling like home to him. He discusses with Joseph the success of his brewery and how hospitality has been an important factor in its success and connection with its customers. Corey also speaks about the brewery’s name, what it means and how he and his wife came up with it.

Corey talks more with Joseph about glassware and what a real beer glass looks like. He mentions that it actually makes a difference in how the beer tastes. Corey speaks about the Founders Club, which he created but no longer exists. The idea was to get labor but also gain supporters for their brewery. These people would help with things like paintings and fixing the location. He also speaks about his interest in environmental issues and how it’s important for his business. His brewery is a nano brewery and he speaks with Joseph about the work it takes for production and some of its benefits. Corey also discusses bringing a restaurant into the brewery, although most breweries bring in food trucks instead. The food that they have includes sandwiches, burgers, wings, and more. As for the beers, Corey says that he loves all kinds of beer. They have End of the Mist, their Southern IPA, Go West which is a West Coast Style IPA and more. He says that you’ll never know what you’ll find exactly when coming into the brewery.

Balsam Falls Brewery also has a winery license, so Corey says that they can also make mead, something that Joseph brings up from his own experience. Joseph asks Corey about what he will be doing next. Corey says that he wants to expand the brew house and their kitchen. He is also thinking of having a second location in Haywood County. Balsam Falls Brewery is located in Sylva, North Carolina, and Corey says that visitors coming to the area, can visit places like Pinnacle Mountain to hike, visit waterfalls, and even have breakfast at White Moon Cafe. To find out more about Balsam Falls Brewery, visit balsamfallsbrewing.com and the same name on Facebook and Instagram.

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00:00:33.540 –> 00:00:44.250 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: hey welcome to the gateway to the smokies podcast this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park in the surrounding towns.

00:00:44.640 –> 00:00:57.810 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: these areas are filled with ancient natural beauty, deep-storied history, and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes. I’m Joseph Franklyn McElroy man of the world, but also deep roots in these mountains.

00:00:58.470 –> 00:01:12.480 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: My family is living in the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture today we’re going to talk about quality brewing in the smokies but first, sponsor’s message, which happens to be me.

00:01:14.160 –> 00:01:23.760 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Imagine a place evocative of motor courts in the past, yet a modern environment with a Chic Appalachian feel and the amenities, of a country in

00:01:24.180 –> 00:01:36.330 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: a place for adventure and for relaxation imagine a place where you can fish and a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.

00:01:36.870 –> 00:01:48.900 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Imagine a place for the old-time music and world cultural sounds, there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:01:49.860 –> 00:02:02.190 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and other sponsors smokies adventure. com that’s smokies plural adventure singular.com the smoky mountains and surrounding areas of vacation us a destination for all seasons.

00:02:02.490 –> 00:02:10.140 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Some of the nation’s best hiking trails waterfalls outdoor adventures and family entertainment can be found, right here.

00:02:10.740 –> 00:02:22.710 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: start your adventure by using smokies adventures.com for all the wonderful features of the great smoky mountains natural park trails, waterfalls, Cage Code, the elk, and more.

00:02:23.190 –> 00:02:29.220 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: then check out the awesome family attractions in the entertainment, you and your entire family can enjoy.

00:02:29.850 –> 00:02:41.340 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And if you want you to do things like outdoor life events like weddings honeymoons smokies adventures got you covered it can let you know what are some of the great places to go and to have your event can happen.

00:02:41.820 –> 00:02:48.480 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The goals of smokies adventures.com has become the leading information portal for adventures and experiences in the great smoky mountains.

00:02:49.740 –> 00:02:52.020 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So I want to give you a couple of events that are coming up.

00:02:53.190 –> 00:03:02.730 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: there’s a mountain Heritage book series happening inMaggie Valley North Carolina at the Meadowlark Motel and on Saturday, March 26 2022 at 4 pm.

00:03:03.030 –> 00:03:09.270 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: renowned author Bob Plott will lead a seminar on the history of hunting in the great smoky mountains.

00:03:09.570 –> 00:03:22.200 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: followed by a Barbecue dinner and music with Mike Ogletree former drummers of simple minds and various guests for that evening call 82 89261717 for more information.

00:03:23.130 –> 00:03:36.690 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And, as I mentioned before we’re going to have a big fly fishing camp in April here at the meadowlark motel what’s better for the soul than throwing a line upstream watching it past do it again and again, and perhaps getting a bite.

00:03:37.290 –> 00:03:44.430 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I don’t know all anglers know that fishing is only about reeling in the big one, although that always gets our blood pumping.

00:03:45.660 –> 00:03:53.070 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The fly fishing is about being one with the River its magnificence presence well witnessing invaluable ecosystem.

00:03:53.760 –> 00:04:00.510 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The meadowlark motels offering a fly fishing camp on a weekend on April 15 through the 17th and the smoky mountains.

00:04:00.840 –> 00:04:13.320 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Our goal is to bring like-minded people together to fly fishing food, drinking stories, and campfire Friday night will feature fishing tales of the smokies beverages of your choice, the speakeasy.

00:04:15.210 –> 00:04:27.840 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: charcuterie board full of small bites and trout those delicacies and lodging at the Meadowlark motel and then Saturday breakfast full of wonderful delights a half-day of on hands.

00:04:28.320 –> 00:04:36.900 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: instructions for four hours of intense fishing elite regional trout stream and then additional fat fishing in the mountain heritage trout stream in the backyard.

00:04:37.200 –> 00:04:49.260 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: there’ll be a Barbecue dinner live musical entertainment campfires and again lodging at the meadowlark motel call 8289261717 to get more information and to reserve your space.

00:04:49.950 –> 00:05:00.540 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: we’re gonna be talking about brewing in this smoky soon, and I just wanted to give you a little insight into it, you know that this area has become quite a brewmaster.

00:05:01.080 –> 00:05:11.910 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: paradise is actually considered one of the top areas for getting a craft beer in the nation Asheville is considered oftentimes the top city to get a.

00:05:12.660 –> 00:05:21.870 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: get a craft beer and there are many surrounding towns and counties that have become grown into quite little brew capitals on themselves.

00:05:22.230 –> 00:05:32.550 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: There are more breweries around Asheville than you can shake a stick at and the economic impact of this brewing industry is almost a billion dollars.

00:05:32.880 –> 00:05:52.920 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Right, the local beer industry is the second-largest manufacturing employer in the Asheville metro area, it supports almost 3500 jobs, the industry generated 33.4 million local tax revenues and it’s it is generated over 115 million for local state and federal governments.

00:05:54.270 –> 00:06:12.210 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s all a 357% growth from 2014 to 2019 these statistics are from 2018, let me tell you, after a couple of months in 2020 when we shut down for covid has been growing even more has been growing great jobs it’s added.

00:06:12.630 –> 00:06:17.670 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You know well over 1200 jobs, most the most of them and manufacturing industries.

00:06:17.910 –> 00:06:29.220 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And for every direct job in the industry, approximately one additional role has created support for the local economy so not only is it a wonderful tourism experience.

00:06:29.490 –> 00:06:41.070 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and culinary and imbibing experience but it’s also been important for the local economy here in the mountains, so we have an expert with us today.

00:06:41.640 –> 00:06:48.210 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: His name is Corey Bryson he is the Co-owner, with his wife Lorie Bryson in the balsam falls brewery.

00:06:48.720 –> 00:06:56.940 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Which is an award-winning crap he’s an award-winning craft beer artisan and certified beer judge he and his wife, are also.

00:06:57.360 –> 00:07:04.950 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I think it’s cicerone he’ll tell me in a minute, whether it’s correctly said or not certified beer servers they now own and operate.

00:07:05.190 –> 00:07:16.230 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Balsam Falls Brewing in Sylva where Corey has family roots that go back over 150 years he and Laurie are also well-known Community activists in Jackson county.

00:07:16.500 –> 00:07:23.100 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and take pride in making their homes there Hello Corey how are you doing

Corey Bryson: I’m doing good today.

00:07:23.760 –> 00:07:39.030 Joseph McElroy: yeah so, you didn’t grow up here, but your family right?

Corey Bryson: that’s correct my dad went off to college, I went to nc state when in the navy, and I was actually born in California I grew up all over the southeast but every summer I spent in these mountains, with my grandparents,

00:07:40.380 –> 00:07:46.800 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: that’s fabulous you know that’s exactly what I do my son Ethan, he then has down 30 is that.

00:07:47.370 –> 00:07:57.660 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You know I left and went out to New York and different places, but I made sure he did come back every summer right, and I think it’s important to touch base with your cultural.

00:07:58.350 –> 00:08:08.940 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: roots that way, because both of us, you know how hundreds of years of cultural Beijing here so it’s great that you come back so you’ve lived a lot of places that you ended up in Florida right, I did.

00:08:09.750 –> 00:08:24.480 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We moved to Florida in 2000 mm-hmm and lived there until 2016 school and you have an information technology background, yes, so where did you go to school uh.

00:08:25.020 –> 00:08:34.860 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I have an associate’s degree in electronics actually from a school that was in Louisville Kentucky I don’t think it’s around anymore at rest electronics Institute.

00:08:36.210 –> 00:08:37.320 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I went into.

00:08:39.330 –> 00:08:47.580 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: That a few different things, one of the things I did was I was a broadcast engineer for a TV station that’s good rock and then I went into IT and I.

00:08:48.360 –> 00:08:58.530 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: worked in that pretty much up until we open the business and I’ve worked in it, some recently cool since then, but, but you know my son was when he.

00:08:59.190 –> 00:09:03.120 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: When he left his school went to school is gonna be a marine biologist right.

00:09:03.810 –> 00:09:14.580 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And then he went to when we too and he discovered that they had this wonderful kinetic science degree, which was learning about how the body, in the end, up getting interested in powerlifting.

00:09:15.180 –> 00:09:29.910 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Oh, and so he’s been doing, like powerlifting for 10 years plus I had he got a wellness position with a corporation and stuff but now recently he’s told me he’s going to be IT, and you know, I have some IT background in my past so.

00:09:31.020 –> 00:09:37.470 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: that’s pretty cool you know it’s a good business to be in but sometimes it’s not as fun, as it could be.

00:09:40.620 –> 00:09:42.660 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Sometimes you find a hobby that.

00:09:44.100 –> 00:09:51.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You just can’t shake the and in my life, I’ve been called a collector of hobbies so I take up one hobby and.

00:09:52.650 –> 00:09:55.830 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: work and work and I get tired of it go on to something else.

00:09:57.270 –> 00:10:01.860 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But when I took up brewing it just stuck oh really and it.

00:10:03.060 –> 00:10:04.140 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: took over a good party.

00:10:05.670 –> 00:10:10.950 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And I said well if I’m this interested in it if they can keep my attention for more than three months.

00:10:11.850 –> 00:10:28.530 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And then, more than a year, more than two years, more than five years, maybe there’s something here that I can work so so so you started yeah that’s an interesting thing started as a hobby, what is your hobby before for what was an example of a hobby.

00:10:30.030 –> 00:10:32.280 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: wow you name it.

00:10:34.440 –> 00:10:36.810 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Gaming, yeah I was a gamer for.

00:10:38.310 –> 00:10:52.650 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I built computers, I was a photographer in geography, for a while did a lot of digital photography did some weddings and things like what do you see this artwork here, I consider that a hobby vote an avocation instead of a vocation right.

00:10:53.760 –> 00:11:09.240 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So I’m so used to your hobby becoming a reality in Tampa Florida, right now, and you know as you and you started getting a reputation for it there right yeah when I first got interested in brewing.

00:11:11.490 –> 00:11:15.990 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We joined a local homebrew club branded bootleggers homebrew club.

00:11:17.280 –> 00:11:18.510 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: They had.

00:11:20.070 –> 00:11:25.620 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: monthly meetings and they had a lot of great people there that brewed beer and.

00:11:27.360 –> 00:11:39.180 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: learned a lot from them together separately as kind of a side project of the club was a competition team and we get together once a month and judge.

00:11:40.320 –> 00:11:43.530 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: several different beers they could be craft beers could be homebrew.

00:11:44.640 –> 00:11:51.540 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And we would go through your standard judge judging score sheet and that helped.

00:11:55.440 –> 00:12:03.810 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: A calibrates my palate to what it should be, and to know what I’m tasting and why it’s there, or why it shouldn’t be there.

00:12:04.350 –> 00:12:19.860 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And that really got me interested in judging beer and that’s how I moved on it well, I mean it’s probably very complex but is there some things that you can tell people to how to judge appears good Those are some of the simple measures that you could yeah well.

00:12:21.270 –> 00:12:28.470 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: As a beer just saying is, you have to judge a beer based on style hmm if it doesn’t fit into a soft category.

00:12:29.760 –> 00:12:37.980 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Then the question becomes does it taste good does it taste like it’s well balanced, is this a beer, that you can drink and enjoy.

00:12:39.990 –> 00:12:55.530 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Maybe one another one, or if it’s a fear that you drink and you’re not sure about and not sure you want another one well that’s that’s your own personal preference and taste and that’s, the most important thing and repin drinking beer is drinking beer that you like.

00:12:56.820 –> 00:13:00.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: that you enjoy, so the other day, if you like, it just appropriately right.

00:13:02.760 –> 00:13:03.060 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But.

00:13:04.170 –> 00:13:09.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The thing is, is there’s like the gradation right yeah I mean there’s a big difference between judging a beer.

00:13:10.650 –> 00:13:22.590 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Based on very stringent style guidelines and drinking a beer just to enjoy, so we have to take a break and we’ll come back we’ll talk more about that and then how it evolved into a career.

00:15:39.330 –> 00:15:52.650 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Corey Brysonso, Corey you are a Cicerone Certified Beer Server so tell me what that means.

00:15:53.880 –> 00:15:59.160 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Well, the cicerone program is equivalent to a sommelier and wine.

00:16:00.480 –> 00:16:02.640 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And that is the entry-level.

00:16:04.080 –> 00:16:13.170 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s something that we encourage our staff to go through to take that certification so that they have a better.

00:16:14.250 –> 00:16:27.000 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Based on beer knowledge so it’s really an entry-level certification when my wife and I decided to start this business, we said well at the very least we should have that for ourselves.

00:16:27.540 –> 00:16:33.900 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: know what it takes to pass it and encourage our staff to be the same, and how long does it usually take to get one of those um.

00:16:35.160 –> 00:16:36.270 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: i’d say.

00:16:37.290 –> 00:16:40.980 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: depending on who you are and your knowledge and how well you study.

00:16:42.420 –> 00:16:50.370 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Probably about six weeks, and you can get the information down and then, once higher than that what’s the word to hire, then you become.

00:16:51.390 –> 00:17:06.060 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: A that’s the Level one, I guess, and then you become a certified cicerone, I see, which that is equivalent to a base or first-level sommelier as well in beer so as soon as big as it.

00:17:06.990 –> 00:17:20.040 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Is it’s not as well known as a sommelier yeah right well trying to become that well-known that I, it is, but it’s all it’s very becoming very well respected in the industry.

00:17:20.550 –> 00:17:30.090 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Because sommelier wine is is always promoted as being the high culture thing and.

00:17:30.660 –> 00:17:47.610 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: What many people don’t realize is a beer has such a deep deep history, and we have hundreds of classic styles that are out in what makes one different from the other that’s what an expert in beer would know.

00:17:48.480 –> 00:17:59.430 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Whereas an expert in wine can tell you the difference between different grapes, and things like that well you’re basically using all the same ingredients.

00:18:00.630 –> 00:18:10.230 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You know your Maltese your mouth your hops are your hops all their different types of POPs and there are different types of malts depending on how highly they’re killed.

00:18:11.250 –> 00:18:23.700 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: That determines how dark the Maltese and like hell, the darker beer becomes but so wow and what I don’t want to introduce Bob what is cicerone mean?

00:18:26.580 –> 00:18:38.100 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Honestly, I’ve seen the definition of it before, but I don’t recall, is it a name or a that’s interesting it almost sounds like a classic character for some literature.

00:18:39.330 –> 00:19:03.210 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: yeah oh Shakespeare okay cool alright that was Mike our engineering, the background you give us an insight, yeah so so you came here to you start did you start your beer business in Tampa or you know, I was very involved in the Tampa Bay craft beer scene hmm along with my homebrew club.

00:19:04.800 –> 00:19:15.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: in Florida, huggers could bring their creations to beer festivals and serve there, so our homebrew club was invited to a number of the.

00:19:16.440 –> 00:19:30.780 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The beer festivals that Tampa Bay had, and so we met a lot of the brewers there, the Community is very open and very engaged in that craft beer scene, so we became very involved with that.

00:19:32.280 –> 00:19:39.510 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: wife who’s not here with us was the Co-organizer of the bay area of charlie’s angels, which was a women’s.

00:19:42.480 –> 00:19:43.470 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: women’s I agree.

00:19:45.180 –> 00:20:02.070 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s a national or probably international women’s craft beer organization right, and they would go around and visit breweries and talk to brewery wraps, and so we just kind of became embedded in that that culture in Tampa.

00:20:03.330 –> 00:20:09.690 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: It wasn’t until we had a couple of guys from our homework for a club who decided to open a brewery in Tampa.

00:20:10.890 –> 00:20:19.890 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: That we thought well that’s kind of interesting because we have been wanting to move back move here just Silva and to Western North Carolina.

00:20:21.210 –> 00:20:27.090 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But weren’t sure how we were going to make it happen hmm so we were looking for a way to make it happen and.

00:20:27.840 –> 00:20:37.200 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: After seeing these two guys one was a banker, the other was an auto body mechanic and they got together and got some investors and open a brewery.

00:20:37.650 –> 00:20:48.960 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And were very successful and we thought huh huh that that might be a possibility, so we’ve talked to them, they shared their business plan with us, we worked on it for about three years and.

00:20:50.670 –> 00:20:54.360 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Finally, came to the point where we needed to.

00:20:56.310 –> 00:21:07.530 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: make it happen so we got the shoulder house in Tampa quit our jobs moved up here and started working to make it happen, so why did you decide to do it and so.

00:21:10.320 –> 00:21:11.970 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: i’ve always loved Western Carolina.

00:21:13.620 –> 00:21:16.290 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I didn’t grow up here, but I spent every summer here.

00:21:17.970 –> 00:21:25.860 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I’ve always loved it it always felt like home because I moved around a lot as a kid I lived all over the southeast and.

00:21:27.450 –> 00:21:31.650 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: These mountains have always felt like home to me and I wanted to be here.

00:21:33.180 –> 00:21:44.340 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So when we started looking we were looking at Jackson county was sold as Anna Haywood county we looked in Waynesville in canton as well when we’re looking for locations.

00:21:44.820 –> 00:21:59.340 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And finally decided on so well, so it was a lovely little town is a great place for you already had a couple of breweries there, and one of them died right, I actually had two of them that went out of business, there were three breweries and Silva when we.

00:22:00.450 –> 00:22:04.830 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Finally, made the decision that someone was going to be our home the home for the brewery.

00:22:06.330 –> 00:22:11.190 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And we were a little bit concerned with three breweries already in a very small town.

00:22:13.230 –> 00:22:28.620 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But we knew that we could make it happen so we wow so I mean I mean when you smarting small businesses is tough, it is, and you come into the town of three breweries, how did you succeed, how to do stay in existence um.

00:22:29.430 –> 00:22:38.820 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Well, one month before we open one of the breweries closed, and it was unfortunate because I knew the owner really well and liked him.

00:22:40.740 –> 00:22:52.080 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And even talked to him about petitioner because potentially doing a joint venture, and you know, having us come in and maybe work with him and make that brewery into what it could be.

00:22:53.370 –> 00:22:56.400 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But that didn’t work out so he ended up closing.

00:22:57.600 –> 00:22:59.550 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And then, once we had open.

00:23:04.710 –> 00:23:10.110 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: It was a lot about the feeling and the audience um our location.

00:23:11.280 –> 00:23:23.010 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We wanted to be warm and friendly and family-friendly and inviting the place that you can come into and if you’re a regular everybody knows your name, you know.

00:23:23.520 –> 00:23:38.190 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: kind of the cheers mentality and that’s what we did so from day one, the focus was to take care of our customers to be there for our customers to make them feel wanted and welcome and.

00:23:39.060 –> 00:23:49.020 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: not be these the industrial brewery where you know you want to be a here to here and then nobody talks to you and they’re they’re too busy to.

00:23:49.410 –> 00:23:56.730 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: To even give you the time of day, so hospitality is an important right, not just the brewery it’s hospitality as well, so that the right cool.

00:23:57.150 –> 00:24:02.850 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So named balsam falls right yes there’s a beautiful waterfall near there also falls.

00:24:03.270 –> 00:24:16.170 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And is it is, and I know waters, important for all making of beer, wine, whatever is that is that reason why he named it Boston false um no actually when we came up with the name balsam falls there wasn’t a Boston fall so really.

00:24:17.700 –> 00:24:24.000 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: searched and searched we did up the whole trademark search we’ve seen too many of our friends in the brewing industry.

00:24:24.690 –> 00:24:36.900 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Get hammered with $100,000 worth of legal bills because someone wanted to challenge them on their name so before we even moved up here, we started the trademark process on that name.

00:24:38.910 –> 00:24:57.030 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But the name came from two things number one in the early 70s and Silva, there was an active waterfall and it was the only municipality in the country that had an active waterfall within the city limits when they put the great smoky mountain expressway through.

00:24:58.080 –> 00:25:11.820 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: They diverted the waterfall and it was called bills false we actually have a picture of it on the front of our bar so we wanted to pay homage to that and we also wanted to have a name that really evoked.

00:25:13.830 –> 00:25:23.400 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Our locality, and you know we’ve got the plot balsam mountain range that runs right between where we are here and soma and.

00:25:24.540 –> 00:25:34.200 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: balsam was was something that just kept coming up and balsam just felt like the smoky mountains and move the plot ball so mountain ranges top by.

00:25:35.400 –> 00:25:38.760 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: By balsam trees you’ve got he balsam and she bosses.

00:25:40.830 –> 00:25:43.260 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You got the spruce trees and the poetry so.

00:25:45.090 –> 00:25:49.920 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Those things really spoke to us and we wanted to evoke them.

00:25:51.210 –> 00:26:01.740 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: a feeling of this area and at some point later on someone I don’t know if they just named this fall’s balsam falls and put it on the Internet, but we spent a lot of but i’m sure.

00:26:02.280 –> 00:26:10.710 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: There wasn’t a balsam fall just to make sure we got our trademark that was fabulous, so there is a lot of breweries in this area right there.

00:26:12.330 –> 00:26:28.620 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So I mean hospitality you’ve already mentioned, is there any other competitive advantages that you’ve created for your beer and your brewery well, there are a few things, one of the things that that we saw that we really wanted to do is we wanted to.

00:26:29.760 –> 00:26:37.200 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: create a place where people who are new to craft beer could come and learn about what makes craft beer craft beer.

00:26:38.280 –> 00:26:41.790 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We wanted to serve that craft beer in real beer glasses.

00:26:43.230 –> 00:26:52.890 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Most breweries that you go to their content with putting their beer in your standard cocktail check your glasses right.

00:26:54.900 –> 00:26:58.890 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: As part of our sister and certified beer server.

00:27:00.090 –> 00:27:13.740 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Something that I knew long before that but was that a real beer glass should have cursed and that’s why our hashtag is your curves are better is because, not because I’m fat, but because.

00:27:15.090 –> 00:27:20.820 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The curves in those glasses have a purpose So these are three glasses, I, unfortunately.

00:27:21.900 –> 00:27:23.130 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: will be my first choice.

00:27:24.720 –> 00:27:42.150 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But we’re doing it for perpetrated about four yeah that’s fine but yeah if you go to Europe every beer has its own glass where you don’t order a beer in Europe and get it in a shaker glass know those glasses.

00:27:43.560 –> 00:27:56.880 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Get on my soapbox but yeah those glasses were designed to shake cocktails and they were cheap, they were like you know they’re like 50 cents apiece you can drop them on the floor, they don’t break so in the 80s.

00:27:57.540 –> 00:28:06.780 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: A name big industrial beer company decided to put their logo on the side of these glasses, give them away to bars and say here for beer in that glass.

00:28:07.230 –> 00:28:16.710 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: It was never meant to be a beer glass real beer glasses have curves those curves have a purpose when it curves in that helps retain the head and retain the aroma.

00:28:17.160 –> 00:28:27.480 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The curve out at the lip of the glass let’s help missing that helps her role on your tongue so cool, we have to take a break now and we’re going to talk more about your brewery when we get back.

00:30:35.700 –> 00:30:43.440 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Corey Bryson so Corey.

00:30:44.820 –> 00:30:51.600 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I interrupted you because we had to go to break to talk about glass glassware, and I thought was pretty interesting, can you tell us a little bit more about that.

00:30:52.950 –> 00:31:00.060 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Well let’s put it this way, if you’ve got a good beer glass at home, you can do an experiment for yourself.

00:31:00.750 –> 00:31:14.130 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Take one of the shaker pint glasses and take a real beer glass that has the curves like I’m talking about and put your favorite beer in each glass and then takes a SIP out of each one and see.

00:31:14.520 –> 00:31:21.780 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Or take two sips out of each one of these want to acclimate your power take two steps out of each one and see if you notice the difference.

00:31:22.740 –> 00:31:31.650 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We were planning our glassware, for the brewery we did exactly that we order samples of a bunch of glassware from the company, we were going with.

00:31:32.220 –> 00:31:45.690 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And we sat down and we had we did in sets of four, we had a shaker glass as our control, and then we had three other beer glasses and we put the same beer and each one tasted each one.

00:31:46.230 –> 00:31:59.250 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: to determine which one we thought accentuated that beer, the best we ended up choosing two glasses, one for our ipas one for our standard pilots since then we’ve added.

00:31:59.910 –> 00:32:04.140 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: balloon glasses Belgian style beer glasses for smaller pores.

00:32:04.560 –> 00:32:16.290 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And things like that, but well so that’s very much like a brandy snifter right there, yes it’s like you can tell the major difference in brandy, I mean you can get the experience of brandy without the right cool.

00:32:16.710 –> 00:32:27.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I didn’t even know that that that that the beer had that sort of thing and I didn’t drink it all the time, yeah well, I mean you gotta realize our sense of taste.

00:32:27.900 –> 00:32:38.550 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Is not really our sense of taste it’s mostly our sense of smell good so if you’re not getting the aromas from that beer that you’re supposed to get that the brewer intended you to get.

00:32:39.090 –> 00:32:46.530 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And you’re missing out on half the experience so when you created your your your business.

00:32:47.460 –> 00:32:59.040 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And it’s not dissimilar to what we’re doing is we create some called the heritage club you created something called founders club and help you build that what was the founders club uh well, it was something that is now closed.

00:33:00.570 –> 00:33:01.560 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: First opening.

00:33:02.610 –> 00:33:09.270 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We needed to get a lot of work done so we needed painting mud drywall and.

00:33:10.350 –> 00:33:12.750 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Do all kinds of trim work and things like that.

00:33:13.890 –> 00:33:17.400 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So we put it out to our friends and family and things like that.

00:33:18.750 –> 00:33:21.240 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: hey if you want to become a founder here’s what you do.

00:33:22.350 –> 00:33:26.490 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Give us 25 hours of work while we’re trying to get this business open.

00:33:28.590 –> 00:33:47.640 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: in exchange will give you a T-shirt that unique T-shirt that says founders club on it you’re the only one that will ever have one of those and will also give you some other discounts it so it wasn’t like a sort of a gofundme with for labor yeah we got that idea from.

00:33:48.660 –> 00:33:54.630 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: brewery in the Tampa Bay area that opened did something very similar and it worked well for you.

00:33:55.020 –> 00:34:01.770 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: It worked really well for us, we got the painting done we made some great friends, I mean even more loyal customer you know yeah I mean.

00:34:02.190 –> 00:34:12.060 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The idea was okay we’re getting the Labor sure, but we’re also creating our cheerleaders because hopefully.

00:34:12.690 –> 00:34:20.460 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and probably about half the people that that finished becoming complete founders are now regular customers are so.

00:34:21.300 –> 00:34:34.260 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: yeah we give them free stuff but they come in all the time they bring their friends and their friends of ours, so I mean these people are we’ve known him for over four and a half years at this point and.

00:34:35.850 –> 00:34:42.030 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: they’re like family well you know it’s interesting you know I have this motels you know, been around since the 50s.

00:34:42.810 –> 00:34:49.170 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And there are people who come here, and I say there they were here for their honeymoons 60 so we’re talking about heritage club and one thing we’re doing.

00:34:49.440 –> 00:34:57.360 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: This character event, but I am thinking about you know rewarding these people like with a special status because listen to they.

00:34:58.170 –> 00:35:15.780 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: reported at all the years right, but I think I I like about you, you know we’re a three-star pine three find three pine hotel-motel where I think we’re the only three fine west of actual right which is a state designation of sustainability okay all right.

00:35:16.860 –> 00:35:32.190 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And I know you’re active that you’re active in environmental issues right, yes, so how does that become part of your business well brewers use a lot of water and they generates a lot of waste.

00:35:33.540 –> 00:35:37.710 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s forcing you to have to figure out is how are you going to get rid of some of that waste.

00:35:39.000 –> 00:35:56.430 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Spent grain after it’s gone through the matching process it still has some nutritional value, so we connected with a local farmer who comes by on brew days and drops off drums we fill them up with spent grain he takes him back and feeds some to his.

00:35:57.660 –> 00:36:03.000 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: His holiday mostly I believe so wow, and that makes them in probably like that.

00:36:05.940 –> 00:36:24.030 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: collects a lot so you’re nano brewing operations is a nano brewing is generally considered under three barrels per batch production we’re actually a one-barrel brewery so.

00:36:25.110 –> 00:36:35.190 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Once we complete a cycle of brewing we expect to get about 31 gallons of beer out on the back end I see now is that a licensed sort of a.

00:36:35.820 –> 00:36:43.560 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Difference the difference, I know there’s not a licensing differentiation it’s really just a matter of production so.

00:36:44.160 –> 00:36:54.300 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I mean, I used to work with breweries of New York and I knew that a microbrewery you know, had certain limitations, but it also got the benefits certain things just to be in a brewer.

00:36:54.750 –> 00:37:10.740 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: wider right, I know the bill is a something you have to get an MRI designation in North Carolina, no, no, you do not you just have to once you have your federal version of this you go to the State and get it set up to them, but it’s not.

00:37:12.540 –> 00:37:13.920 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: there’s not any type of.

00:37:15.300 –> 00:37:22.830 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: a level that you have to stay with it now are most breweries in North Carolina know, though, I would say not.

00:37:23.910 –> 00:37:29.430 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I’ve met a few other nano breweries most breweries that are starting up no better.

00:37:32.340 –> 00:37:35.310 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Because manufacturing is very Labor intensive.

00:37:36.570 –> 00:37:44.670 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You know, most of the time we’re not bringing one barrel of beer, we were double batching in an 11 hour day we’re in two barrels and putting that in the perimeter.

00:37:45.750 –> 00:37:53.070 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And we will do that two times three times, sometimes four times a week, depending on the demand at that point so.

00:37:53.700 –> 00:38:01.500 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Now most breweries I don’t know most, but I would say my experience of a lot of breweries is they don’t actually build a restaurant.

00:38:02.400 –> 00:38:13.350 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: right they get a food truck come in if they do anything right, and so you actually have done the work of bringing in a restaurant that’s expensive why uh well a couple of reasons, when we.

00:38:14.490 –> 00:38:15.240 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: First, opened.

00:38:16.350 –> 00:38:24.900 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Our thoughts were to do exactly that bringing a food truck and we talked to the town, a couple of times and.

00:38:26.100 –> 00:38:31.290 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: didn’t really get very far with them about giving us a parking spot for a food truck.

00:38:32.430 –> 00:38:45.390 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Just in the evenings and weekends and things like that it was we couldn’t gain traction on that right so within the first couple of months we knew that we needed food on-site and we tried other things as well we.

00:38:46.860 –> 00:38:50.610 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: could have done catering yeah we did catering a couple of times.

00:38:51.750 –> 00:39:01.290 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We actually set up special deals with a few other restaurants in the area to deliver straight to our souls and in fact one of the businesses.

00:39:02.220 –> 00:39:12.900 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: They had did not have a delivery service at all at that time, but they would deliver to us and you know how they’ve got a huge delivery business, so I really help them out.

00:39:13.500 –> 00:39:21.360 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But we just realized early on that it just wasn’t going to work, so we started fairly early working on getting food there on site.

00:39:22.650 –> 00:39:31.980 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: To get a chef how did you create well initially we had we built out the kitchen and we had a tenant in that space.

00:39:33.840 –> 00:39:36.150 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: That we opened in August,2019 with.

00:39:37.200 –> 00:39:52.500 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: With that, then of course coven shutdown march 2020 when we were able to reopen in June of 2020 the lease was almost up and we decided to part ways with our tenant.

00:39:53.010 –> 00:40:09.270 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and take over that space entirely at that point we didn’t hire an executive chef to help us put in the right equipment plan our menu and get us where we needed to be and what kind of food, did you have no we have.

00:40:10.920 –> 00:40:21.750 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Of course burgers, we have flatbreads we have wings, we have a variety of sandwiches Cuban we love spicy chicken sandwich.

00:40:23.250 –> 00:40:32.910 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And you’re all day right yes also breakfast lunch and dinner not breakfast breakfast breakfast isn’t really beer time oh yeah well yeah but yeah we open at 11.

00:40:33.660 –> 00:40:41.730 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: starts everyone’s cool you know there’s a restaurant in New York City it’s a French restaurant started in France and as part of my winery.

00:40:42.630 –> 00:40:48.960 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Right there’s an interesting story about it can’t be replicated right, but what they did is they had to.

00:40:49.380 –> 00:40:55.740 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: yeah they needed if people really wanted to have food whether drinking wine right, so they created one dish.

00:40:56.130 –> 00:41:04.170 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And they get some of you to create one dish which a steak with this with the steak and the special sauce and in free switch your Fries right.

00:41:04.650 –> 00:41:12.780 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: All the special sauce is so great that the food became this huge hit that people came from Moscow and, by the way, they drank wine to right.

00:41:13.440 –> 00:41:25.800 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And it became such a big thing they create just a restaurant that goes now in several places all over the world, all it said serves is this steak fruits with this special sauce and then you pick your wines and think he deserves.

00:41:28.440 –> 00:41:30.300 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Right it’s kind of interesting right.

00:41:31.920 –> 00:41:35.580 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So, can you tell us about the bruise the beers brew.

00:41:36.960 –> 00:41:46.260 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: uh well as we were talking earlier as a brewer I like a lot of different kinds of beer I’m not the same person will just drink one.

00:41:47.550 –> 00:41:53.220 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So we have a lot of variety in our brewery we have a total of 36 taps wow.

00:41:54.630 –> 00:41:59.670 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Two of those are taken up as guest taps one for white line one for porsecco.

00:42:02.460 –> 00:42:03.690 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: People like their muscles.

00:42:06.570 –> 00:42:13.020 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But the other 36 taps our goal is to keep beers and our other products on those.

00:42:14.760 –> 00:42:15.000 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Are.

00:42:17.250 –> 00:42:21.240 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You never know what you’re going to find when you come in, you know, right now, what are your staples.

00:42:21.900 –> 00:42:37.320 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We have into the mess, which is our southern IPA what we call a southern, yeah we’ve got by the encounter, which is a double IPA we’ve got go West, which is a former West Coast-style IPA we’ve got at 87 eagle blonde

00:42:38.400 –> 00:42:44.910 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: The one year I did live here growing up with my senior year in high school graduated from several Webster and oh wow seven.

00:42:45.960 –> 00:42:58.080 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: wow and their mascot was the golden eagles so I was looking for a name for the one there you go at eight seven eagle blonde that’s one of our most popular we’ve got our salt rock with bonus defeat robust porter.

00:42:59.880 –> 00:43:11.190 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: let’s see we got a few others, but they rotate on and off the view here I mean you’re pretty young brewery wanting words yet and we have one a couple so far.

00:43:12.930 –> 00:43:14.370 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: There were some.

00:43:16.350 –> 00:43:18.240 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: competitions in asheville.

00:43:19.830 –> 00:43:25.170 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: done by Raven farms where they gave you ingredients for their farm and actually to brew with them.

00:43:26.280 –> 00:43:34.140 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s fairly limited competition, it was limited to 10 breweries one year we came in second place in that year, we came in the first place so.

00:43:36.000 –> 00:43:45.150 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Now, do you do things like me filter hard cider yes, yes, we did that’s one of the things after coming out of covid.

00:43:45.720 –> 00:43:51.510 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Knowing that we needed to make some improvements to our business, we got our winery license so that we could reduce cider.

00:43:52.320 –> 00:44:07.080 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We so we started producing our own cider we also started producing our own self serve we’ve got a five and a half percent seltzer and an 11% seltzer wow are 11% seltzer is our answer to the fact we don’t have a liquor license.

00:44:08.280 –> 00:44:14.370 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And we can make mixed drinks with that, so you can mix it 11% seltzer down and still have.

00:44:15.570 –> 00:44:23.580 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Decent abv drink so cool all right well we’re going to take another break here and we’ll come back we’ll finish up with more information about what you’re doing and then.

00:44:24.720 –> 00:44:25.170 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: All right.

00:46:26.970 –> 00:46:37.410 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with a gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Corey Bryson so Corey I was talking about Plott, who is introduced us the other day.

00:46:38.010 –> 00:46:41.910 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And I was talking to you know, I was a beekeeper all right and.

00:46:42.720 –> 00:46:49.710 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And that was in the beekeeper in the Bronx right South Bronx know, so I hope they get the Community to be involved, they were the else.

00:46:49.980 –> 00:47:09.000 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and actually it’s funny that the Church of stop shopping, which is a far less or the far left organization I’m not far left by any means, but they said because I was doing this in the South Bronx they made me a saint of their church stop shopping, so I have that accolade on my

00:47:10.110 –> 00:47:12.960 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Like that, I could ever run for office for somebody bring that up.

00:47:14.730 –> 00:47:22.770 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But the thing that was discussed with is that yeah I looked it up, and you can make like from one beehive you know.

00:47:23.970 –> 00:47:34.920 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Like 120 gallons of need, this is it something that you guys do is make me a yes, as a matter of fact, we with our winery license we can make me, we can make great line if we want to do.

00:47:35.850 –> 00:47:50.730 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And we actually just released, our first made last week very small scale only have a very, very limited quantity of it, but it is a 14.2% fortified wine man.

00:47:54.060 –> 00:47:54.540 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: legally.

00:47:56.160 –> 00:47:58.140 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But yeah it’s made with a.

00:47:59.280 –> 00:48:13.140 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: a bunch of honey and some nutrients for the East and just let them do their thing and it’s dry as a bone but still sweet from alcohol So where do you hope.

00:48:14.370 –> 00:48:15.390 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: This.

00:48:16.800 –> 00:48:23.700 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: kind of national honey supply or X to dispatch we do have some local a period so we’ve been talking to you.

00:48:24.930 –> 00:48:30.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I’ll be talking to you because when I put it behind in the south Bronx of the Waldorf Astoria so I started using my honey.

00:48:31.200 –> 00:48:44.760 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I can make good have you been oh yeah Father academies and I hope is over, with it, so I grew up here and doing honey and I learned how to do it from my grandfather my father was up there, I last had the benefit of being by the botanical gardens.

00:48:46.050 –> 00:48:50.700 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And I got some real while there was some interesting stuff there so anyway.

00:48:52.320 –> 00:49:06.660 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s interesting so you’re always thinking of new products things to do right and things like that so what’s your future, what are you gonna be doing next uh well at the moment, we need to expand a little.

00:49:07.770 –> 00:49:16.860 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: As we discussed, I have a very small brewery house and need to expand that and also expand our kitchen, because our kitchen is very small, at the moment.

00:49:17.880 –> 00:49:22.110 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So we’re working on a plan to do that and.

00:49:23.760 –> 00:49:28.350 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: hoping to eventually have a second location were you thinking about having.

00:49:29.850 –> 00:49:33.150 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: we’re hoping for Haywood County so Maggie Valley

00:49:36.750 –> 00:49:47.880 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: yeah that’d be great yeah, we need, we need a brewery in Maggie Valley now the other distilleries and I wanna I want to have a craft beverage, though, that the festival grounds, you know festival.

00:49:48.630 –> 00:49:55.770 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: That would be cool right yeah I think that’d be good so yeah I use this podcast to like put you on the spot again.

00:49:59.010 –> 00:50:01.680 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: We can’t forget our friends at bear waters, they do have a.

00:50:02.400 –> 00:50:14.280 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Great they’re good down the street yeah we’re good for the good they have good food, I mean like you know yeah I love them I love they even have gluten-free pizza right now, but so they do a good job, but you know they.

00:50:15.270 –> 00:50:20.310 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: You know they’re they also you love business ready and during the winter was nobody else does because they’re new to the ski resort.

00:50:20.940 –> 00:50:27.570 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Right so but there’s room in this county for another brewery or two I think everybody’s still doing well it’s like.

00:50:27.900 –> 00:50:43.560 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So let’s move the pie bigger right exactly and that and as breweries come in everyone says well there’s got to be too many breweries now I mean you look at Asheville they’ve got I don’t even know I think they’re 25 breweries on South slope, and at this point.

00:50:45.600 –> 00:50:52.740 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: But people are still opening breweries so most of them are successful, I think it all comes down to.

00:50:53.940 –> 00:50:55.710 What your focus is on the business.

00:50:57.060 –> 00:51:11.670 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So what you’re instilling I know this is a travel show to somebody comes to a soda of food and beer at your place what else are they visiting so well, we do have the most photographed courthouse in North Carolina or they always said it was.

00:51:12.930 –> 00:51:19.290 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: A courthouse up on a hill actually not a courthouse anymore, now the library right so that’s beautiful.

00:51:22.020 –> 00:51:34.500 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: opportunity to take pictures and things we’ve got pinnacle mountain, which is a nice hike that people can go on there’s lots of waterfalls and other places to hide their lakes.

00:51:35.970 –> 00:51:39.480 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: And there’s somebody who sits you know certain records will be a good place to go get breakfast.

00:51:40.530 –> 00:51:43.980 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Oh let’s see well if you’re just looking for.

00:51:45.570 –> 00:51:53.550 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: or just some your regular greasy spoon there’s a coffee shop and that one if you’re looking for something a little bit.

00:51:54.570 –> 00:52:02.910 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: little bit higher class, we do have the white linen cafes and downtown also city lights CAFE they both serve breakfast.

00:52:05.010 –> 00:52:07.320 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: they’re probably a few other places, I think.

00:52:09.030 –> 00:52:27.120 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: there are some new places that I haven’t necessarily been to yet cool and then I mean you serve lunch and dinner but yeah somebody asked you to twice on the same day, so why, but where would be the other place that they would he’d love to um.

00:52:28.920 –> 00:52:39.720 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: lose down the street they’re a really nice sit-down restaurant and we’ve got elders which are kind of they call it a cross between Italian and southern food.

00:52:40.800 –> 00:52:41.730 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: it’s really good.

00:52:45.450 –> 00:52:53.670 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: we have your standard Mexican restaurants and everything Guadalupe Guadalupe yeah that’s a popular place cool.

00:52:54.360 –> 00:53:02.370 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So how can people find out more about you, your hours of operation that sort of thing Oh well, Monday through Friday we’re open 11 to 10.

00:53:03.120 –> 00:53:20.880 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Saturdays and Sundays, we do open early at 10 am for brunch and close again at 10 pm they can find out more about us on Facebook or Instagram awesome false brewing also Boston Paul spring.com cool, I have a to-do you have any.

00:53:21.900 –> 00:53:29.100 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Any social media that you are talking about out there, you know, promoting things like that they follow you or your wife.

00:53:30.510 –> 00:53:33.450 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I don’t do a whole lot I mean you should do to talk at least.

00:53:36.870 –> 00:53:43.860 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: shows how to cook some sub say my life just started doing Instagram and she’s all right, she was telling me the other day how many followers she has.

00:53:45.330 –> 00:53:47.310 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: what’s her Instagram I know.

00:53:52.140 –> 00:53:52.980 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: she’s probably listening.

00:53:54.690 –> 00:53:59.010 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: pull up a fun earlier and went to go to our Instagram for balsam falls when I’m like.

00:53:59.760 –> 00:54:06.960 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: huh they change the password on didn’t make sense yeah even have a personal Instagram account so yeah well that’s all right.

00:54:07.470 –> 00:54:20.700 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I think it’d be great to have you on the show, I really appreciate it great to be here yeah it’s been good to find out about this, I love the brewery scene in North Carolina I’d love to see it, even more, Maggie Valley love their water being here, but even more.

00:54:21.960 –> 00:54:41.460 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: So I encourage you to look at Maggie valley opportunities and I think it’d be great So this is the gateway to the smokies podcast you can find out more about [email protected]/gatewaytothe smokiespodcast we also.

00:54:43.290 –> 00:54:52.470 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Are we actually have all our videos on smokiesadventure.com you can go there and you’ll see the link at the top of the smokiesadventures, and we have.

00:54:52.830 –> 00:55:07.590 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Not only the shows but we have transcripts so you can read it and find things that you want to do and other information and newsletter you can sign up for this podcast is on talkradio.nyc network it broadcast person to New York City.

00:55:08.790 –> 00:55:20.790 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: and other you know other places it’s a live network of lots of podcasts arranging for small business to other travel shows to self-help to you know to.

00:55:21.600 –> 00:55:30.150 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: To cats and dogs anything, a lot of different things it’s seven days a week, you know many hours out of the day, so go to talkradio.nyc.

00:55:30.510 –> 00:55:39.600 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: To look for shows that you might find interesting I love the live show format because you find out, they have a very vital experience.

00:55:40.020 –> 00:55:53.790 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: I also run another podcast on this network called wise content creates wealth, I will help people understand how to use content marketing SEO to build a business, which is something I’m doing for the businesses I’m doing.

00:55:54.960 –> 00:56:03.780 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: Which is the Meadowlark motel it’s a very successful approach and I’m sharing the information I learned on how to do that.

00:56:04.440 –> 00:56:18.990 Joseph McElroy & Corey Bryson: There and that’s on Fridays from noon until one so, but this podcast gateway to the smokies is on Tuesdays from six to seven, I look forward to being here next week, and having you join us to listen to the next grade expert from the smoky mountains, thank you very much.

In this episode with Garret Woodward. you'll hear about his coverage of the local music scene and his conversation with the Legendary Musician Raymond Fairchild.

Garret Woodward is an award-winning journalist, author, events promoter, and musician now living in Waynesville, N.C. A native of upstate New York, he was a college track star. After graduating with a degree in Journalism and working across the country in a variety of Journalism jobs, he became a weekly Columnist for Smoky Mountain News in 2012, and later also a columnist for Smoky Mountain Living. Best known for his interviews with musicians and compelling human-interest stories, Garret is also the author of two books and is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone magazine while also promoting live music events with his own newly formed company. 

A popular past guest on our show, Garret returns today to discuss his books, his music, and the Legendary Musician Raymond Fairchild. He will also mention some new exciting projects and catch up on post-pandemic event plans.

Don't miss this fun interview!

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Starting off today’s episode, Joseph mentions his very own Meadowlark Motel, which is the sponsor for the show and some upcoming events. On March 26th, renowned author and General Manager at the motel for the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, Bob Plott, wil be doing a seminar about the history of hunting in the Smokies along with a barbeque dinner and live music! He also mentions a fly fishing camp weekend on April 15-17. Joseph introduces today’s guest, Garret Woodward, an award-winning journalist, author, events promoter, and musician now living in Waynesville, N.C. Garret is also the author of two books and is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone magazine while also promoting live music events with his own newly formed company. He is also a native of Upstate New York. Garret still works for the Rolling Stone magazine. He is currently working on writing about the state of bluegrass music. Garret and Joseph share their love for interacting with people. Garret says that even if this wasn’t his job, he would still be talking to everyone and asking questions.

Garret speaks about having an older father and because of this, he was able to learn about much older music that his father listened to as well as what it was like for his father to grow up during WWII. he also talks with Joseph about coming to live in the Smokies which he thought would only be temporary. Garret speaks about running a company where he is looking to give more attention to quality live music in West Asheville, North Carolina. He also talks about meeting Darren Nicholson from Balsam Range to interview him while just arriving in North Carolina literally minutes ago without having moved in yet into his apartment. They discuss more about the music scene in the Smoky Mountains. Garret also says that going to breweries, restaurants and other locations are where the music comes alive.

Garret talks about his books. He is also currently working on a book about bluegrass legend Raymond Fairchild who was an American banjo player. Garret was able to receive a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council to write the book. Joseph and Garret both knew Raymond and reminisced about the kind of person he was. Garret recalls interviewing Raymond early in his career. Garret’s experience was great considering that Raymond didn’t take a liking to any media. Raymond enjoyed talking to Garret. They had a connection that was special, especially with their passion for bluegrass music. Garret says that Raymond was a sweet man when you really got the chance to know him. For the title of the book, Garret says that he doesn’t know the exact title yet but it will most likely be called Lord I’m Coming Home: The legend and Lore of Raymond Fairchild.

Coming back from the final break, Garret speaks about recently learning to play the guitar. He really loves it and started learning during the early part of the pandemic. Joseph mentions his speakeasy and the motel where people also come together for music and tells Garret that he can come by anytime to play music. Garret also talks about collecting vintage guitars. Every guitar he says has a different vibe and feeling. On the Facebook live video, he shows us one of his guitars, a 1940s Rotary Deluxe Parlor Guitar. It is beautifully decorated and Joseph was very excited to see it. Garret is also excited to hear that Joseph will have Jim Lauderdale, Darren Nicholson, and Charles Humphrey III to run the fly fishing camp. During this weekend-long event, they’ll also play some tunes around a campfire. It’s all about being connected with the outdoors and more! You can learn more about it by visiting meadowlarkmotel.com. To learn more about Garret Woodward, you can go to smokymountainnews.com and follow him @garretkwoodward on Instagram.

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00:00:31.020 –> 00:00:34.710 Joseph McElroy: howdy welcome to the gateway to the smokies podcast.

00:00:35.100 –> 00:00:45.690 Joseph McElroy: This podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains national park, and surrounding towns, this area is filled with ancient natural beauty.

00:00:46.320 –> 00:00:51.600 Joseph McElroy: A deep-storied history and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:00:52.260 –> 00:01:11.220 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family’s lived in the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture today we’re going to talk about some legendary mountain use but first, a message from our sponsors.

00:01:12.360 –> 00:01:13.380 Joseph McElroy: which happens to be me.

00:01:14.910 –> 00:01:26.190 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place evocative of both of course of the past at modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel a place for adventure and for relaxation.

00:01:26.820 –> 00:01:34.920 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied but fine wine and craft beers.

00:01:35.430 –> 00:01:47.130 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of the old-time music world cultural sounds there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:01:48.570 –> 00:01:54.870 Joseph McElroy: Another sponsor is smokies adventure.com that smokies plural adventure singular.com.

00:01:55.260 –> 00:02:08.580 Joseph McElroy: The smoky mountains and surrounding areas vacation destination for all seasons, some of the nation’s best hiking trails waterfalls outdoor adventures and family entertainment can be found, right here.

00:02:09.360 –> 00:02:16.650 Joseph McElroy: start your adventure by using smokies adventure.com to explore all the wonderful features of the great smoky mountains natural park.

00:02:17.190 –> 00:02:27.210 Joseph McElroy: That the trails the waterfalls cage cove and more than check out all the awesome family attractions and entertainment, you and your entire family can enjoy the area.

00:02:27.930 –> 00:02:34.530 Joseph McElroy: The goal of smokies adventures to become the leading information portal for adventures and experiences in the great smoky mountains.

00:02:35.670 –> 00:02:51.390 Joseph McElroy: So adventure coming up at the Meadowlark on march 26 Saturday at 4 pm renowned Author Bob Plott, and also the General Manager of the Meadowlark Smoky Mountains Heritage Center will lead a seminar.

00:02:51.870 –> 00:02:56.160 Joseph McElroy: On the history of hunting in the great smoky mountains, based upon his book of the same name.

00:02:56.700 –> 00:03:11.430 Joseph McElroy: followed by this will be followed by a Barbecue dinner and music with Mike Ogletree the former drummer for simple minds and some of his guests call 828-926-1717 for a very, very fun and informative

00:03:13.230 –> 00:03:25.590 Joseph McElroy: Evening in the mountains and Maggie Valley now what’s better for the soul than throwing a line upstream watching it past doing it again and again and perhaps getting a bite.

00:03:26.040 –> 00:03:35.730 Joseph McElroy: All anglers know that fly fishing isn’t only about really in the big one all that’s that all that always gets the heart jumping.

00:03:36.150 –> 00:03:44.730 Joseph McElroy: fly fishing is about being one with the river and his magnificence presence by witnessing value equals ecosystem.

00:03:45.420 –> 00:04:04.860 Joseph McElroy: the Meadowlark Motel is offering a fly fishing camp on April a whole weekend on April 15 through the 17th 2022 hopefully every year thereafter in the smoky mountains, our goal is to bring like-minded people together to fly fishing food, drink stories of the campfires.

00:04:06.300 –> 00:04:06.990 Joseph McElroy: We.

00:04:08.010 –> 00:04:12.510 Joseph McElroy: Will our place in the mountains, has a mountain heritage trout stream on it.

00:04:12.840 –> 00:04:24.750 Joseph McElroy: Close we’re in the middle of a lot of wonderful trout streams so there’s going to be a couple of days of different kinds of events, for example, on Friday night there’s gonna be a fishing tales of the smoky and present a video presentation.

00:04:25.200 –> 00:04:34.890 Joseph McElroy: there’ll be beverages of your choice and the speakeasy every charcuterie board for small bites including some trout delicacies like smoked trout.

00:04:35.220 –> 00:04:41.730 Joseph McElroy: And then you get included will have logic at the Meadowlark motel for two nights and then Saturday, will be a breakfast.

00:04:42.060 –> 00:04:52.290 Joseph McElroy: And then, a half-day of hands-on instruction and several hours of intense fishing on elite regional trout streams and there’s an additional help.

00:04:53.220 –> 00:04:57.240 Joseph McElroy: The fishing right to the property here the mountain there is traveling we have in the backyard.

00:04:57.600 –> 00:05:13.740 Joseph McElroy: there’ll be a Barbecue dinner there’ll be live musical entertainment every campfire they’ll be a speakeasy and there’ll be lots of fun call 828-926- 1717 to find out the details, but the whole weekend, including lodging of meals, is 875.

00:05:15.180 –> 00:05:28.770 Joseph McElroy: So today we have a wonderful guest his name is Garrett Woodward he’s an award-winning Journalist, Author, Events promoter, and musician now living in Waynesville North Carolina he’s a native of upstate New York.

00:05:29.880 –> 00:05:45.240 Joseph McElroy: where he was also a college track star he has been a weekly call this for smoky mountain news since 2012 and he’s also a columnist for smoky mountain living magazine, and he has a couple of books out that are pretty important reading so Hello Garret, how are you doing?

00:05:45.690 –> 00:05:47.460 Garret Woodward: Joseph good to see you again.

00:05:47.940 –> 00:05:53.250 Joseph McElroy: Oh it’s really good to good to see you it’s been it’s yours.

00:05:55.200 –> 00:06:04.170 Joseph McElroy: was a pretty popular one and in the rankings and we get all those statistics so and I enjoy talking to a bit well as well, so.

00:06:05.280 –> 00:06:06.960 Garret Woodward: upstate New York beer I brought on.

00:06:08.730 –> 00:06:11.310 Garret Woodward: got a nice lake placid craft beer.

00:06:12.120 –> 00:06:18.810 Joseph McElroy: I have, I have a king of the mountain whoops you can’t see it it’s it well it’s in the.

00:06:19.140 –> 00:06:20.280 Joseph McElroy: mug I put it in a mug.

00:06:20.730 –> 00:06:33.480 Joseph McElroy: Right yeah I was telling Garrett earlier, I am supposed to fly into Maggie on Saturday, but because it’s a sweetened windstorm I got canceled and I hadn’t come in on.

00:06:33.870 –> 00:06:41.790 Joseph McElroy: On am in the morning it’s like you know, like, I had to get up at four o’clock or something like that so I’m like I’m feeling the.

00:06:42.180 –> 00:06:52.200 Joseph McElroy: feeling the result of not having that sleep I usually get I said, I have a couple of beers just as if I can’t be interactive and witty at least be tips.

00:06:53.430 –> 00:06:59.220 Garret Woodward: You know, we spent all day putting out the newspaper I’m also in the same boat needing a beer after that.

00:07:01.110 –> 00:07:10.800 Joseph McElroy: So you know, last time we talked about you were born in upstate and then and then worked all over the country before moving to Western North Carolina and taking the job with smoky mountain news.

00:07:11.160 –> 00:07:22.470 Joseph McElroy: And I recommend everybody goes listen to that podcast was a really, really great podcast but, and you know, he also talks about being a freelancer for Rolling Stones are you still working for the rolling so.

00:07:22.770 –> 00:07:31.410 Garret Woodward: yeah I will be on the road for Rolling Stone probably starting next month again I’m actually working on an article from right now.

00:07:33.360 –> 00:07:42.360 Garret Woodward: Technically, on assignment so actually now that I think about it, I am on the road with them this weekend I’m doing a story right now about the state of bluegrass music.

00:07:43.350 –> 00:07:54.570 Garret Woodward: About what’s going on as a lot of big things going on with billy strings obviously selling out, you know, a reno’s as a four-piece bluegrass band so there’s a big seismic shift in the high lonesome sound.

00:07:54.900 –> 00:08:11.280 Garret Woodward: come in the mainstream again and I’m heading down the Florida Thursday to go do some more interviews in the field for Rolling Stone about the state of bluegrass music going down to the Sewanee spring reunion down there and live up to beautiful place in the pan, near the panhandle.

00:08:12.240 –> 00:08:17.700 Joseph McElroy: wow that’s fabulous so that’s gonna be a wonderful series of articles or.

00:08:17.910 –> 00:08:35.820 Garret Woodward: it’s one big article I’ve been working on chipping away at it on the side, since January I’ve interviewed about 20 musicians for it all people from all over bluegrass and all over the music industry Billy Strings if you’re familiar, a lot of bluegrass down Mccurry Bobby Osbourne Sam Bush.

00:08:37.530 –> 00:08:44.310 Garret Woodward: Who else was in there, oh Dan our back from the black keys because he’s a big bluegrass guy so I was chatting with him the other day about it and.

00:08:44.970 –> 00:09:01.080 Garret Woodward: Sierra whole molly Tuttle Rhonda Vincent whole slew of people so I’ve been kind of slowly chipping away at it and trying to get it done for April, but I’m going to tie the bow on it by going down to that festival this weekend and getting the last the interviews that I need.

00:09:02.010 –> 00:09:08.730 Joseph McElroy: cool that must be a real blast it’s it sounds like a job that’s both a lot of work and also a lot of fun.

00:09:09.270 –> 00:09:11.070 Garret Woodward: Organized chaos, but I love it.

00:09:11.970 –> 00:09:17.070 Garret Woodward: it’s not you know it’s a lot of work, but you get to hang out with musicians and go see shows no.

00:09:18.480 –> 00:09:27.150 Joseph McElroy: way no I doing this podcast and then running a hospitality business I sort of get a taste of it, you know I’ve been a big marketer and a technology guy for a long time.

00:09:27.630 –> 00:09:39.630 Joseph McElroy: And I’m transitioning into this life, you know, and you know getting to talk to people, and you know and having conversations and making it into some content this case video content.

00:09:40.080 –> 00:09:51.150 Joseph McElroy: But also then taking that and trying to apply it to the other things in life, like you know, like of hospitality and bringing you to know some of those interesting people here to

00:09:51.510 –> 00:09:52.200 Garret Woodward: la, and I mean.

00:09:52.290 –> 00:09:56.250 Garret Woodward: I would talk to people, even if I was if it wasn’t my job, I would still do this.

00:09:56.310 –> 00:10:08.760 Garret Woodward: it’s just I’ve always even since I was a little kid I’ve always been fascinated with what people do with their lives, you know, I was that little kid that was talking to adults, I grew up in an older family, so you know my parents.

00:10:09.900 –> 00:10:14.370 Garret Woodward: Were my dad was 43 when I was born and I’m the oldest and.

00:10:14.520 –> 00:10:15.180 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow.

00:10:18.000 –> 00:10:18.960 Joseph McElroy: Oh, the youngest in the.

00:10:19.440 –> 00:10:20.490 Garret Woodward: Two years behind me.

00:10:21.330 –> 00:10:21.660 But.

00:10:22.950 –> 00:10:33.690 Garret Woodward: yeah so we were always just raised around adults or older people, so I was always fascinated by asking people questions actually one of my first jobs was working in hospitality, my uncle.

00:10:34.290 –> 00:10:48.780 Garret Woodward: At the time when I got out of high school as well when I’m a senior year in high school yeah at a motel in Lake placid so I worked front desk there every summer I was out of college, so I lived in the motel all summer as front desk and maintenance guy.

00:10:48.870 –> 00:10:50.790 Garret Woodward: and pool boy so.

00:10:51.120 –> 00:10:56.940 Joseph McElroy: If you want to relive those years for a few weeks or a few months to do just give us a call.

00:10:57.600 –> 00:11:02.670 Garret Woodward: I really work at the front desk really kind of hone my skills and how to talk to people because.

00:11:03.030 –> 00:11:03.480 Garret Woodward: People from.

00:11:03.510 –> 00:11:07.530 Garret Woodward: all walks of life will roll into lake placid just what they do and Maggie valley and.

00:11:08.670 –> 00:11:08.880 Garret Woodward: You.

00:11:09.270 –> 00:11:10.350 Joseph McElroy: know, I was reading.

00:11:10.530 –> 00:11:13.470 Joseph McElroy: I was reading rooms at 13 years old.

00:11:14.670 –> 00:11:18.630 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah it definitely teaches you how to have a conversation for.

00:11:18.630 –> 00:11:19.110 Joseph McElroy: sure.

00:11:19.140 –> 00:11:23.850 Garret Woodward: You can be shy working at the front desk, especially people’s advice on where to go and what to do.

00:11:24.180 –> 00:11:28.440 Joseph McElroy: yeah so any other big projects or articles plan for this year.

00:11:29.040 –> 00:11:39.030 Garret Woodward: um well you know, every week I’m writing stuff for the art entertainment section for the newspaper and then bi-monthly with smoky mountain living but.

00:11:40.140 –> 00:11:43.260 Garret Woodward: I will be back on the road for merle fast and Floyd fast.

00:11:44.370 –> 00:11:49.680 Garret Woodward: Real fast being like the bluegrass bastion that it is, and then.

00:11:51.510 –> 00:12:00.810 Garret Woodward: Floyd fesses up in Virginia big jam band Americana festival and then hoping to get up to Dell fest may in the panhandle of Maryland.

00:12:01.590 –> 00:12:04.800 Garret Woodward: But other than that I’m just kind of hitting the road a lot.

00:12:06.240 –> 00:12:18.540 Garret Woodward: got some big trips planned but I’m also working on chipping away at a book right now and Raymond Fairchild is you know bluegrass that passed away a couple of years ago well let’s say.

00:12:20.220 –> 00:12:23.940 Garret Woodward: October of 2019 so tune in about two and a half years.

00:12:25.650 –> 00:12:30.900 Joseph McElroy: yeah I want to get more I want to get into that a little bit, because I, you know knew Raymond Fairchild so we’ll talk about that.

00:12:32.370 –> 00:12:34.920 Garret Woodward: there’s always something I mean I’m writing articles all the time.

00:12:34.920 –> 00:12:40.890 Garret Woodward: Like it, so second nature is I mean I enjoy doing it and I’m literally writing an article a day at this point.

00:12:42.330 –> 00:12:44.070 Joseph McElroy: As you do it, it gets easier right it’s like.

00:12:44.100 –> 00:12:46.080 Joseph McElroy: podcasting and it was really.

00:12:46.170 –> 00:12:46.770 Joseph McElroy: painful.

00:12:46.800 –> 00:12:54.660 Joseph McElroy: For me, at first, and then you know, once you start getting used to it and keep doing it and keep doing it just seems to get easier, though, the workers, so there yeah.

00:12:56.520 –> 00:12:57.000 Joseph McElroy: pain.

00:12:57.930 –> 00:12:58.620 Garret Woodward: was like.

00:12:59.910 –> 00:13:04.920 Garret Woodward: I don’t know it’s weird is that I’m so used to the productivity of it.

00:13:06.180 –> 00:13:13.050 Garret Woodward: That now that things get offered I can’t really turn them down I’m trying to learn to say no to projects but it’s hard because.

00:13:14.100 –> 00:13:14.640 Garret Woodward: The word.

00:13:15.990 –> 00:13:21.840 Garret Woodward: Say no when people say, do you want to go over to this place and interview this person and I’m like yeah I do want to talk to that person.

00:13:22.860 –> 00:13:23.280 Garret Woodward: So.

00:13:23.910 –> 00:13:25.020 Garret Woodward: it’s organized chaos.

00:13:26.400 –> 00:13:35.580 Joseph McElroy: So we’re gonna take a break, I was a little bit long-winded the beginning of this segment so we’ll get more into what you’re doing now, and then we’ll start talking about your books all right.

00:13:36.150 –> 00:13:36.480 Garret Woodward: All right.

00:15:54.090 –> 00:16:09.810 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guests Garret Woodward, So Garret when you were mentioning that you had an older Father it popped into my head, you know I am actually 60 year old now, and I have three-year-old twins.

00:16:10.500 –> 00:16:13.110 Joseph McElroy: So I had 57 when I had my

00:16:13.350 –> 00:16:15.150 Joseph McElroy: twin I now, I also have a 30-year-old.

00:16:15.180 –> 00:16:17.970 Garret Woodward: But, and my dad turns 80 tomorrow.

00:16:19.530 –> 00:16:31.890 Joseph McElroy: So The thing that I was going to tell you, is, I did research right and it turns out the research has found that children have older fathers have a longer life.

00:16:34.080 –> 00:16:36.450 Garret Woodward: And nobody that go knock on wood I.

00:16:39.510 –> 00:16:42.630 Garret Woodward: was an I had I love.

00:16:44.010 –> 00:17:02.220 Garret Woodward: Love having an older father, because I was exposed to so many different things that I might not have with the younger father, in terms of music and culture, you know my dad was a child of the 30s and a teenager in the 50s and so you know, and my mom was a fire child in the 60s so.

00:17:03.900 –> 00:17:15.930 Garret Woodward: hanging out with my dad he’s telling me, you know about being a kid during World War Two and then telling me about growing up my grandfather was a minor up in New York, he was an iron or minor and growing up in a row house.

00:17:18.030 –> 00:17:20.100 Joseph McElroy: get married and have a kid at 43 that’s.

00:17:20.100 –> 00:17:21.270 Garret Woodward: Pretty yeah they were.

00:17:23.040 –> 00:17:24.060 Garret Woodward: 13 years.

00:17:24.240 –> 00:17:27.510 Garret Woodward: wow when they had kids yeah no they.

00:17:28.590 –> 00:17:38.700 Garret Woodward: Be in the car with my dad and he’d be playing hank Williams and Web Peers and Kitty Wells and Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan and then I’d be with my mom she’s playing the Beatles the Rolling Stones.

00:17:38.730 –> 00:17:40.710 Joseph McElroy: You gotta get a full life of.

00:17:41.070 –> 00:17:42.210 Joseph McElroy: Music grow it up.

00:17:42.630 –> 00:17:45.390 Joseph McElroy: I mean it’s pretty great now you know yeah.

00:17:46.110 –> 00:17:47.070 Garret Woodward: But but.

00:17:47.430 –> 00:18:01.110 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know we’re still you know that you know so you’re still a young guy but we’ve established that you’re live a long life, but you know also your children and go live a long life because that sort of turns out that it’s passed down through generations increase like so.

00:18:02.130 –> 00:18:05.910 Joseph McElroy: You live in waves all the smoky mountains you think here every year for that long life.

00:18:06.570 –> 00:18:19.590 Garret Woodward: yeah I mean I, I want to travel and I do travel quite often but there’s one place, I want to be, I was very transients for many years in my 20s I didn’t really want to stay anywhere, I wanted to bounce around.

00:18:21.540 –> 00:18:31.020 Garret Woodward: And then I came here, I was only going to stay one year and save money and try to get back out West he’s lived out in the Tetons Jackson hole Wyoming and Eastern Idaho area.

00:18:31.410 –> 00:18:45.780 Garret Woodward: Still, my favorite place in the world is that region in terms of just the aesthetics, but this is where I want to live and it’s just funny that I thought it was going to be a year stint and it’s coming on 10 years right now so.

00:18:46.230 –> 00:18:56.850 Joseph McElroy: Well, you really established yourself, you got all these writing things but you’ve also got a couple of companies right, you have a musical promotions company yeah company that promotes craft beers, can you tell us about those.

00:18:57.150 –> 00:19:10.200 Garret Woodward: Well um there’s a side project slash company that I’m running right now I’m the Vice President of its co-partner, but with my partner, Patrick Snyder it’s called the diamonds entertainment.

00:19:10.620 –> 00:19:19.830 Garret Woodward: What we’re looking to do is trying to put more quality live music west of Asheville there’s so much potential right now in terms of.

00:19:20.700 –> 00:19:27.990 Garret Woodward: Where we live and what we do Asheville is such a bastion right now for live music, I mean it’s one of the best music cities in the country.

00:19:28.530 –> 00:19:37.290 Garret Woodward: By far and we want to try to put you know large scale shows larger scale shows west of the city towards the smokies.

00:19:37.860 –> 00:19:52.800 Garret Woodward: I mean we’re equidistant from the National Park, as we are Asheville so we’ve been thinking about putting on medium to large scale shows we did a few tests run shows we actually launched the company two weeks before the shutdown.

00:19:54.510 –> 00:20:05.970 Garret Woodward: yeah it was like February 28 2020 it was when we had our launch, but we did four or five tester shows last year just to see what the appetite was in the area.

00:20:06.390 –> 00:20:18.090 Garret Woodward: We had some success with that and now we’re partnering up with some larger scale-spaces and Haywood county to put on medium-level shows in terms of like you know 500 to 1000 people.

00:20:18.510 –> 00:20:21.000 Garret Woodward: And the full-scale production side of things.

00:20:21.270 –> 00:20:24.210 Joseph McElroy: We do that in the festival grounds are begging now it’s easy to.

00:20:24.270 –> 00:20:27.540 Garret Woodward: yeah I miss having the drive and shows, I mean, I know that.

00:20:27.540 –> 00:20:30.630 Garret Woodward: We somewhat returned back to normalcy in terms of.

00:20:31.710 –> 00:20:41.220 Garret Woodward: indoor venues, but for me personally, I really liked those driving shows you got to catch it even last year, but it was really cool just to.

00:20:41.910 –> 00:20:54.120 Garret Woodward: Have like a BYOB hanging on your tailgate and watch a band, I mean instead of being in some even before the shutdown I hated crowded venues it couldn’t move around takes forever to get anywhere inside.

00:20:55.200 –> 00:20:57.810 Garret Woodward: But I know so, our goal is to bring more.

00:20:59.040 –> 00:21:01.950 Garret Woodward: prolific acts west of the city tours and mountains.

00:21:02.490 –> 00:21:10.650 Joseph McElroy: But we’re trying to get we’re trying to be involved in that, too, I mean we can’t do 500 or thousand people, but we were going to do you know 100 people to 200 people things I mean.

00:21:11.430 –> 00:21:14.640 Joseph McElroy: yeah which is awesome which is you know intimate and we’ve done.

00:21:15.990 –> 00:21:23.370 Joseph McElroy: we’ve done some stuff with that dare Nicholson, who I know you just recently worked with on the phone recently the bluegrass boogie how did that go.

00:21:23.490 –> 00:21:34.680 Garret Woodward: yeah well Darren was actually the first friend I ever made in Haywood county no joke, I had moved here sight unseen I’d been to Asheville and the smokies before but.

00:21:36.060 –> 00:21:45.960 Garret Woodward: I’ve never been to Waynesville and I took the job it’s a long story with that, but short of it is I ended up driving with everything I owned in my truck from New York.

00:21:46.590 –> 00:21:53.850 Garret Woodward: And I rolled into the newspaper on Friday afternoon, it was the balsam range paper town release party which Darren is a member and.

00:21:55.980 –> 00:22:07.200 Garret Woodward: My publisher handed me a pad of paper a pen and a camera and said go to the balsam range release party at the colonial theater and can I say who’s balsam range where’s can you know and.

00:22:08.730 –> 00:22:16.860 Garret Woodward: rolled in there and the front doors locked the side door was locked at all my stuff in the back of my truck and I still hadn’t moved into my apartment yet.

00:22:17.610 –> 00:22:30.300 Garret Woodward: And there I am and I walk into the back door, and I hear a mandolin on the stage I walk in there’s Darren and told him who I was with the newspaper here to interview him we started talking I started interviewing them and.

00:22:31.740 –> 00:22:37.920 Garret Woodward: He goes man you don’t have an accent on new Where are you from, I said New York, how long you been in Haywood county I said about 45 minutes.

00:22:40.230 –> 00:22:45.570 Garret Woodward: It was the truth they’re interviewing them I literally been in town 45 minutes from.

00:22:45.570 –> 00:22:45.960 Garret Woodward: New York.

00:22:46.920 –> 00:22:51.300 Joseph McElroy: So those like oh yeah you do, you also told me about a lot of research.

00:22:52.050 –> 00:22:53.370 Garret Woodward: He still wanted, my dear.

00:22:53.370 –> 00:22:56.010 Garret Woodward: Friends this weekend actually is.

00:22:57.480 –> 00:23:15.420 Garret Woodward: That the boogeyman real well where did, that the folk mood Center at the Queen auditorium there and Hazelwood neighborhood of Waynesville but this weekend is it Saturday, is the Steve Sutton memorial concert at full moon at the Queen auditorium that Darren’s hosting.

00:23:15.630 –> 00:23:17.880 Garret Woodward: His best friend was Steve Sutton who was.

00:23:18.180 –> 00:23:30.870 Garret Woodward: regarded as one of the best banjo players that ever played in bluegrass music, he was also a really good friend of mine, I knew Steve really well and he sadly passed away unexpectedly about five years ago now.

00:23:31.260 –> 00:23:33.030 Garret Woodward: Well yeah when he’s 2017.

00:23:34.710 –> 00:23:43.740 Garret Woodward: yeah he passed away unexpectedly, and he was only 61 and so Darren’s had this, this is a third annual Steve some memorial concert.

00:23:44.700 –> 00:23:59.280 Garret Woodward: The proceeds half of the procedure, a portion of the proceeds go to the international bluegrass music association scholarship fund, and then another portion of the proceeds goes to a student at testicle a high school in Waynesville that’s pursuing music as a career.

00:24:01.020 –> 00:24:05.790 Garret Woodward: it’s really cool so that’s this Saturday at the Folkmoot Center if you want to go check it out what.

00:24:06.240 –> 00:24:07.050 Joseph McElroy: Are you hearing.

00:24:07.230 –> 00:24:15.900 Joseph McElroy: impaired likes to do those things, we had a band camp here last year, where there was one young person they’re still doing things now with the.

00:24:17.310 –> 00:24:21.990 Joseph McElroy: learn how to play in a band he’s still got them is he still got there, and as a.

00:24:21.990 –> 00:24:22.920 Garret Woodward: mentor yeah.

00:24:23.130 –> 00:24:29.190 Joseph McElroy: Right and then you know he’s really excelling at it, so you know Darren’s really got a.

00:24:30.360 –> 00:24:32.970 Joseph McElroy: You know, a real charitable heart, you know.

00:24:33.030 –> 00:24:39.090 Garret Woodward: Well, and that’s all balsam range, I mean all of those guys will do anything for the community they’re all.

00:24:39.960 –> 00:24:54.510 Garret Woodward: Some of the most generous folks that are met Darren you know, do you want to talk about Ambassadors of hospitality and culture and Haywood County in western North Carolina you don’t look much further than Darren Nicholson and the guys in balsam range, I mean.

00:24:55.680 –> 00:25:09.780 Garret Woodward: You know anytime anywhere if there’s a cause they’re always there to play music to raise money for something I mean we had that I think, since the last time we talked we had the big concert in canton for the flood victims in Crusoe in Bethel.

00:25:10.500 –> 00:25:14.760 Garret Woodward: I think the final total is somewhere around $40,000 we raised.

00:25:15.090 –> 00:25:15.690 well.

00:25:16.860 –> 00:25:24.300 Garret Woodward: Which is a drop in the bucket but you know the plus side, though, was it was a free concert and we wanted just to get people’s minds.

00:25:24.780 –> 00:25:34.680 Garret Woodward: off of the devastation I know it’s been you know six or seven months since the floods so it’s kind of out of people’s minds, sadly, but if you drive through Crusoe.

00:25:36.420 –> 00:25:38.220 Garret Woodward: I mean there’s still cars and trees there’s.

00:25:38.220 –> 00:25:43.620 Garret Woodward: Still houses in the river, you know there’s still Arby’s in the river.

00:25:44.910 –> 00:25:54.630 Garret Woodward: it’s like a ghost town in some aspects, but you know, I was there I was there that morning after the floods on the ground reporting putting my heart news hat on.

00:25:55.740 –> 00:25:58.800 Joseph McElroy: me I was here at the time, and I was putting people up and some.

00:25:58.800 –> 00:26:01.110 Garret Woodward: Motel yeah it was doing.

00:26:01.830 –> 00:26:10.680 Garret Woodward: Terrible but what was so crazy was when we had that show it was you know, a month and a half after the floods, but it was in Searles park and downtown canton where.

00:26:12.000 –> 00:26:18.030 Garret Woodward: During the floods, the exact place to stage was during the floods there is, you know eight feet of water.

00:26:19.410 –> 00:26:20.730 Garret Woodward: Above the River bank.

00:26:20.790 –> 00:26:28.290 Garret Woodward: And, and it was just crazy to be there and it was the same weekend that bear waters brewing reopened after they got flooded out.

00:26:28.560 –> 00:26:29.460 Garret Woodward: So it was a really.

00:26:29.850 –> 00:26:38.340 Garret Woodward: crazy joyous occasion you know, we had an I would say, God two or 3000 people showed up, and it was a free show and we raise that much money and.

00:26:38.940 –> 00:26:39.930 Garret Woodward: It was unbelievable.

00:26:40.830 –> 00:26:42.000 Garret Woodward: That county for you.

00:26:42.720 –> 00:26:48.840 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know you really have your pulse on the scene, you know music scene here in the smoky mountains, you know.

00:26:49.140 –> 00:27:02.430 Joseph McElroy: This show is for your visitors that might be coming here where what would you say is yes, places to go in the smoky mountains, where they can really get in touch with that authentic us.

00:27:03.540 –> 00:27:04.710 Garret Woodward: In terms of music.

00:27:06.240 –> 00:27:06.600 Garret Woodward: yeah.

00:27:07.080 –> 00:27:08.160 Garret Woodward: yeah in terms of music.

00:27:08.550 –> 00:27:09.750 Garret Woodward: um I mean.

00:27:11.430 –> 00:27:20.550 Garret Woodward: there’s not what’s interesting is there’s not necessarily a specific place that is known as a music venue in western North Carolina most of it is.

00:27:21.150 –> 00:27:35.670 Garret Woodward: breweries restaurants, cafes small venues that have regular music and you can’t really, especially with the breweries that have really brought the live music scene up a couple of notches you know you got a boo jump in.

00:27:36.870 –> 00:27:50.820 Garret Woodward: Waynesville you got innovation and so lazy hiker and Silva and in Franklin Nana HALO brewing and Silva mountain layers brewing and Bryson city and all those spots have live music every weekend.

00:27:52.110 –> 00:27:56.190 Garret Woodward: If not, multiple times a week in terms of bluegrass Americana and roots.

00:27:57.660 –> 00:28:03.330 Garret Woodward: Which that’s good, you know that’s a good kind of representation of where we’re at.

00:28:05.280 –> 00:28:13.590 Garret Woodward: Ever since the Maggie valley Opera House closed that kind of lost a lot when Raymond passed away but I’ve been told, through the grapevine that it’s going to reopen.

00:28:14.700 –> 00:28:22.710 Garret Woodward: I don’t know when, but I have had people reach out and say that they were interested in kind of Kickstarter another one is elevated mountain distilling right in the heart of.

00:28:23.220 –> 00:28:34.050 Garret Woodward: Maggie valley has weekly music Dave Angel does such a great job bringing local bands in there that’s always a fun spot you get to drink some legal moonshine.

00:28:35.520 –> 00:28:48.450 Garret Woodward: You get to drink some legal moonshine yeah and enjoy music right in the heart of Maggie Valley and what’s cool is one of their main flagship products is Raven Fairchild’s root beer moonshine it’s actually his recipe and.

00:28:50.340 –> 00:28:54.750 Garret Woodward: It doesn’t get more real in terms of Appalachian moonshine and Raymond Fairchild

00:28:56.010 –> 00:28:57.900 Garret Woodward: God rest his soul man, what a good dude.

00:28:58.890 –> 00:29:00.420 Joseph McElroy: Man, you know I knew him very.

00:29:00.420 –> 00:29:08.400 Joseph McElroy: Well, we will be talking about him and just a couple minutes to take a break now but I look forward to Reminiscing and.

00:29:08.430 –> 00:29:09.000 Garret Woodward: Finally, yeah.

00:29:09.720 –> 00:29:10.230 Joseph McElroy: All right.

00:31:17.040 –> 00:31:30.240 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Garret Woodward, so Garrett I’ve understood you you’ve written two books, you mentioned them right is that right.

00:31:30.870 –> 00:31:39.600 Garret Woodward: Well, I wrote a novella years ago but uh I wrote a bluegrass book about five years ago called if you can’t play get off the stage.

00:31:41.520 –> 00:31:43.800 Garret Woodward: In western North Carolina and beyond.

00:31:45.060 –> 00:31:58.950 Garret Woodward: which was great I interviewed all these bluegrass legends in western North Carolina and southern Appalachian did like a book tour on it it’s still available in bookstores and Asheville and Haywood county and other areas around the region.

00:31:59.370 –> 00:32:01.950 Joseph McElroy: And we did talk about that one in ours.

00:32:01.950 –> 00:32:07.890 Joseph McElroy: podcast before and I think people should go back to that because it was a really good interesting conversation but.

00:32:09.060 –> 00:32:09.480 Joseph McElroy: Go ahead.

00:32:09.810 –> 00:32:14.700 Garret Woodward: Oh, I was gonna say so, like I’ve been itching to kind of do a project and.

00:32:15.960 –> 00:32:20.700 Garret Woodward: You know they’re the reason that this Raymond Fairchild book came about was.

00:32:21.810 –> 00:32:27.960 Garret Woodward: There was an art grant that was you know I worked for the paper so every week I get all these emails.

00:32:28.350 –> 00:32:36.180 Garret Woodward: And we turn them into press releases for things going on in the area art-wise and then I put them you know put them in our formula, and then we put them in the paper.

00:32:36.630 –> 00:32:41.910 Garret Woodward: And one of the emails was to apply for an art grant through the North Carolina arts Council.

00:32:42.780 –> 00:32:51.630 Garret Woodward: And you know, every year, I put it in the paper and people, you know to apply and then this year I was like you know heck I’m gonna apply.

00:32:52.170 –> 00:32:58.440 Garret Woodward: And I had an idea to do something about Raymond because I’ve been talking with some friends in the music industry about how.

00:32:58.860 –> 00:33:06.240 Garret Woodward: It bothered our minds that a lot of people didn’t realize who he was and I don’t want them to be forgotten, he was an incredible person and.

00:33:07.140 –> 00:33:21.180 Garret Woodward: world-class musician right from our backyard here, so I just kind of put out a proposal together, I was sitting in a coffee shop just going through emails and I just sat there and wrote out this long proposal and submitted it didn’t think twice about it.

00:33:21.870 –> 00:33:23.940 Garret Woodward: Well, I don’t think I was gonna get it, and then.

00:33:25.440 –> 00:33:32.970 Garret Woodward: This past January a couple of months ago I got an email that I received a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council to write this book.

00:33:34.230 –> 00:33:36.660 Garret Woodward: At least enough to get the project off and running.

00:33:38.370 –> 00:33:38.550 Garret Woodward: well.

00:33:39.300 –> 00:33:45.240 Joseph McElroy: He was a great guy you know, he was an interesting character and you know you knew him personally right.

00:33:45.420 –> 00:33:46.560 Garret Woodward: Oh yeah I mean.

00:33:46.860 –> 00:33:51.000 Garret Woodward: yeah he told me he gave me he told me, I was the only journalist you ever like.

00:33:52.020 –> 00:33:53.940 Joseph McElroy: You know, he didn’t take to everybody.

00:33:54.000 –> 00:33:54.450 Joseph McElroy: Oh.

00:33:55.140 –> 00:33:55.470 He was.

00:33:56.970 –> 00:33:58.080 Joseph McElroy: I knew of growing up.

00:33:58.110 –> 00:34:12.600 Joseph McElroy: You know, I was, I was taking music lessons from him, but I, you know I didn’t know anything that I went on do something else, my dad had arranged it but yeah he was famous for not being you know, some people were in, and some people were out.

00:34:12.840 –> 00:34:21.450 Garret Woodward: He was a very rough around the edges guy but that comes from you know who he was he lived a very hardscrabble life, he grew up.

00:34:21.930 –> 00:34:34.410 Garret Woodward: You know, he grew up dirt poor and became a world-famous musician, and I mean hesaid uh you know he’s had a gun on him, he was well known for pulling a gun on promoters who didn’t pay him what they told him that.

00:34:36.990 –> 00:34:39.030 Garret Woodward: I’ve heard a couple of stories about him.

00:34:40.350 –> 00:34:42.390 Garret Woodward: With his gun one.

00:34:44.100 –> 00:34:50.850 Garret Woodward: I’ve been told it’s verified I’ve been told by multiple people this story, and of which I think it actually happened was.

00:34:51.480 –> 00:35:01.560 Garret Woodward: He was trying to tune up his banjo backstage at a show, and there was a bit stand-up bass player that was going through his rhythm and Raymond told him just.

00:35:01.890 –> 00:35:11.040 Garret Woodward: quit playing the banjo so he could tune-up or quit playing bass, so you can tune up his banjo and the guide blew him off and cream and pulled out his gun and shot it right through the list okay.

00:35:12.660 –> 00:35:14.340 Garret Woodward: I’ve heard that from multiple people.

00:35:15.300 –> 00:35:19.800 Garret Woodward: But he was very rough around the edges, but that’s what I liked about him, he was a real person.

00:35:20.880 –> 00:35:23.220 Garret Woodward: He could smell bs a mile away man, he was.

00:35:23.880 –> 00:35:33.450 Garret Woodward: You couldn’t pull your you couldn’t pull the wool over his eyes Nah he’d been around the block several times, and the first week I worked at the paper and August of 2012.

00:35:34.590 –> 00:35:43.590 Garret Woodward: They wanted to do a story on the Opera House and nobody wanted to jump on it, because everyone was kind of intimidated by Raymond I just started at the paper.

00:35:43.950 –> 00:35:58.620 Garret Woodward: I didn’t know any better, so I said yeah I’ll take the story and I went over there, and you know, I was a 27-year-old young journalist from upstate New York and him at the time, he was this guy in his early 70s.

00:35:59.640 –> 00:36:07.560 Garret Woodward: You know, half Cherokee blood moonshiner mountain man gun holster banjo legend.

00:36:08.430 –> 00:36:15.240 Garret Woodward: Just really real deal Appalachian mountain man, I mean the quintessential legitimate Appalachian mountain man.

00:36:15.720 –> 00:36:25.380 Garret Woodward: And we could not be more different people, but at the same time, we also had a deep love for bluegrass and also nature and things like that, but um.

00:36:26.160 –> 00:36:31.800 Garret Woodward: yeah we ended he first was reluctant to interview you kept blowing me off, he didn’t want to talk.

00:36:32.550 –> 00:36:44.910 Garret Woodward: And then I sat there and watched the show, and I really enjoyed it and then he saw that I mean generally wanted to talk to him because I stayed for the show you know and we ended up doing a great interview and.

00:36:46.260 –> 00:36:50.190 Garret Woodward: He said he said you’re only journalist I’ve met that’s not full of shit.

00:36:52.650 –> 00:37:03.780 Garret Woodward: He goes if you can do that if you can keep that then you’ll go far in life, and it was funny was you know we did I did, probably for four or five cover stories on them in the newspaper over the.

00:37:05.880 –> 00:37:09.600 Garret Woodward: seven or eight years, we were friends before he passed away and.

00:37:10.710 –> 00:37:20.430 Garret Woodward: He would always it was weird because, like people are always like I can’t believe that like he lets you interview him because he wouldn’t talk to anybody I swear to you like, he would not talk to journalists, he.

00:37:20.430 –> 00:37:20.580 didn’t.

00:37:22.260 –> 00:37:30.960 Garret Woodward: He didn’t like media he didn’t like newspapers you like anything but he would call me up at the paper and say I got a story for it to come over to the Opera House and we’ll talk and.

00:37:32.220 –> 00:37:46.050 Garret Woodward: And it was great to read before he passed he had turned 80 and it was really cool we got I got to do a final interview was I didn’t know he was gonna pass, obviously, but like I wanted to celebrate him turning 80 so we did a big interview and.

00:37:47.610 –> 00:37:54.180 Garret Woodward: It was fantastic just to sit with him, you know he had been in good spirits he had some health issues because he got a serious accident.

00:37:55.800 –> 00:38:05.820 Garret Woodward: A few a couple of years before that he had flipped a tractor on himself, he got seriously hurt in a tractor accident and he was back touring again.

00:38:06.630 –> 00:38:16.830 Garret Woodward: And we had a great time just sitting there Reminiscing and we did this whole story on him and he passed away a couple of months later and I’m just really glad that I had that time to spend with them.

00:38:18.030 –> 00:38:27.570 Garret Woodward: I think about probably the most fun interview I ever did with him was when he got inducted into the bluegrass hall of fame bill Monroe’s bluegrass hall of fame up and Dean blossoms Indiana.

00:38:28.080 –> 00:38:41.730 Garret Woodward: And 20 I think it was 2015 and I convinced my publisher to like let me go up there, you know, I was like you gotta let me go up there he’s getting inducted into the bluegrass often so I convinced them to at least throw me some gas money I didn’t care if I slept in my truck.

00:38:42.060 –> 00:38:52.980 Garret Woodward: yeah I was like just throw me some gas money I gotta go up there, and it was while just to be up there and see him surrounded by all these other bluegrass legends as they honored them to get inducted.

00:38:53.640 –> 00:39:05.670 Garret Woodward: And it was the one time, I think I ever one time, I think I ever saw him smile was when he got that award he always was he was a very happy jovial person, but he also you never showed it.

00:39:06.720 –> 00:39:06.990 Joseph McElroy: yeah.

00:39:07.890 –> 00:39:10.830 Joseph McElroy: He is a grammy right did you win a grammy.

00:39:11.160 –> 00:39:18.840 Garret Woodward: Now he was nominated he’s got several gold and platinum records he sold probably two or 3 million records.

00:39:19.140 –> 00:39:21.120 Joseph McElroy: Was he was famous for what kind of music.

00:39:21.150 –> 00:39:25.110 Garret Woodward: What will mule was his most famous this is instrumental where he makes his.

00:39:25.110 –> 00:39:26.640 Garret Woodward: banjo sound like a mule.

00:39:27.660 –> 00:39:37.470 Garret Woodward: He Han but many of his songs are considered standards and bluegrass now especially will muel that was a 2 million records seller.

00:39:38.190 –> 00:39:53.100 Garret Woodward: Back in the day and then he was on the grand old opry numerous times, he was friends with Johnny cash, he was friends Jimmy Martin bill Monroe he had so many random friends, I mean Bobby Brown like I’ve seen photos with him with all these random people.

00:39:53.370 –> 00:39:53.580 Joseph McElroy: That.

00:39:54.120 –> 00:39:58.860 Garret Woodward: He posted it was like I didn’t realize he knew all these people Merle Haggard is close with Merle Haggard and.

00:40:00.660 –> 00:40:02.700 Garret Woodward: But, and it was just funny was.

00:40:04.140 –> 00:40:19.500 Garret Woodward: You think about you know, like how this he literally grew up and nothing and how just became this worldwide sensation you watch those videos like lookup Raymond Fairchild whole muel you’ll have him out the opry my goodness, you know fingers like lightning.

00:40:19.590 –> 00:40:21.630 Garret Woodward: I swear to you unbelievably.

00:40:22.470 –> 00:40:34.080 Joseph McElroy: I mean I got to see him several times growing up, but you know my dad was you know the mayor and you know heavily involved in mad mad cow the grand Ole opry you know he knew, so they were they had a lot of working on and.

00:40:34.410 –> 00:40:41.730 Joseph McElroy: yeah you know we got a few jars of ravens moonshine over the years I’ve.

00:40:41.790 –> 00:40:42.720 Garret Woodward: been all costs or.

00:40:43.260 –> 00:40:44.730 Joseph McElroy: Did you ever get to taste, it even.

00:40:44.760 –> 00:40:45.450 Garret Woodward: moonshine.

00:40:45.960 –> 00:40:48.450 Garret Woodward: I think I saw absolutely hold on a second here wait.

00:40:53.880 –> 00:40:55.290 Garret Woodward: Actually, I think I still have.

00:40:55.410 –> 00:40:56.850 Joseph McElroy: It right here, you go.

00:41:00.360 –> 00:41:00.840 Garret Woodward: There you go.

00:41:02.790 –> 00:41:03.120 Joseph McElroy: here.

00:41:08.520 –> 00:41:11.610 Garret Woodward: It was really funny was I forgot that I was still in there.

00:41:13.470 –> 00:41:16.770 Garret Woodward: And what’s great is you know the real stuff is.

00:41:18.330 –> 00:41:34.590 Garret Woodward: crazily enough, the real deal-like quality-made moonshine actually goes down pretty smooth, and his stuff I mean you get in trouble with that, but he always denied that he was still making it, but I highly doubt that he wasn’t.

00:41:35.820 –> 00:41:37.890 Garret Woodward: He was too good at what he did.

00:41:39.150 –> 00:41:47.760 Garret Woodward: But he was such a sweet man, which is weird because some people might not agree with me, but that’s their last because they didn’t get to know but.

00:41:48.480 –> 00:41:58.770 Garret Woodward: he’s just he always had just amazing stories to tell about you know running moonshine in the middle of the night Holland barrels to the woods over the mountain ridges.

00:41:59.370 –> 00:42:02.130 Joseph McElroy: And those stories are priceless, then you know my

00:42:02.130 –> 00:42:04.200 Garret Woodward: grandma was involved.

00:42:04.680 –> 00:42:05.340 involved.

00:42:06.480 –> 00:42:09.960 Garret Woodward: wow when you think about it, you know just one step ahead of the Lord.

00:42:10.380 –> 00:42:13.590 Garret Woodward: And he and popcorn sudden we’re really close and.

00:42:15.180 –> 00:42:19.620 Garret Woodward: it’s just as when you think about that really wasn’t that long ago, you know.

00:42:21.780 –> 00:42:32.280 Garret Woodward: One or two generations behind us, that was, I mean, to be honest with you, even though there’s a lot of legal moonshines I know as a journalist around these parts there’s definitely a lot of moonshiners that.

00:42:32.280 –> 00:42:33.180 Joseph McElroy: are still.

00:42:33.240 –> 00:42:40.800 Joseph McElroy: On there, and you told me 100 years that you know everybody’s got a relative grandfather and then and then there are the ones that can keep on with it.

00:42:40.890 –> 00:42:43.530 Garret Woodward: And if they don’t if they say they don’t they’re lying.

00:42:43.770 –> 00:42:50.940 Joseph McElroy: Exactly yeah so I mean it was important, actually, it was important to the source of income in the mountains NASA and Appalachian culture for long.

00:42:51.720 –> 00:43:05.220 Joseph McElroy: yeah it was all sorts of it was a source of problems as a source of you know, crime, a source of alcoholism, the sickness and things like that, but it was also incredibly important and bringing being important cash crop in the mountains.

00:43:05.280 –> 00:43:06.660 Garret Woodward: and his ass car.

00:43:07.470 –> 00:43:09.720 Joseph McElroy: yeah So do you have a working title for the book.

00:43:10.680 –> 00:43:19.380 Garret Woodward: it’s going to be called a Lord I’m coming home the legend and lore of Raymond Fairchild.

00:43:20.580 –> 00:43:24.090 Garret Woodward: musician moonshine or mountain man some something to that effect.

00:43:24.510 –> 00:43:28.170 Joseph McElroy: Well, I want to keep we you know we have a bookstore here, so we carry it when you get it out all right.

00:43:28.170 –> 00:43:34.830 Joseph McElroy: heavily and will, I want to host you for a book, you know presentation signing because I think that’ll be great yeah.

00:43:34.860 –> 00:43:39.330 Garret Woodward: you’re a man I’d love to I really love what you and Bob are doing out there.

00:43:39.360 –> 00:43:40.650 Garret Woodward: it’s it’s so cool.

00:43:41.730 –> 00:43:52.410 Garret Woodward: I have really high help, especially with things opening up again about y’all haven’t some great events out there you already have had some phenomenal event but I can’t even imagine how much bigger it’s going to get.

00:43:52.950 –> 00:44:01.140 Joseph McElroy: yeah you know I saved we’re on a three-year plan, the first year is just to get the name out the second year we started getting a little bit of audience and the third year was start getting a decent audience so.

00:44:02.370 –> 00:44:08.850 Joseph McElroy: we’re gonna take a break now and come back and finish up with just some you know audience ends and shout out.

00:46:13.980 –> 00:46:25.950 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast with my guest Garrett Woodward, Garrett I’m starting to feel the drinks now.

00:46:29.460 –> 00:46:34.770 Joseph McElroy: If you’ve made it all the way to end this listen to this podcast yes now here I start being silly, I think, but.

00:46:34.890 –> 00:46:35.400 yeah.

00:46:36.870 –> 00:46:37.680 Garret Woodward: it’s good stuff.

00:46:37.920 –> 00:46:39.450 Joseph McElroy: it’s good stuff man I.

00:46:39.990 –> 00:46:41.520 Garret Woodward: Live two blocks from the brewery.

00:46:42.630 –> 00:46:44.490 Joseph McElroy: And you know they’re good food there, by the way.

00:46:45.150 –> 00:46:47.370 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah really great food there so.

00:46:47.940 –> 00:46:49.080 Joseph McElroy: I like bojo

00:46:50.190 –> 00:46:58.290 Joseph McElroy: I like bear water and Maggie valley to yeah so um yeah last time we talked you were started learning the guitar how’s that go.

00:46:59.100 –> 00:47:05.970 Garret Woodward: Going great I play every day, I am not a proficient musician by any means, but.

00:47:07.560 –> 00:47:15.240 Garret Woodward: I guess I can consider myself a rhythm guitarist at this point, but I love it I wish I had picked it up years ago I picked it up during the shutdown.

00:47:15.780 –> 00:47:31.530 Garret Woodward: You know I live by myself and I figured what a time to finally do what I’ve been wanting to do for years, so I started to learn how to do it and I play you know, every day, I mean anytime I got free time I look forward to, I look forward to coming home and playing every day and.

00:47:31.800 –> 00:47:33.060 Joseph McElroy: You play like a steady jet

00:47:34.110 –> 00:47:36.390 Garret Woodward: i’m not as like an act.

00:47:36.420 –> 00:47:37.110 Joseph McElroy: But I had.

00:47:37.140 –> 00:47:38.910 Garret Woodward: jumped up to play with people.

00:47:40.200 –> 00:47:47.130 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know we have this weekly thing, especially the pavilion you should come by Mike would be glad to have you.

00:47:47.190 –> 00:47:48.480 Garret Woodward: On i’m definitely down.

00:47:48.720 –> 00:47:54.960 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah you know you know there for the guests and it’s fun to have people just jam to you know.

00:47:55.200 –> 00:47:58.410 Garret Woodward: So Mike is the drummer from the simple mind is that, where you were saying.

00:47:58.620 –> 00:48:03.060 Joseph McElroy: yeah he was a drummer from a simple mind he introduced sort of that the reggae beat to their sound.

00:48:03.090 –> 00:48:06.630 Garret Woodward: yeah how did he end up in Maggie Valley.

00:48:06.720 –> 00:48:17.340 Joseph McElroy: Well, it was a friend of mine in New York City and you know he’s exploring Scottish music roots of Scottish music where we’re Scottish.

00:48:17.640 –> 00:48:29.400 Joseph McElroy: music is gone, you know and the Appalachian has so much you know Scottish heritage that you know coming here, and you know he became basically these called the artist in residence right.

00:48:29.610 –> 00:48:30.420 Garret Woodward: Does he live here.

00:48:30.930 –> 00:48:32.010 Joseph McElroy: He lives here yeah.

00:48:32.220 –> 00:48:34.590 Garret Woodward: Oh man I gotta meet this guy sounds pretty awesome.

00:48:34.710 –> 00:48:48.600 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah he’s awesome oh yeah definitely he’s got and he’s you know he really started listening to what people wanted and so he actually brings in a repertoire that sort of combines Scottish but also you know southern roots music.

00:48:49.200 –> 00:48:59.670 Joseph McElroy: Mountain music, but he brings his own sort of you know, he also has a West African heritage his father was African American from Birmingham, so I bring sort of that you know how we introduced reggae to.

00:48:59.940 –> 00:49:02.520 Joseph McElroy: Yes, simple mind he brings a little bit of a beat.

00:49:02.520 –> 00:49:10.860 Joseph McElroy: To bluegrass which is you know is heresy in terms of lupus purity but it’s kind of cool yeah.

00:49:12.090 –> 00:49:14.880 Garret Woodward: Pretty awesome I wanna I want to come in to hang out and.

00:49:16.200 –> 00:49:17.400 Garret Woodward: ground and play rhythm guitar.

00:49:17.970 –> 00:49:21.930 Joseph McElroy: All right, yeah no you’re welcome to do that so so.

00:49:23.160 –> 00:49:38.130 Joseph McElroy: yeah, so I think that would be absolutely fantastic you would love it if it’s meant to be a place we’re actually I mean I’m promoting yourself, but you know the music here is meant to be sort of a music musicians place.

00:49:38.190 –> 00:49:38.610 Garret Woodward: yeah right.

00:49:39.000 –> 00:49:47.940 Joseph McElroy: Where you know where musicians come to the jam and talk about music and guess just get the benefit of having that experience.

00:49:47.940 –> 00:50:01.920 Joseph McElroy: Right now, and that’s you know that’s what we’re developing speakeasies also right it’s like you know it’s about the music and music people that are either musicians are really well versed in music.

00:50:02.400 –> 00:50:14.910 Joseph McElroy: get together and just create an interesting atmosphere so many times we’ve just had, where they pull up videos on the screen, you know and everybody starts singing or listening or learn something new it’s kind of cool right.

00:50:15.150 –> 00:50:21.660 Garret Woodward: yeah I’m down, I definitely want to I’m proud of y’all too because it looks like you got a heck of a year plan already but.

00:50:21.810 –> 00:50:35.550 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah yeah Bob is doing well and plus you know we have a boy here who used to run a blues guitar up in Richmond blues bar and enrichment and he’s bringing another aspect to it, and you know of course Mike has his own total thing.

00:50:37.140 –> 00:50:40.860 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah we’re kicking it yeah but.

00:50:42.450 –> 00:50:47.910 Joseph McElroy: I heard you know the interesting thing I got little birds tell me a little birds name is Bob.

00:50:49.770 –> 00:50:51.990 Joseph McElroy: And he tells me you’re collecting vintage guitars.

00:50:52.740 –> 00:51:03.900 Garret Woodward: uh yeah kind of I have a, I guess, we think here, well, I had like I started buying a guitar in the chatroom.

00:51:05.160 –> 00:51:05.640 Garret Woodward: If.

00:51:05.700 –> 00:51:13.320 Garret Woodward: It happens, anyone who plays guitar knows what I’m talking about once you buy every guitar is a different vibe a different field.

00:51:15.180 –> 00:51:16.080 Garret Woodward: But I ended up.

00:51:17.160 –> 00:51:27.840 Garret Woodward: I have two vintage guitars right now but I own five total 4 acoustic and electric but here I’ll actually show you one.

00:51:27.900 –> 00:51:29.220 Joseph McElroy: The vintage one’s really cool.

00:51:32.520 –> 00:51:33.450 Garret Woodward: This is a.

00:51:35.490 –> 00:51:42.810 Garret Woodward: it’s a 1940 1940s Rotary deluxe cowboy parlor guitar.

00:51:43.740 –> 00:51:48.540 Garret Woodward: what’s cool about it is these guitars to chicken on out.

00:51:52.860 –> 00:51:54.750 Garret Woodward: And that’s the original stencils.

00:51:54.900 –> 00:51:56.820 Garret Woodward: whoa crazy.

00:51:57.000 –> 00:51:58.500 Joseph McElroy: That is crazy what.

00:51:58.500 –> 00:52:00.990 Garret Woodward: I love is that is last so in the moon, right here.

00:52:01.110 –> 00:52:03.510 Joseph McElroy: You go bring that play in here come on.

00:52:05.040 –> 00:52:09.420 Garret Woodward: A 1940 we figure about a 42 or 43.

00:52:11.310 –> 00:52:14.670 Garret Woodward: But it’s an old blues parlor you’re tired, but what’s crazy about it is.

00:52:16.170 –> 00:52:19.740 Garret Woodward: Most of those guitars weren’t meant to last this long you know, these were.

00:52:20.580 –> 00:52:34.800 Garret Woodward: very inexpensive kind of like sears and roebuck guitars that you know back then people didn’t think about preserving guitars you know you played them and they broke, and you got another one we’re now like it’s a whole thing about you know.

00:52:36.450 –> 00:52:39.420 Garret Woodward: collector’s items and stuff like that, but I came across that.

00:52:41.100 –> 00:52:44.790 Garret Woodward: One night after a couple of beers and I said oh man I gotta buy that.

00:52:45.870 –> 00:52:48.150 Joseph McElroy: is right, oh yeah.

00:52:48.240 –> 00:52:54.870 Garret Woodward: I love it because it was really funny if it’s a small parlor guitar but man it cranks like a cannon.

00:52:55.920 –> 00:52:57.180 Garret Woodward: it’s extremely loud.

00:52:58.050 –> 00:53:03.780 Joseph McElroy: Well, when you come over and hang out with us here I’m going to tell you some stories about some things I bought all had a few drinks.

00:53:06.900 –> 00:53:19.380 Joseph McElroy: Things I sold at the same time, but you know it’s been good, you know I wanted to let you know that yeah we’re gonna have a couple of things you’re gonna be interesting, here we have a songwriters camp, with the Darren Nicholson, Jim Lauderdale.

00:53:19.650 –> 00:53:21.570 Garret Woodward: Oh man Jim Lauderdale.

00:53:21.840 –> 00:53:23.160 Joseph McElroy: and August, so you got to.

00:53:23.160 –> 00:53:25.950 Joseph McElroy: Come at least got to cover it if you can’t do anything.

00:53:25.950 –> 00:53:27.090 Garret Woodward: I told

00:53:27.360 –> 00:53:36.660 Garret Woodward: Bob that I would definitely do that definitely cover it because Jim Lauderdale I mean Darren’s a world-class musician but like Jim Lauderdale is a world-class songwriter.

00:53:36.900 –> 00:53:39.480 Garret Woodward: yeah you know he’s one of my favorites I mean.

00:53:39.810 –> 00:53:41.430 Joseph McElroy: Charles Humphrey the third will be that.

00:53:41.430 –> 00:53:43.920 Garret Woodward: Too Oh, then you got a grammy award-winning.

00:53:44.370 –> 00:53:46.710 Garret Woodward: You know you have a grammy award-winning.

00:53:47.040 –> 00:53:50.550 Garret Woodward: Charles’s good friend of mine to actually just saw him recently.

00:53:51.480 –> 00:53:53.250 Joseph McElroy: What he’s doing here in April.

00:53:53.280 –> 00:54:02.640 Garret Woodward: yeah oh wow so I mean if anyone’s listening that’s pretty amazing that you have Darren Jim and Charles and Charles are running the fishing camp good.

00:54:02.790 –> 00:54:10.380 Joseph McElroy: Good Lord man oh yeah cuz we’re gonna have you know the fish he can’t sell through iTunes or on the fire and Charles and his friends are going to do some fun stuff.

00:54:10.560 –> 00:54:15.780 Joseph McElroy: I mean you’re talking you’re welcome to queue up going to come out here to time podcasts or you’re in a special club.

00:54:17.490 –> 00:54:22.620 Joseph McElroy: Right, so what website social media, you want to shout outlet everybody know who you.

00:54:22.620 –> 00:54:31.350 Garret Woodward: Are smokymountainnews.com smokymountainnews.COM all of our articles, whether it’s arts outdoors.

00:54:32.070 –> 00:54:42.330 Garret Woodward: Travel stuff that we do it’s all free to read it’s good to go smoky mountain news COM and then on Instagram I’m GarrettKWoodward GARRETKWOODWARD

00:54:43.290 –> 00:54:59.640 Garret Woodward: Other than that, go to the Meadowlark, I mean you hope your listeners realize how cool, that is, that you have Jim Lauderdale Charles and Darren there that’s a pretty big deal you got Grammy award winners and IBM legends hanging out in a very intimate setting so.

00:55:00.840 –> 00:55:10.200 Joseph McElroy: that’s the point it’s a musician’s musician place as well as other particular you know you know things we know we got the bottom, we have Plott dogs so anyway.

00:55:11.400 –> 00:55:13.380 Garret Woodward: Bob is a walking encyclopedia.

00:55:13.410 –> 00:55:23.460 Joseph McElroy: I know the walking encyclopedia, well, thank you for coming, this is the gateway to the smokies podcast you can find out more about us and facebook.com slash.

00:55:24.000 –> 00:55:29.160 Joseph McElroy: gateway to the smokies podcasts we’re also on the talk radio dot nyc network.

00:55:30.120 –> 00:55:38.820 Joseph McElroy: which has a lot of podcasts that are really interesting, ranging from help for small businesses to self-help to travel to New York to

00:55:39.600 –> 00:55:53.670 Joseph McElroy: Many issues, the spirituality things like that and they’re all live broadcasts, the most podcasts are recorded there, these are all it’s like the best of podcasting and live radio so and I really enjoy so I.

00:55:54.150 –> 00:56:05.130 Joseph McElroy: hope you will check this out, I also run a marketing podcast called Wise Content Creates Wealth, I have a big marketing background, especially in SEO and content marketing that’s on Fridays from.

00:56:05.640 –> 00:56:15.210 Joseph McElroy: noon to one and then, this one is always on Tuesday from six to seven that half of it happy to be here Thank you again, Garrett, and

00:56:15.570 –> 00:56:16.620 Garret Woodward: record to come back.

00:56:17.130 –> 00:56:17.580 Joseph McElroy: All right.

00:56:19.950 –> 00:56:20.910 Joseph McElroy: Talk to you later bye.

00:56:21.180 –> 00:56:21.780 Garret Woodward: Have a good one.

00:56:22.200 –> 00:56:22.590 Joseph McElroy: You too.

If you’re looking for music to harmonize to, or a guide for your next river adventure, this episode is for you because our guest this week is a musician and a fly-fishing expert.

You will find out more about songwriting, fly-fishing, and life in Asheville. Whether you are a musician yourself, or just a music lover, you will find this episode's insights fascinating.

Charles Humphrey III is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer, musician, and owner of Lucks Dumpy Toad Records. Currently leading his own group –the superb chart-topping, Songs from the Road Band – Humphrey was a charter member of the Steep Canyon Rangers for 15 years while also backing up other renowned artists such as Steve Martin and Edie Brickel among others.

Charles is also an expert fly-fishing guide and endurance runner and resides with his two children in Asheville. 

We will also mention here his two upcoming big events this year in Maggie Valley which are -the Fly Fishing camp in April and the Songwriters camp in August.

Don't miss this episode!!

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Joseph opens up tonight’s episode talking about the Meadowlark Motel and some upcoming events. One of these events deals with wilderness survival skills and their importance during times like natural disasters and more. There will also be a fly fishing camp weekend. To learn more, reach out at their website at meadowlarkmotel.com. He introduces his guest, Charles Humphrey III. Charles started fly fishing himself when he was a teen. Charles is a bluegrass musician and a Grammy award-winning songwriter, musician, and producer. Charles started fishing with his father when he was a kid and also got into music and playing bluegrass. He loves the “zen” feeling he gets when connecting with nature in this way. He talks more with Joseph about his passion as a musician and his passion for fishing. Charles loves that he is able to educate others about both topics, something that he will also be doing at the Meadowlark Motel!

Charles and Joseph talk more about fly fishing and Charles talks about some of the staff that will also be guiding in the events coming soon. Charles mentions tying flies and the interesting aspect of this. They both have an engaging conversation about how important this part is for anglers or people who fish with a rod and line and interesting stories they’ve experienced themselves fly fishing. Joseph asks Charles about some of the best streams to fish in Haywood County and what locations he might take people participating in the fishing camp. He mentions Jonathan Creek which is close to the motel as well as the Pigeon river. He also says that in the camp, they'll also be teaching a technique called tight line fishing as well as how to set the hook, control the head, avoid letting go of the fish they catch, and much more.

Joseph talks with Charles about his other passion, being a musician and writing music. Like fly fishing, Charles says that writing music takes a lot of luck. In this case, it’s because you never know if people will enjoy your music. He also mentions writing music that is on an album by Willie Nelson. He also talks about moving on from the Steep Canyon Rangers who he was a member of for 15 years. Now, he is part of Songs from the Road Band. You can listen to their music almost on any platform like SiriusXM, Pandora, etc. He says that he is excited to be able to play live music again like many other artists and musicians now that things are a bit more normal when it comes to gatherings. Charles also mentions the other event which is the writer’s camp where he along with other great musicians and singer-songwriters will teach and encourage all-inclusive songwriting. They’ll also teach others about making music from the creative process to being behind the microphone. Charles also talks about his friendship with Darren Nicholson who was also a guest here on the show. They wrote a couple of songs together which you can hear on Man on a Mission, Darren’s new EP. Charles mentions more people he’d love to work with.

Coming back from the final break, Charles talks about owning Lucks Dumpy Toad Records. He uses this to also release music from Songs from the Road Band. Charles and Joseph also speak about how music is released today compared to when there were no digital releases for music. They also mention different audio formats like mp3, vinyl, and CDs and how they feel about the different quality of music when listened to in different ways. Charles speaks about being an endurance runner too and the rewarding feeling of taking care of himself and connecting with others through this activity. Also, Songs from the Road Band will be releasing music later this year. You can go to songsfromtheroadband.com and also use the same name to search for them on social media platforms. You can also find Charles and learn more about fishing by visiting beastcoastanglers.com!

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00:00:30.930 –> 00:00:36.960 Joseph McElroy: howdy thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the smokies.

00:00:37.500 –> 00:00:49.590 Joseph McElroy: This podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park, and the surrounding towns these areas filled with ancient natural beauty and deep storied history.

00:00:50.160 –> 00:00:59.430 Joseph McElroy: and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also a deep root in these mountains.

00:01:00.030 –> 00:01:15.480 Joseph McElroy: My family is living the great smoky for over 200 years my business in travel, but my heart is in culture today’s podcast will be talking about fly fishing and tune making but the first sponsors which happened to be me.

00:01:18.360 –> 00:01:29.040 Joseph McElroy: So imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past and modern and vibrant with Chic Appalachian feel a place for adventure and for relaxation.

00:01:29.730 –> 00:01:39.270 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish it a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.

00:01:39.630 –> 00:01:56.370 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of the old-time music and world cultural sounds imagine and place the mountain heritage, food, and underground speakeasy there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie valley your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:01:57.600 –> 00:02:05.490 Joseph McElroy: smokiesadventure.com smokies plural adventure singular information listings about the smokies hiking,

00:02:05.910 –> 00:02:14.340 Joseph McElroy: wedding venues books trail maps resources to make your adventures in the smokies more meaningful and enjoyable.

00:02:14.670 –> 00:02:23.520 Joseph McElroy: The emphasis of smokies adventure is outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, along with providing information on logic.

00:02:23.940 –> 00:02:32.940 Joseph McElroy: Family entertainment events conventions honeymoons and more this goal of this site is to become the leading information portal of the smoky mountains.

00:02:34.020 –> 00:02:47.370 Joseph McElroy: So I guess about upcoming events to talk about in today’s world you might forget that for all of history humankind has lived or journey into environments that require fundamental survival skills in order to flourish.

00:02:47.940 –> 00:02:59.370 Joseph McElroy: Wilderness survival, also known as push bushcraft his ability is the ability to utilize natural and limited materials and traditional ways to stay alive and escape danger.

00:03:00.540 –> 00:03:08.460 Joseph McElroy: and modern society learning wilderness survival skills is not only important for the occasional forays into dangerous environments.

00:03:08.850 –> 00:03:17.430 Joseph McElroy: But also helps in building confidence self-esteem and instilling a sense of self-knowledge, while we’re reconnecting with nature and our human past.

00:03:18.270 –> 00:03:27.510 Joseph McElroy: While we might not think we need wilderness survival skills, if we avoid nature, there are still instance instances where we might need to call upon them.

00:03:27.870 –> 00:03:35.970 Joseph McElroy: Including natural disasters, wars, getting lost in the woods extreme shifts, and weather accidents caused.

00:03:36.540 –> 00:03:43.050 Joseph McElroy: causing some former can protect incapacitation and many other unforeseen circumstances.

00:03:43.500 –> 00:03:54.900 Joseph McElroy: Therefore it is prudent and wise for every human to have at least a rudimentary capability in the basic skills of survival, to ensure their continued existence.

00:03:55.170 –> 00:04:11.910 Joseph McElroy: These include the ability to build a fire build a shelter tie certain knots navigate without a GPS apply first aid evaluate the appropriate gears and supplies and carry what you need and master the essentials of hiking and camping.

00:04:12.750 –> 00:04:18.630 Joseph McElroy: The Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center is proud to announce the addition of an acclaimed author.

00:04:19.140 –> 00:04:34.530 Joseph McElroy: outdoor survival expert, record-setting hiker, and elite wilderness search and rescue team Member Nancy East who is here just a couple of weeks ago on our podcast to our roster of expert artists for 2022 programs.

00:04:35.040 –> 00:04:40.740 Joseph McElroy: Nancy will launch the spring hiking season, with a presentation on Friday night March 18.

00:04:41.190 –> 00:04:48.090 Joseph McElroy: Describing her adventures as a search and rescue member and there have been some exciting things over the last couple of years where they rescued.

00:04:48.330 –> 00:04:56.460 Joseph McElroy: Some people in some pretty interesting situations and then on Saturday march 19 Nancy will devote an entire day.

00:04:56.850 –> 00:05:08.280 Joseph McElroy: To a variety of the above-mentioned wilderness survival topics to ensure your safety comfort enjoyment, as you create memorable experiences hiking in the great smoky mountains National Park.

00:05:08.970 –> 00:05:16.470 Joseph McElroy: So space is limited to 10 students and met Nancy provides all the materials, you might need for the event.

00:05:16.890 –> 00:05:25.680 Joseph McElroy: The price is 275 which includes two nights of lodging breakfast and dinner on Saturday night, along with entertainment, so, please.

00:05:26.070 –> 00:05:38.700 Joseph McElroy: reach out to the Meadowlark Motel 82 8-926-1717 to reserve your spot also coming up it’s relevant to our guest tonight is a fishing fly fishing camp.

00:05:40.140 –> 00:05:48.840 Joseph McElroy: what’s better than for the soul been throwing a live stream watching it pass doing it again and again, and perhaps getting about it.

00:05:49.950 –> 00:05:54.600 Joseph McElroy: All anglers know that fly fishing isn’t only about reeling in the big one.

00:05:55.140 –> 00:06:06.240 Joseph McElroy: Although that always gets our hearts jumping fly fishing is about being one with a river and his magnificence presence, while witnessing a very valuable ecosystem.

00:06:06.990 –> 00:06:11.490 Joseph McElroy: Meadowlark motel is offering a trapping camp weekend in the smoky mountains.

00:06:11.970 –> 00:06:21.870 Joseph McElroy: What began as a way to get a group of friends together on a river is going into a way of bringing like-minded people together through fly fishing food and drink and campfire.

00:06:22.170 –> 00:06:28.320 Joseph McElroy: And our recreation area to have a memorable experience and learn about fly fishing in the Smokies.

00:06:28.860 –> 00:06:34.350 Joseph McElroy: camp weekends are perfect for those new to fly fishing and those looking for some extra instruction.

00:06:34.860 –> 00:06:44.850 Joseph McElroy: Anyone with experience, who enjoys fishing and a small group and making new friends its trip is built around those attending and we will all share in the experience.

00:06:45.150 –> 00:07:03.690 Joseph McElroy: You can expect quality time in the river and nights around the campfire or in the speakeasy with a drink in hand truth that tall tales are all out of the camp and camps are very limited only to 20 20 anglers allowed So the first one is April 15 to the 16th and 2022.

00:07:05.220 –> 00:07:09.690 Joseph McElroy: that’s $ 875 per person that includes the light stays as well.

00:07:11.220 –> 00:07:13.530 Joseph McElroy: The you’re gonna be doing.

00:07:14.820 –> 00:07:22.410 Joseph McElroy: there’s gonna be a presentation on Friday night with videos about how tall tales and revolver behavior of

00:07:24.150 –> 00:07:34.950 Joseph McElroy: a trip to reminisce trial people have your and then a Saturday there’ll be instruction hands-on instruction on Saturday morning, and then the out.

00:07:35.190 –> 00:07:44.910 Joseph McElroy: In the afternoon there’ll be intense fishing on elite streams all over the area, as well as we have a mountain heritage trout stream in the backyard, which is also able to use.

00:07:46.890 –> 00:07:57.930 Joseph McElroy: And then you will be able to check out on Sunday morning so call 828-9261717 to make your reservations so.

00:07:58.650 –> 00:08:10.470 Joseph McElroy: Our podcast today I mentioned is about fishing and fly fishing in tunes and we’re also talking about the fly fishing camping our guest today is Charles Humphrey III and those a little bit about this.

00:08:10.830 –> 00:08:20.190 Joseph McElroy: He is the founder of Beast coast anglers he started fly fishing as a teenager many, many years ago, maybe not that many I have many, many years ago he has many.

00:08:23.340 –> 00:08:37.020 Joseph McElroy: he is called the waters of Western North Carolina home since 1999 as a touring bluegrass musician he has had the opportunity to fly fishing Colorado Montana Idaho Wyoming Nevada Oregon Alaskan Canada.

00:08:37.740 –> 00:08:43.890 Joseph McElroy: And addition to being a season fly fisherman he is also a Grammy award-winning songwriter-producer.

00:08:44.310 –> 00:08:56.100 Joseph McElroy: A Western states 100 and during ultra run finisher a Kentucky Colonel a North Carolina hall of fame.

00:08:56.640 –> 00:09:09.240 Joseph McElroy: Music hall of fame Member touring musician and songs from the road band, and the father of two. Charles’s two foremost passions in life are spreading joy through music and fly fishing, how are you doing Charles?

00:09:09.450 –> 00:09:12.510 Charles Humphrey III: Thanks I’m doing great Joseph thanks for having me on the show.

00:09:13.740 –> 00:09:14.340 Charles Humphrey III: me here.

00:09:14.550 –> 00:09:27.810 Joseph McElroy: Well you’re one of our most popular guests last year, as one of my favorite people to interview, so we wanted to get you back to cover some of the things we miss lap time, as well as talking about this fly fishing camp and.

00:09:28.200 –> 00:09:29.040 so far.

00:09:30.420 –> 00:09:34.800 Joseph McElroy: And even further than one we got that you guys have a songwriting camp in August.

00:09:35.220 –> 00:09:40.260 Charles Humphrey III: A lot of cool things going on, you know the Meadowlark is the perfect location for it it’s such a great place.

00:09:40.830 –> 00:09:46.020 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah so let’s get to it, so I will talk about music a little bit, but let’s start with the fly fishing.

00:09:46.710 –> 00:09:51.570 Joseph McElroy: So yeah evidently even fly fishing over 20 years right, how did you get started.

00:09:52.380 –> 00:09:53.220 Charles Humphrey III: I started.

00:09:54.510 –> 00:10:04.770 Charles Humphrey III: I grew up well I’ll start fishing with my dad before I mean on the outer banks during thanksgiving saltwater grew up freshwater fishing that’s where I started using the fly rod.

00:10:05.940 –> 00:10:19.110 Charles Humphrey III: started touring playing bluegrass music and moved to Western North Carolina in 1999 and during the mid-90s and late 90s, I started to fly fishing all over the country with bandmates and I’ve been doing it ever since it’s just a.

00:10:20.400 –> 00:10:24.930 Charles Humphrey III: it’s kind of like music it’s a passion and it’s just so rewarding on so many levels.

00:10:25.620 –> 00:10:37.110 Charles Humphrey III: it’s not all about catching fish, you know enjoy the education side of it, I love the Zen part of it just being out in nature, and I really love the camaraderie and the people that you meet who share the passion for the sport.

00:10:37.770 –> 00:10:39.870 Joseph McElroy: Now How long have you been guiding people.

00:10:40.890 –> 00:10:51.240 Charles Humphrey III: I’ve been guiding a little over two years professionally and just absolutely love it, you know we work in North Carolina Tennessee, and Georgia and.

00:10:51.690 –> 00:11:04.170 Charles Humphrey III: Do both Wade and float trips so there’s a variety of different styles, you know you can go out and fish private water or public water go for wild trout or stocks trout big trout little trial, we do it all.

00:11:04.920 –> 00:11:09.210 Joseph McElroy: And why did you call your company Beast Coast Anglers?

00:11:09.570 –> 00:11:19.650 Charles Humphrey III: You know that’s a good question as we discussed last time I have a running fast the ultra running fast and that running company that I.

00:11:20.190 –> 00:11:29.580 Charles Humphrey III: created there were beast coast runners and it kind of represents the whole east coast and I was like well, we already got the runners might as well get the anglers in there’s two.

00:11:30.090 –> 00:11:32.940 Charles Humphrey III: there are just a lot of fun things you can do with the beast you know.

00:11:34.680 –> 00:11:39.090 Charles Humphrey III: You can tell I’ve got a lot of hair, so it was a natural fit and we are on the east coast so.

00:11:41.850 –> 00:11:42.300 Charles Humphrey III: So, like.

00:11:48.270 –> 00:11:52.380 Joseph McElroy: yeah go ahead so, is it is your internal nickname for yourself beast.

00:11:53.400 –> 00:11:56.010 Charles Humphrey III: um yeah my girlfriend calls me beast but.

00:11:57.360 –> 00:11:58.680 Charles Humphrey III: that’s tmr not.

00:11:58.980 –> 00:12:01.620 Joseph McElroy: Well, that can be really good or that can be really bad.

00:12:05.190 –> 00:12:09.540 Joseph McElroy: I would take it, I would take it with the best out of Asia, you can imagine.

00:12:12.330 –> 00:12:12.840 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:12:14.610 –> 00:12:15.210 Joseph McElroy: Imagine.

00:12:16.530 –> 00:12:26.700 Joseph McElroy: You know that there’s that you mentioned that you know there’s a passion there what other similarities between your two careers as a musician and fly fisherman do you find.

00:12:28.860 –> 00:12:30.660 Charles Humphrey III: They both take up a lot of time honestly.

00:12:34.170 –> 00:12:41.880 Charles Humphrey III: yeah you know you’re fishing all day every day to prepare for the next trip and always gaining more knowledge or you’re out on the road touring and.

00:12:42.330 –> 00:12:51.210 Charles Humphrey III: Also at home, you know we do a lot of co-writing virtually through songwriting sessions and whatnot but it’s just such a blessing to be able to.

00:12:51.990 –> 00:13:05.700 Charles Humphrey III: to educate people on both and do it right here in Western North Carolina at the Meadowlark, it is an absolutely wonderful location, I spent a lot of time there this winter chaperoning kids on a ski trip, as they go to Cataloochee every week so.

00:13:05.700 –> 00:13:13.920 Charles Humphrey III: So I’m just driving by every day couldn’t wait to get in there for these events, and I hope we have a great crowd of people that will come and join us.

00:13:14.160 –> 00:13:16.020 Joseph McElroy: Oh it’ll be great I think so.

00:13:17.040 –> 00:13:25.350 Joseph McElroy: So you have we’re gonna you know, right now, we got to take a break, but we’ll talk more about your guide sentence service when we get back alright.

00:13:25.860 –> 00:13:27.570 Charles Humphrey III: sounds good, Joseph Thank you cool.

00:15:44.160 –> 00:15:51.930 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the Gateway to the smokies podcast with my guest Charles Humphrey III.

00:15:52.530 –> 00:16:04.140 Joseph McElroy: So Charles you know I am I had one heck of a day, I have to tell you that hey some construction crew knocked out the Internet here than some reason to sell your service muscle Turkey.

00:16:05.130 –> 00:16:11.250 Joseph McElroy: So I’ve just actually just got back in the saddle this about a half-hour before we come on the show so.

00:16:11.520 –> 00:16:13.170 Charles Humphrey III: that’s a small miracle that we’re even.

00:16:13.170 –> 00:16:13.740 Charles Humphrey III: Talking right.

00:16:13.800 –> 00:16:17.100 Joseph McElroy: it’s a small miracle, and I grabbed myself a beer and it turns out it’s a.

00:16:17.310 –> 00:16:20.340 Joseph McElroy: 10% beer, I was trying to show you so if I.

00:16:23.940 –> 00:16:24.960 Charles Humphrey III: Get pretty interesting.

00:16:27.150 –> 00:16:29.070 Joseph McElroy: At the end here, you guys will know why.

00:16:30.540 –> 00:16:32.700 Charles Humphrey III: I’ve got some coffee here.

00:16:33.090 –> 00:16:33.420 Charles Humphrey III: All right.

00:16:34.800 –> 00:16:35.790 Joseph McElroy: Good over there.

00:16:37.170 –> 00:16:40.740 Charles Humphrey III: Datsun fishing company there that’s my red drum coffee mug.

00:16:41.160 –> 00:16:42.240 Charles Humphrey III: Alright cool.

00:16:42.720 –> 00:16:47.610 Joseph McElroy: You gotta get yourself our the new Meadowlark coffee mugs have you seen them.

00:16:48.570 –> 00:16:52.860 Charles Humphrey III: I’ll come down pick one up I’d love to have a Meadowlark coffee mug.

00:16:53.010 –> 00:16:56.790 Joseph McElroy: it’s a tin cup and on the outside it says, this could be moonshine.

00:16:58.380 –> 00:16:59.040 Charles Humphrey III: that’s perfect.

00:17:03.000 –> 00:17:12.960 Joseph McElroy: that’s a perfect one, so so you create this new guide service you’ve been guided for a couple of years but so you created this new one, what was the impetus for that.

00:17:13.560 –> 00:17:18.840 Charles Humphrey III: yeah well it’s just it’s so time-consuming I know it’s something I’m going to do for the rest of my life, and I just wanted.

00:17:19.320 –> 00:17:28.350 Charles Humphrey III: To be putting all my effort into a brand that I knew was going to last and, just like the music stuff and then running stuff I like to be able to express myself creatively and.

00:17:29.310 –> 00:17:40.680 Charles Humphrey III: It just made sense and I’ve got I’m lucky and blessed have a lot of good friends and a great team of anglers that I’m working with and everything kind of fell into place but it’s a lot of work, just like anything else you know.

00:17:41.460 –> 00:17:54.570 Charles Humphrey III: Music or anything like that you can be talented artists but you’ve also got to know how to run the business side of it and luckily I had some experience with that, as well as you know, I hear you are now on social media promoting events it’s a lot of work.

00:17:55.320 –> 00:18:09.840 Joseph McElroy: Oh it’s a constant thing you know I’m a yeah there you have to get yourself one of these programs that lets you aggregate all your social media and then you start playing the deck you know where I’m going to throw things out all the time it’s.

00:18:10.710 –> 00:18:14.280 Joseph McElroy: The whole social promotion is incredibly important.

00:18:14.790 –> 00:18:16.650 Charles Humphrey III: we’re really fired up about this.

00:18:16.890 –> 00:18:22.620 Charles Humphrey III: Fishing event, though some of the guys that will have on staff or Doug Mchaleby from mountain fly anglers.

00:18:23.220 –> 00:18:31.290 Charles Humphrey III: Miles Perry who works with the Beast coast anglers Zach Phillips is an interesting gentleman he owned a flower shop for a long time in Atlanta Georgia.

00:18:31.680 –> 00:18:43.950 Charles Humphrey III: And is located in hot springs North Carolina but he’s flown all around the country to tie flies Miles Perry is also a master tie flyer flat tire, and so I think I’ve got those.

00:18:44.370 –> 00:18:52.410 Charles Humphrey III: guys talked into it well at least one out of two of them know about it, but I think we’re going to incorporate some fly tying events as well, while they’re there we’ll put them to work.

00:18:52.980 –> 00:18:54.780 Charles Humphrey III: On Friday night or Saturday, they.

00:18:55.770 –> 00:19:05.280 Charles Humphrey III: demonstrations and we can get the people that are there involved and let them have some their own flaws, who knows, they may even be able to tie their own fly and then go out and catch a fish on that day.

00:19:05.340 –> 00:19:06.480 Joseph McElroy: Well there’s a whole.

00:19:07.500 –> 00:19:10.170 Joseph McElroy: there’s whole mythology about fly tying is it there.

00:19:11.430 –> 00:19:13.620 Charles Humphrey III: it’s like me tell me.

00:19:14.100 –> 00:19:24.090 Joseph McElroy: yeah I mean it’s like no it’s like what is the appropriate tie fly for their appropriate time of year, and you know what is the.

00:19:24.270 –> 00:19:25.170 Charles Humphrey III: yeah well yeah.

00:19:25.230 –> 00:19:28.530 Joseph McElroy: really wants and what is it for you know.

00:19:28.620 –> 00:19:40.710 Charles Humphrey III: Action the hatch matching the hatch that’s a big thing to me there’s two kinds of flies and two kinds of people that are time flies there are flies that catch fish and there are flies that catch fish and fishermen.

00:19:41.310 –> 00:19:41.790 yeah.

00:19:43.110 –> 00:19:48.870 Charles Humphrey III: These two guys here, they can catch the fly as a top catch fish and fishermen, because they’re.

00:19:48.960 –> 00:19:59.910 Charles Humphrey III: So good and look so cool like little pieces of art, I tie flies mind just catch fish they don’t catch fisherman, as well as these other two guys these guys are top-notch in the industry.

00:20:00.420 –> 00:20:13.140 Joseph McElroy: I know some guys that I know you know I went to a couple of things and I know at least one guy that he actually doesn’t fish anymore, he just ties flies his whole passion became about the flies.

00:20:13.380 –> 00:20:18.450 Charles Humphrey III: Man there I’m just watching the stuff that’s out there on social media and these people.

00:20:19.110 –> 00:20:32.580 Charles Humphrey III: I’ve got these cameras that capture all the intricacies of it and just the time and the thought and the pieces of natural feathers, and for that go into making these things is unbelievable it truly is an art.

00:20:33.330 –> 00:20:39.600 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah I mean I you know I I you know it’s like Well, first of all, my fingers are so big guys like I yeah.

00:20:41.250 –> 00:20:44.670 Joseph McElroy: I will let you guys do it, I tried I couldn’t even time my girls my.

00:20:44.790 –> 00:20:47.820 Joseph McElroy: daughter’s my daughter’s ballet shoes.

00:20:49.740 –> 00:20:51.150 Charles Humphrey III: Barely get the worm on the hook.

00:20:54.060 –> 00:21:00.750 Joseph McElroy: Yes, I mean I need somebody to do all that for me and I’ll throw it in catch it, I know I imagine you’ve had some great.

00:21:02.640 –> 00:21:10.200 Joseph McElroy: memorable experiences guiding what is something that is a really experiential learning experience that you’ve had.

00:21:10.500 –> 00:21:11.760 Charles Humphrey III: I love.

00:21:12.120 –> 00:21:25.500 Charles Humphrey III: I love seeing a beginner really dial in their skills and the first time that they catch a fish on the fly that’s a big deal, you know they just are related they’re just so happy to see that enjoyment on their faces really, really warms your heart.

00:21:25.860 –> 00:21:30.030 Charles Humphrey III: And we do work with a lot of again there’s a lot of first-timers or when you see somebody out there.

00:21:30.330 –> 00:21:43.830 Charles Humphrey III: And then maybe they’re an accomplished angler but then they catch a personal best PV, as they say, the biggest rainbow brown are broke they’ve ever caught and they reach a new goal in their fishing career and you’ve helped them get there that’s rewarding as well.

00:21:44.190 –> 00:21:44.580 Charles Humphrey III: and

00:21:45.150 –> 00:21:56.520 Charles Humphrey III: we’ve had some crazy stuff happen just last week, I was with the client and the fish broke them off and he was like oh man, that was a big, big fish were ever seen, and then the next cast.

00:21:57.750 –> 00:22:00.300 Charles Humphrey III: I was giving them a demonstration and I hooked.

00:22:01.380 –> 00:22:17.100 Charles Humphrey III: A fish but actually when it happened as a hook, the hook, one of the hooks that were on his fish that he broke off, so this fish had a fly in its mouth barbarous granted another fly that was barbarous and with my bar let’s fly I took his barbarous fly.

00:22:17.580 –> 00:22:27.510 Charles Humphrey III: pull the rig the fish and just to barbarous flies holding on, and then we actually sell the myth his fish was not that big I mean it was pretty big.

00:22:29.160 –> 00:22:29.520 Charles Humphrey III: Maybe.

00:22:29.550 –> 00:22:31.590 Charles Humphrey III: 18 inches but it wasn’t 30.

00:22:31.950 –> 00:22:34.710 Charles Humphrey III: The fact that we were able to get that fish in.

00:22:35.040 –> 00:22:43.170 Charles Humphrey III: Get the hook out of his mouth and the fact we got it I’m just crazy stuff you never know what’s gonna happen that was just a recent example of something totally weird that happened.

00:22:43.590 –> 00:22:51.390 Joseph McElroy: Oh man, you know I grew up not too far from Maggie part of my you know my youth and I, you know, end up in the middle school in Maggie.

00:22:51.810 –> 00:23:07.260 Joseph McElroy: But before that, it was a box run and we had a pond out there right, and I would go fishing pond because I was like 6 7 8 years old, I didn’t have to do, river fishing, yet I go that pond and I, you know I’d take one of those wire things to hold the fish on right.

00:23:07.800 –> 00:23:18.030 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah a little hook, so I caught a fish and put it on my hat on that wire thing, but I didn’t hook it up well and the fish got off and took that wire thing with it right.

00:23:18.240 –> 00:23:18.840 Charles Humphrey III: Oh no.

00:23:19.200 –> 00:23:25.020 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah but a couple of months later, I was back fishing there and I caught that fish again and he still had the wire thing.

00:23:27.360 –> 00:23:29.820 Charles Humphrey III: wow he’s still live that whole time that’s.

00:23:30.540 –> 00:23:34.560 Joseph McElroy: All the time oh yeah I don’t know how much longer you live, but he was still there.

00:23:35.190 –> 00:23:43.410 Joseph McElroy: So you know I I think it’s great that you love teaching beginners because you know the middle is.

00:23:44.010 –> 00:23:57.360 Joseph McElroy: Now that mountain trout that mountain heritage streaming the back is perfect for beginners and it’s for people that are readers will be experienced, because I mean we’ve had some great fishnet there you know I caught a 28 inch or one South back there when I was growing up.

00:23:57.900 –> 00:24:06.720 Charles Humphrey III: Jonathan creek it’s a great creek you know and it’s managed just select the rest of in North Carolina we have great great great fisheries thousands of miles.

00:24:07.200 –> 00:24:13.020 Charles Humphrey III: Of managed rivers and it’s a testament to the North Carolina you know.

00:24:13.590 –> 00:24:30.030 Charles Humphrey III: wildlife people that do that provide those fisheries and maintain those fisheries and trout unlimited and organizations like that it truly is a destination world-class destination for people to come and visit and take in the smokies and fish it’s a great fishery really is.

00:24:30.570 –> 00:24:39.480 Joseph McElroy: So what are some of the, what are the some of the best streams deficient to Haywood County in the area and we’re might you take some people I’m going to officially can.

00:24:40.620 –> 00:24:49.380 Charles Humphrey III: See well you like you said you’ve got Jonathan Creek right there on the hotel we’re close both close to the east and the west fork of the.

00:24:49.950 –> 00:24:58.500 Charles Humphrey III: pigeon river, you know Cherokee is not too far away they’ve got several rivers there that are maintained by their own fishery.

00:24:59.010 –> 00:25:08.910 Charles Humphrey III: it’ll depend on the weather conditions, honestly, and what’s fishing the best because we want to take our clients to an area.

00:25:09.330 –> 00:25:19.980 Charles Humphrey III: Where they can reach their goals and so we’ll see what the water temperatures are the water clarity and things like that and kind of tailor it for that week that we can and put them in a place with think will be most productive.

00:25:20.460 –> 00:25:26.760 Joseph McElroy: cool that’s a good idea, so what is a typical trip like to one of these Creeks?

00:25:27.840 –> 00:25:41.520 Charles Humphrey III: Well, we do half-day and full-day trips, either on a boat or about Wade I think we’ll be doing some Wade fishing with our groups here in the camp and will be teaching a technique called tight line fishing where you’re basically.

00:25:44.130 –> 00:25:51.510 Charles Humphrey III: Putting the poll out and keeping the line tight and waiting for the fish to hit and but will also be doing some dry fly techniques dreamer and indicator fishing.

00:25:51.810 –> 00:26:02.010 Charles Humphrey III: And you go out and you, you do a little preparation, you know get your boots and waiters on tell them how everything set up tell them how to set the hook, how to.

00:26:02.490 –> 00:26:09.810 Charles Humphrey III: Set the hook on swing out to keep pressure on the Rod and the line wants the fish hits how to get head control and.

00:26:10.230 –> 00:26:19.530 Charles Humphrey III: Keep that fish from getting away from me and then ultimately how to position the Rod, in order to get that fish to the Net and then we’ll teach him how to handle the fish and do a healthy release.

00:26:20.040 –> 00:26:33.060 Charles Humphrey III: And let them put all that into practice to where it becomes second nature for them because they need that experience a lot of times you can tell somebody how to do something, but at the moment when that fish gets all in there, so excited everything you’ve told him it’s gone.

00:26:34.140 –> 00:26:35.100 Charles Humphrey III: window there like.

00:26:36.420 –> 00:26:50.820 Charles Humphrey III: I said we’re going to get past that point, give them some actual hands-on experience in coaching so they’ll have some skills to go forward and we like to teach people enough educated enough to where they can go out have all the skills they need to go out and do it on their own.

00:26:51.540 –> 00:26:54.510 Joseph McElroy: Now, will they need to bring their own waiters and boots or whatever, will you.

00:26:54.750 –> 00:26:55.170 Charles Humphrey III: will be.

00:26:55.440 –> 00:27:03.210 Charles Humphrey III: will be providing all the gear all the waiters the boots the rods the flies and everything so they just need to show up and smile on the face.

00:27:03.630 –> 00:27:06.450 Joseph McElroy: All right, that’s all we need alright cool sounds good.

00:27:07.860 –> 00:27:14.970 Joseph McElroy: And then, then come back afterward and either do a little bit more efficiently in the Jonathan creek which I’m sure you’ll be around the.

00:27:16.200 –> 00:27:16.950 Joseph McElroy: advice and.

00:27:17.700 –> 00:27:20.460 Charles Humphrey III: The hangout will have all the boys hanging out, we got a good crew half the.

00:27:20.460 –> 00:27:31.020 Charles Humphrey III: People that I fished with are all musicians too so maybe we can get them over to the speakeasy around the campfire to get out their guitars and who knows what’s gonna happen it’s gonna be fun.

00:27:31.560 –> 00:27:45.480 Joseph McElroy: yeah we got several options, now we got to speakeasy In case it’s not whether it’s not that Nice and then if it’s Nice we got the pavilion with a fireplace on the stage, and then we got fire fire fire pits all over the place so that that’ll be a.

00:27:45.510 –> 00:27:45.900 Joseph McElroy: blast.

00:27:45.930 –> 00:27:46.380 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.

00:27:46.710 –> 00:27:56.730 Charles Humphrey III: I got members of red clay revival and caribou collective and songs from the road band, and I mean you know and Maggie valley you can’t throw a rock without hitting a banjo picker one will probably show up.

00:27:58.560 –> 00:28:04.170 Joseph McElroy: Well, that sounds like a blast man so we’re going to take a break here, and then we’ll come back talk a little bit more about your music.

00:28:04.290 –> 00:28:05.790 Charles Humphrey III: Alright sounds good, Joseph Thank you.

00:30:11.910 –> 00:30:30.840 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Charles Humphrey III, Charles you know you, besides being one of the top fishermen and wet and North Carolina you also happened to be something of a musician.

00:30:32.340 –> 00:30:38.700 Joseph McElroy: And you know you actually well known for writing music So is there a is there.

00:30:39.900 –> 00:30:49.740 Joseph McElroy: Is there something about fishing and writing music that has a similarity patient or something that that that you find.

00:30:50.520 –> 00:30:51.060 Charles Humphrey III: Oh yeah.

00:30:52.170 –> 00:30:56.070 Charles Humphrey III: Oh yeah, I think, at least in my case, they both take a lot of luck.

00:30:57.240 –> 00:30:57.690 Oh, really.

00:31:01.800 –> 00:31:06.690 Charles Humphrey III: he’s kind of thrown it out there into the world and you’re hoping to finish go to come up.

00:31:09.870 –> 00:31:20.190 Joseph McElroy: With a great entrepreneur or anything it’s like you gotta be prepared you gotta have the skills, but then you really waiting for that moment of luck and you’re ready for it.

00:31:20.250 –> 00:31:23.730 Charles Humphrey III: Right it’s a lot better to be lucky than good I’ll tell you that.

00:31:25.230 –> 00:31:25.320 Joseph McElroy: I.

00:31:25.740 –> 00:31:27.240 Charles Humphrey III: just found out recently.

00:31:28.560 –> 00:31:35.910 Charles Humphrey III: Willie Nelson’s gonna be having a birthday on April 28 and a song that I wrote it’s going to be on this new album were released a new album oh fabulous.

00:31:36.480 –> 00:31:50.370 Charles Humphrey III: And you know that was pretty lucky, as I was, as a co-write with the great Sean camp and about two years ago, I was over at his house in Nashville and he and he said, you know anything about gambling, I said oh man you’re talking to the right guy.

00:31:51.750 –> 00:31:54.390 Charles Humphrey III: I’ve got a lot of experience at losing money.

00:31:55.530 –> 00:31:55.980 Joseph McElroy: he’s like.

00:31:56.370 –> 00:32:02.700 Charles Humphrey III: I don’t gamble I don’t know anything about it, but we gotta write this song about gambling Willie Nelson’s got an album coming out and I get.

00:32:02.970 –> 00:32:08.160 Charles Humphrey III: So we sat there and we wrote that song and he sent it over to the producer that night I was over, at my friend’s house girl out.

00:32:08.580 –> 00:32:19.170 Charles Humphrey III: Shannon can’t come back soon oh man you’re not gonna believe this producer loves the song he’s going to send it Willie calls you back when he heard it he loves it and then two years later it’s on a record so.

00:32:19.230 –> 00:32:20.670 Joseph McElroy: Oh that’s fabulous well.

00:32:20.670 –> 00:32:25.230 Joseph McElroy: done you’re done Archie Archie done now can’t you just sit back and collect.

00:32:27.000 –> 00:32:34.080 Charles Humphrey III: I don’t think it works that way anymore, with all the streaming, but it is you know he’s always been a hero of mine so it’s.

00:32:34.350 –> 00:32:36.540 Charles Humphrey III: Not I don’t know what to say it’s cute.

00:32:37.830 –> 00:32:39.660 Charles Humphrey III: and very, very lucky but.

00:32:40.230 –> 00:32:42.750 Joseph McElroy: Have you been to one of his backstage parties.

00:32:43.590 –> 00:32:52.380 Charles Humphrey III: know I haven’t Sean Sean I spent a lot of time with him playing on his records that were kind of the basis of this song he had been in Hawaii at a poker game.

00:32:52.920 –> 00:32:58.830 Charles Humphrey III: Willie nelson’s house and he’s got a little place back there called Django Django Django is an orchid lounge and.

00:32:59.430 –> 00:33:10.890 Charles Humphrey III: I think Sean was sitting there with Willie Nelson and there are some other fellows there Woody Harrelson and some people and they’re shooting tequila and telling jokes and lies and Sean I just kind of wrote about that whole night and put it in a song.

00:33:12.180 –> 00:33:14.400 Charles Humphrey III: ended up liking it all right, I guess.

00:33:14.580 –> 00:33:24.840 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know my wife is a, besides being a great mother and wife and she also happens to be Brazilian percussionist that has had some success, she was.

00:33:25.410 –> 00:33:33.180 Joseph McElroy: She was a travel agency actually does travel for that what’s that harmonica player that’s pretty famous that works with Willie I forget his name I’m sorry.

00:33:33.240 –> 00:33:34.920 Charles Humphrey III: Oh yeah.

00:33:35.160 –> 00:33:47.550 Joseph McElroy: yeah so she does his travel and she’s gotten invited backstage to couple willie’s concerts and those parties sound like something to behold man.

00:33:48.630 –> 00:33:50.610 Charles Humphrey III: Man that is so cool.

00:33:52.920 –> 00:33:54.810 Joseph McElroy: it’s like I want to go to those parties.

00:33:56.070 –> 00:33:57.750 Joseph McElroy: what’s cool so um.

00:33:58.230 –> 00:34:01.170 Charles Humphrey III: So you Mickey Rafi LLC you’re thinking about.

00:34:01.230 –> 00:34:15.390 Joseph McElroy: that’s right yeah so you had a successful career, you with the steep Canyon Rangers and then you decided to follow your own path, which I think is really stimulates your creativity, was that a difficult decision for you to move on.

00:34:16.560 –> 00:34:27.270 Charles Humphrey III: It was, it was a natural progression and where we’re working on our six-album now getting ready to head down to Florida this month for a couple of big festivals got the Sewanee Springer Union.

00:34:27.600 –> 00:34:37.200 Charles Humphrey III: And the EMS spring bluegrass festival, and that the whole year starting to fill up it’s nice because the last two years before that we’re all affected with.

00:34:37.680 –> 00:34:44.190 Charles Humphrey III: pandemic concerns and seems like things are getting back to a little bit more normal, which is great to be making music with my buddies.

00:34:44.580 –> 00:34:47.190 Joseph McElroy: cool, this is the song from Rhode’s band right.

00:34:47.580 –> 00:35:03.210 Charles Humphrey III: Yes, Sir songs on the road band all the guys are based here, out of Asheville North Carolina and we were very grateful to be able to do what we do we’ve had some songs on the charts we’ve got one that’s number two on the bluegrass grass khana chart this week and.

00:35:04.290 –> 00:35:18.000 Charles Humphrey III: You can hear some serious XM bluegrass junction or your favorite local radio station, or would like to tell people on Spotify if you’re about to go to sleep just put on songs from the road band and just let it spin while you sleep let’s rack up those place.

00:35:18.450 –> 00:35:19.860 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.

00:35:21.750 –> 00:35:33.870 Joseph McElroy: Well, I hope to get hope to besides just the songwriting camp, we can get you out there, doing playing at the Meadowlark, you know we have a nice old-style dance Hall, you know really sort of place to do a little bit of music.

00:35:34.440 –> 00:35:36.690 Charles Humphrey III: I would absolutely love to do that Joseph.

00:35:36.690 –> 00:35:45.480 Joseph McElroy: Fair so so let’s talk about what you guys are wanting to do you were talking about doing a songwriter cramping an August, like.

00:35:46.080 –> 00:35:46.260 it’s.

00:35:47.460 –> 00:36:05.250 Charles Humphrey III: it’s going to happen it’s going to be a world-class event again it’s just such an honor to work with you and Bob and your love of the heritage of the area and traditions we’ve got a great event lined up I think we’re going to announce it soon it will be there with Jim Lauderdale.

00:36:05.940 –> 00:36:06.900 Joseph McElroy: Oh, my God yeah it’s.

00:36:06.960 –> 00:36:14.370 Charles Humphrey III: Art is just a legend he’s almost like a national treasure absolutely loves is picking his writing and singing.

00:36:15.120 –> 00:36:22.080 Charles Humphrey III: we’re going to have Clay Mills who’s written number one country songs he works with song town the USA based out of Nashville Tennessee.

00:36:22.470 –> 00:36:30.990 Charles Humphrey III: He knows the industry inside and out from creating the pitching to demoing so he’s going to be a huge asset to have on board.

00:36:31.770 –> 00:36:36.870 Charles Humphrey III: we’re going to have Darren Nicholson from awesome range who’s an amazing singer and songwriter he’s had.

00:36:37.350 –> 00:36:47.640 Charles Humphrey III: A lot of success throughout the years we co-wrote one last year that went up to number one entitled lonesome is the price up flat pay on all bluegrass charts.

00:36:47.970 –> 00:36:59.820 Charles Humphrey III: And then we’re gonna have Charlie Chan Chamberlain who’s a musician and a producer in Nashville and he’s gonna be bringing a portable studio so the people at the camp, not only are they going to get to learn about how to create and how to pitch.

00:37:00.930 –> 00:37:10.200 Charles Humphrey III: they’re going to hopefully get to go away with a work tape or a DEMO of something they’ve created and see what it’s like to be in front of the microphones and pitched artists as well, so it’s really.

00:37:10.650 –> 00:37:22.050 Charles Humphrey III: going to be an all-inclusive writers camp, not only are we going to talk about different ways to create music and arrange songs and write songs but we’re going to talk about the industry, how do you get songs to other people.

00:37:22.380 –> 00:37:36.420 Charles Humphrey III: And then kind of give you a process of how to record, something that could go on to land and another artist, or perhaps your artists, but it’s going to be a great event and we’ve got a world-class lineup so something really.

00:37:36.420 –> 00:37:41.040 Joseph McElroy: and it’s also awesome I mean I don’t know if you know that.

00:37:41.940 –> 00:37:52.560 Joseph McElroy: I know, besides being a businessman, and having a technical background I started doing art in the 90s, and I have a real passion for artists all right and.

00:37:53.220 –> 00:38:03.630 Joseph McElroy: You know the Meadowlark is about allowing artists and especially heritage artists to you know to sign and evolve.

00:38:04.260 –> 00:38:14.610 Joseph McElroy: Their mediums, right, to really you know you know, I believe that you know a lot of people try to you know petrified things and sort of like the past.

00:38:15.120 –> 00:38:30.210 Joseph McElroy: And I think that bluegrass and all the art forms that we have in this mountain heritage are able to blossom even further and bigger than what they are, and I really think that you’re one of those guys just doing that.

00:38:31.170 –> 00:38:38.610 Charles Humphrey III: Well, you know it’s people that support the arts and make it possible, and there’s no better place to do it than meadowlark I agree it’s a special spot.

00:38:39.270 –> 00:38:40.920 Joseph McElroy: cool so.

00:38:42.240 –> 00:38:47.940 Joseph McElroy: So, how did you help you know Darren’s been at our place a couple of times, what do you know Darren.

00:38:48.990 –> 00:38:56.880 Charles Humphrey III: Darren and I met in the bluegrass world you know, the first time we really got to know each other, I believe we were up in Yukon Territory and Alaska.

00:38:57.690 –> 00:39:08.880 Charles Humphrey III: And we had to ride in the back of a van to cross the border together and he was playing with Alicia Nugent at the time, and we did some picking and then he got on with balsam range.

00:39:09.630 –> 00:39:19.320 Charles Humphrey III: And we’ve just always kind of known each other, and I said Darren I really, really like to write with you, I know you’re a hell of a musician and I love your singing.

00:39:19.830 –> 00:39:34.890 Charles Humphrey III: And we wrote a song, I think the first song we wrote was one called any highway we both ended up recording it Darren Nicholson band and songs and road band, and then we went through the pandemic we wrote tons and tons of songs he’s got a new EP out called the man on a mission Darren Nicholson.

00:39:34.950 –> 00:39:43.080 Joseph McElroy: man on the moon oh I love that are you know that I just had that album recently, he was on the show and I love that out.

00:39:43.320 –> 00:39:45.720 Charles Humphrey III: All right, we wrote about four songs on that.

00:39:45.750 –> 00:39:54.000 Charles Humphrey III: we’ve got some that have made it to other bands as well, so you meet people sometimes where you just mesh were each other.

00:39:54.390 –> 00:40:04.080 Charles Humphrey III: talents or personalities compliment each other and that’s kind of what Darren and I found where we get together and it’s just fun it’s natural it’s quick, we always get something.

00:40:04.440 –> 00:40:13.500 Charles Humphrey III: That we’re proud of, we trust each other’s opinions and so it’s been an honor to work with him and he’s a great talent and so.

00:40:13.920 –> 00:40:25.170 Charles Humphrey III: it’s really the songwriting that has brought our friendship closer than anything else, after knowing each other for 20 years in the past two years from getting together to write songs together is how we really become.

00:40:25.410 –> 00:40:27.720 Joseph McElroy: Close we, I mean you had songs on there that went.

00:40:27.720 –> 00:40:31.530 Joseph McElroy: flight from a bluegrass rift into southern rock and roll song.

00:40:32.160 –> 00:40:33.060 Charles Humphrey III: I mean oh yeah.

00:40:33.330 –> 00:40:37.440 Charles Humphrey III: I think he was a man on a mission I think his mission was to rock that’s.

00:40:38.520 –> 00:40:40.920 Charles Humphrey III: Pretty cool album oh yeah man he.

00:40:40.920 –> 00:40:41.730 Charles Humphrey III: doesn’t either.

00:40:41.970 –> 00:40:52.680 Charles Humphrey III: It was so neat to see those songs come from an idea to a full-on Rockin EP he did a great job everybody’s got to check it out man on a mission Darren Nicholson

00:40:52.680 –> 00:40:57.900 Joseph McElroy: so this is going to be a great lineup for the songwriter can I can tell you that and new.

00:40:58.710 –> 00:41:03.480 Charles Humphrey III: I mean we’ve got songs from the road band performing on Friday night.

00:41:03.840 –> 00:41:05.250 Joseph McElroy: All right, fabulous and then.

00:41:05.250 –> 00:41:05.760 Charles Humphrey III: You got.

00:41:06.210 –> 00:41:21.780 Charles Humphrey III: As the people check-in and so actually that ban which I’m in will be performing songs that have been co-written with every single person that’s there so we’ll be able to discuss that and see how that works as well it’s going to be a unique blend of musical ideas.

00:41:22.320 –> 00:41:30.330 Joseph McElroy: oh I know Jim Lauderdale it’s like we said 30 or more albums and yeah I think he’s like the grandfather of this right yeah.

00:41:30.360 –> 00:41:32.970 Charles Humphrey III: it’s close to 40 Jim is awesome and.

00:41:33.300 –> 00:41:34.830 Charles Humphrey III: we’ve been backing him up for.

00:41:34.830 –> 00:41:43.770 Charles Humphrey III: About two years now doing a lot of shows on this bluegrass stuff we’ve had some great opportunities to perform at some festivals like merle fast and things like that he’s.

00:41:44.790 –> 00:41:46.410 Charles Humphrey III: What can you say he’s Jim Lauderdale.

00:41:48.210 –> 00:41:50.370 Joseph McElroy: What can you say you know there’s not much.

00:41:52.020 –> 00:41:53.130 Joseph McElroy: So um.

00:41:54.540 –> 00:41:55.920 Joseph McElroy: So you’ve.

00:41:57.300 –> 00:42:01.260 Joseph McElroy: So lets we’re about to.

00:42:03.090 –> 00:42:12.300 Joseph McElroy: launch on to a whole bunch of other things, who are some other folks famous folks you’ve worked with that are who’s on your bucket list that you would like to work with.

00:42:14.850 –> 00:42:22.590 Charles Humphrey III: let’s see that’s a good question see my brains work and I’m efficient all day well like I said, working with Sean Camp and Jim Lauderdale or pleasure Darren.

00:42:22.980 –> 00:42:33.750 Charles Humphrey III: Nicholson there’s an interesting guy from Charlotte his name is Josh Daniel and during the pandemic, he played a two-hour show every single day for 365 days.

00:42:35.100 –> 00:42:46.170 Charles Humphrey III: yeah it was amazing he plays kind of like grateful dead inspired jam band music, he must know 1000 songs I was like josh man you’ve got a similar Darren’s like when we’ve got a ride I love your plan I love your singing.

00:42:46.590 –> 00:42:53.910 Charles Humphrey III: And so we’ve written a lot together, and I say that’s somebody that you need to check out if you haven’t heard of him he’s really going places name’s Josh Daniel.

00:42:55.260 –> 00:43:03.180 Charles Humphrey III: I just saw her coming up on a radio break but there’s a long list of people Becky Worn in Nashville Sarah Siskin that lives in.

00:43:03.540 –> 00:43:09.570 Charles Humphrey III: North Carolina Britain has a lot of stuff with her Charlie Chamberlain and, of course, he will be at the songwriters camp.

00:43:10.560 –> 00:43:18.690 Charles Humphrey III: Marty Dotson’s another name he’s the other half of song town the USA in Nashville Tennessee a great writer he’s written for everyone and he’s written a lot of.

00:43:19.080 –> 00:43:27.330 Charles Humphrey III: My favorite songs that we’ve created and been able to record songs from the Rodin Mason Via who just recently joined oh crow medicine show I write a lot with him.

00:43:27.690 –> 00:43:32.250 Charles Humphrey III: He is a young fireball of a musician who can do it all right big dancing.

00:43:33.120 –> 00:43:40.800 Charles Humphrey III: Nick Dolphin a place to Larry Stephenson he and I haven’t written a whole lot recently he’s just a talent, to the list goes on and on, Joe.

00:43:41.100 –> 00:43:48.690 Charles Humphrey III: So many great people to work within western North Carolina and you know with the Internet to kind of opens up the boundaries, where you don’t have to be in the same room.

00:43:49.890 –> 00:43:56.910 Joseph McElroy: But cool we’re gonna take a break as you mentioned and we’ll come back and talk a little bit about Western North Carolina and what’s going on in there.

00:43:57.300 –> 00:43:57.960 Charles Humphrey III: let’s do it.

00:45:59.310 –> 00:46:07.620 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Charles Humphrey III.

00:46:08.130 –> 00:46:21.570 Joseph McElroy: Charles you are in all the last things, I think that, besides being a natural artist, you do seem to be a natural entrepreneur, so you actually able to record label called Lucks dumpy toads how’s that going.

00:46:22.560 –> 00:46:27.930 Charles Humphrey III: it’s going well, mostly use it to release the songs from the road band albums.

00:46:29.010 –> 00:46:46.470 Charles Humphrey III: But it’s neat to look at the music industry that way where you’re working with promoters who get music out to the radio DJ and communicating with them and releasing stuff on to streaming platforms apple music and Spotify and.

00:46:49.680 –> 00:47:01.320 Charles Humphrey III: CD baby is one of the things we used to release their music and then getting the records printed on vinyl and I’m wondering whether they’re gonna we’re gonna stop making cd’s I feel like that day is coming I.

00:47:01.320 –> 00:47:04.230 Joseph McElroy: Think CDs are done but vinyl will stick around because you know.

00:47:04.350 –> 00:47:09.990 Charles Humphrey III: I was gonna stick around I’m just kind of waiting for that day, where we don’t have to print up 1000 CDs.

00:47:10.710 –> 00:47:11.220 Charles Humphrey III: Okay.

00:47:11.280 –> 00:47:13.230 Joseph McElroy: I wouldn’t be done with CDs and DVDs or.

00:47:13.230 –> 00:47:13.800 everybody’s.

00:47:15.450 –> 00:47:18.060 Charles Humphrey III: People don’t even know what CDs are anymore they’re not.

00:47:18.660 –> 00:47:25.710 Charles Humphrey III: Ours anymore, but then you go to these festivals and people with like that style of music they’ve got cassette players.

00:47:25.710 –> 00:47:28.350 Charles Humphrey III: And it’s eight tracks and likes.

00:47:28.590 –> 00:47:29.310 Joseph McElroy: I guess, we know that.

00:47:29.490 –> 00:47:35.280 Joseph McElroy: The speakeasy we put in a nice we put it in a nice record player so we’re going to want to help.

00:47:36.180 –> 00:47:37.380 Charles Humphrey III: awesome yeah.

00:47:37.410 –> 00:47:37.770 yeah.

00:47:39.240 –> 00:47:40.620 Charles Humphrey III: it’s got all that analog.

00:47:40.620 –> 00:47:41.790 Joseph McElroy: Sound you know.

00:47:42.210 –> 00:47:45.540 Joseph McElroy: I was, I was once working with somebody doing a deal with Sony.

00:47:45.930 –> 00:48:00.300 Joseph McElroy: That was trying to do you know to add this the audio you know there’s a lot of that when you when they turn it to digital they lose a lot of sounds I don’t know if you know it, but it’s an amazing amount of sound that they lose when they turn it.

00:48:00.300 –> 00:48:03.060 Charles Humphrey III: down your, you’re your absolute absolutely right everything gets.

00:48:03.510 –> 00:48:04.620 Joseph McElroy: compressed and you learn.

00:48:05.010 –> 00:48:14.610 Charles Humphrey III: stuff Neil young was fighting for that for a long time he had created this other style of music player that kind of holding on to some of that original sound, and I think it was.

00:48:15.570 –> 00:48:22.350 Charles Humphrey III: just going to be too much too expensive to get it to the everyday person or either the people that were doing music, the other way I didn’t want him to release it.

00:48:23.820 –> 00:48:28.890 Joseph McElroy: Well, I made it I made, I made the deal Sony was all excited this is funny I made the deal with these guys that.

00:48:29.280 –> 00:48:36.060 Joseph McElroy: That Sony was going to redo all their their their we’re going to start with the offer and do all their offer with this new technology.

00:48:36.360 –> 00:48:48.330 Joseph McElroy: And they were all excited and we do the deal they’re willing to do it, and then the guys Come on, so it’s a great deal, but you know we forgot to tell you that it takes a half-hour engineer time for each song, and I was like Jesus Christ.

00:48:52.680 –> 00:48:53.100 Charles Humphrey III: yeah.

00:48:53.460 –> 00:49:01.590 Joseph McElroy: we’re talking about you know 10s of thousands of hours of songs and albums it’s like you know there’s no way.

00:49:03.660 –> 00:49:06.210 Joseph McElroy: boy is there, there is a way to add.

00:49:06.210 –> 00:49:14.460 Joseph McElroy: The analog back, but still takes a lot of time at some point, it will come back in digital but right now.

00:49:16.440 –> 00:49:19.830 Charles Humphrey III: there’s even a big difference between MP3 and wave file it’s.

00:49:22.200 –> 00:49:29.820 Charles Humphrey III: For me, it’s hard to listen to the radio sometime it’s just it’s so shrill it sounds like it’s just grinding in my ears and it’s tough.

00:49:30.420 –> 00:49:45.510 Joseph McElroy: yeah so you know I mean, I think that you know that it’s there’s a world of what’s going to happen and audio is still not even begun so I’m excited to see what you guys will see in the future, but.

00:49:47.130 –> 00:50:00.900 Joseph McElroy: You know, one of the things I want to do is is uh yeah we’re gonna have we’re having all this stuff happened in the Meadowlark, like, I want to do a Meadowlark sounds from the Meadowlark albums so maybe I’ll talk to your Lucks Dumpy Toads records talking about doing that one.

00:50:01.110 –> 00:50:09.000 Charles Humphrey III: that’s a great idea we love to do it man that’d be a heck of an album just if you just got the people that have been there and be fantastic I love that idea.

00:50:09.660 –> 00:50:16.080 Joseph McElroy: cool so now the things you’re doing what’s your Hell of the endurance athletes what’s happened in there.

00:50:16.800 –> 00:50:24.630 Charles Humphrey III: Not a lot we were hoping to do our 50 K over in Dupont forest this year, which raises money for the candidate foundation that’s.

00:50:25.470 –> 00:50:35.370 Charles Humphrey III: The nonprofit wing of Oskar blues they do things like trail restoration and flood relief and we’re tunes ambassadors, where we get instruments to kids that need them.

00:50:35.910 –> 00:50:45.600 Charles Humphrey III: And that race, the hullabaloo 50 K and really like benefits that nonprofit but they’re doing a lot of trail renovation over there, near guy on-farm by the rebrand we’re usually to our event.

00:50:45.930 –> 00:50:48.510 Charles Humphrey III: We haven’t been able to do it the past two years for permitting.

00:50:49.050 –> 00:50:56.160 Charles Humphrey III: Concerns due to the pandemic it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen this year so that’s still on the back burner, but it may be something that will go back to.

00:50:56.880 –> 00:51:08.340 Charles Humphrey III: The the race director on that event as far as running myself it’s kind of taken a backseat to the fishing lately that’s another thing to stay in shape for it, it really does take a lot of time, you know you need to.

00:51:08.670 –> 00:51:17.070 Charles Humphrey III: run at least a little bit every day, and if you’re doing those long events, sometimes you have to do things like back to back runs and get in that multi-hour.

00:51:17.550 –> 00:51:27.660 Charles Humphrey III: You know, double-digit long runs to prepare for those big events and it’s a lot of fun it’s rewarding is a great way to stay in shape, you can eat whatever you want when you’re training the people.

00:51:28.590 –> 00:51:33.960 Charles Humphrey III: are absolutely amazing they come from all walks of life, the only thing that ties you together.

00:51:34.320 –> 00:51:45.630 Charles Humphrey III: Being crazy enough to go out there and run through the mountains and you get out there with these people you’re just meeting in your suffering together for the first time you have this instant bond of like why in the world are we doing this to ourselves.

00:51:45.960 –> 00:51:47.610 Charles Humphrey III: This is horrible but I love it.

00:51:48.960 –> 00:51:55.950 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know I’m a competitive drinker and so those long-distance distance drinking events I have I gotta deal with the same issues you know.

00:51:56.280 –> 00:51:57.180 Joseph McElroy: yeah I got.

00:51:57.840 –> 00:52:05.490 Charles Humphrey III: guitar the guitar player in our band said oh yeah man, I do marathons to Netflix marathons what’s your favorite show.

00:52:07.860 –> 00:52:11.430 Joseph McElroy: So you got any new recording projects coming out soon.

00:52:12.480 –> 00:52:22.440 Charles Humphrey III: We are putting the finishing touches on the new songs in the road album band I’ve got to master four more songs and we’re trying to get it out in the fall, which will be nice we’ve had.

00:52:23.070 –> 00:52:28.260 Charles Humphrey III: Three or four singles that have been released they’ve all gone up to number one or two on the charts.

00:52:28.800 –> 00:52:43.410 Charles Humphrey III: So we’re hoping to get that out and it’s going to be through candidate as well, we will have that on vinyl and then we’ll go back into the studio and record the next project and start releasing singles as well, so it’s time to get it out there, I need a.

00:52:43.500 –> 00:52:46.230 Joseph McElroy: So culture first vinyl okay all right.

00:52:46.260 –> 00:52:49.140 Charles Humphrey III: we’ll do it I’ll go ahead and save it for you.

00:52:49.560 –> 00:52:50.190 All right.

00:52:51.900 –> 00:52:58.200 Joseph McElroy: Oh good so um so so people are looking for that What were they need to watch for to get that.

00:52:59.160 –> 00:53:02.910 Charles Humphrey III: They would need to watch songs on the road band.com

00:53:04.350 –> 00:53:09.540 Charles Humphrey III: They could find us on Instagram or Facebook songs from the road band as well.

00:53:10.680 –> 00:53:19.500 Charles Humphrey III: We are on all major music outlets and we would love for people to come to visit us and stay in touch and follow and.

00:53:19.770 –> 00:53:30.210 Charles Humphrey III: share the music ads to playlists all that good stuff you can find out information about our live shows we’d love for them to come out and meet the band and hang out and have a good time with us as well.

00:53:30.720 –> 00:53:33.030 Joseph McElroy: And if a venue wants to book you how do they do that.

00:53:34.110 –> 00:53:43.530 Charles Humphrey III: They would do that through the website as well songsfromtheroadband.com and we have a wonderful wonderful agent his name is Curtis Guerin he works at prater day.

00:53:44.040 –> 00:53:51.660 Charles Humphrey III: And he would gladly take your call and we could arrange something to come and play for you at your festival club or even a private event.

00:53:52.440 –> 00:53:57.330 Joseph McElroy: cool and if somebody wants to book you for guides to the fishing guide, what do they do.

00:53:58.200 –> 00:54:08.430 Charles Humphrey III: If you would like to go out on a weight or float trip on public or private water with winning with one of our many talented guides just go to beastcoastanglers.com

00:54:08.880 –> 00:54:16.200 Charles Humphrey III: And all the information there all the information that you need is there to either give us a call or shoot us an email cool.

00:54:16.470 –> 00:54:22.080 Joseph McElroy: And if they want to follow what you’re doing personally or in you know online what are they were worthy.

00:54:24.270 –> 00:54:33.300 Charles Humphrey III: To keep track with me personally, is just Charles Humphrey III and I have public accounts on Facebook and Instagram and

00:54:33.600 –> 00:54:46.050 Charles Humphrey III: very active with the fishing company based coast anglers and with the band songs and the road band so I’m not too hard to find and I would love to chat with anybody and visit you know let’s put a smile on someone’s face and I’ll have a great day.

00:54:46.440 –> 00:54:52.350 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool well, I will be down there starting Saturday for two weeks so let’s get together when you come back, I want to come down alright.

00:54:52.770 –> 00:54:58.470 Charles Humphrey III: guys just give me a call I would love it, yet you have to promise to call me, I want to take you out fishing.

00:54:58.770 –> 00:55:03.690 Joseph McElroy: Alright sounds good, so thank you for being here this this this podcast has been great.

00:55:04.230 –> 00:55:07.230 Charles Humphrey III: It was a pleasure thanks for having me on the show really appreciate it was a lot of fun.

00:55:07.950 –> 00:55:15.630 Joseph McElroy: So you find out more about this podcast it’s smokiesadventure.com the link to all the podcasts is on the top of the site.

00:55:15.990 –> 00:55:21.180 Joseph McElroy: You can also go to facebook.com/gatewaytothesmokiespodcast were in it.

00:55:21.570 –> 00:55:30.240 Joseph McElroy: and watch the live podcast and see the previous podcast we are part of the talk radio.NYC network, where they have a lot of live podcasts.

00:55:30.570 –> 00:55:39.810 Joseph McElroy: That worthwhile for you to watch deal with travel and small business and New York and self-help and health and things I advise you to take a chance to listen.

00:55:40.110 –> 00:55:52.890 Joseph McElroy: And I actually have another podcast every Friday about a business called wise content creates wealth from noon until one so hope you will take a look at that as well and it’s been good to see you and I’ll see you next week.

Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains is a beautiful and iconic way to experience the area, as well as a unique way to connect with nature and find tranquility. Today, our guest will discuss some of his amazing hiking adventures and the social media impact he has had on so many individuals.

Creating Memorable Hiking and Outdoor Adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains Our host, Joseph Franklyn McElroy, is joined by our special guest, Johnny Osborne, an acclaimed long-distance hiker, adventurer, and rock climber, and mountain biker, also renowned for his social media skills. With well over a million followers on various forms of social media platforms, Johnny is a master at creating memorable online hiking experiences in the Great Smoky Mountains –and throughout the United States –while documenting his accomplishments as a hiker. 

Johnny is especially passionate about promoting, protecting, and perpetuating the legacy of the Great Smokies Mountain National Park. When not enjoying various outdoor pursuits, Osborne resides in Alcoa Tennessee, where he manages his social media platforms and works with clients such as Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain Resort.

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Joseph starts off tonight’s show with of course his sponsor which is his own, the Meadowlark Motel! He mentions several upcoming events that you can find at meadowlarkmotel.com. Joseph also reads a poem by Lawrence Hall called “New Hiking Shoes for the Trail Ahead.” He transitions into introducing his guest, Johnny Osborne, an acclaimed long-distance hiker, adventurer, rock climber, and mountain biker, also renowned for his social media skills, with well over a million followers on various forms of social media platforms. He lives in Tennessee and is 20 minutes away from the Smokies National Park. He became passionate about outdoor lifestyles due to his fond memories with his family like going to the Smokies and bonding. Osborne became serious about hiking after being invited by his sister numerous times to go hiking with her. He used to run rather than hike while in college but once he went hiking with his sister again, it “ignited a fire” that made him fall in love with it again. He talks with Joseph about some intriguing memories of hiking.

Joseph mentions Johnny’s social media channels and how he talks about the leave no trace principles of hiking in many of his videos. This topic is about cleaning our environment, educating, advocating, and more when it comes to recreating responsibly. Johnny also mentions a nonprofit organization, Save Our Smokies, which is having an event on the weekend of Earth Day to clean the entire Smokies National Park. He also talks about the positive impacts of being a part of the hiking community like being the voice of information to provide knowledge about being safe. Joseph talks with Johnny about his impressive social media skills and have big following. He wants to grow and create more educational content for his youtube channel. Johnny talks about doing challenges and taking on the South Beyond 6,000 challenge which he read about in an article. This challenge encourages hikers to climb forty 6000-foot peaks in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Johnny speaks with Joseph about his experience hiking in the Black Mountain Crest Trail. He also did the Great Smoky Mountains National Park nine hundred-mile hike which includes going through all of the trails in the area. Johnny also speaks about doing the Foothills Trail Hike in the Appalachian Mountains. He talks about a funny moment of how on his first day on this hike, a huge storm came along. When this happened, he found a spot to camp, and the next morning he realized that he was about only 2 miles from where he wanted to be. Johnny has hiked in many states and countries. He reminisces about the beautiful atmosphere when he hiked in the Rocky Mountains. When it comes to his social media, he refers to himself as someone who is encouraging and not an influencer. He differentiates these two terms as someone who is selling something (influencer) and someone who is coaching (encouraging). He says that it's about supporting and motivating others when educating people about hiking. Johnny also gives some of his thoughts about how other people on social media can grow their platforms and build a community. He speaks about being consistent in delivering relatable content.

In the final segment, Johnny speaks about being involved with the Blackberry Farm and Mountain Resort in Tennessee. He has been with them for 7 years and is an information technology manager at Blackberry Mountain. He says that they are opening up a restaurant at the brewery they have in the location. Johnny speaks about his passion for the Great Smoky Mountains and advocating for being responsible while enjoying recreation and memorable experiences. Other things Johnny also enjoys besides hiking is going mountain biking or even kayaking. He talks more with Joseph about places he enjoys visiting in Tennessee and the Smokies. His favorite rock climbing spot for example is Ijams in Knox County. You can reach out to Johnny on Instagram at johnny on the trail, as well as on Facebook and Youtube with the same username. Johnny also shares with us that he has merch and the proceeds will go to nonprofit organizations and park charities. Joseph thanks Johnny Osborne for being on the show and looks forward to hiking with him sometime soon!

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00:00:30.270 –> 00:00:35.220 Joseph McElroy: Howdy, thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of Gateway to the Smokies.

00:00:36.090 –> 00:00:47.370 Joseph McElroy: This podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the surrounding towns, this area is filled with ancient natural beauty.

00:00:48.030 –> 00:00:53.280 Joseph McElroy: A deep-storied history of rich mountain cultures that we explore with the weekly episodes.

00:00:54.120 –> 00:01:02.550 Joseph McElroy: I’m Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains, my families living the great smokies for over 200 years.

00:01:03.360 –> 00:01:17.640 Joseph McElroy: my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture. In today’s podcast we’re talking about hiking and experiences in the smokies but first, let’s talk about sponsors has happened to be me.

00:01:20.160 –> 00:01:30.510 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place evocative of motors courts of the past in a modern environment with a Chic Appalachian feel a place for adventure and for relaxation.

00:01:31.110 –> 00:01:40.650 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by a fine wine and craft beers.

00:01:41.010 –> 00:01:58.710 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place in the old-time music, the World Cultural sounds imagine a place where we’re mountain heritage food, and that was an underground Speakeasy. There is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay. Also, sponsoring us

00:02:00.060 –> 00:02:07.050 Joseph McElroy: smokies adventure.com smokies plural adventure singular information and listings about the smoky.

00:02:07.860 –> 00:02:15.030 Joseph McElroy: it’s got information about hiking wedding menus and books is got resources like trail maps and guides.

00:02:15.510 –> 00:02:24.990 Joseph McElroy: and histories of the smokies the emphasis of smokies adventure is on outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, along with.

00:02:25.320 –> 00:02:35.220 Joseph McElroy: Providing information on lodging family entertainment events conventions honeymoons and more the goal is to become the leading information portal, the smoky mountains.

00:02:36.570 –> 00:02:38.970 Joseph McElroy: I have some upcoming events table.

00:02:40.410 –> 00:02:46.590 Joseph McElroy: We have never seen winter’s final hurrah but the first by sides of springs are starting to emerge in Haywood County.

00:02:47.430 –> 00:02:55.080 Joseph McElroy: Witness the changing of the stream seasons first hand by joining a guided height with the Haywood County recreation.

00:02:55.800 –> 00:03:08.160 Joseph McElroy: The guided hike offer a chance to connect with fellow hikers and explore new trails will experience local guide it’s only $10 per hike and you can call 828-452-6789

00:03:08.940 –> 00:03:18.000 Joseph McElroy: To find out more information there’s for a hike there’s for hikes already I know for March there are more slides it’s a 5.5-mile hike the.

00:03:18.810 –> 00:03:28.650 Joseph McElroy: trail and shiny rock march 16 is a 7.5 mile like in the Boggerman trail that Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

00:03:29.190 –> 00:03:37.140 Joseph McElroy: there’s a march 19 and 9.4-mile hike have a little Cataloochee trail, and unless you have traveled area, the Cataloochee

00:03:37.740 –> 00:04:00.690 Joseph McElroy: And march 30 there’s a 5.6-mile moderate hike in the mountains to see the trail to Scott Creek overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway, this is a part of the install isn’t a storm in the mountains to sea trail hiking series hiking the MST from Haywood County lead by Kathy or Body and Steve.

00:04:04.140 –> 00:04:10.050 Joseph McElroy: I just looked at that it says a Penske so I’m assuming hopefully I did justice to it.

00:04:11.820 –> 00:04:18.330 Joseph McElroy: upcoming to the Meadowlark in today’s world you might forget that for all of history humankind has lived or journey.

00:04:18.750 –> 00:04:23.220 Joseph McElroy: into environments that require fundamental survival skills in order to flourish.

00:04:23.730 –> 00:04:33.810 Joseph McElroy: Wilderness survival, also known as bushcraft because the ability to utilize natural and limited materials of the traditional ways to stay alive and escape danger.

00:04:34.470 –> 00:04:37.680 Joseph McElroy: We might not think we need these skills if we avoid it.

00:04:38.430 –> 00:04:47.970 Joseph McElroy: But there are still interesting instances where we might need to call a pet that includes natural disasters, getting lost in the woods extreme shifts, and weather accidents.

00:04:48.300 –> 00:04:54.960 Joseph McElroy: causing some form of contract incapacitation and many other unforeseen circumstances.

00:04:55.710 –> 00:05:02.880 Joseph McElroy: Therefore it is proven wise for every human to have at least a rudimentary capability in the basic skills of survival.

00:05:03.450 –> 00:05:17.790 Joseph McElroy: These include the ability to build a fire build a shelter tie knots navigate without a GPS apply first aid, evaluate and choose the right gears and supplies and master the essentials of hiking and camping.

00:05:18.600 –> 00:05:34.890 Joseph McElroy: The Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center is proud to announce the addition of Acclaimed Author outdoors outdoor survival expert record-setting high hiker elite wilderness search and rescue team Member Nancy East to a roster of expert artists for 2022

00:05:36.540 –> 00:05:50.640 Joseph McElroy: Remember, she was on the program here a couple of weeks ago and so we’re having a first wilderness survival skills weekend with Nancy East on March 19 at 4 pm through March 20 to all-day 11 pm.

00:05:51.990 –> 00:06:04.590 Joseph McElroy: it’s $275 Nancy will launch the presentation Friday night describing her adventures as a search and rescue Member and she’s had some really exciting stories and.

00:06:05.010 –> 00:06:15.540 Joseph McElroy: And rescues to talk about and then on Saturday march 19 will default, the Internet, it will devote the entire day to a variety of those survival skills.

00:06:16.440 –> 00:06:30.900 Joseph McElroy: topics to ensure your safety comfort of enjoyment, as you create memorable experiences hiking in the great smokies space is limited to 10 students to their guarantee you get individual tension and Nancy provides all the materials needed for the event.

00:06:31.980 –> 00:06:42.030 Joseph McElroy: after the event, you will be able to have a free Barbecue and listen to wonderful music like Mike by Mike Ogletree was a former drummer simple minds on Saturday night.

00:06:42.750 –> 00:06:53.280 Joseph McElroy: So it makes for an enjoyable weekend your website meadowlarkmotel.com to purchase your tickets or just call 828 926 1717 to reserve.

00:06:54.210 –> 00:07:08.100 Joseph McElroy: And don’t forget to remember to go little details but there’s a fishing camp coming up on April 15 and 16th at the meadowlark motel and there’s gonna be an able to two-day event with lots of wonderful fishing.

00:07:09.120 –> 00:07:10.740 Joseph McElroy: instruction hands on.

00:07:11.820 –> 00:07:26.010 Joseph McElroy: You know, going actually out to the streams and fishing, you know be trout tales and entertainment and foods things like that so again, you can call 828 926 1717 to find out more and make reservations.

00:07:27.150 –> 00:07:29.580 Joseph McElroy: And a lot of you know I like to do a little poem sometimes.

00:07:30.960 –> 00:07:39.690 Joseph McElroy: Since we’re talking about hiking a lot today, I found one by Lawrence Hall it’s called New hiking shoes for the trail ahead.

00:07:40.770 –> 00:07:52.890 Joseph McElroy: While I was looking for something else I found a pair of hiking shoes still in their box from a year ago in anticipation of a summer vacation that never was.

00:07:53.460 –> 00:08:05.700 Joseph McElroy: And there was no holiday again that here it was all coronavirus and foreign wars I’d forgotten those shoes, but here they are already for some sunlit summer road.

00:08:06.750 –> 00:08:12.840 Joseph McElroy: While I was looking for something else I found a pair of hiking boots and a bit of hope.

00:08:14.550 –> 00:08:19.050 Joseph McElroy: So today we have a great guest his name is Johnny Osborne.

00:08:20.790 –> 00:08:31.050 Joseph McElroy: He’s a Tennessee native and he’s an acclaimed long-distance hiker adventure rock climber, and mountain but also renowned for his social media skills.

00:08:31.590 –> 00:08:44.280 Joseph McElroy: With well over a million followers in various forms of social media platforms Johnny is a master of creating memorable online hiking experiences of the great smoky mountains, for which he has a passion.

00:08:44.970 –> 00:08:54.360 Joseph McElroy: Johnny also uses his social media skills to help brands like Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain Resort. Hello Johnny how are you doing?

00:08:54.930 –> 00:08:57.060 Johnny Osborne: Hey Joseph I’m doing well, how are you?

00:08:57.270 –> 00:09:03.360 Joseph McElroy: Fine, fine so we’re talking about hiking shoes, do you do boots or sneakers.

00:09:04.980 –> 00:09:06.060 Johnny Osborne: I do both.

00:09:06.390 –> 00:09:08.490 Johnny Osborne: yeah yeah sometimes a trial run.

00:09:09.030 –> 00:09:10.290 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah that’s truly cool.

00:09:11.460 –> 00:09:12.180 Joseph McElroy: So you were.

00:09:13.020 –> 00:09:15.330 Joseph McElroy: You were born and raised in East Tennessee right.

00:09:15.630 –> 00:09:22.290 Johnny Osborne: yeah I was born and raised in East Tennessee my entire life I grew up here but county on a small country farm.

00:09:23.400 –> 00:09:26.490 Johnny Osborne: plan outside was just normal natural for me so.

00:09:27.750 –> 00:09:28.500 Johnny Osborne: Just where I am.

00:09:29.190 –> 00:09:40.320 Joseph McElroy: I grew up in Western North Carolina and my grandfather had a small farm we lived up on top of the mountain and it just living outside it’s basically what you do.

00:09:41.880 –> 00:09:42.270 Johnny Osborne: Right.

00:09:43.350 –> 00:09:46.110 Joseph McElroy: So you still live in our code Tennessee right.

00:09:46.890 –> 00:09:52.410 Johnny Osborne: I do they still live now code I’ve been that code for about 15 years but I’ve always been in La County.

00:09:53.520 –> 00:09:54.150 Joseph McElroy: You know, still.

00:09:54.780 –> 00:09:56.130 Johnny Osborne: To South Carolina.

00:09:56.850 –> 00:09:59.160 Joseph McElroy: yeah what keeps you in this focus.

00:10:00.060 –> 00:10:08.520 Johnny Osborne: You know focus is really, really close to, I mean there is a 20-minute drive from my home and from my work from my office just a few steps away.

00:10:09.000 –> 00:10:24.570 Johnny Osborne: I’m taking a walk out of my office and being the national park and minutes, which is really nice so it’s nice to you know, be able to get away and go for a quick hoc after work or picnic or overnight trip and.

00:10:25.980 –> 00:10:38.730 Johnny Osborne: I think the things that keep me going to the smokies it’s just nice to go and unplug from society, you know, being in technology and it’s nice to go in and plug and then one from the stress of the day.

00:10:40.170 –> 00:10:47.370 Joseph McElroy: Like if you guys are so passionate about the great outdoors I mean besides that relaxation, I mean there seems to be more of an also a deep passion for it.

00:10:48.540 –> 00:10:48.930 Johnny Osborne: yeah.

00:10:50.130 –> 00:11:03.210 Johnny Osborne: gosh my passion came from A to the smokies instead is from my parents, when my sister and I were little when we were younger and our parents took us to smokies quite often.

00:11:03.840 –> 00:11:15.300 Johnny Osborne: And we’d go up for a mixer to hack and Sam I’m fondest memories are just as playing the strings we did more string playing, and I think we get hockey but.

00:11:16.410 –> 00:11:24.330 Johnny Osborne: This seven my parents always did with us going to the smokies and having family fun bonding time.

00:11:25.980 –> 00:11:31.230 Joseph McElroy: And you know you’ve become a real, serious hiker how did you become serious about hiking.

00:11:32.160 –> 00:11:32.730 Johnny Osborne: Oh gosh.

00:11:34.650 –> 00:11:35.250 Johnny Osborne: and

00:11:36.720 –> 00:11:39.090 Johnny Osborne: You know hocked early on in life and.

00:11:40.140 –> 00:11:42.090 Johnny Osborne: And, as I got into school and.

00:11:43.800 –> 00:11:49.650 Johnny Osborne: college and all that I stopped hocking as much and started running another runner.

00:11:50.880 –> 00:12:02.880 Johnny Osborne: And my sister Cape on and on and on about coming with me come hock with me, come hock with me and I’m like no I bet this run the day that you know 10 miles 15 miles whatever I want to run.

00:12:03.930 –> 00:12:15.930 Johnny Osborne: And now I’m not going to go and I’ll just wait and she was very persistent about it and so she kept on following I gave in and went but I’m really, really glad that she did because I mean that.

00:12:17.190 –> 00:12:23.910 Johnny Osborne: hurt invited me to come hock with her in the smokies was, I mean it just ignited a fresh start.

00:12:26.010 –> 00:12:35.130 Johnny Osborne: And I fell in love with hacking and stuff he’s all over in here, it was just I’d forgotten what it was like after all those times being away from it so.

00:12:36.330 –> 00:12:39.510 Johnny Osborne: a fun fact about my sister as far as we know.

00:12:41.490 –> 00:12:47.100 Johnny Osborne: we’re the only two siblings that have hot and all the trails in the Smokies and our.

00:12:49.020 –> 00:12:49.590 Joseph McElroy: fabulous.

00:12:49.920 –> 00:12:52.170 Joseph McElroy: yeah How often do you like now?

00:12:54.060 –> 00:12:57.540 Johnny Osborne: And I try to hack at least oh my gosh.

00:12:58.710 –> 00:12:59.310 Johnny Osborne: At least.

00:13:02.280 –> 00:13:06.630 Johnny Osborne: I tried at least three weekends and Sundays in a week.

00:13:09.330 –> 00:13:09.690 Johnny Osborne: hmm.

00:13:11.220 –> 00:13:11.640 Johnny Osborne: Very.

00:13:12.210 –> 00:13:14.400 Joseph McElroy: Good you gotta feed that social media profile too.

00:13:17.100 –> 00:13:19.860 Joseph McElroy: Internet is a gaping more than needs content.

00:13:20.100 –> 00:13:22.050 Johnny Osborne: yeah I gotta keep creating content.

00:13:23.010 –> 00:13:29.490 Joseph McElroy: So I have you had any exciting adventures, well, I think, like meeting a bear or boar or something like that.

00:13:30.030 –> 00:13:36.360 Johnny Osborne: um yeah bet both I was at what shelter was that it was.

00:13:38.250 –> 00:13:47.370 Johnny Osborne: Oh gosh I don’t remember them the shelter, but I was getting water and filling it with water bladder for not Pack and I had just raised up my coffee cup and.

00:13:47.970 –> 00:14:01.500 Johnny Osborne: about water by the water source and I’m blaming them there and filling up a water bladder and this bear just walked up right behind me, I mean probably 10 feet from me, I didn’t see it didn’t hear it.

00:14:03.750 –> 00:14:20.160 Johnny Osborne: Well, if my stuff’s they’re backed away slowly facing the bear the entire time and it was just a curious Barry walked up to my water bladder my coffee cup and sniff around a little bit he took his Paul and he just you know to turn my water butter over to smell it and the.

00:14:21.240 –> 00:14:26.370 Johnny Osborne: shredding the water bladder and I know why, over the next couple of days, but.

00:14:28.380 –> 00:14:30.570 Johnny Osborne: Should we shoot the airway he left.

00:14:32.100 –> 00:14:42.540 Johnny Osborne: And then I get my things and pack the rest of my beer from the shelter and left so it’s very eventful but still exciting.

00:14:42.960 –> 00:14:45.240 Joseph McElroy: Still, mostly yeah it’s exciting right.

00:14:45.240 –> 00:14:51.450 Joseph McElroy: yeah you know I grew up living in the mountains remember not too far from the Appalachians.

00:14:52.470 –> 00:15:05.490 Joseph McElroy: I would sleep at night, I had an outdoor deck in Cali slept with me and I will I woke up one night in the middle of the night and I left my window open my dog was screaming bloody head up and I looked up and there was bear stinking his head in my window.

00:15:08.490 –> 00:15:09.300 Joseph McElroy: Just a curious.

00:15:10.290 –> 00:15:10.890 curious.

00:15:12.120 –> 00:15:12.570 Johnny Osborne: curious.

00:15:13.470 –> 00:15:23.160 Joseph McElroy: Well, listen we gotta take a break, but I’m gonna come back are talk about some of the principles you employ a wall while you hike and then we’ll maybe we’ll get into social media or life.

00:15:23.670 –> 00:15:25.260 Johnny Osborne: sounds great mm-hmm.

00:17:41.100 –> 00:17:46.890 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the Gateway to the Smokies podcast my guest Johnny Osborne.

00:17:48.390 –> 00:17:59.100 Joseph McElroy: So Johnny I looked at your YouTube channel, as well as your tik-tok too, but most of your YouTube channels, the ones got like 1.5 million or 1.15 million followers.

00:17:59.790 –> 00:18:11.460 Joseph McElroy: It’s a pretty impressive following I looked at some of your videos and you often talk about the leave no trace principles of hiking in the wilderness, can you tell my audience about that.

00:18:12.120 –> 00:18:26.550 Johnny Osborne: Absolutely and I’ll even take it a step further than leave no trace, which is responsible stewardship and those values are deeply rooted in that together we can foster ethics, to make all of our public lands cleaner and better place for everyone.

00:18:27.690 –> 00:18:39.390 Johnny Osborne: And we’ll do that through education, education through action, whether it’s digitally Facebook YouTube Instagram or physically go out and volunteering.

00:18:40.650 –> 00:18:52.020 Johnny Osborne: You want to be an advocate you want to raise awareness of the issues of our public land sorry we want to raise awareness of the issues of public lands to face and use our reach, to become a part of the solution.

00:18:53.820 –> 00:18:54.540 Johnny Osborne: donate.

00:18:55.710 –> 00:19:02.910 Johnny Osborne: Give with a purpose either financially or physically and know your impact may prepared and know what to expect.

00:19:03.900 –> 00:19:19.200 Johnny Osborne: And the last of those ethics take action, which is to volunteer in the park or several so many volunteer programs that the park offers and that you can be part of they have to get back to the park and all that’s.

00:19:20.250 –> 00:19:23.790 Johnny Osborne: All tied together to rick recreating responsibly.

00:19:25.590 –> 00:19:29.130 Joseph McElroy: cool and there are some fundamental principles of leave no trace right this.

00:19:29.130 –> 00:19:32.160 Johnny Osborne: year are there are seven principles to leave no trace.

00:19:34.500 –> 00:19:36.300 Johnny Osborne: concertos are like but.

00:19:36.780 –> 00:19:40.290 Joseph McElroy: I think it’s good I mean think it’s good to educate, if you do it quickly, though, that I think.

00:19:40.950 –> 00:19:42.210 Joseph McElroy: Sure yeah.

00:19:42.570 –> 00:19:43.170 yeah so.

00:19:46.350 –> 00:20:03.480 Johnny Osborne: plan ahead and prepare, so I was one of my favorites I always want to you know to prepare for your hot for you though you’re backpacking trip that you want to add to this travel and camp on durable surfaces three dispose of waste properly and that’s really a huge issue in the smokies.

00:20:04.680 –> 00:20:10.380 Johnny Osborne: For belief what you find number five minimize campfire impacts.

00:20:11.520 –> 00:20:16.530 Johnny Osborne: Six respect the wildlife and seven is to be considerate of others.

00:20:17.460 –> 00:20:19.320 Joseph McElroy: which we have a problem with sometimes too right.

00:20:19.380 –> 00:20:21.210 Johnny Osborne: And we did.

00:20:21.960 –> 00:20:27.000 Joseph McElroy: I think we’re I think that the clothes that are popular part because people were not being considered right.

00:20:27.030 –> 00:20:28.800 Johnny Osborne: Reason let’s turn.

00:20:29.220 –> 00:20:35.970 Joseph McElroy: there’s a real shame that yeah they were just abusing it so badly that was getting ruined, we had to close it down so yeah.

00:20:36.090 –> 00:20:37.710 Johnny Osborne: That was what Max types, I think.

00:20:37.770 –> 00:20:43.980 Joseph McElroy: Re Max patches a popular one not to parking maybe so yeah I think they close it down for the whole year right so.

00:20:44.190 –> 00:20:48.450 Johnny Osborne: Now they close it down at sunset and it’s open back up at sunrise.

00:20:50.190 –> 00:20:52.200 Joseph McElroy: camping That was a people would camp.

00:20:52.290 –> 00:20:52.680 Johnny Osborne: yeah.

00:20:52.770 –> 00:20:55.950 Joseph McElroy: And they were just abusing it badly camping ruin it.

00:20:56.040 –> 00:21:00.000 Johnny Osborne: Leaving Dreading that being a big college party scene.

00:21:00.060 –> 00:21:11.640 Johnny Osborne: area getting trashed every weekend and several friends of mine, would go up there and the weekend after weekend every weekend and carry out loads and loads and loads of trash.

00:21:11.910 –> 00:21:14.370 Johnny Osborne: yeah so something had to be done.

00:21:15.120 –> 00:21:27.600 Joseph McElroy: It has to be a culture of is you know when I went to burning man, believe it or not, right and they do that they had like when I went there I don’t know what how many people now, but I did it like 2002 and I was young enough to walk around half-naked.

00:21:30.930 –> 00:21:32.580 Joseph McElroy: Maybe a little bit more than half-naked.

00:21:37.260 –> 00:21:39.120 Joseph McElroy: or another for another story.

00:21:40.590 –> 00:21:47.340 Joseph McElroy: But they would have 30,000 people in the desert bringing in the camping and everything else, but when they left.

00:21:48.060 –> 00:21:56.700 Joseph McElroy: They left it pristine and they actually went you know inch by inch over that whole property getting rid of anything that might have been left behind so.

00:21:57.240 –> 00:22:13.230 Joseph McElroy: If a culture of it yeah yeah so it’s important to have been advocates, for you know, taking care of our resources, I appreciate you doing that so consistently and in your work so yeah.

00:22:13.410 –> 00:22:23.490 Johnny Osborne: And speaking of that I want to flood the save our smokies real quick, they are doing a huge event on April, the 23rd is Earth Day weekend that we can.

00:22:24.990 –> 00:22:29.880 Johnny Osborne: They are the plan is to clean the entire smoky mountains National Park.

00:22:30.270 –> 00:22:30.960 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow.

00:22:31.080 –> 00:22:40.650 Johnny Osborne: yeah so the registration for this opens starts today marks the first, and you can register for this that save our smokies.org.

00:22:41.520 –> 00:22:48.960 Johnny Osborne: And at the end of the day that day we’re going to they’re going to provide food and drinks and live music for all the volunteers.

00:22:49.500 –> 00:23:03.300 Johnny Osborne: And the goal that days to remove 5000 pounds of the layer from the park and remain as much as possible, so it’s gonna be a super fun day I’m definitely going, and I would encourage anybody else that loves the smokies come on out.

00:23:03.750 –> 00:23:07.590 Joseph McElroy: yeah Oh well, this is April 23 right.

00:23:08.700 –> 00:23:13.860 Joseph McElroy: I’ll show you know that’s around that that fishing event I think so maybe I’ll try to.

00:23:14.340 –> 00:23:16.560 Joseph McElroy: Fish a little bit and then come down and go to that too.

00:23:18.150 –> 00:23:31.500 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah that’d be great so obviously you are very passionate about the Hiking Community so So what are the positive impacts, for you, you know that you find that.

00:23:32.790 –> 00:23:39.840 Joseph McElroy: Hiking Community like personally socially physically mentally what is being part of that community, what are the positive impacts.

00:23:46.710 –> 00:23:51.900 Johnny Osborne: I guess the positive impacts that I’m seeing is what I like to be a part of is you know getting back and.

00:23:53.880 –> 00:23:58.830 Johnny Osborne: Being that voice of information, you know give back in a sense that.

00:24:00.240 –> 00:24:06.270 Johnny Osborne: I can provide some knowledge, it may be beneficial to someone that hasn’t been out and has hockey as much.

00:24:09.300 –> 00:24:10.170 Johnny Osborne: I just like.

00:24:11.310 –> 00:24:12.330 Johnny Osborne: I can talk for.

00:24:13.470 –> 00:24:17.130 Johnny Osborne: hours about hockey tip to new people you know.

00:24:17.610 –> 00:24:21.210 Joseph McElroy: Oh, you know I look I’m gonna be I’m sort of doing more hiking.

00:24:21.270 –> 00:24:29.100 Joseph McElroy: You know, even in the even in the get-go and starting to notice that yo legs are working, a little bit better from this.

00:24:29.880 –> 00:24:42.510 Joseph McElroy: I’m gonna do a lot more I’ve only been at and a neophyte of it but and there seems to be also it’s also a Community hiker know each other, and you know and communicate right and there are clubs and things like that.

00:24:44.880 –> 00:24:47.280 Johnny Osborne: yeah there are in one of the things.

00:24:48.630 –> 00:24:59.730 Johnny Osborne: says here one of the things that I’m really super proud of is this Facebook group that was created about four years ago, three, four years ago, five years ago, maybe hacking the smokies

00:25:00.600 –> 00:25:03.270 Johnny Osborne: And it’s just really fun.

00:25:04.290 –> 00:25:07.560 Johnny Osborne: a group of people very knowledgeable of.

00:25:08.790 –> 00:25:12.210 Johnny Osborne: what’s going on trail conditions things like that.

00:25:13.980 –> 00:25:13.980 Johnny Osborne: and

00:25:14.970 –> 00:25:18.450 Joseph McElroy: Now I’ve been a member and I didn’t know that was you so yeah.

00:25:18.840 –> 00:25:21.750 Johnny Osborne: yeah I mean I think there’s like 85,000 members.

00:25:21.750 –> 00:25:23.370 Joseph McElroy: Now, if we have a.

00:25:23.640 –> 00:25:24.330 crazy.

00:25:25.620 –> 00:25:42.900 Joseph McElroy: So so um it was someone born and raised in the smoky mountains myself I’m always interested in how people acquire their skills, especially in the computer things, how did you learn about your social media skill you just do it yourself, do you go to college went to do.

00:25:43.290 –> 00:25:46.740 Johnny Osborne: And you know it’s I’m still learning social media skills

00:25:47.250 –> 00:25:47.370 As.

00:25:48.990 –> 00:25:51.690 Joseph McElroy: Well, that they changed it every day you’re never going to stop.

00:25:53.010 –> 00:25:54.630 Joseph McElroy: bandwagon for long yeah.

00:25:56.640 –> 00:26:03.870 Johnny Osborne: The algorithms change so frequently it’s like so what’s the end now and Instagram reals are it photos is it.

00:26:05.130 –> 00:26:09.870 Johnny Osborne: works, I mean what’s the thing, there was a new craze now yeah.

00:26:12.390 –> 00:26:22.080 Joseph McElroy: So just you know, one of the things I tell people is that you know teaching yourself, is the best way with, especially with computers in general, you know and.

00:26:22.800 –> 00:26:34.200 Joseph McElroy: You know because it’s really it’s an amalgam of human mind thought and getting in there and understanding that at that level is much better for you than trying to learn rules.

00:26:34.440 –> 00:26:34.950 But now.

00:26:36.450 –> 00:26:47.340 Johnny Osborne: One of the things I want to do this year and I found my mom for quite a while, is, I want to create more education on YouTube content and, if anything, just for the betterment of the hacking community.

00:26:48.930 –> 00:26:51.870 Johnny Osborne: You know it’s really so hard to compete.

00:26:54.570 –> 00:27:00.630 Johnny Osborne: With the larger YouTube channels and it’s hard to be seen, sometimes as a small YouTuber.

00:27:01.980 –> 00:27:07.050 Joseph McElroy: Right yeah well, I mean you gotta put that in perspective, most of our bigger small.

00:27:07.110 –> 00:27:08.040 youtuber is.

00:27:09.180 –> 00:27:14.700 Joseph McElroy: A few hundred or a few thousand and they think of them, as well as a small YouTube here a big you do remote people but.

00:27:16.800 –> 00:27:34.650 Joseph McElroy: What do you think million 1 million mark you’re of interest in a way, so well cool and I wanted to talk about some of the accomplishments and so people know you know sort of fun things that you can do, and so you are a South beyond 6000 finishers what’s that.

00:27:37.500 –> 00:27:38.790 Johnny Osborne: The southern sixer.

00:27:41.280 –> 00:27:51.480 Johnny Osborne: yeah I love that challenge that was one of my favorite challenges and how I kind of got to this to do this, the South be on 6000 was.

00:27:52.230 –> 00:28:05.640 Johnny Osborne: I was wrapping up my smokies 900 miler my APP and I’ll think about what I wanted to do next, and the idea of the sat down 6000 came to me after reading an article online about this challenge and.

00:28:06.540 –> 00:28:14.370 Johnny Osborne: read about how hard it was and that’s kind of up my alley I like to do hard challenges but.

00:28:15.930 –> 00:28:31.440 Johnny Osborne: I had one little issue, though it kind of worried me a little bit, and I know how to use a map, I know that he’s accomplice, and all that good stuff but I wasn’t Okay, with just you know mediocre right, I wanted to know more, I wanted to know.

00:28:32.670 –> 00:28:41.940 Johnny Osborne: Because I know a lot of those 6000 that Piques our Australia hawks and so really wanting to brush up on my knowledge is reading a map and compass and.

00:28:42.930 –> 00:29:02.190 Johnny Osborne: So I reached out to my friend lane, the cost is Haywood County search rescue team Member and he was holding an off or he was about to hold it off and bounced off-trail hiking sorry nostril navigation class, and so I reached out to him and signed up for that it was wonderful.

00:29:03.480 –> 00:29:21.450 Johnny Osborne: Today overnight trip at Max match and one of the biggest and most helpful takeaways from this class from him was that it gave me the confidence that I needed to go out and do these off-trail hawks and climb these mountains because there aren’t for us to the summits.

00:29:22.080 –> 00:29:30.480 Joseph McElroy: Like so how many mountains and you have to climb to achieve this finish there was like they’re all 6000 or more per night right.

00:29:30.570 –> 00:29:41.250 Johnny Osborne: yeah they are if there’s 40 well there’s more than 40 but there’s 40 that’s designated by the Carolina mountain climb for this challenge, so there’s 46,000-foot summits

00:29:41.790 –> 00:29:46.740 Joseph McElroy: So it’s 40 heights you gotta go climb a mountain to finish well how long it is a few.

00:29:48.990 –> 00:29:51.360 Johnny Osborne: They got them and about a year, maybe listen to yours.

00:29:51.600 –> 00:29:55.350 Joseph McElroy: cool well that’s like one almost one every week yeah.

00:29:55.620 –> 00:29:57.510 Joseph McElroy: Now yeah it was cool.

00:29:57.600 –> 00:29:59.100 Johnny Osborne: And a few of those I did you know.

00:30:00.630 –> 00:30:15.780 Johnny Osborne: The black mountain Crest try their luck as fat peaks on that trade-off I did those five that we can or well that day I didn’t two more, the day before the day after I can’t remember which so that’d be a few hours each weekend cool.

00:30:16.080 –> 00:30:25.230 Joseph McElroy: Well, we have to take another break and we’ll come back and we’ll talk about some of these other fun travel trips and then get into a little bit about more about your social media and stuff like.

00:32:31.830 –> 00:32:38.520 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Johnny Osborne.

00:32:39.690 –> 00:32:46.650 Joseph McElroy: So John you’ve done some amazing different hikes you mentioned the Black Mountain CREST trail had some peaks on what was that in it.

00:32:48.180 –> 00:32:54.600 Johnny Osborne: Oh, my gosh that was so fun and I love that too I love that hock and.

00:32:55.680 –> 00:33:11.250 Johnny Osborne: I started out first off it’s called the march of death right map quest has more to do with is one of those crazy weekends, is a subtle hot, for me, I didn’t really know what to expect and I’ve heard the trail was super brutal it kind of was.

00:33:12.720 –> 00:33:27.720 Johnny Osborne: So I packed my bag my backpack for an overnight trip, just in case I ran into any issues or couldn’t finish it as a day hock but I didn’t I fishes they hocked but started Bowling creek and a hocked it all the way through to Mount Mitchell.

00:33:30.780 –> 00:33:34.920 Johnny Osborne: Like I said earlier, things five or six 6000 foot summits.

00:33:35.160 –> 00:33:35.580 Joseph McElroy: yeah.

00:33:35.730 –> 00:33:40.440 Johnny Osborne: there are some ropes on the training after I’ve kind of used to pull yourself up.

00:33:43.350 –> 00:33:44.100 Johnny Osborne: It was amazing.

00:33:44.790 –> 00:33:48.270 Johnny Osborne: The views up there, just like anywhere else so beautiful.

00:33:48.720 –> 00:33:52.260 Johnny Osborne: wow I’m hoping to go back and maybe the next month.

00:33:52.950 –> 00:33:57.090 Joseph McElroy: Well yeah that sounds like if that there’s really clear to pull up I’m probably.

00:33:57.090 –> 00:33:57.570 Johnny Osborne: Not yeah.

00:33:58.800 –> 00:33:59.790 Johnny Osborne: yeah exactly.

00:34:00.870 –> 00:34:01.740 Johnny Osborne: So crazy.

00:34:02.130 –> 00:34:09.990 Joseph McElroy: And then you did the great smoky mountains National Park 900 mile which is doing all the trails in the smoky mountain National Park right.

00:34:11.520 –> 00:34:11.790 Johnny Osborne: yeah.

00:34:11.820 –> 00:34:13.050 Joseph McElroy: Did you do a good time.

00:34:13.890 –> 00:34:17.070 Johnny Osborne: I did it in about a little over a year.

00:34:17.430 –> 00:34:20.940 Johnny Osborne: And I wasn’t in any hurry to do it, or anything but.

00:34:22.770 –> 00:34:30.540 Johnny Osborne: it’s kind of fun and I’m doing a second one soda and not really said it’s official but about halfway through with a second one, but.

00:34:30.930 –> 00:34:47.910 Johnny Osborne: wow it’s just one of the things I’m just going out on a weekend or whatever and I’ll make I may go out and do a backpacking trip or just a short day hock and how about that trail and done cool thing about that too is I just checked the stats a.

00:34:49.260 –> 00:34:54.030 Johnny Osborne: a couple of weeks ago there were 733 members of the 900 our club.

00:34:54.810 –> 00:34:57.810 Johnny Osborne: Was super cool it’s a small crowd.

00:34:58.770 –> 00:35:02.550 Joseph McElroy: Now you’ve also done the foothills through trail thru-hike what is that.

00:35:03.480 –> 00:35:20.520 Johnny Osborne: yeah and the thumbnails trail goes from table rock to county state park and took off a few days for more to solo hock through at least through such a boozy trail loved it, it was well maintained through and through.

00:35:21.690 –> 00:35:28.740 Johnny Osborne: gosh it was such a delight to Hock and I would totally hock that through any time again and a funny story about that hock.

00:35:30.210 –> 00:35:41.550 Johnny Osborne: My first day on the Hock I was I had planned my campsite long before I went, but on the trail, I was talking along and the storm came is a huge storm.

00:35:42.240 –> 00:35:53.160 Johnny Osborne: And I’m like well I’m not where I want to be for camp, so I dove into this little spot and had my tarp and my hammock and cook dinner hi my feedback and.

00:35:53.640 –> 00:36:03.150 Johnny Osborne: Change clothes went to bed that makes more impact up and started hocking and come to find out, I was Point two miles from where one is the first place I mean, even though.

00:36:14.340 –> 00:36:15.420 Joseph McElroy: That story right.

00:36:15.630 –> 00:36:16.770 Johnny Osborne: yeah yeah.

00:36:17.130 –> 00:36:21.390 Joseph McElroy: I was sleeping I’m sleeping on the one side of the mountain where we’re supposed to be was just oh yeah.

00:36:26.100 –> 00:36:33.090 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah so So if I mean you’ve done a lot in the smokies I assume you’ve done the Appalachian trail right.

00:36:33.360 –> 00:36:34.260 Johnny Osborne: I have not.

00:36:34.320 –> 00:36:38.880 Joseph McElroy: You have not okay yeah that’s one on your bucket list right.

00:36:39.360 –> 00:36:41.100 Johnny Osborne: um gosh you know.

00:36:42.750 –> 00:36:49.380 Johnny Osborne: Maybe maybe not matter right, I really don’t have a desire to hockey but I’ve got so many sections of it.

00:36:51.720 –> 00:36:52.320 Johnny Osborne: One day.

00:36:52.710 –> 00:36:55.200 Joseph McElroy: you’ve hiked in other places across the United States right.

00:36:55.200 –> 00:37:01.380 Johnny Osborne: Now absolutely I thought oh my gosh I’m having so many states and so many countries.

00:37:02.250 –> 00:37:05.940 Joseph McElroy: Was it what’s one highlight of those two you can recommend.

00:37:07.380 –> 00:37:08.340 Johnny Osborne: Of the.

00:37:08.430 –> 00:37:10.410 Joseph McElroy: Other hypothesizes smokies yet.

00:37:11.130 –> 00:37:21.420 Johnny Osborne: yeah I went to the Rockies last year was my first time to the Rockies and that was really a neat experience out there because when I went in the fall will say in those Aspen trees.

00:37:22.350 –> 00:37:40.290 Johnny Osborne: It was such a delight those things are so beautiful and those our panel aches for one they’re beautiful but today it’s no joke get into them because are over 10,000 feet right so you’re climbing a lot to get to him so, but it was worth that ever been it was worth it.

00:37:41.940 –> 00:37:57.000 Johnny Osborne: And one of my last hocks in Colorado with a quandary peak, which is a 14,271-foot summit, and I was just I mean when I got to the summit, I was just really overjoyed with happiness.

00:37:58.080 –> 00:38:12.870 Johnny Osborne: mean it was I literally cried, in fact, if you watch my YouTube video of this I’m bawling it’s tonight, and the fact is all about Africa mark can’t believe it it’s just so humbling to be there was just so cool but.

00:38:12.900 –> 00:38:18.300 Joseph McElroy: Talking about YouTube you have you on social media you call yourself an encourager

00:38:18.330 –> 00:38:19.860 Joseph McElroy: Not an influencer, why do you.

00:38:19.860 –> 00:38:20.550 differentiate.

00:38:22.050 –> 00:38:24.450 Johnny Osborne: that’s a really good question and.

00:38:25.740 –> 00:38:30.330 Johnny Osborne: To me, and in my opinion, to influence and persuade someone in something or.

00:38:31.830 –> 00:38:36.600 Johnny Osborne: And most influencers, in my opinion, are selling something or fishing something on you.

00:38:38.160 –> 00:38:42.570 Johnny Osborne: As an encourager is kinda like coaching you know I’ve had thousands of miles.

00:38:44.160 –> 00:38:51.330 Johnny Osborne: And in my mind, I believe that anyone can have any single trail, I thought I mean there’s absolutely no reason they can’t.

00:38:52.140 –> 00:39:05.670 Johnny Osborne: You know, all it is is one step at a time and it’s at your own pace and that’s, the keyword at your own pace and so to me, it’s about supporting them or to motivate me motivated.

00:39:07.860 –> 00:39:11.160 Johnny Osborne: Whereas to influence is to control or manipulate something or someone.

00:39:12.180 –> 00:39:28.560 Johnny Osborne: So I try to be like a coach or be the good advice or you know I’m just today, you know commenting on a friend amounts post that’s working on a 900 mater map and I’m like hey so proud of you keep going.

00:39:29.790 –> 00:39:31.080 Johnny Osborne: Now, and I think that’s.

00:39:31.860 –> 00:39:40.830 Joseph McElroy: etc, do you feel like you make an impact in the Community, we are seeing in the stories of how you’ve impacted by that sort of differentiation.

00:39:41.550 –> 00:39:44.910 Johnny Osborne: um you know from time to time, I might see.

00:39:46.020 –> 00:39:51.510 Johnny Osborne: Someone that I’ve you know encouraged along the way, reach that goal.

00:39:52.530 –> 00:39:55.560 Johnny Osborne: I mean it’s really hard to it’s hard to say if know.

00:39:56.820 –> 00:40:01.170 Johnny Osborne: How, you know what their what’s in their mind, or what they’re doing what they’re going through, but.

00:40:02.640 –> 00:40:09.660 Johnny Osborne: um you know I just think it’s gratifying to coach others and give them encouragement keep motivating them but keep going.

00:40:11.730 –> 00:40:19.410 Johnny Osborne: Going after something that maybe they had doubts about that first hock or that first overnight trip in the smokies or wherever it may be.

00:40:21.480 –> 00:40:24.690 Johnny Osborne: I did get some feedback, but not not not a whole lot.

00:40:25.110 –> 00:40:26.400 Johnny Osborne: yeah yeah.

00:40:27.090 –> 00:40:30.060 Joseph McElroy: Oh, you know you have you know.

00:40:31.170 –> 00:40:39.150 Joseph McElroy: You have a large following and you know, on yeah on Twitter, you have some Facebook and YouTube definitely got it.

00:40:40.350 –> 00:40:47.520 Joseph McElroy: Is there you know these platforms, you know there’s a lot of businesses use them and, like you said influencers trying to sell something.

00:40:48.000 –> 00:40:58.110 Joseph McElroy: But for people that don’t necessarily want the selling thing, but in to encourage people to build communities do you have any particular tips or secrets you like to share with them to help build their community.

00:41:02.280 –> 00:41:07.290 Johnny Osborne: gosh, you know I’m always looking for somewhere to add value on social media platforms.

00:41:08.490 –> 00:41:10.380 Johnny Osborne: You know whether it’s Instagram or Facebook.

00:41:11.430 –> 00:41:11.910 But.

00:41:14.100 –> 00:41:26.400 Johnny Osborne: I think the girl these platforms, you know to me once worked for me just be consistent with content, you know, create fresh, new and here’s, the keyword in my mom is relatable content.

00:41:26.940 –> 00:41:38.880 Johnny Osborne: If I can create content that’s relatable to the person watching it or searching for it then they’re most likely going to follow or subscribe, or whatever so I’m just trying to create content daily that’s relatable.

00:41:39.690 –> 00:41:51.570 Joseph McElroy: mm hmm have you found any format, so the content that makes it more viral or more watchable we’re getting more views than than than other types of formats.

00:41:53.340 –> 00:42:07.470 Johnny Osborne: Right now Instagram reels are absolutely taken off, I mean they’re not now Instagram reels there’s there aren’t any advertisements on this grammar so it’s kind of like an open market that Instagrams kind of opened up.

00:42:07.980 –> 00:42:19.980 Johnny Osborne: Their platform to go hey we need content creators to come on and create reels and if you’ll create real express will promote your videos and.

00:42:21.510 –> 00:42:26.400 Johnny Osborne: You get tons of locks and tons of use it’s crazy how it works.

00:42:27.420 –> 00:42:29.400 Johnny Osborne: same with YouTube shorts and.

00:42:30.630 –> 00:42:34.410 Johnny Osborne: Think there’s another platform it over call everyone, we have a law that.

00:42:36.000 –> 00:42:42.840 Johnny Osborne: You just have kind of have to deal with what’s trending right now it’s not want to be like open forever is from reels isn’t that.

00:42:42.900 –> 00:42:43.650 Johnny Osborne: Right now it’s.

00:42:43.950 –> 00:42:45.060 Johnny Osborne: wide open for the.

00:42:45.180 –> 00:42:52.920 Joseph McElroy: For the taking my target I might check that out my wife loves he loves Instagram so you have something called base camp chat what is that.

00:42:54.330 –> 00:43:09.930 Johnny Osborne: Okay yeah basically chat I was a guest on the hock podcast with Lori Pramod and also on the podcast just or section hacks host about Julie Gay heart and we had so much fun chatting better ventures.

00:43:10.980 –> 00:43:22.470 Johnny Osborne: And, along with the Beanie Braden we started base camp chat two years ago with a fourth episode season one and we talked about anything from our fears, while, on the trail.

00:43:23.250 –> 00:43:30.840 Johnny Osborne: To you know to advance that we would give to the listener, that it may be their first time hockey or their first time backpacking.

00:43:32.250 –> 00:43:47.790 Johnny Osborne: And the base camp chat was just the feedback was phenomenal so we brought it back for season two, we have already recorded season or episode one into episode one is out already.

00:43:48.870 –> 00:43:53.970 Johnny Osborne: And season two will be or episode two will be out later this week or next.

00:43:55.230 –> 00:44:01.770 Johnny Osborne: But our objective here was just to create a fun educational atmosphere about hacking or the outdoors.

00:44:02.790 –> 00:44:05.070 Johnny Osborne: For the listeners just to make the content relatable.

00:44:06.150 –> 00:44:14.550 Johnny Osborne: And one cool thing, though, our fourth and last show season two will be alive, so will be fielding questions and comments from our listeners.

00:44:15.210 –> 00:44:16.410 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow that’s good.

00:44:16.950 –> 00:44:19.620 Joseph McElroy: yeah live interaction is always good yeah.

00:44:19.740 –> 00:44:20.700 Johnny Osborne: Sometimes ticket.

00:44:21.270 –> 00:44:23.250 Joseph McElroy: yeah well, you can go south, you have to get the.

00:44:23.250 –> 00:44:23.520 Right.

00:44:26.790 –> 00:44:27.330 Johnny Osborne: what’s the answer.

00:44:29.670 –> 00:44:36.690 Joseph McElroy: will do you think social media is a good way to learn about this, the great smoky mountains, and to promote it.

00:44:38.700 –> 00:44:46.020 Johnny Osborne: Then yeah I think if you want to you know go out and hack or spend time in the smokies it’s good there’s some homework or.

00:44:46.740 –> 00:44:57.960 Johnny Osborne: The number one principle ain’t no traces plan and prepare so you know to go online study the trail and one cool thing about the hock in the smokies Facebook group is.

00:44:59.250 –> 00:45:14.730 Johnny Osborne: If you’re wanting to hockey and smokies go and do a search and that group for that trail and say what feedback, you may get back you’re going to see that out of 85,000 members somebody hock the trail you’re looking for recently.

00:45:15.990 –> 00:45:30.090 Johnny Osborne: To get the most current up-to-date trail conditions that you wouldn’t get from you to know any other website was kind of almost start loud but it’s you know days or weeks oh come, you know, information and it’s always helpful.

00:45:30.630 –> 00:45:33.210 Joseph McElroy: cool yeah we got to take another break.

00:45:33.690 –> 00:45:40.980 Joseph McElroy: And then we’ll come back we’ll finish up with some of the other things that you’re doing and switch out to us.

00:47:43.440 –> 00:47:49.710 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Johnny Osborne.

00:47:51.150 –> 00:48:03.690 Joseph McElroy: Johnny you’re involved with a place called Blackberry farm and mountain resort and East Tennessee now it’s a big beautiful place also become fairly large enterprise didn’t they just by Wyndham resorts.

00:48:04.830 –> 00:48:07.020 Joseph McElroy: heard the rumor mill that they might have.

00:48:09.150 –> 00:48:24.150 Joseph McElroy: The resort winded had its own separate resort business and, though we might my company excuse to do some content for them and I thought it wasn’t a great buy that they had so I was pretty surprised, but can you tell us about the Blackberry farm and mountain resort?

00:48:24.630 –> 00:48:30.120 Johnny Osborne: Sure absolutely and, as far as that Wyndham I don’t know if they have or not.

00:48:31.560 –> 00:48:41.700 Johnny Osborne: But we have my reform like very mountain and over in the cashiers, we have Hampton inn and it’s all a family tree resort hotel.

00:48:42.810 –> 00:48:46.230 Johnny Osborne: Every farm Blackberry mountains, right at the foothills of the great smoky mountains.

00:48:47.340 –> 00:48:55.050 Johnny Osborne: In-wall in Tennessee and I’ve been with the company for seven years I’m an information technology manager at library mountain.

00:48:56.130 –> 00:49:05.700 Johnny Osborne: And as I said earlier, the property butts up at Instagram smoky mountain National Park, so he stepped away, I mean apart super cool.

00:49:06.720 –> 00:49:08.370 Joseph McElroy: Like a brewery there and.

00:49:08.370 –> 00:49:10.620 Johnny Osborne: All that yeah we have a brewery.

00:49:12.540 –> 00:49:19.770 Johnny Osborne: we’re getting ready to open up a food restaurant there to the brewery so it’s happening, I think, in April.

00:49:21.030 –> 00:49:21.540 Johnny Osborne: yeah.

00:49:23.910 –> 00:49:40.410 Joseph McElroy: cool well you know I am I heard, I read recently that where you said, your goal is to create memorable experiences and the great smoky mountain National Park, while also promoting and perpetuating the park’s legacy is that a fair depiction of your quote.

00:49:41.100 –> 00:49:48.900 Johnny Osborne: It is yeah I felt like we cherish our memories and I want to encourage others to go out and create those new ones spring swan smokies.

00:49:49.530 –> 00:50:04.350 Johnny Osborne: Really anywhere but for me here in the snow peas, but to go a step further, but also preserving parks history back creating the generational sustainability and this goes back to responsible stewardship recreating responsibly.

00:50:05.670 –> 00:50:14.970 Johnny Osborne: And the objectives are just to go to a park at Dell business park and trade as law firm here with his friends and family but leave the park better than you found it.

00:50:15.570 –> 00:50:25.680 Joseph McElroy: Right yeah that’s pretty cool you know one of the intentions of the Meadowlark and why we built a Heritage Center and everything else is to create a memorable experience.

00:50:25.830 –> 00:50:34.920 Joseph McElroy: Absolutely yeah one is you know it’s my heritage and I, you know I want to have people have those flashbulb memories of something wonderful happening for them.

00:50:35.340 –> 00:50:43.530 Joseph McElroy: But from a marketing standpoint, if you market were you creating memorable experiences you actually create.

00:50:44.130 –> 00:50:59.580 Joseph McElroy: Better brand loyalty and better revisit intention so it’s both practical and good for people for companies to turn to try to create those memorable experiences and so that is our ethics, so I really appreciate what you’re doing there.

00:50:59.730 –> 00:51:01.290 Joseph McElroy: Absolutely yeah.

00:51:02.820 –> 00:51:08.670 Joseph McElroy: So you’re actually a wide variety in another outdoor thing besides hiking right.

00:51:09.990 –> 00:51:17.250 Joseph McElroy: So what are some other good adventurous locations to do things besides taking that you enjoy the smoky mountains.

00:51:18.000 –> 00:51:26.100 Johnny Osborne: And I left a mountain bike rode cycle course I’ve been running earlier left to run I’m also a kayaker.

00:51:27.660 –> 00:51:28.020 Johnny Osborne: and

00:51:29.070 –> 00:51:30.810 Johnny Osborne: Nothing anything outside.

00:51:31.320 –> 00:51:33.570 Joseph McElroy: what’s your favorite mountain biking spot.

00:51:33.600 –> 00:51:51.840 Johnny Osborne: The most folks yeah we have a spot here in Knoxville called items it’s at the see as part of the legacy parks foundation part there and South Knoxville and logo in there to ride, one of my other favorite places in obstacles makers creek and.

00:51:53.550 –> 00:51:55.230 Johnny Osborne: it’s two types of riding so.

00:51:56.940 –> 00:52:04.740 Johnny Osborne: This is more like cross country riding where it’s like makers creatures down he’ll be riding with big massive jumps.

00:52:05.280 –> 00:52:18.180 Johnny Osborne: And both are super fun, but we pick and choose how you feel that they and there’s also a brand new mountain biking area that just recently opened later part of last year in towns and it’s called the hollow.

00:52:19.200 –> 00:52:25.290 Johnny Osborne: I haven’t been yet, but as soon as the weather breaks stops raining dries out want to go check it out.

00:52:25.830 –> 00:52:28.440 Joseph McElroy: How about the North Carolina side any places you like to go.

00:52:29.040 –> 00:52:33.060 Johnny Osborne: I am there are gosh what’s it called and.

00:52:35.910 –> 00:52:41.700 Johnny Osborne: there’s a place over there, that I went a few years ago, spend some time writing De pon.

00:52:42.150 –> 00:52:42.750 Joseph McElroy: Okay.

00:52:42.810 –> 00:52:43.860 Johnny Osborne: The de pon area.

00:52:45.180 –> 00:52:55.230 Johnny Osborne: Lots of really good writing over there loved it and I really can’t wait to go back and do this more so much, of course, like here, this is your riding up a mountain to ride down.

00:52:57.300 –> 00:52:59.970 Johnny Osborne: In an hour ride never run a ton of amount.

00:53:01.080 –> 00:53:04.500 Joseph McElroy: Of this, that you can work to get up and then you get to enjoy coming down.

00:53:06.900 –> 00:53:07.320 Johnny Osborne: Right.

00:53:07.650 –> 00:53:09.990 Joseph McElroy: So you rock climbing what’s your favorite Rockland spot.

00:53:10.860 –> 00:53:23.190 Johnny Osborne: At the rock and rock climb Stephen I used to do with my friends years and years ago and I kind of picked it back up about two or three years ago I don’t even know why to pick it back up but I enjoy it it’s like.

00:53:24.330 –> 00:53:33.180 Johnny Osborne: To me, it’s kind of like solving a puzzle or working with a puzzle, you know each handhold and each foot move is like putting a piece of the puzzle together but.

00:53:35.520 –> 00:53:42.960 Johnny Osborne: This is a new challenge for me, but my favorite spot to climb is outdated it’s one of my favorite areas to go there, quite often.

00:53:44.430 –> 00:53:46.080 Johnny Osborne: there’s a place in Knoxville.

00:53:47.130 –> 00:54:00.810 Johnny Osborne: Also at items that are done climates and established plumbing destination Maggie legacy Ford foundation it’s bolted, which is super cool and it’s a lot crowded, and this every time.

00:54:01.230 –> 00:54:05.430 Johnny Osborne: They so I’m making cheese I go there, go to the gym.

00:54:06.540 –> 00:54:07.110 Joseph McElroy: cool.

00:54:07.590 –> 00:54:19.020 Joseph McElroy: yeah So what if somebody wants to you get so many things to shout out what you wanted to shout out your how people will follow you find out more about you things like that.

00:54:19.710 –> 00:54:24.810 Johnny Osborne: Sure yeah I mean you can reach out to me on Instagram at Johnny on the trail.

00:54:26.010 –> 00:54:36.750 Johnny Osborne: Facebook Instagram and Facebook YouTube saying Johnny on the trail or you can search for Johnny Osborne on Facebook I’m on there as well, grabbed me that way too.

00:54:37.110 –> 00:54:38.190 Joseph McElroy: And you have a link tree right.

00:54:39.210 –> 00:54:42.600 Johnny Osborne: And I do yeah it’s on my Instagram page.

00:54:43.830 –> 00:54:45.120 Joseph McElroy: So you’re the Instagram look for.

00:54:45.120 –> 00:54:47.460 Joseph McElroy: jazz wasn’t Johnny on the trail and then.

00:54:47.730 –> 00:54:49.170 Joseph McElroy: find your link tree cool.

00:54:50.190 –> 00:54:56.490 Joseph McElroy: And you’re doing some interesting stuff in social media, they have you doing much more merchandise.

00:54:56.730 –> 00:54:57.390 Joseph McElroy: But you’re actually.

00:54:57.420 –> 00:55:00.420 Joseph McElroy: donating it also the park charities all right.

00:55:00.690 –> 00:55:08.820 Johnny Osborne: yeah we sure are and we are an idea that I had thought of a while back into quite a bit of time to get some things together for it but.

00:55:09.930 –> 00:55:20.280 Johnny Osborne: After talking to some of my group’s admins about creating some sort of fundraiser we decided to do some you know some marketing perhaps a merchant bass and.

00:55:20.970 –> 00:55:28.950 Johnny Osborne: Have all that profit that we raised on that bill to nonprofits and the idea really took off quickly.

00:55:29.700 –> 00:55:36.480 Johnny Osborne: And so we designed the logo and we came up with some clever wording and the wording is really cool it’s together we are.

00:55:37.320 –> 00:55:54.510 Johnny Osborne: Together we are hocking the smokies and that’s what’s on our shirt together we are funny and that was meant to represent that the committee at this might represent the Community as a whole that together we are supporting the park and together we are supporting the nonprofits.

00:55:55.590 –> 00:55:58.770 Joseph McElroy: And together with us in building a Community that’s enjoying it so that’s.

00:55:58.860 –> 00:55:59.970 Johnny Osborne: Absolutely yeah.

00:56:00.360 –> 00:56:02.670 Joseph McElroy: Well, thank you so much for being on the show this.

00:56:02.730 –> 00:56:06.240 Joseph McElroy: Absolutely, I look forward to maybe hiking with us at some point.

00:56:06.660 –> 00:56:07.320 Johnny Osborne: me great.

00:56:07.410 –> 00:56:13.980 Joseph McElroy: sounds good, this is the gateways to the smoky podcast and you find out more about this.

00:56:14.460 –> 00:56:25.860 Joseph McElroy: smokiesadventure.com and there’s a link to the gateways to the smokies podcast on the top of the menu bar, you also go to facebook.com/gatewaytothesmokiespodcast.

00:56:26.220 –> 00:56:42.270 Joseph McElroy: Where we have these live broadcasts as well as some of the old shows and posts about things going on in the smoky mountains that were part of talkradio.nyc network and network of live podcasts every day, seven days a week.

00:56:43.560 –> 00:56:53.970 Joseph McElroy: That has a vast variety of shows, ranging from self-help to travel to small business and big business marketing.

00:56:55.410 –> 00:57:09.480 Joseph McElroy: dogs and cats health, so I recommend you look at the go-to the talk radio dot nyc and look up the shows you listen to live while you’re there to whatever’s going on and it’s really fulfilling effort.

00:57:11.310 –> 00:57:25.350 Joseph McElroy: I actually have two podcasts of those networks, I have another one about content and marketing called wise content creates wealth on Fridays from noon until till one.

00:57:26.250 –> 00:57:36.240 Joseph McElroy: Hope you’ve come visit that and, of course, this podcast gateway the smokies runs on Tuesdays from six to seven, I look forward to seeing you next week, and thank you very much for listening.

GUEST: WILLIAM RITTER

In this episode, you will learn about the amazing life and career of a man who has dedicated his life to the study of early mountain music. He is dedicated to preserving the history, talent, and culture of old-time music.

Our host, Joseph is joined by our special guest, William Ritter, He is an award-winning historian, author, folklorist, singer, and songwriter, can play almost any stringed instrument, is an expert on heirloom seeds, and has devoted a good part of his adult life to documenting the contributions of old-time Appalachian musicians and ballad singers.

https://www.songtoseed.com/#/

https://sarahandwilliam.weebly.com/

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

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Joseph opens today’s show mentioning a couple of events coming up. The Meadowlark Smoky Mountains Heritage Center which is located at the Meadowlark Motel is having a series of twenty heritage-themed events scheduled for this year to inform people about different elements of Smoky Mountain culture. The first event is this Saturday. Another event is about fly fishing. The motel is offering a fly fishing camp weekend. Their goal is to bring like-minded people together through fly fishing, food, camp, and more. Learn more at meadowlarkmotel.com. Joseph also reads the lyrics of “The Storyteller” written by Mike Jones, a folk singer in the 1980s. He then introduces his guest today, an award-winning historian, author, folklorist, singer, and songwriter, William Ritter.

Joseph talks with Ritter about an event Ritter did where he did a performance of an adaptation of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night’s Dream. He worked with a group of young actors who were in college and mentions how special it was for him to work with them and be a part of their early experiences in front of an audience. They also discuss the Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention, which Ritter has been a part of in the past. The convention was on a two-year hiatus but will be back this year. Ritter speaks about what makes the Smokies special for him. He mentions the mountain culture and the scenes of nature around the area. He also mentions the food is special. The culinary tradition is something he says is much different from something you’d find outside of the Smoky Mountains. It’s very unique.

Ritter talks about growing up going to the Penland School of Craft where his parents were also instructors. He also talks with Joseph about working with Bob Plott, the manager at the Meadowlark Motel and with Bobby McMillion, ballad singer, musician, and storyteller. Ritter was able to do performances with McMillion. Through the North Carolina Arts Council in partnership with a foundation called South Arts, they put together a grant opportunity for a mentor and an apprentice to study together. Ritter was trying to find an apprentice for Bobby and Bobby told Ritter that he should be the person. He was able to document Bobby going on the road to performances. Ritter would record their conversation during their rides in the car and mention the great stories Bobby would talk about with him on stage and on their rides. Ritter describes how special Bobby was as a storyteller as he'd make you feel like you were speaking to a random person at a bar or anywhere else. He made it feel intimate and not so much like a performance in front of a lot of people. He was the same person on and off stage. Ritter talks more about McMillion’s life, his passing, and the Bobby McMillion Project to continue his legacy.

Ritter is booked for a special concert at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center’s Plot Fest Reunion in June. he says that there will be a mix of different ranges of country music and Appalachian culture, and mentions several artists and storytellers of influence. Joseph asks him about how he stays active as a musician during these different times since the pandemic began. Ritter says that he recently tried something new called Riverside FM, where you can record audio and videos with good quality. They both talk more about the mediums used for storytelling and different platforms. Advanced technology today has created a lot of opportunities for creators. To find out more about what William Ritter is up to, you can go to blueridgeheritage.com as well as sarahandwilliam.weebly.com. Joseph thanks William Ritter for joining him again for today’s podcast episode.

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00:00:41.250 –> 00:00:44.610 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy I’m herewith.

00:00:44.640 –> 00:00:55.770 Joseph McElroy: This week’s episode of Gateway to the Smokies, this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the surrounding towns.

00:00:56.250 –> 00:01:05.010 Joseph McElroy: This area is filled with ancient natural beauty deep storied history and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:01:05.610 –> 00:01:18.720 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy, as I mentioned once already, A man of the world but also deep roots in these mountains my family is lived in the great smokies for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is a culture.

00:01:19.530 –> 00:01:29.580 Joseph McElroy: today’s podcast we’re talking about a legendary storyteller of the smokies amongst other interesting tidbits but first a little bit from our sponsors.

00:01:30.420 –> 00:01:41.040 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past at modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel a place for adventure and for relaxation.

00:01:41.610 –> 00:01:52.020 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.

00:01:52.470 –> 00:02:10.440 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place with old-time music and world cultural sounds imagine a place with mountain heritage, food, and underground speakeasy there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:02:11.760 –> 00:02:17.760 Joseph McElroy: smokies adventure.com at smokies plural adventure singular.com

00:02:18.360 –> 00:02:29.760 Joseph McElroy: it’s a place for information listings about the smokies hiking and wedding venues books and trail marks and trail maps and resources to help you experience the smoky mountains.

00:02:30.120 –> 00:02:36.300 Joseph McElroy: In a more fulfilling way, the emphasis of the smokies is on outdoor recreation outdoor.

00:02:36.720 –> 00:02:50.790 Joseph McElroy: Life events like weddings and adventures, along with providing information on lodging family entertainment events conventions honeymoons, and more The goal of this site is to become the leading information portal of the smoky mountain.

00:02:52.950 –> 00:02:54.840 Joseph McElroy: So I got a couple of events to tell you about.

00:02:56.220 –> 00:03:04.590 Joseph McElroy: somewhere between character and caricature their existing authentic a truly unique culture of the smoky mountains.

00:03:05.160 –> 00:03:17.250 Joseph McElroy: understanding that culture blends the global and the local the old the new and gains relevance and understanding of the elements of cup culture that brought us to where we are now and where we can go in the future.

00:03:18.930 –> 00:03:31.890 Joseph McElroy: The Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center located at the beautiful Meadowlark Motel is proud to announce a series of 20 I think now 21 heritage-themed events scheduled for 2022.

00:03:32.640 –> 00:03:48.660 Joseph McElroy: Each of these events is designed to be to understand a different element of smoky mountain culture elite members and guests on a journey of understanding for the past and the future and the first event is this Saturday, February 26 at 4 pm at the Meadowlark Motel.

00:03:49.980 –> 00:03:58.260 Joseph McElroy: it’s going to be led by Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center General Manager and Award-winning Author Bob Plott.

00:03:58.830 –> 00:04:08.820 Joseph McElroy: As he launches the first of six heritage book programs and a book signing of his book Bob’s first program this weekend focuses on the history of the Plott Hound

00:04:09.300 –> 00:04:23.070 Joseph McElroy: The official state dog of North Carolina is a legendary breed with a rich and storied history in Haywood County and it features Bob’s first book strike and stays the story of the Plott Hound.

00:04:25.350 –> 00:04:38.970 Joseph McElroy: This fun informative program we followed by a delicious Barbecue dinner and acoustic music with Mike Ogletree former drummer for simple minds and some friends, making for an entertaining afternoon and evening.

00:04:39.690 –> 00:04:48.150 Joseph McElroy: the event is free to motel guests and heritage club members and nonmembers and local residents are welcome to attend the program enjoy.

00:04:48.510 –> 00:05:02.280 Joseph McElroy: dinner music for only $10 call 828 926 1717 to book your room and or your reservation, to find out, but other events and the heritage series and go to the website Meadowlarkmotel.com

00:05:03.540 –> 00:05:07.500 Joseph McElroy: And look at this document Heritage Center under events under the events.

00:05:08.610 –> 00:05:09.630 Joseph McElroy: menu selection.

00:05:10.920 –> 00:05:12.600 Joseph McElroy: Coming up in March.

00:05:14.070 –> 00:05:18.660 Joseph McElroy: And April coming up into action April is a fly fishing camp.

00:05:19.830 –> 00:05:27.990 Joseph McElroy: what’s better for the soul than throwing a line upstream watching it pass and doing it again and again, and perhaps getting a bite.

00:05:29.430 –> 00:05:38.520 Joseph McElroy: All anglers know that fly fishing isn’t only about reeling in the big one that always the, although that always gets my heart jumping.

00:05:39.090 –> 00:05:46.860 Joseph McElroy: fly fishing is about being one with the river and its magnificent presence while witnessing a valuable ecosystem.

00:05:47.850 –> 00:06:02.760 Joseph McElroy: So the Meadowlark Motel offering a fly fishing camp weekend in the smoky mountains, our goal and we’re gonna do multiple this in the first ones in May, but our goal is to bring like-minded people together through fly fishing to drink stories at a campfire.

00:06:04.140 –> 00:06:14.490 Joseph McElroy: camp weekends are perfect for those new to fly fishing and who are in those looking for some extra instruction or anyone with experience who enjoys fishing and small group and making new friends.

00:06:14.940 –> 00:06:23.580 Joseph McElroy: Each trip is built around those attending and we will all share in the experience you can expect quality time in the river and nights around the campfire with.

00:06:24.000 –> 00:06:35.640 Joseph McElroy: A drink in hand truths and tall tales are allowed, are all allowed at the camp camps are limited to 20 anglers it’s good to have some great.

00:06:37.620 –> 00:06:49.590 Joseph McElroy: Experts expert guides it’ll be led by Dan Sasser and Charles Humphrey III and the ancestors, the owner of high trout guides limited based in Highlands North Carolina.

00:06:50.370 –> 00:06:56.790 Joseph McElroy: and his mission is to provide and promote the ultimate fly fishing experiences for clients and friends.

00:06:58.860 –> 00:07:08.940 Joseph McElroy: It was formed by Sasser lead professional fly fishing tracks from Montana to Georgia, it was renowned as an innovator in the fly fishing industry.

00:07:09.870 –> 00:07:25.200 Joseph McElroy: Charles Humphrey III who’s been on this show is a grammy award-winning musician and endurance athlete who also has three decades of elite guiding experience and fly fishing he’s led fishing John’s from Alaska candidate Oregon Wyoming.

00:07:26.250 –> 00:07:35.430 Joseph McElroy: Colorado and all across the smoky mountains and there’ll be additional guides professional guides as well because there’ll be a minimum of one guy per to participants.

00:07:35.880 –> 00:07:49.770 Joseph McElroy: So the weekend is April 15 and 16th there’ll be beside the five fishing there’ll be an evening of videos on stories of smoked trout fishing in the mountains.

00:07:50.370 –> 00:07:56.220 Joseph McElroy: there’ll be the music they’ll be free Barbecue there’ll be breakfast is that includes two nights

00:07:56.760 –> 00:08:07.890 Joseph McElroy: The price is $875 per person includes two nights’ lodging the breakfast is the barbecues you know beverages in the Speakeasy.

00:08:08.490 –> 00:08:14.160 Joseph McElroy: And then hands-on instruction on Saturday morning and then real intense fishing on some elite streams.

00:08:14.430 –> 00:08:26.670 Joseph McElroy: In the afternoon and, of course, we have a trout stream at the Meadowlark Motel it’s a Mountain Heritage Trout Stream so on your own time or as part of this wherever you want to fish you’ll have time to also fish and practice what you learn.

00:08:28.500 –> 00:08:32.370 Joseph McElroy: Call 82 89261717 to make reservations.

00:08:33.420 –> 00:08:46.800 Joseph McElroy: So we’re talking about fishtails and we’re gonna be talking about storytellers so you know I like to you know, sometimes find a poem or something and last time I think I made will break down and cry and solve on the show so.

00:08:47.160 –> 00:08:47.760 William Ritter: This is.

00:08:48.030 –> 00:09:00.330 Joseph McElroy: This was trying to accomplish that again so in the 1980s at focusing or night may Mike Jones wrote a song called the storyteller but I’m not a singer so I’m a read the lyrics as a poem.

00:09:02.700 –> 00:09:16.290 Joseph McElroy: I’m a Teller of tales a spinner of yarns a Weaver of dreams and a liar I’ll teach you some stories to tell your friends while sitting at home by the fire.

00:09:16.980 –> 00:09:28.530 Joseph McElroy: You may not believe everything that I say but there’s one thing I’ll tell you that’s true for my stories are given as presents to me and now they’re my gift to you.

00:09:29.370 –> 00:09:42.630 Joseph McElroy: My stories are as old as the mountains and rivers that flow through the land that they were born in they were told in the homes of peasants and rags and kings with buying clothes adorning.

00:09:43.800 –> 00:09:49.410 Joseph McElroy: there’s no need for civil a goal in great store for tail becomes richer with telling.

00:09:50.460 –> 00:09:56.820 Joseph McElroy: And as long as each listener, has a pair of good ears and matters not where they are dwelling.

00:09:57.990 –> 00:10:08.730 Joseph McElroy: A story well told can lift up your hearts and help you forget all your sorrows it can give you strength and the courage to stand and face all your troubles tomorrow.

00:10:09.450 –> 00:10:21.720 Joseph McElroy: For there’s wisdom and with beauty and charm there’s laughter and sometimes there are tears, but when the story is over and the spell is broken you’ll find there’s nothing to fear.

00:10:22.800 –> 00:10:32.970 Joseph McElroy: My stories were learned in my grandparent’s home where their grandfathers also had heard them, they have given us payment by traveling folk.

00:10:33.480 –> 00:10:49.650 Joseph McElroy: For a warm place to lay down their burdens nice stories are ages, they never grow old with each telling they are born anew, and when my story is ended how still be alive in the tales that I’ve given to you.

00:10:52.680 –> 00:11:05.160 Joseph McElroy: So today, I have a great guest his name is William Ritter he’s been on the show before he is an Award-winning Historian, Author, Folklore, Singer-Songwriter and how it can play almost any stringed instrument.

00:11:05.670 –> 00:11:15.660 Joseph McElroy: And is an expert on Heirloom Seeds and has devoted a good part of his adult life to documenting that contribute contributions of old-time Appalachian musicians and ballad singers.

00:11:16.410 –> 00:11:24.480 Joseph McElroy: William is a repeat guest on the show is on several events at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center and has several lined up for this year as well Hello William how are you doing.

00:11:24.840 –> 00:11:26.580 William Ritter: I’m good thanks for having me, Joseph.

00:11:27.480 –> 00:11:29.520 Joseph McElroy: Good how’s that farm up in Bakersfield.

00:11:30.390 –> 00:11:43.470 William Ritter: Well it’s still pretty sleepy we have the springs just starting to pop the Easter flowers or John calls or daffodils are peeking out in the crocus’s or are daring to bloom so.

00:11:44.340 –> 00:11:45.420 William Ritter: Things are starting you know.

00:11:45.420 –> 00:11:52.740 Joseph McElroy: What’s gonna be planting season soon you, you gave me some candy roasters seeds, I really appreciate that once.

00:11:53.670 –> 00:11:55.560 William Ritter: yeah yeah Maybe you can plant some out.

00:11:56.550 –> 00:11:57.000 William Ritter: The Meadowlark

00:11:57.390 –> 00:11:58.170 Joseph McElroy: yeah right.

00:11:59.400 –> 00:12:00.660 Joseph McElroy: when’s a good time to plant them.

00:12:01.860 –> 00:12:11.790 William Ritter: Well, that that depends I’m with well you know it’s interesting that you should say that I actually going through.

00:12:12.780 –> 00:12:17.130 William Ritter: we’ll talk a little bit more about Bob and McMillan later, but going through his things.

00:12:17.820 –> 00:12:25.800 William Ritter: There was a little bit of what I call nature sign planting which is different from celestial zodiac sign planting.

00:12:26.640 –> 00:12:37.380 William Ritter: When you will actually observe nature, to see what it’s doing to help you know when you should plant that and so cucumbers, which aren’t all that different in their requirements to squash.

00:12:38.760 –> 00:12:40.320 William Ritter: Under our nerves kind of related.

00:12:42.390 –> 00:12:50.280 William Ritter: That Bobby wrote in one of his journals that you should plant your cucumbers and I would say, you could do your squash to potentially.

00:12:50.670 –> 00:13:03.510 William Ritter: I wouldn’t plan all your seed, then, because you could have a frost, but when the the the dogwood flower is blooming is when you could go ahead and plan them that feels a little early but.

00:13:04.050 –> 00:13:04.440 Maybe.

00:13:05.820 –> 00:13:06.060 William Ritter: Not.

00:13:06.570 –> 00:13:07.710 Joseph McElroy: Every time i’ve.

00:13:08.010 –> 00:13:09.300 William Ritter: also heard when they’ve hit when.

00:13:09.300 –> 00:13:14.640 William Ritter: The when the dogwood flower actually hit the ground is when you could start and so.

00:13:14.940 –> 00:13:16.470 Joseph McElroy: I’m playing never plan all your seed

00:13:16.860 –> 00:13:18.360 William Ritter: yeah i’m back.

00:13:18.840 –> 00:13:27.600 Joseph McElroy: I’m planning on being there for March 20 to the 27th so I figured That was a give me a good window to plant some things right oh boy you.

00:13:28.050 –> 00:13:29.940 William Ritter: Just gotta look for those dogwoods.

00:13:30.180 –> 00:13:44.310 Joseph McElroy: yeah look for that dogwoods all right, well, I was so long-winded I get to the break time so we’re gonna take a break and then we’ll finish when we come back and talk a little bit more about your current events and then get into the store, you know storytelling Bobby McMillan.

00:16:00.390 –> 00:16:12.450 Joseph McElroy: Howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with a Gateway to the Smokies podcasts and my guest William Ritter, so William I saw I was looking around sneaking around stalking you a little bit.

00:16:14.490 –> 00:16:27.960 Joseph McElroy: And I saw that you did the music and perform live for 80 minutes adaption of Shakespeare’s midnight’s summers midsummer’s night dream this last fall, how did you end up doing that and how was it, how did it go.

00:16:28.890 –> 00:16:30.840 William Ritter: I mean, I think it went really well.

00:16:33.510 –> 00:16:40.170 William Ritter: It was pretty magical for me and that’s not a joke about it being a very magical play cinematically but.

00:16:41.700 –> 00:16:47.220 William Ritter: It was nice because it’s been a little while since I’ve been involved in theatre, I actually got my

00:16:47.610 –> 00:16:55.260 William Ritter: theater degree, which is another long-winded story because it’s kind of amazing I ended up with that, but if you take a lot of random classes in college you never know what you might end up.

00:16:55.260 –> 00:16:55.440 With.

00:16:57.840 –> 00:17:09.360 William Ritter: But anyways so I got invited to do this play because I had provided this the music for a previous play at Western Carolina where they had done the.

00:17:10.110 –> 00:17:18.030 William Ritter: midsummer night’s dream Shakespeare and they’d said it in the 20s in the 20s in Appalachia so it’s kind of interesting.

00:17:18.990 –> 00:17:32.970 William Ritter: To kind of draw some threads together of Shakespearean language and songs and music and kind of stew, that in together with traditional mostly tunes I mostly play traditional fiddle tunes.

00:17:34.500 –> 00:17:43.380 William Ritter: But when I did it earlier, we had had more singing and that the but they asked me I guess it was 10 years had passed since that happened, which blows my mind.

00:17:44.430 –> 00:17:50.640 William Ritter: And so they asked me again to come down last year and help with another new crop of young.

00:17:51.660 –> 00:18:08.670 William Ritter: thespians to put on the show, but they did it outside which it’s a classic play for outdoor performance and they renovated the picnic shelter into a really nice stage it was pretty amazing so Hats off to them for that, but I think what was really special to me was just.

00:18:09.810 –> 00:18:17.220 William Ritter: The kids you know they hadn’t been able to really be in front of a live audience in a long time and mean, these are actors in that.

00:18:18.300 –> 00:18:25.350 William Ritter: And, because of the pandemic had really not had an opportunity to have an audience in front of them, so it was really powerful in that to

00:18:25.860 –> 00:18:35.010 William Ritter: have them have that opportunity to they’ve been had been kind of withheld from them for a while, in me to really but also a lot of there were students that they said we’re.

00:18:36.360 –> 00:18:44.790 William Ritter: first-year juniors what’s the first-year junior gold, they were a junior in credits, but it was the first year they’d really had been like you know.

00:18:46.380 –> 00:18:48.120 Joseph McElroy: They got all their advanced placement stuff and they.

00:18:48.120 –> 00:18:50.370 Joseph McElroy: got right into junior year wow.

00:18:50.760 –> 00:18:54.450 William Ritter: Well yeah but, but you know wasn’t because they like we’re smart and went to.

00:18:55.530 –> 00:19:01.830 William Ritter: You know, a Community College, it was because there they were taking all the classes from home.

00:19:02.850 –> 00:19:06.990 William Ritter: Because of the pandemics, so it was the first play a lot of them.

00:19:07.770 –> 00:19:09.750 William Ritter: Even though they’ve been a theater major for a.

00:19:09.840 –> 00:19:16.500 William Ritter: Before that so, but they did a great job and they had a lot of passion, it was, It was good to be around.

00:19:17.010 –> 00:19:32.850 Joseph McElroy: well you know the I mean most people don’t know that the Mount smoky mountain area has a lot of actually really innovative, you know theater and you know you know Western Carolina University Ashville you know other places, you know the.

00:19:33.000 –> 00:19:33.930 William Ritter: city’s else.

00:19:34.020 –> 00:19:50.610 Joseph McElroy: Under the chosen if you consider that the black mountain school our schools there and performances and happening started, you know they’re right at John Cage doing things and Rauschenberg and you know, so the mountains have really been a place where you know.

00:19:51.690 –> 00:19:57.330 Joseph McElroy: theater performances really yeah a lot of times gone over into the real our guard.

00:19:57.870 –> 00:20:05.790 William Ritter: Right in the outdoor theater kind of movement in North Carolina has been huge and was really huge in that movement um.

00:20:06.030 –> 00:20:09.570 William Ritter: there’s a lot of interesting history interesting there for sure.

00:20:09.960 –> 00:20:18.180 Joseph McElroy: cool so are you are you serious I see you’re still involved with the Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention, the mountains folk festival, are they going on this year they’re going last year.

00:20:18.210 –> 00:20:34.890 William Ritter: Yes, yeah we’re both of them are on so I’m excited about that we look forward to finally bringing Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention back after you know, a two-year hiatus.

00:20:36.390 –> 00:20:40.650 William Ritter: And that’s all going well and we’re excited about it.

00:20:41.820 –> 00:20:49.620 William Ritter: And then, also the music in the mountains, last year we had it for the first time, even though it’s a 30 to 30-year-old.

00:20:51.720 –> 00:21:04.770 William Ritter: Well it’s decades in the making that they’ve had the music in the mountains in Burnsville but last year we actually moved its location so we’d have could do it outside to

00:21:05.670 –> 00:21:18.480 William Ritter: homeplace beer company, which is a great really interesting kind of an Appalachian Chic actually brewery to borrow a phrase from the Meadowlark in Burnsville and it was hugely attended.

00:21:19.980 –> 00:21:20.340 William Ritter: and

00:21:21.480 –> 00:21:28.860 William Ritter: It went well and we’re looking to build on that this year so we’re very excited about that.

00:21:29.670 –> 00:21:37.920 Joseph McElroy: And if you know I remember that you and your wife actually performed with them, I like your wife is Sarah Ogletree you guys do a lot of performances together lately.

00:21:38.880 –> 00:21:43.590 William Ritter: um no not really though we did just play at the Pinecone.

00:21:45.660 –> 00:21:50.850 William Ritter: performed as part of the Pine Cone performance series down in Raleigh just a few nights ago.

00:21:51.870 –> 00:21:58.890 William Ritter: And that was really fun that was nice to get out as part of a kind of North Carolina Gospel traditions concert.

00:22:00.480 –> 00:22:02.760 William Ritter: And we had to shake off quite a bit of rust.

00:22:04.830 –> 00:22:06.090 William Ritter: I haven’t been playing much.

00:22:06.390 –> 00:22:12.720 William Ritter: With the people, I normally play with or with Sarah either it was partly because of her work, but also just you know gigs.

00:22:13.710 –> 00:22:20.130 William Ritter: We all know how they’ve they’ve really disappeared or dried up or changed into digital events and things so.

00:22:20.880 –> 00:22:34.560 William Ritter: It was very refreshing to get out in front of a live audience and form, and it was the Pinecone is a great organization worth looking up, and if you’re in Raleigh definitely go see some of their shows.

00:22:35.280 –> 00:22:43.980 Joseph McElroy: You know I grew up in was born raised in the smokies my family came from a long time, and you know the cultural heritage that the performances.

00:22:44.430 –> 00:22:50.910 Joseph McElroy: you know it’s about that’s probably what I cherish about the region, I mean there’s the beauty there are the natural wonders.

00:22:51.300 –> 00:22:59.100 Joseph McElroy: But you know I’m not a big hiker I do I go and I’m not a big camper but I love to have a campfire at night that’s because I like to sit around and talk with people.

00:22:59.610 –> 00:23:08.340 Joseph McElroy: And you know of course there’s my family roots there so, but you know really the cultural heritage is what I find so special What about this region is so special to you.

00:23:10.380 –> 00:23:11.550 William Ritter: How long do we have.

00:23:14.100 –> 00:23:15.180 Joseph McElroy: top three highlights.

00:23:15.720 –> 00:23:20.820 William Ritter: yeah well um I would say, you know the people.

00:23:21.900 –> 00:23:23.670 William Ritter: Is big which that can.

00:23:25.110 –> 00:23:37.620 William Ritter: brings all those threads together but um you know mountain culture is its own culture um people have their own ways of talking and thinking and doing and.

00:23:39.180 –> 00:23:44.280 William Ritter: So that’s I don’t know part of its because I grew up with it and.

00:23:45.660 –> 00:24:02.010 William Ritter: it’s something that just does feel like home to me but, but it is a really rich area for folklore and traditions and there’s a rich heritage of celebrating them to which might be why we have as much as we do because of places like the Meadowlark

00:24:03.180 –> 00:24:12.060 William Ritter: You know I’ve continued to put for artists, you know, an on a platform to share with people coming into the region or the people that already live here.

00:24:13.440 –> 00:24:31.380 William Ritter: And so that is that’s a really deep well, that means a lot to me but also there’s just you can’t beat the scenic beauty, I think, whether it’s the, no matter what time of year it is there’s something about being able to see either all that green or all those colors all up before you.

00:24:32.970 –> 00:24:40.230 William Ritter: And and and in the winter all the definition and the contrast it’s it’s beautiful you know I remember.

00:24:42.150 –> 00:24:56.190 William Ritter: going to Scotland and I’m going to one spot your calendar where were some of my ancestors are from, and I remember, was the Sarah that’s like wow this is this Plott is so beautiful she’s like that looks like where we came from.

00:24:59.760 –> 00:25:09.810 William Ritter: Everywhere, I go I’m always finding something that kind of reminds me of home and that’s my favorite thing and it often frustrates people, but I love living in the mountains, I shriveled up.

00:25:09.810 –> 00:25:10.290 William Ritter: Like a.

00:25:10.350 –> 00:25:15.930 William Ritter: Little prune when I left to a place that wasn’t even really that far out of the mountains so.

00:25:16.260 –> 00:25:20.970 William Ritter: it’s just really a part of me I don’t know so the people, the place and the third thing.

00:25:25.320 –> 00:25:28.080 William Ritter: Would would maybe be the food.

00:25:32.640 –> 00:25:39.570 William Ritter: yeah I love the culinary traditions here many of which have been pretty obscured and are not easily.

00:25:40.260 –> 00:25:49.470 William Ritter: You know they’re not easily ported over into something that you would get at a restaurant, you know that they’re either like health codes would be like, no, no, no, you can’t do that.

00:25:50.850 –> 00:25:56.070 William Ritter: or they’re just they would be kind of expensive, even though they weren’t like a rich man’s food it’s just.

00:25:57.720 –> 00:26:00.660 William Ritter: kind of slow food type of thing, but you can’t really.

00:26:01.440 –> 00:26:02.610 William Ritter: monetize easily.

00:26:03.000 –> 00:26:11.040 Joseph McElroy: or people you know, the thing is that people look at southern food nothing’s that’s the same thing that we’re talking about the mountain food is not exactly like southern food.

00:26:11.370 –> 00:26:12.270 William Ritter: No, no.

00:26:13.170 –> 00:26:13.410 yeah.

00:26:15.300 –> 00:26:30.210 Joseph McElroy: I was telling people I used to eat for breakfast growing up as beans and cornbread with with with purple onions, you know, and you know and things like that you’d be amazed how good, that is when it’s done right yeah.

00:26:31.110 –> 00:26:33.930 William Ritter: yeah totally I mean yeah.

00:26:36.180 –> 00:26:38.010 William Ritter: I, I completely agree.

00:26:38.520 –> 00:26:46.290 Joseph McElroy: yeah and slow Barbecue and the way they cook chicken and the other things are just slightly different than what you would.

00:26:46.980 –> 00:26:57.510 Joseph McElroy: Consider southern food so not that I, you know, there was southern food here as well, but there was a mountain cuisine now one of the things I want to do it the Meadowlark yeah I don’t know if you know but we’re creating a restaurant.

00:26:58.350 –> 00:27:09.600 Joseph McElroy: Oh, what I’m trying to do is to find, I want to do old mountain you know recipes you know, maybe with a slight twist right yeah and so.

00:27:09.660 –> 00:27:10.770 William Ritter: Appalachian Chic, right.

00:27:11.040 –> 00:27:19.800 Joseph McElroy: Appalachian Chic here now take that that that dish of beans and cornbread and onions, well done and add some avocado on it.

00:27:21.060 –> 00:27:23.610 Joseph McElroy: Right it’s like that’s like a keen wall ball.

00:27:26.430 –> 00:27:31.560 Joseph McElroy: ball yeah mountain ball with healthy and robust and good tasting.

00:27:32.730 –> 00:27:34.380 Joseph McElroy: And hot sauce goes with it really well.

00:27:35.640 –> 00:27:38.790 William Ritter: My process and everything so pretty much I think even ice cream.

00:27:39.720 –> 00:27:40.890 Joseph McElroy: yeah so.

00:27:42.480 –> 00:27:46.200 Joseph McElroy: But no, I think that’s that you know we’re going to take another break here.

00:27:47.370 –> 00:27:57.180 Joseph McElroy: So I don’t want to start another line of questioning because we got a whole little section to go through here but we’ll be back in just a moment we’ll start talking about Bobby.

00:30:03.030 –> 00:30:12.150 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with a Gateway to the Smokies Podcasts with my guest William Ritter, so William you know you’ve.

00:30:12.810 –> 00:30:27.390 Joseph McElroy: You know, I was reading how you actually grew up on the grounds of the Pentland Focus School, which were your parents or instructors that must have been the incredible experience you learned a lot about storytelling and folk songs there right.

00:30:27.960 –> 00:30:28.320 well.

00:30:29.550 –> 00:30:38.130 William Ritter: I should say, to a degree, I mean, so the Pentland school of craft now as it was the pinnacle of crafts when I.

00:30:38.940 –> 00:30:48.570 William Ritter: was going over there, I didn’t wouldn’t say exactly grew up on the grounds, but I was there a lot because my parents met there back in the 70s.

00:30:49.440 –> 00:31:00.840 William Ritter: And they did teach a lot there over the course of the years and we didn’t live very far from there, so I was taken over to depend on quite a bit not quite as much as some of the other artist’s kids.

00:31:01.830 –> 00:31:16.410 William Ritter: But, but I certainly did spend a lot of time there, especially if mom and dad were teaching a class, you know, I have to go over there after getting out of school or something, and it was it honestly is a pretty magical place, unlike maybe like the

00:31:17.640 –> 00:31:31.230 William Ritter: Maybe like Aramark or Johnson Campbell folks school it leans a little bit more on to the the the high end of the craft, though I don’t I’m not trying to pigeonhole them there.

00:31:31.230 –> 00:31:31.770 Joseph McElroy: No, no.

00:31:33.210 –> 00:31:34.830 Joseph McElroy: I just think it is a bit of magic.

00:31:35.640 –> 00:31:47.760 Joseph McElroy: You know it intrigued me that you grew up on it so it’s kind of cool I mean you’re involved so much in heritage, music, and storytelling I mean think one of your mentors was mentors early on, was Ray danger.

00:31:48.090 –> 00:31:53.400 Joseph McElroy: Yes, yeah we talked about last time, and you know and then lately.

00:31:55.050 –> 00:32:04.110 Joseph McElroy: you’ve been involved with a guy that was you know, a legend Bobby McMillan who is was an acclaimed ballad singer and New York

00:32:04.500 –> 00:32:11.280 Joseph McElroy: North Carolina folk heritage award winner and he spent his lifetime collecting the local songs and regional variations.

00:32:11.730 –> 00:32:20.250 Joseph McElroy: And I, and I didn’t get to hear all of it, but he had one of the most expensive repertoires of any singer and you know it was.

00:32:20.880 –> 00:32:30.120 Joseph McElroy: It was incredible and you know he came to the Meadowlark last year and I guess it was one of his you know, last performances I don’t know what exactly, but it would have been in the year.

00:32:30.510 –> 00:32:40.860 Joseph McElroy: You know, and he told a great story about which ended up I love to tell dimension is ended up somehow he was hunting and he ended up catching 50 fishes pant legs.

00:32:42.330 –> 00:32:42.660 William Ritter: yeah.

00:32:43.020 –> 00:32:44.880 Joseph McElroy: And then he’s saying His story so.

00:32:46.590 –> 00:32:58.110 Joseph McElroy: And I think that you and Bob and Bobby, Bob Plott who’s the manager of the most I’ve done a lot of things together with programs together haven’t you.

00:32:58.980 –> 00:33:05.880 William Ritter: yeah we got a few do a few you know I think if it hadn’t been for the pandemic, we would have been able to do more.

00:33:06.960 –> 00:33:07.500 William Ritter: But.

00:33:08.640 –> 00:33:20.040 William Ritter: yeah we have got to do some shows together, which was really, really fun, for me, I mean it’s always fun to sing or you know or drive Bobby around and take him to performances and

00:33:21.030 –> 00:33:36.840 William Ritter: And that sort of thing but also just really you know I remember, like the look on Bob’s face when he first really like got to hear Bobby you know it was like oh my gosh you know it took him back to when he was hanging out with Stanley Hicks and those old old guys.

00:33:38.040 –> 00:33:46.560 William Ritter: And really Bobby was like a kind of really was like a blast from the past is as in terms of the storyteller he really.

00:33:46.830 –> 00:34:00.300 Joseph McElroy: was great it was it took me right back, because I, you know I remember my grandfather would tell a tall tale like Abaddon which ended up with him shooting using a musket to shoot a squirrel and in the shot it with the tamper they came out.

00:34:05.370 –> 00:34:18.540 Joseph McElroy: So you know, but I know that you were really excited to get a special grab to fund the documenting the life and works with Bobby and get them out doing shows again, can you tell us about that.

00:34:18.870 –> 00:34:29.190 William Ritter: yeah yeah so that was through the North Carolina Arts Council in partnership with a foundation that I am always happy to brag on.

00:34:30.060 –> 00:34:32.190 William Ritter: called South arts out of Atlanta.

00:34:33.870 –> 00:34:42.480 William Ritter: And they put together a grant opportunity for a mentor and an apprentice to study together.

00:34:43.650 –> 00:34:49.410 William Ritter: And it was about a $10,000 grant mostly that went towards the mentor.

00:34:50.700 –> 00:34:58.410 William Ritter: But just to try to encourage you to know that kind of deeper relationships and help fund people that might not have you know the finances to really.

00:34:59.580 –> 00:35:06.270 William Ritter: work together, you know you can be so caught up in the hustle of just paying rent and you know feeding yourself and all that that you don’t.

00:35:07.380 –> 00:35:09.810 William Ritter: get to kind of take some of those opportunities.

00:35:11.280 –> 00:35:17.760 William Ritter: And, but really what happened with me and Bobby is I was kind of doing the thing that I’m always trying to do, which is trying to like help.

00:35:18.480 –> 00:35:32.220 William Ritter: You know, help other artists, with some opportunities that I see coming down the Pike and I was trying to find an apprentice for Bobby and, finally, he said, William why don’t you just be my apprentice, and I was like.

00:35:33.300 –> 00:35:35.250 William Ritter: You know that’s a great idea let’s Do this so.

00:35:36.660 –> 00:35:42.090 William Ritter: I put together this you know package of an application.

00:35:43.380 –> 00:35:55.500 William Ritter: And just is one of those things where you just had incredible unknown foresight Bobby and I live kind of far from each other, so I developed the whole thing that we could do it mostly remotely.

00:35:56.610 –> 00:35:58.350 William Ritter: But this was before the pandemic.

00:35:59.400 –> 00:36:09.180 William Ritter: So I had no idea that that the whole thing ended up being designed perfectly really to work during a pandemic because we were able to do so much of it remotely.

00:36:10.290 –> 00:36:15.120 William Ritter: On the downside, we didn’t get to do as much of me taking him to gigs because those just disappeared.

00:36:16.350 –> 00:36:29.190 William Ritter: That was my favorite thing I put a little camera on the like you know GoPro in the car and we’d film and record the car rides because that’s like you know, a slice of.

00:36:30.330 –> 00:36:39.450 William Ritter: Of its own kind of folklore it’s just riding with these traditional artists in these old-timers places like I mean it’s just the best stories you’ve ever heard.

00:36:40.440 –> 00:36:50.730 William Ritter: In a different totally different kind of storytelling in a way, then when you get up on a stage so Bobby was always the same storyteller I felt like on a stage or singer has he was in his living room.

00:36:51.780 –> 00:36:54.990 Joseph McElroy: very, very authentic like you just tell the story to.

00:36:54.990 –> 00:36:56.730 Joseph McElroy: Friends when he’s on stage yeah.

00:36:56.790 –> 00:36:57.390 Joseph McElroy: yeah.

00:36:57.870 –> 00:37:08.550 William Ritter: Very important him to be like that to be like I’m not be putting on any kind of special added saucy just wanted to be himself up there a lot, you know you.

00:37:08.790 –> 00:37:20.220 William Ritter: that’s kinda like the way Doc Watson was there’s a lot of artists, that I admire that just really tried to be themselves, or at least it seemed like that or they’re trying to do, I think it was true with both of them.

00:37:21.300 –> 00:37:31.320 William Ritter: And I kind of tried to do that to it can and redeal injure you know that’s the way he was and when we get up and play you did he said is that always said is who is and I can’t get any wizard.

00:37:33.150 –> 00:37:33.540 William Ritter: and

00:37:34.080 –> 00:37:44.730 William Ritter: I always like that there’s something kind of liberating and kind of you know, can really make some people feel uncomfortable about being themselves in front of a big crowd of people, but I think it’s really.

00:37:45.690 –> 00:37:49.890 William Ritter: I’ve liked that feeling doesn’t really want to try to be anyone else and that’s part of why I.

00:37:49.890 –> 00:37:50.700 William Ritter: stopped doing theatre.

00:37:52.350 –> 00:38:01.950 William Ritter: But that’s something that I really enjoyed working with Bobby is he really was just an old-time storyteller and I love that he wasn’t.

00:38:03.150 –> 00:38:08.190 William Ritter: I hate to use the term like a Jonesboro storyteller but there’s some more professionalized.

00:38:08.190 –> 00:38:17.100 William Ritter: storyteller gets up and it’s just a different thing, but he felt like I was sitting next to some old dude in a general store hundred years ago talon yeah story.

00:38:17.310 –> 00:38:18.420 Joseph McElroy: He looked like a Uri.

00:38:18.690 –> 00:38:19.920 Uri sat around.

00:38:20.940 –> 00:38:27.360 Joseph McElroy: yeah so he died last year, what what’s the status or project now, what are you continuing.

00:38:28.200 –> 00:38:30.150 William Ritter: So we’re.

00:38:32.190 –> 00:38:44.190 William Ritter: You know, it was funny for someone That was really in poor health Bobby suffered from diabetes and some weight issues and all the things that come with diabetes.

00:38:45.750 –> 00:38:54.570 William Ritter: And, but we really all were very caught off guard by his passing, even though we hadn’t been well and it had a lot of health issues.

00:38:55.110 –> 00:39:09.030 William Ritter: It really did just kind of surprise us because Bobby had been in poor health for so long and away just he seemed to just keep ticking and I guess maybe we were we got used to the privilege of having him, and so when he passed.

00:39:10.920 –> 00:39:23.070 William Ritter: His his wife was generous and that she donated to us all of his books, what do you mean to me but but but I, you know.

00:39:24.360 –> 00:39:26.820 William Ritter: I think she did so, knowing that I would not like to keep them.

00:39:28.260 –> 00:39:30.390 William Ritter: I felt like they needed to be shared with all his books.

00:39:30.690 –> 00:39:37.230 William Ritter: His notebooks where he sat down and wrote you know all of these stories and song lyrics he’d come across.

00:39:39.060 –> 00:39:44.220 William Ritter: And just I mean a lifetimes work of papers.

00:39:45.390 –> 00:39:46.680 William Ritter: And so I.

00:39:48.660 –> 00:39:57.030 William Ritter: got together with Sheila Adams, who was probably Bobby’s one of his closest friends of not as the closest friend for over.

00:39:57.570 –> 00:40:16.020 William Ritter: 40, 40 some years and she’s a great ballad singer and storyteller and author and then she’s well acclaimed and has one you know national awards for doing the work that she does, but so and she’s on the product and also Rodney Sutton, who is great.

00:40:18.330 –> 00:40:32.310 William Ritter: dancer and personality and really, really interesting person, but both of them worked with Bobby quite a bit particularly Sheila but also Rodney documented him a lot and a project that they did together.

00:40:33.330 –> 00:40:42.900 William Ritter: And so we three got together and you know also kind of working with some other people in the network that new Bobby and appreciated him.

00:40:43.470 –> 00:40:53.880 William Ritter: kind of brainstormed on where we might take all of his papers and books and we took them decided to go to Mars Hill University, which is a small college.

00:40:55.290 –> 00:41:05.400 William Ritter: And, but it happens to be in Madison county which is kind of like you know I think of the heartland of Appalachian bouncing and because it’s still carried on there, in a way that it’s in.

00:41:06.270 –> 00:41:12.150 William Ritter: Not in a lot of other communities by people that are like you know we’re kin to the people that were.

00:41:12.390 –> 00:41:13.650 recorded before them.

00:41:14.910 –> 00:41:20.280 William Ritter: And so we felt like it was important to have it there, and so what we’ve been doing is.

00:41:21.480 –> 00:41:29.610 William Ritter: Taking bobby’s papers which are blessed his heart not well organized and try to get them organized so that.

00:41:30.570 –> 00:41:34.440 William Ritter: One you know over so that we can continue to learn from Bobby.

00:41:35.040 –> 00:41:52.110 William Ritter: For on into perpetuity but, but also to kind of fill in the blanks because Sheila and Rodney and me and others, no answers to questions that you know researcher will never know in the future so we’re just trying to be responsible, making accessible.

00:41:52.530 –> 00:41:54.090 Joseph McElroy: Good how are you funding this.

00:41:55.170 –> 00:42:00.840 William Ritter: Well, right now, we just started with a gofundme, which is a Bobby McMillan legacy.

00:42:02.670 –> 00:42:15.900 William Ritter: And that’s you can find that relatively easily online, you can also go to my song to seed website, and it has talks about the bombing McMillan legacy project we’re doing and we just crusted 4000.

00:42:16.650 –> 00:42:28.920 William Ritter: But part of that’s going to go back towards his wife Joyce because she was so generous and sharing all of this material with us, they could have ended up just moldering in a closet or being sold, because the books were valuable.

00:42:29.310 –> 00:42:41.910 William Ritter: So we’re going to give her what we’d call a love offering, which is a little financial gift but also will use the rest of it for matching grants some travel to do research and and and some other things.

00:42:43.680 –> 00:42:50.550 William Ritter: But we’re really grateful for the start that we have but there’s still a lot to go, I think, to make this what it needs to be and should be.

00:42:51.150 –> 00:42:55.980 Joseph McElroy: And what are your future plans to do with all this for honoring Bobby and perpetuating his legacy.

00:42:56.310 –> 00:43:01.440 William Ritter: Well, I will probably sing a song that Bobby did every time that I ever play anywhere.

00:43:02.010 –> 00:43:02.340 Joseph McElroy: that’s.

00:43:02.460 –> 00:43:13.080 William Ritter: On a personal level, but also, I just want to figure out through a website, maybe my website to make his stuff that scattered different places, make it accessible and way this.

00:43:14.790 –> 00:43:16.650 Joseph McElroy: album where the stories would be.

00:43:16.680 –> 00:43:18.510 William Ritter: yeah so we’ve got plans for.

00:43:18.570 –> 00:43:29.580 William Ritter: for doing something similar we’ve been talking about doing something like that there’s a lot of different threads I think that one is to have a reading room and Mars hill so people can go and they can listen to all Bobby’s music, they can read all of his.

00:43:29.790 –> 00:43:43.350 William Ritter: books and look at his notebooks there and learn from him like we learned from him so that’s part of the plan, but there’s that there’s a lot of artistic opportunities, I think, to move forward, I know, with Bobby’s work so.

00:43:44.220 –> 00:43:56.070 Joseph McElroy: Oh well, so I guess, I mean it had to be devastating, and I think to rising, and you know, find a way to perpetuate legacy is a good way to deal with that devastation right yeah.

00:43:56.520 –> 00:43:58.200 William Ritter: Totally definitely been healing.

00:43:58.980 –> 00:44:00.540 Joseph McElroy: I can imagine it’s been healing.

00:44:01.890 –> 00:44:02.790 Joseph McElroy: You know um.

00:44:05.280 –> 00:44:12.390 Joseph McElroy: You know I want to get into the next things that we’re going to talk about what we’re about to have a break so.

00:44:13.950 –> 00:44:19.230 Joseph McElroy: let’s take a break now and then we come back we’ll talk about some of the things that are coming up.

00:46:21.240 –> 00:46:32.880 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the Gateway to the Smokies Podcast and my guest William Ritter, so William I know that you have booked.

00:46:34.380 –> 00:46:53.160 Joseph McElroy: With TIM McWilliams for a special concert at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center Plott Fest Reunion on June 3rd to 5th 2022 that’s coming up this do, that is a little different from your typical old-time musical show how is, how is that.

00:46:54.510 –> 00:46:56.430 William Ritter: uh well.

00:46:58.500 –> 00:47:00.060 William Ritter: I don’t want to get into like a loaded.

00:47:00.060 –> 00:47:02.070 William Ritter: a critique of the old-time music genre.

00:47:02.430 –> 00:47:03.270 Joseph McElroy: No, no okay.

00:47:03.330 –> 00:47:06.690 William Ritter: um well well I think it’s a little bit different um.

00:47:08.220 –> 00:47:09.810 William Ritter: Talking about old-time music.

00:47:11.400 –> 00:47:12.180 William Ritter: In a real.

00:47:13.440 –> 00:47:14.700 William Ritter: Is this like a way to just like.

00:47:14.910 –> 00:47:15.540 William Ritter: The timing.

00:47:15.930 –> 00:47:20.970 Joseph McElroy: is just like old-time mountain music or old-time country music which one is it here.

00:47:21.060 –> 00:47:23.040 William Ritter: So it’ll be a mix of things.

00:47:24.090 –> 00:47:40.110 William Ritter: You know, Tim and I, you know, on one hand, like we love to play like Doc Watson and TIM O’Brien and some other artists, of course, both of those are Appalachian artists.

00:47:41.550 –> 00:47:47.550 William Ritter: But we also do some you know some foreign young and some other country, you know.

00:47:50.460 –> 00:47:51.090 William Ritter: You know.

00:47:52.740 –> 00:47:54.900 William Ritter: Country groups I’m.

00:47:56.130 –> 00:48:20.610 William Ritter: Pretty wide-ranging but, but just lately, I know that TIM has been doing a lot of work with Josh Goforth and Josh Goforth and TIM actually received the same grant that Bobby and I did to work together josh go forth is an amazing musician incredible storyteller and just I.

00:48:22.140 –> 00:48:38.910 William Ritter: it’s hard to say it’s hard to overstate how good of a musician he is, to be honest, they call them the acoustic wizard he’s definitely worth looking up some time as very, very talented but he also is really connected to Madison county music roots.

00:48:40.350 –> 00:48:48.750 William Ritter: and has put a lot of time into you know kind of absorbing the I would say, like the Asheville greater Asheville.

00:48:49.320 –> 00:48:54.540 William Ritter: kind of Middle Western North Carolina music traditions and so he’s been passing that on.

00:48:55.170 –> 00:49:10.050 William Ritter: To TIM and in with hopes that you know, Tim will continue to pass it on to which he does he’s a TIM as a music teacher in Ashville so he’s been trying to incorporate some of that into his school curriculum so that’s a really, really neat thing.

00:49:11.160 –> 00:49:27.870 William Ritter: So, but we are really connected to a lot of real Appalachian like local regional stuff kind of the deep cuts, we do some things that you may have heard a version of that song that we do, but it’s your different version than you probably heard.

00:49:27.870 –> 00:49:28.410 Before.

00:49:29.940 –> 00:49:40.680 William Ritter: But we also do some stuff that’s common is dirt you know that everybody played because we like that and it’s if nobody wants to hear, I think a concert where they’ve never heard any of the songs before.

00:49:42.030 –> 00:49:55.290 William Ritter: And so we do a real I think a real healthy mix and we have a lot of fun, I mean that’s the biggest thing we just have a whole lot of fun it’s always been great fun to play with TIM we both went to Grad school together at APP state.

00:49:56.970 –> 00:50:00.270 William Ritter: And so we really enjoy kind of.

00:50:01.980 –> 00:50:11.820 William Ritter: Like I said digging deeply into some of these Western North Carolina music traditions but also playing some of this stuff like I said that are the POP hits of the.

00:50:12.720 –> 00:50:13.290 Joseph McElroy: I look for.

00:50:14.670 –> 00:50:17.820 Joseph McElroy: I look forward to hearing about here and that I’ll be there for sure.

00:50:19.110 –> 00:50:33.120 Joseph McElroy: So um you know this pandemic has been tough right and I imagine it’s been tough, especially in the winter, how do you keep yourself active as a musician and performer and these times, or even doing it.

00:50:34.110 –> 00:50:36.780 William Ritter: it’s a good question Joseph, did I know the answer to.

00:50:36.780 –> 00:50:36.960 That.

00:50:39.720 –> 00:50:41.460 Joseph McElroy: Well, I mean you can do zoom concerts.

00:50:41.460 –> 00:50:43.800 Joseph McElroy: Are all the way, but it’s just not the same thing.

00:50:43.830 –> 00:50:44.580 Right now.

00:50:45.720 –> 00:50:50.760 William Ritter: Though I did recently just try something new called riverside FM.

00:50:51.420 –> 00:50:55.500 William Ritter: Which is like a podcasting service kind of like zoom ish you know.

00:50:56.550 –> 00:51:10.290 William Ritter: And did that with Sheila Adams, as the just kind of test out the service and that actually went really well I would I was really happy with that so that was neat and I’d like to try to do more of that kind of thing.

00:51:11.010 –> 00:51:27.750 Joseph McElroy: No, I would think that the clubhouse you heard a clubhouse it’s a clubhouse as an APP that’s become very popular where it’s basically people get on and it’s all audio chat rooms and people get on the talk I think that’d be great for the storyteller.

00:51:28.260 –> 00:51:30.120 Joseph McElroy: Right yeah yeah.

00:51:30.600 –> 00:51:31.320 William Ritter: That sounds.

00:51:31.800 –> 00:51:34.950 Joseph McElroy: yeah so definitely investigate that clubhouse.

00:51:34.980 –> 00:51:35.790 William Ritter: Now, look into that.

00:51:36.000 –> 00:51:46.020 Joseph McElroy: Because I know a lot of poets, especially urban poets, are doing it and having very big success getting big crowds and things coming, but I think the mountain storytelling be great on the clubhouse.

00:51:46.920 –> 00:51:59.370 William Ritter: yeah yeah, I think, maybe that’s a yeah I’ve really been I’ve been thinking about this for a long time ways that this kind of digital experience can help us kind of spread.

00:52:00.000 –> 00:52:10.590 William Ritter: kind of evangelize for these mountain traditions and I, you know even before the pandemic, I was thinking I knew all these like elder you know.

00:52:11.130 –> 00:52:21.090 William Ritter: Tradition bears as we call them or folk practitioners people that knew all these old ways and told these great stories and they weren’t necessarily always like professionals in

00:52:21.510 –> 00:52:33.720 William Ritter: You know, then in presenting their art, but you know that’s what I wanted really it was a had this I hate to use the word authenticity, but, but that was what I was looking for.

00:52:34.890 –> 00:52:48.060 William Ritter: And I wanted to find a way that people that couldn’t really even get out of their house necessarily or were really mobility bound or their health prevented them from sharing their art but um.

00:52:48.960 –> 00:52:55.260 William Ritter: You know I don’t know so I want to figure out a way to do that and that’s part of why I was exploring with Bobby.

00:52:56.880 –> 00:53:08.880 William Ritter: And did learn a lot about I think that some possibilities and I think more have come out of it because of the endemic more opportunities have come along that we’ve invested in the technology more people are familiar with it.

00:53:09.780 –> 00:53:14.850 William Ritter: But you know, like a podcast is a great medium for an older story Teller.

00:53:16.410 –> 00:53:17.520 William Ritter: To get out anymore.

00:53:18.150 –> 00:53:23.820 Joseph McElroy: I think this club has I’ve been thinking about doing like a Meadowlark storytelling lounge or something like that yeah.

00:53:23.850 –> 00:53:25.440 Joseph McElroy: Because I think it was great.

00:53:25.470 –> 00:53:26.850 Joseph McElroy: medium for that yeah.

00:53:27.150 –> 00:53:28.440 William Ritter: yeah I.

00:53:28.680 –> 00:53:34.140 William Ritter: I’d love to see something like that I, you know there’s a really good storyteller in.

00:53:34.680 –> 00:53:40.530 William Ritter: Silva named Gary Carden um and he has you know some pretty serious health issues that he sees.

00:53:40.860 –> 00:53:56.820 William Ritter: That you know, had to work with and it made it hard for him to get out but he’s a fabulous storyteller I mean to use these really incredible he’s just kind of relaunched, but a podcast that someone’s helping him do, and I really hope that works out for him.

00:53:57.660 –> 00:53:58.530 Joseph McElroy: that’d be great.

00:53:58.650 –> 00:53:58.950 But.

00:54:00.060 –> 00:54:00.450 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:54:00.780 –> 00:54:03.870 Joseph McElroy: Great so uh anything that.

00:54:05.040 –> 00:54:12.210 Joseph McElroy: you’re coming from you’d like to let the audience know about you know anything that they should watch out for.

00:54:13.080 –> 00:54:15.360 William Ritter: um well you know, dear.

00:54:18.360 –> 00:54:27.030 Joseph McElroy: I just had the wildlife guy here last week that’s doing the Crossways over the I- 40 so.

00:54:27.960 –> 00:54:29.700 William Ritter: fascinating I am just.

00:54:29.790 –> 00:54:34.350 William Ritter: I am thrilled that they’re doing that and it’s a really good idea, because, let me it’s incredibly dangerous.

00:54:34.440 –> 00:54:35.070 Joseph McElroy: All right.

00:54:36.480 –> 00:54:40.080 Joseph McElroy: So how can people get Ahold of you where to look you up to find out more about what you do.

00:54:40.440 –> 00:54:49.050 William Ritter: yeah so um there’s a couple of ways, one you could go to a songtosee.com that song and to not a number two song to.

00:54:50.520 –> 00:54:57.210 William Ritter: songtosee.com and on there, you can actually there’s a section, that is, the.

00:54:58.350 –> 00:55:03.000 William Ritter: The Bobby McMillan legacy that’s kind of home for it right now, you can listen to a lot of bobby’s recordings.

00:55:03.870 –> 00:55:10.200 William Ritter: And things like that, as like transfer them over for these cassettes, and things and some bits of wisdom that we’re finding.

00:55:10.980 –> 00:55:21.390 William Ritter: And then, but, but also on our website, you can find out more about what I do from music and also the seed saving part which we talk more about and the last podcast that I was on here.

00:55:22.710 –> 00:55:30.390 William Ritter: But then there’s also you could go to the Blue Ridge Heritage area website, they have a directory that you can find all these different.

00:55:31.830 –> 00:55:36.210 William Ritter: You know, artists, that are practicing traditional.

00:55:37.770 –> 00:55:48.960 William Ritter: folkways and folk songs on things like that, so you can find a lot of them on there I’m on there, it says a little bit about me and also there’s a website that’s

00:55:49.530 –> 00:56:03.840 William Ritter: My wife and I have that’s SarahandWilliam.Weebly.COM, but any of those ways will get you to me and also songtoseed has a, of course, has a Facebook page, but we also have a YouTube channel.

00:56:04.980 –> 00:56:13.260 William Ritter: where you can go and most of what I have on there, right now, as Bobby McMillan stuff that I’ve been uploading so you can kind of see in here some of what we’ve been talking about.

00:56:13.470 –> 00:56:29.550 Joseph McElroy: Well, I want to, I want to thank you for being on the show today second time around, has been very informative very good I’m pleased to have you and I look forward to seeing you this summer at the Meadowlark Heritage Center Plott Fest it some other things too.

00:56:30.000 –> 00:56:32.340 William Ritter: yeah me too I’m definitely looking forward to it.

00:56:32.850 –> 00:56:40.470 Joseph McElroy: Yes, this is the Gateway to the Smokies podcast we’re on if you go to smokies adventure.com, you can see the podcast.

00:56:41.190 –> 00:56:56.490 Joseph McElroy: Link at the top of the page to get all the previous things we also have a Facebook page Facebook.com/gatewaytothesmokiespodcast where you can watch it live what streaming find out more information we’re part of talkradio. nyc, which is a network of.

00:56:58.260 –> 00:57:13.830 Joseph McElroy: That has live podcast every day, ranging from small business and self-help to travel to all sorts of interesting thing, so this podcast the gateway the smokies is every week Tuesdays from six to seven now see you next Tuesday, thank you all for listening.

We are joined by our special guest, Jeff Hunter, Senior Program Manager with the National Parks ConservationAssociation (NPCA) in Asheville, where he works on a variety of issues pertaining to protecting and improving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Presently, he is focused heavily on a collaborative project designing and building a wildlife crossing on I-40 in the Pigeon Forge in Haywood County, near the Tennessee state line.

In our conversation with Jeff, he discusses the importance of Preserving our Natural Resources and improving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. He mentioned how you can help by spreading awareness, identifying solutions, and providing leadership to make it happen.

https://smokiessafepassage.org/ 

https://www.npca.org/people/jeffrey-hunter

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

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00:00:41.010 –> 00:00:44.400 Joseph McElroy: Howdy! Thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of

00:00:44.460 –> 00:00:54.240 Joseph McElroy: Gateway to the Smokies, this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains national park, and the surrounding towns.

00:00:54.600 –> 00:01:05.610 Joseph McElroy: This area is filled with ancient natural beauty deep-storied history wonderful adventures and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:01:06.060 –> 00:01:19.290 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklin McElroy a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family’s lived in the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in mountain culture.

00:01:20.460 –> 00:01:24.510 Joseph McElroy: Today’s podcast we’re talking about safe wildlife passages in the smokies.

00:01:25.920 –> 00:01:29.460 Joseph McElroy: But first let’s hear from our sponsors, which happens to be me.

00:01:31.320 –> 00:01:40.020 Joseph McElroy: hey imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past in modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel.

00:01:41.010 –> 00:02:01.560 Joseph McElroy: The amenities, of a country and a place for adventure and for relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill to catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers imagine a place with the old-time music and world cultural sounds.

00:02:02.820 –> 00:02:15.630 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place with mountain heritage, food, and an underground speakeasy there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina, your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:02:17.250 –> 00:02:28.170 Joseph McElroy: smokies adventure.com that’s plural smokies singular adventure information and listings about the smokies it, it provides lots of.

00:02:29.970 –> 00:02:42.420 Joseph McElroy: Resources for hiking, trail maps, knowledge about the area even things like wedding venues outdoor wedding venues, you can get books, you can get.

00:02:44.040 –> 00:02:51.600 Joseph McElroy: hiking guide, you can get books about the mountain culture it’s a really great resource, the emphasis of the smokies adventure.

00:02:51.870 –> 00:03:12.870 Joseph McElroy: Is I said outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, along with providing information about lodging entertainment events conventions honeymoons tourist opportunities and it’s a great resource for being one of the top information portals on the smoky mountains.

00:03:14.580 –> 00:03:25.140 Joseph McElroy: Upcoming, so somewhere between caricature and character, there exists in authentic a truly unique culture of the smoky mountains.

00:03:25.950 –> 00:03:38.160 Joseph McElroy: understanding that culture blends the global and the local the old and the new and gains relevance and understanding of the elements of culture that brought us to where we are now and where we can go in the future.

00:03:39.210 –> 00:03:52.200 Joseph McElroy: The Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center located at the beautiful Meadowlark Motel is proud to announce a series of 20 heritage-themed events scheduled for 2022.

00:03:53.430 –> 00:04:02.520 Joseph McElroy: Each of these events is designed to understand a different element of smoky mountain culture and lead members and guests on a journey of understanding for the past and the future.

00:04:03.270 –> 00:04:11.640 Joseph McElroy: The first event is Saturday, February 26 2022 at 4 pm at the Meadowlark Motel, Maggie Valley.

00:04:12.540 –> 00:04:25.500 Joseph McElroy: it’ll be led by the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center General Manager and Award-winning Author Bob Plott, as he launches the first of six heritage book programs and a book signing of his books.

00:04:26.100 –> 00:04:42.600 Joseph McElroy: The first program focuses on the history, of the Plott Hound the official state dog of North Carolina a legendary breed with a rich and storied history in Haywood County featured will be Bob’s first book strike and stay the story of the Plott hound.

00:04:43.890 –> 00:04:56.760 Joseph McElroy: Which is recognized as one of the premier hunting dogs in America, the Plott hound is unique among honey dog breeds because it descends from Germanic stock rather than the traditional English foxhound.

00:04:57.390 –> 00:05:07.260 Joseph McElroy: The breed story began when its original breeder Joe Hound Plott and his brother Enoch left Germany in 1750 with their prize honey dogs.

00:05:07.710 –> 00:05:19.830 Joseph McElroy: it’s this trip across the Atlantic that began the 200-year journey that will culminate in the North Carolina Mountains with the development it was now arguably the world’s finest breed of honey hunting dog.

00:05:20.880 –> 00:05:34.860 Joseph McElroy: This fascinating story of the Plott family and the Plott hound is a classic American tale of adventures and underdogs a story that Bob Plott, the great great great grandson of Joe Hounds Plott is uniquely qualified to tell.

00:05:35.460 –> 00:05:40.470 Joseph McElroy: This upon an informative program will be followed by a delicious Barbecue dinner and acoustic.

00:05:40.920 –> 00:05:47.970 Joseph McElroy: Music with Mike Ogletree the former drummer for Simple Minds and some other friends, making for an entertaining afternoon and evening.

00:05:48.540 –> 00:06:04.440 Joseph McElroy: The event is free to motel guests and heritage club members and non-members and local residents are welcome to attend the program and enjoy dinner and music for only $10 per person call 828 926 1717 to book your room and or your reservation.

00:06:05.520 –> 00:06:14.880 Joseph McElroy: More upcoming what’s better for the soul than throwing a line upstream watching it pass doing again and again and perhaps getting a bite.

00:06:15.630 –> 00:06:20.820 Joseph McElroy: All anglers know that fly fishing isn’t only about reeling in the big one.

00:06:21.540 –> 00:06:32.970 Joseph McElroy: All that’s all though that’s the one that always gets our hearts jumping blushes fishing is about being one with the river and its magnificent presence while witnessing a valuable ecosystem.

00:06:33.630 –> 00:06:39.330 Joseph McElroy: The Meadowlark Motel is offering fly fishing trout camp weekends and the smoky mountains.

00:06:39.870 –> 00:06:51.120 Joseph McElroy: What began as a way to get a group of friends together on the river is going into a way of bringing like-minded people together through fly fishing food, drinking the campfire in our recreation area.

00:06:51.690 –> 00:07:01.980 Joseph McElroy: camp weekends are perfect for those new to fly fishing and those looking for some extra instruction or anyone with experience, who enjoys fishing and a small group of making new friends.

00:07:02.640 –> 00:07:14.520 Joseph McElroy: Each trip is built around those attending and we all share those experiences, you can expect quality time in the river and nights around the campfire or in the speakeasy if it’s not so nice.

00:07:14.790 –> 00:07:24.690 Joseph McElroy: With a drink in half-truths and tall tales are always at the camp and camps are limited to 20 anglers and there’s going to be one instructor to every two campers.

00:07:25.770 –> 00:07:39.750 Joseph McElroy: So the first one is April 15 to 16th 2022 located at the Meadowlark Motel that’s $875 per person in the guide services beast coast anglers owned and operated by

00:07:40.260 –> 00:07:50.880 Joseph McElroy: Charles Humphrey III, really interesting guys have master fisherman he’s also been on this podcast talking about.

00:07:51.570 –> 00:07:59.700 Joseph McElroy: Music, amongst other things, he’s an award-winning songwriter in fact we’re talking about doing a songwriting camp with him later in the year.

00:08:01.140 –> 00:08:07.560 Joseph McElroy: and includes a couple of nights for lodging free breakfast and on Saturday and Sunday for a Barbecue dinner.

00:08:08.160 –> 00:08:16.140 Joseph McElroy: To free beverages and speakeasy a half a day of hands-on instruction in the morning and then four hours of intense fishing on this.

00:08:16.410 –> 00:08:25.350 Joseph McElroy: On an elite stream Saturday afternoon and entertainment at the motel Saturday evening, and then a little checkout and Sunday morning with a nice breakfast probably with some trap.

00:08:27.120 –> 00:08:34.290 Joseph McElroy: Call eight to 8289261717 to make reservations and they are also some programs on the history of fly fishing.

00:08:35.250 –> 00:08:41.280 Joseph McElroy: And also what’s happening in the mountains about fishing, but now we’re here to talk about wildlife.

00:08:42.030 –> 00:08:53.490 Joseph McElroy: passages and preserving the smokies and our guest today is Jeff Hunter he is a Senior Program Manager of the National Parks Conservation Association, the NPA CA and national.

00:08:53.910 –> 00:09:04.740 Joseph McElroy: where he works on a variety of issues pretending to protect and improve the great smoky mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian National scenic trail.

00:09:06.090 –> 00:09:17.670 Joseph McElroy: Presently, he is focused heavily on a collaborative project designing and building a wildlife crossing on I-40 in the Pigeon Forge in Haywood County, near the Tennessee state line. Hello Jeff.

00:09:18.510 –> 00:09:20.550 Jeff Hunter: hey Joseph good to see you thanks for having me.

00:09:20.820 –> 00:09:26.610 Joseph McElroy: Sure thing good to see you, so I understand you’re originally from New York State Rockland County I think.

00:09:26.970 –> 00:09:27.570 Jeff Hunter: I am.

00:09:28.080 –> 00:09:32.760 Jeff Hunter: yeah CHF and Clark county high school North class of 1979.

00:09:33.060 –> 00:09:40.680 Joseph McElroy: cool well back then raccoon was I was pretty full of wildlife, I read that you called your childhood Pharaoh What did you mean.

00:09:41.490 –> 00:09:50.430 Jeff Hunter: I was in the woods every chance, I could get fishing and looking for frogs and toads and turtles and snakes anything I could find that was while.

00:09:51.840 –> 00:09:58.200 Jeff Hunter: And that slow, I saw that slowly disappear over the years, you know, was an inspiration to do what I do today.

00:09:58.740 –> 00:10:01.530 Joseph McElroy: wow you know I grew up in Haywood County and.

00:10:02.760 –> 00:10:05.160 Joseph McElroy: I guess I would describe mine as a little bit Feral like that.

00:10:06.750 –> 00:10:10.380 Joseph McElroy: I think, was to go down to the pond or the Greek and fish for our so.

00:10:12.420 –> 00:10:24.450 Joseph McElroy: So I’m so pretty early on, you got involved in environmental issues, you were part I ever that you were part of an effort in the 90s, to save sterling forest what inspired you and how did you get involved in that.

00:10:24.960 –> 00:10:26.130 Jeff Hunter: Well, that was my home.

00:10:26.760 –> 00:10:28.620 Jeff Hunter: Forest was you know my backyard.

00:10:29.130 –> 00:10:34.680 Jeff Hunter: Well, I hike or I fished, and there was a this is 18,000 acres with a privately-owned lance.

00:10:35.190 –> 00:10:50.340 Jeff Hunter: And the orange of those lands had plans for 14,000 housing units and 8 million square feet of commercial office space in the headwaters of North New Jersey is drinking water supply and so myself and others who love that place got together and.

00:10:51.480 –> 00:11:00.390 Jeff Hunter: You know, eventually, the owner of that land became a willing seller and turn that over, and now we have sterling for a state park in New York, so what.

00:11:00.450 –> 00:11:01.740 Jeff Hunter: about protecting what you love.

00:11:02.640 –> 00:11:05.940 Joseph McElroy: What was the what will you think there was a tipping point to make that happen.

00:11:06.780 –> 00:11:16.170 Jeff Hunter: I think the public sentiment and persuading the local Congressman that it was in the best interests of his constituents to protect this place so.

00:11:16.890 –> 00:11:19.230 Joseph McElroy: How big is your crew, did you guys have that we’re doing this.

00:11:19.530 –> 00:11:23.370 Jeff Hunter: Oh, there were hundreds of folks I played I played a bit part let’s be honest.

00:11:23.430 –> 00:11:25.230 Joseph McElroy: I mean you were young, yeah you know.

00:11:26.280 –> 00:11:32.100 Jeff Hunter: You know, I was in my 30s at the time, and I was raising a family, but I stood up at public meetings and.

00:11:33.240 –> 00:11:39.060 Jeff Hunter: Let my voice be heard and volunteer and got involved at the volunteer level right.

00:11:40.290 –> 00:11:46.020 Jeff Hunter: And that set the stage for you know changing careers and moving on to what I do today.

00:11:46.680 –> 00:12:00.840 Joseph McElroy: Well, prior to coming down South you had a 20-year degree career 20-year career in New York, most of that was a Verizon as an engineer, but your college degree was in environmental studies, how did you end up there.

00:12:02.580 –> 00:12:17.340 Jeff Hunter: Good question, so I ended up in Verizon because I didn’t apply myself in college, shall we say, so what one takes what they get but you know I worked hard and I started in the Union position and was promoted to management and.

00:12:18.720 –> 00:12:26.730 Jeff Hunter: You know, raise some kids and bought a home in orange county New York, but eventually, you know that wasn’t enough, so I wanted a little bit more out of life and.

00:12:28.080 –> 00:12:31.950 Jeff Hunter: started to look around for volunteer opportunities and get involved in the Community.

00:12:33.150 –> 00:12:35.040 Jeff Hunter: And one thing leads to another, and here we are.

00:12:35.370 –> 00:12:42.750 Joseph McElroy: yeah well remember you were telling me one story about something happening in New York City of you are involved with security or something like that.

00:12:43.830 –> 00:12:51.630 Jeff Hunter: yeah I handled a New York state’s metadata for the horizon and the 90s and that’s every single call the data so.

00:12:52.890 –> 00:13:03.090 Jeff Hunter: I worked with those national security issues, and it was an interesting time it was usually pretty boring but every once in a while, like a hot when there was a terrorist incident, for instance.

00:13:04.500 –> 00:13:04.980 Jeff Hunter: So.

00:13:06.390 –> 00:13:15.990 Joseph McElroy: cool wow big difference well we’re gonna take a break right now and then we’ll come back and we’re talking about how you made that change what led up to that change in your life.

00:13:16.890 –> 00:13:17.190 Okay.

00:15:32.910 –> 00:15:45.030 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts with my guest Jeff Hunter so Jeff, I will, I have two different stories yeah ready website that.

00:15:45.690 –> 00:15:58.080 Joseph McElroy: The Appalachian trail through high changed your life and that’s why you made your career change with you just you texted me about music and you said, the grateful dead or larger responsible for my career change, so I got two stories I got here.

00:15:58.380 –> 00:16:03.060 Jeff Hunter: Sure sure okay so back in the 90s.

00:16:04.440 –> 00:16:23.490 Jeff Hunter: You know, I was a fan of live music and the dead was one of my favorite bands and I got some tickets to go see a benefit concert at the garden in New York, and so I attended, and it was the dead and a bunch of other folks Baba today all the tunji the great Nigerian drummer and.

00:16:25.080 –> 00:16:31.530 Jeff Hunter: lots of other folks and they were talking in between artists about the issue of tropical rainforest ecosystems.

00:16:32.220 –> 00:16:46.500 Jeff Hunter: And it really you know I’d never heard anything about it, and so I started a group in my community and started reaching out to public schools and engaging Community members, and you know, I was that lit my fire more than.

00:16:48.120 –> 00:16:49.170 Jeff Hunter: Verizon did shall we.

00:16:49.170 –> 00:16:49.470 say.

00:16:50.550 –> 00:16:57.270 Jeff Hunter: And so you know if you can find a way to get paid for what your passion is you know that’s the path that I chose to follow.

00:16:57.870 –> 00:17:06.330 Jeff Hunter: And you know along the way, speaking of paths, you know, then the Appalachian trail came along, and in 2000 I took a leave of absence and.

00:17:06.870 –> 00:17:17.190 Jeff Hunter: walk from Georgia domain and that was the coup de gras right there the corporate experience you know I did not want to go back to white noise and 68 degrees and the hum of mainframe computers.

00:17:18.690 –> 00:17:24.630 Jeff Hunter: The call of the wild, shall we say, apologies to jack London was begging to me.

00:17:25.200 –> 00:17:26.940 Joseph McElroy: You know that’s it’s funny but you know.

00:17:29.070 –> 00:17:40.170 Joseph McElroy: The grateful dead concert was also instrumental in me making a major career-changing my existence, I was working at IBM research triangle park out of college for eight years and.

00:17:40.890 –> 00:17:48.210 Joseph McElroy: You know I sort of got burned out, you know wasn’t I did really well, but I wasn’t I didn’t like big corporate existence and I.

00:17:48.630 –> 00:18:07.740 Joseph McElroy: I went to I and I’ve been working on losing some weight and lost a lot of weight and then I went to a grateful dead concert and in Raleigh right and I went dressed in a coat and tie suit and tie right from work, and when I left I no longer had the coat and tie and bought.

00:18:09.090 –> 00:18:09.930 Joseph McElroy: All sorts of.

00:18:11.010 –> 00:18:13.440 Joseph McElroy: stuff and it was working that.

00:18:14.670 –> 00:18:32.070 Joseph McElroy: And really after that never looked never even considered core corporate existence anymore, within a few months, I had left and was you know traveling and doing my artistic entrepreneur existence, it was like you know it was like the catalyst.

00:18:32.130 –> 00:18:38.430 Jeff Hunter: So you know, and I know that there’s nothing like a grateful dead concert and you know those are days gone by.

00:18:38.700 –> 00:18:47.790 Jeff Hunter: Oh, it was such a profound experience you know, and when issues of the day, were brought into that wonderful music, it was moving and inspiring.

00:18:48.120 –> 00:18:58.350 Joseph McElroy: yeah so um so so you know this so 2000 years how long did you how did long did it take you to do that three through like I mean it’s interesting to me.

00:18:59.040 –> 00:19:11.400 Jeff Hunter: If people five and a half months, so I started march seven down in Georgia, you know winter conditions in the mountains for sure and got to Maine on August 21st so.

00:19:12.870 –> 00:19:21.420 Jeff Hunter: five and a half months with 26 or 28 days, where I didn’t walk a mile what we would call a zero-day where you take a day off so.

00:19:21.930 –> 00:19:28.620 Joseph McElroy: We hear a lot about people taking us working through walking it, but how many people actually do the through the whole thing.

00:19:29.460 –> 00:19:33.210 Jeff Hunter: You know, since I did it 22 years ago the numbers have almost doubled.

00:19:33.480 –> 00:19:36.540 Jeff Hunter: Really, which is a concern, because you know listen.

00:19:37.920 –> 00:19:40.200 Jeff Hunter: There are finite resources in the mountains and.

00:19:42.120 –> 00:19:42.420 Jeff Hunter: But.

00:19:43.530 –> 00:19:53.640 Jeff Hunter: it’s the most beloved trail in the world, and I think at the time that I did it there were maybe somewhere around 400 or 500 people who completed it that year.

00:19:53.970 –> 00:20:00.690 Jeff Hunter: mm hmm I don’t know what the current numbers are but the volume of traffic on the trail is increased significantly.

00:20:01.410 –> 00:20:04.350 Joseph McElroy: that’s interesting, do you think they’ll have to do some sort of.

00:20:05.730 –> 00:20:13.200 Joseph McElroy: eventually have to do something to slow that down or segment it out, or you know, giving maybe let people do segments, or what would they do.

00:20:13.380 –> 00:20:15.840 Jeff Hunter: You know that’s a question for brighter minds the mind.

00:20:15.870 –> 00:20:28.890 Jeff Hunter: But, clearly we want to have a sustainable trail right, we want to have an experience that our children can have our grandchildren can have, and make sure that that remains, you know, an amazing place.

00:20:30.090 –> 00:20:31.170 Jeff Hunter: to inspire and.

00:20:33.450 –> 00:20:35.460 Jeff Hunter: make people curious about the natural world.

00:20:36.330 –> 00:20:51.090 Jeff Hunter: So thankfully it’s the largest volunteer effort, I think, in the States, it’s the trail is maintained by volunteers, the Appalachian trail conservancy is amazing in their stewardship of this trail it’s also a unit of the National Park service.

00:20:51.450 –> 00:20:51.900 So.

00:20:53.130 –> 00:20:54.900 Jeff Hunter: it’s got some own behind it, shall we say.

00:20:54.960 –> 00:20:59.550 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know there’s a nice little segment of it that goes to the rocky mountain park right.

00:21:00.330 –> 00:21:02.880 Jeff Hunter: yeah the smokies I did the smokies and six days.

00:21:04.290 –> 00:21:09.870 Jeff Hunter: It was cold, it was wet and I was glad to come out of the mountains, but the beauty was not lost on me.

00:21:09.960 –> 00:21:10.170 Right.

00:21:11.250 –> 00:21:16.620 Jeff Hunter: You know whether it was climbing the rich molly’s rich damn Python time and Bam or you know.

00:21:17.790 –> 00:21:26.220 Jeff Hunter: up at newfound gap trying to hitchhike a ride down into Gatlinburg to no avail, and then continuing in the snow onto the north, end of the park.

00:21:27.990 –> 00:21:33.420 Jeff Hunter: Now I probably complained a little bit back then, but here I am in the warmth of the home, and I can look back and say.

00:21:34.740 –> 00:21:36.210 Jeff Hunter: Forget about the aches and pains.

00:21:37.860 –> 00:21:45.540 Joseph McElroy: You know we have a lot of hikers that come and stay at the hotel when they come out of the mountain and they all talk about the beauty of it, you know it’s like a.

00:21:45.990 –> 00:21:53.460 Joseph McElroy: You know it’s really a trend transcended for some of them, so when you did this hike was that your first time in the smoky mountains.

00:21:53.880 –> 00:21:54.810 Jeff Hunter: It was actually.

00:21:55.290 –> 00:21:57.000 Jeff Hunter: You know it’s funny today.

00:21:58.230 –> 00:22:03.480 Jeff Hunter: my daughter Martha sent me a photograph of something I mailed to her from the trail.

00:22:04.710 –> 00:22:06.090 Jeff Hunter: I was at a hostel in

00:22:07.350 –> 00:22:14.970 Jeff Hunter: a place that no longer exists called mountain mama’s country store was your big creek at the Waterville exit off I- 40.

00:22:15.630 –> 00:22:26.460 Jeff Hunter: And I found a piece of sycamore bark and I wrote my daughter a note on this piece of bark and I mailed it to her when she was 10 years old and so 22 years later today.

00:22:27.330 –> 00:22:36.420 Jeff Hunter: And it said something to the effect of you know, this is a beautiful place and I want to, I want to bring you here someday and she lives in Tennessee now and I live in North Carolina.

00:22:36.450 –> 00:22:41.580 Joseph McElroy: wow did you ever think when you were doing that hike you would end up living in this area.

00:22:41.970 –> 00:22:44.370 Jeff Hunter: Not in my wildest dreams, to be honest with you.

00:22:45.660 –> 00:22:48.150 Jeff Hunter: it’s you know I’m a lucky man.

00:22:49.350 –> 00:22:59.190 Jeff Hunter: You know my I followed my passion and my dad used to always say work hard and it’s not my favorite thing to do, but.

00:23:00.840 –> 00:23:05.130 Jeff Hunter: I tried to follow his advice and it’s led to some good outcomes I’m grateful for that.

00:23:05.580 –> 00:23:06.990 Joseph McElroy: Well, how did you end up in the smokies

00:23:09.390 –> 00:23:10.830 Jeff Hunter: You mean on the trail or.

00:23:10.890 –> 00:23:13.290 Joseph McElroy: No, no, moving down here how did you end up here.

00:23:13.530 –> 00:23:21.360 Jeff Hunter: Oh gosh so it’s a real circuitous journey, I guess, in 2003 I moved from the lower Hudson Valley, I was living in Warwick New York.

00:23:21.420 –> 00:23:22.140 Jeff Hunter: orange county.

00:23:22.320 –> 00:23:33.570 Jeff Hunter: Apple Country to Chattanooga Tennessee and I worked for five years for the American hiking society working on recreation issues involving trails in a nine-state region.

00:23:34.410 –> 00:23:46.740 Jeff Hunter: And from there, I was recruited to go and lead a wilderness campaign focused on the Cherokee national forest which eventually protected permanently four and a half miles of the Appalachian trail and a new wilderness area.

00:23:48.630 –> 00:24:04.470 Jeff Hunter: From there, I was recruited to go out to California, to the Eastern Sierra a high desert landscape, to work on that in that place, and then I was lucky enough to be able to come back here to the East and work for National Parks Conservation Association in the Asheville area.

00:24:05.130 –> 00:24:11.850 Joseph McElroy: Oh cool what was a well when we first came here to American hiking society, what was the project that attracted you.

00:24:12.570 –> 00:24:21.270 Jeff Hunter: it’s called the Southern Appalachian initiative, and it was an effort to build a 5000-mile interconnected network of hiking trails in a nine-state region.

00:24:22.830 –> 00:24:27.690 Jeff Hunter: included something at the time that was called the Western Appalachian alternative which was.

00:24:28.140 –> 00:24:43.890 Jeff Hunter: This view of long-distance south to north hiking trail west of the Appalachian trail, which today exists it’s called the Great Eastern trail so that vision of a new system of protected lands that would offer experiences to folks really called to me.

00:24:45.570 –> 00:24:51.240 Jeff Hunter: And it’s funny a friend of mine sent me that job posting for someone who I met in Manhattan.

00:24:52.290 –> 00:25:05.250 Jeff Hunter: who’s now he’s gone he’s passed, but I would not have known about that job unless you’ve mailed me that that announcement you know so sometimes it’s about being in the right place right time and connected to the right people and.

00:25:05.850 –> 00:25:10.620 Joseph McElroy: Did you have anything to the mountain to the sea trail part of that or is it something different.

00:25:10.920 –> 00:25:19.470 Jeff Hunter: Oh yeah the mouse to sea trail was definitely involved so in 2007 I I’m a facilitator it’s one of the things I do I facilitated their first-ever.

00:25:21.210 –> 00:25:22.170 Jeff Hunter: Strategic Plan.

00:25:23.280 –> 00:25:29.820 Jeff Hunter: I also work with the Carolina mountain Club in Asheville that same year, and helped them with this change plan their first.

00:25:32.520 –> 00:25:39.930 Jeff Hunter: So yeah I love the MST I’ve walked parts of it in the smokies and parts of it along the Blue Ridge parkway it’s a great system.

00:25:40.860 –> 00:25:45.930 Joseph McElroy: So you, you went hippie for a little while went out to California and then he came back.

00:25:48.480 –> 00:25:54.090 Joseph McElroy: And what was the project that brought you back to the national parks conservatory conservation association.

00:25:54.210 –> 00:25:57.060 Jeff Hunter: Well it’s interesting you know when I interviewed for the job.

00:25:58.830 –> 00:26:05.280 Jeff Hunter: The gentleman interviewing me tossed up a book on the table in front of me and said there’s your work plan, and it was a.

00:26:05.970 –> 00:26:14.790 Jeff Hunter: was a document that was drafted by a friend and colleague of mine who are when you know works for the wilderness society, it was called return the great forest.

00:26:15.420 –> 00:26:22.380 Jeff Hunter: And in that document, it talked about the issue with interstate 40 being an obstacle to wildlife moving from the South to the North.

00:26:23.040 –> 00:26:31.620 Jeff Hunter: And that, when I heard about that I thought wow that’s a topic, I think I could sink my teeth into because who likes to see an animal get hit on the road right nobody.

00:26:32.730 –> 00:26:41.040 Jeff Hunter: And the older, I get the more it pisses me off, frankly, and so it provided an opportunity to put some energy into that effort.

00:26:42.360 –> 00:26:47.520 Joseph McElroy: So what is the type of work that you do, what is it you actually do in your job.

00:26:48.090 –> 00:26:51.960 Jeff Hunter: Sure, I like to think I bring people together to have.

00:26:53.610 –> 00:26:56.730 Jeff Hunter: Successful meetings with good outcomes that benefit the natural world.

00:26:58.200 –> 00:27:05.670 Jeff Hunter: And the communities that surround them so whether it’s protecting clean water or clean air or teaching the next generation about.

00:27:07.350 –> 00:27:20.820 Jeff Hunter: civics how to get involved in the system, how our parks are owned by all of us that’s lost on people they don’t realize the smokies belongs to every single American is our heritage.

00:27:21.960 –> 00:27:31.350 Jeff Hunter: And it’s entrusted to the National Park service they manage those lands for us but Congress ultimately appropriates the funds that make that system run.

00:27:31.860 –> 00:27:35.430 Jeff Hunter: And, and the American voice is important, so we lift up voices and.

00:27:36.690 –> 00:27:39.450 Jeff Hunter: Protect place and wildlife and it’s.

00:27:42.840 –> 00:27:45.390 Jeff Hunter: it’s it’s a large responsibility.

00:27:46.800 –> 00:27:47.190 Jeff Hunter: To have.

00:27:48.090 –> 00:27:53.910 Joseph McElroy: So a little bit of a Community organizing a little bit of PR and a little bit of hard work right.

00:27:54.750 –> 00:28:05.220 Jeff Hunter: yeah you know I learned how to be an organizer when I lead the Tennessee wild wilderness campaign if you’re going to pass legislation in Congress, you need to bring people together and so it’s about.

00:28:06.690 –> 00:28:12.960 Jeff Hunter: Bringing diverse voices, you know all across the political spectrum together and common cause and that’s what I do.

00:28:14.730 –> 00:28:21.600 Joseph McElroy: All right, well, we have to take another break and when we come back we’ll talk the more about this passion for the wildlife and the safe passage.

00:30:28.110 –> 00:30:34.650 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Jeff Hunter.

00:30:35.130 –> 00:30:41.820 Joseph McElroy: So Jeff one of our earliest guests in the show is a colleague of yours, Frances Figart and we’re carrying her.

00:30:42.630 –> 00:30:56.580 Joseph McElroy: You know her book safe passages book at the Heritage Center bookstore and you know it’s a wonderful little story for finding out about, especially for teams, I think, to learn about wildlife crossings and why they’re good.

00:30:57.690 –> 00:30:58.320 Joseph McElroy: Can you.

00:30:59.520 –> 00:31:05.370 Joseph McElroy: Can you tell us you’re working on a project now to create a wildlife crossing you mentioned, where is that.

00:31:06.660 –> 00:31:18.120 Jeff Hunter: Here, so I facilitate a collaborative effort it’s you know we have federal state tribal and non-governmental organizations coming together around the table.

00:31:18.870 –> 00:31:28.170 Jeff Hunter: working to improve wildlife’s ability to cross Interstate 40 in a 28-mile stretch just outside the smokies that are eight miles in Tennessee.

00:31:28.500 –> 00:31:38.670 Jeff Hunter: And 20 miles north Carolina from the Maggie valley exit to the State line in the state line to the foothills parkway in Tennessee we’re looking really closely and seeing how can we.

00:31:40.080 –> 00:31:41.520 Jeff Hunter: How can we fix this situation.

00:31:42.630 –> 00:31:49.140 Jeff Hunter: For instance, we had 101 dead bears down along the side of the road, and the last three years.

00:31:50.220 –> 00:31:57.630 Jeff Hunter: 2019 2020 2021 three years and that’s probably two and a half times low that numbers and that’s.

00:31:59.040 –> 00:32:05.670 Jeff Hunter: Some people would say that’s the cost of doing business and I disagree and so we’re coming together working on that.

00:32:06.990 –> 00:32:09.630 Joseph McElroy: Have you how do you get, how do you get those mortality records.

00:32:11.250 –> 00:32:18.960 Jeff Hunter: Well, historically, they exist across various agencies, but you know, for the real-time stuff the last three years are driving surveys.

00:32:20.010 –> 00:32:26.040 Jeff Hunter: Every week going out and driving the corridor and looking you know, on the road to see.

00:32:27.300 –> 00:32:36.300 Jeff Hunter: what’s been hit our focus species have been black bear white-tailed deer and elk big stuff you know, because if you hit that with your car.

00:32:36.690 –> 00:32:41.700 Jeff Hunter: It could cause serious property damage, maybe personal injury and you can actually quantify the impact.

00:32:42.300 –> 00:33:00.750 Jeff Hunter: Of that damage and, of course, if you can make it better for those big things to cross the road, perhaps you, you can improve it for the little stuff right and the smokies are filled with little stuff whether it’s salamanders or snakes or you name it, you know raccoons small mammals.

00:33:01.830 –> 00:33:09.090 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah I mean for all those big ones die there are probably 10 times that are the small animals or die right.

00:33:09.240 –> 00:33:10.770 Jeff Hunter: The small stuff has no shot.

00:33:10.800 –> 00:33:18.240 Jeff Hunter: In this corner right there’s it’s two lanes each direction there’s a concrete barrier in the middle.

00:33:19.800 –> 00:33:28.110 Jeff Hunter: You know it’s a death trap, but some of the big stuff can get through, but with 26,000 vehicles, a day you know a lot of stuff that gets killed.

00:33:28.410 –> 00:33:38.310 Jeff Hunter: we’re looking forward to the day when there’s 35,000 vehicles, a day or 45,000 vehicles, a day and nothing has a shot that’s the situation we’re trying to avoid.

00:33:38.700 –> 00:33:43.560 Joseph McElroy: When a lot of cases humans get hurt too, but pretty badly there’s a lot of costs associated with that right.

00:33:44.040 –> 00:33:50.670 Jeff Hunter: Well, on average over 200 Americans every year are killed in wildlife-vehicle collisions so it’s a real situation.

00:33:51.960 –> 00:33:58.020 Jeff Hunter: You know and Maggie Valley right there are thousand-pound bull elk you did not want to hit a bullet with your

00:33:59.550 –> 00:34:00.510 Joseph McElroy: Total your car.

00:34:01.470 –> 00:34:02.280 Jeff Hunter: You know so.

00:34:02.370 –> 00:34:17.100 Jeff Hunter: You know the US 19 through Maggie Valley right there that’s a slower road than I 40 and so you’re going 60 miles an hour on I-40 and an elephant here in the middle of the road that’s a problem that’s a big problem.

00:34:18.750 –> 00:34:29.670 Joseph McElroy: You know I you I went to that presentation you didn’t Maggie Valley chamber, commerce and you were talking about that I thought was an interesting project you guys do use you put up live cameras right to keep track of where they’re crossing.

00:34:30.540 –> 00:34:40.080 Jeff Hunter: Now we had about 120 cameras spread out in the gorge over two years you know, in the right of way seeing what’s encroaching on the roadway also.

00:34:41.670 –> 00:34:51.780 Jeff Hunter: Checking structures, like you know exits are their animals going underneath the bridge or the crossing on the highway there and so we’ve got an A tremendous amount of information.

00:34:52.980 –> 00:35:08.580 Jeff Hunter: Next month will be reconvening the stakeholders and making some key decisions about our research findings, you know where can we agree on priority areas in the gorge you can’t fix everything right you can’t literally fix everything on every road.

00:35:09.450 –> 00:35:16.320 Jeff Hunter: We can establish priorities and get together and make a concerted effort to make the world that place we’ve all wanted to see.

00:35:17.400 –> 00:35:27.330 Joseph McElroy: that’s cool you know, one of the wonderful I really sort of uniquely memorable experiences reaches is not only the great geographical beauty but.

00:35:28.380 –> 00:35:38.670 Joseph McElroy: The easy access and exposure to unusual wildlife big ones like the elk and deer Turkey and black bears and I know that, during my lifetime.

00:35:40.170 –> 00:35:51.750 Joseph McElroy: When there was time those animals were almost extinct, and you know, in our case, the elk was extinct and it’s got reintroduced so it’s really great to see all these species have rebounded and are increasing.

00:35:52.980 –> 00:36:05.760 Joseph McElroy: But it took decades to do that, and the last thing we want is to see these animals will be decimated again now so I’m pretty happier doing so what is the current status of the project.

00:36:06.720 –> 00:36:07.290 So.

00:36:08.370 –> 00:36:22.080 Jeff Hunter: We conducted this to your research, as I mentioned, and we’re in the final stages of analysis and late in late March march 29 actually will be convening stakeholders and Haywood Community College.

00:36:23.760 –> 00:36:27.930 Jeff Hunter: Shannon Rabbie there who runs the wildlife program is opening up that.

00:36:29.940 –> 00:36:36.330 Jeff Hunter: That University that College for us that Community college and will be his students will actually be volunteering and observing.

00:36:36.690 –> 00:36:52.170 Jeff Hunter: Alongside folks from the National Park Service, the fire service, the North Carolina Department of Transportation the Tennessee wildlife resource agency, and lots of other groups, looking at maps, looking at the hotspots where stuff getting killed and what might we do together.

00:36:53.490 –> 00:37:00.930 Jeff Hunter: to fix that and I certainly don’t have all the answers, right here, right now, those answers will need to come together.

00:37:02.970 –> 00:37:03.930 Jeff Hunter: through collaboration.

00:37:04.290 –> 00:37:05.730 Joseph McElroy: mm hmm what.

00:37:06.750 –> 00:37:12.660 Joseph McElroy: What is it all government-funded or also private money or donations how’s it getting funded.

00:37:13.080 –> 00:37:20.640 Jeff Hunter: So so for my work, we don’t receive government funding national parks conservation association is funding funded by ours.

00:37:21.090 –> 00:37:33.630 Jeff Hunter: members and supporters and if folks want to learn more they can check us out at mpc a dot Org but in terms of safe passage our research partners, while dance network and my organization.

00:37:34.710 –> 00:37:36.990 Jeff Hunter: Are funding the research have funded the research.

00:37:38.040 –> 00:37:48.270 Jeff Hunter: And we’re coming together when we first started talking about this issue, there were no dollars at the state or federal level to do anything about reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions.

00:37:48.750 –> 00:37:57.240 Jeff Hunter: But here’s the good story here’s the exciting stuff now just in the last six months, Congress has passed an infrastructure bill.

00:37:58.230 –> 00:38:06.180 Jeff Hunter: That appropriate that that provides 350 million dollars over five years for pilot projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

00:38:07.110 –> 00:38:21.030 Jeff Hunter: So there are issues all over the country, but when you have all the stakeholders together in one room already talking about the issues following science taking a science-based approach we’ve got a real shot at those competitive dollars so.

00:38:22.620 –> 00:38:24.600 Jeff Hunter: there’s good stuff on the horizon we’re hoping.

00:38:25.020 –> 00:38:28.440 Joseph McElroy: As soon as well you know how long it take to takes to complete this one.

00:38:29.580 –> 00:38:35.070 Jeff Hunter: You know it’s hard to say, this is nothing that happens quickly in the transportation world.

00:38:36.180 –> 00:38:44.310 Jeff Hunter: These agencies plan out 2025 years so looking at the growth they’re anticipating where they’ll need to widen roads so.

00:38:45.690 –> 00:39:01.080 Jeff Hunter: Hopefully there’ll be some short-term benefits for wildlife, you know if we can figure out areas where fencing can funnel wildlife to existing structures and get them safely under the road to protect motorists and the wildlife themselves.

00:39:02.400 –> 00:39:09.900 Jeff Hunter: will look for those I’m sure bigger stuff if there’s the new infrastructure needed, you know whether that’s why like overpasses or underpasses.

00:39:11.160 –> 00:39:13.980 Jeff Hunter: That will take a little longer right because you have feasibility.

00:39:16.350 –> 00:39:20.370 Jeff Hunter: I’m an organizer our research tells us where the problems are right, but you need.

00:39:20.370 –> 00:39:30.420 Jeff Hunter: an engineer to say Okay, the geology here is stable enough to do something, whether it’s a wildlife overpass or an underpass so those folks you know.

00:39:30.900 –> 00:39:40.380 Joseph McElroy: So you’re going to build a mix of things like going through culverts and doing stuff at overpasses and only animals use and that sort of there will be people be able to use as overpasses.

00:39:41.310 –> 00:39:45.480 Jeff Hunter: So, best practices wildlife only for overpasses right.

00:39:46.710 –> 00:40:02.760 Jeff Hunter: And so that would be certainly my desire, I will say this, that not far from Maggie Valley it’s probably about a 90-minute drive if someone was Dr 19 down to near Fontana Dam on North Carolina 143.

00:40:04.080 –> 00:40:12.000 Jeff Hunter: The do T as an answer they’re going to build a bridge for wildlife and Appalachian trail hikers at a place called stucco a gap.

00:40:12.300 –> 00:40:24.240 Jeff Hunter: Oh, this is between sheila bald and Fontana damn on the trail that’s a rugged area it’s also the first place, I did a 20-mile day to get to a payphone to call my 10-year-old daughter, on her.

00:40:27.960 –> 00:40:38.130 Joseph McElroy: Well that’s fabulous I mean it’s so nice to see that there are others are there, others are happening, do you are, you are you do you know of any other projects, you might be working on that are.

00:40:41.130 –> 00:40:48.030 Jeff Hunter: You know, every interstate highway this east, west where it passes through public lands becomes a problem for wildlife.

00:40:48.120 –> 00:40:50.250 Jeff Hunter: If you don’t have wildlife.

00:40:52.320 –> 00:40:59.940 Jeff Hunter: factored into the design of the roadway so so we’re looking you know where we’re looking at I 40 we’re looking a little north or south.

00:41:01.020 –> 00:41:05.880 Jeff Hunter: The key is that we’re working with the agencies we’re building a community of practice right.

00:41:06.240 –> 00:41:07.770 Jeff Hunter: Here in the East, you don’t have as.

00:41:07.770 –> 00:41:16.500 Jeff Hunter: Many wildlife overpass underpass structures to see do out West, you know, because the majority of public lands in this country let’s face it, or out West.

00:41:17.070 –> 00:41:33.570 Jeff Hunter: But here in North Carolina and Tennessee we’ve got the smokies but 523 000 acres you know, surrounded by the napa Haleigh the pisco Cherokee national forests, the Blue Ridge parkway there’s an abundance of public lands and so it’s in the public’s interest right.

00:41:34.680 –> 00:41:37.230 Jeff Hunter: 14.1 million visitors to the smokies.

00:41:37.350 –> 00:41:42.690 Jeff Hunter: yeah who wants to hit a bear on your way to make a what a way to ruin a vacation right.

00:41:42.750 –> 00:41:43.140 Joseph McElroy: Real quick.

00:41:43.320 –> 00:41:44.520 Joseph McElroy: Real quick in her yeah.

00:41:44.940 –> 00:41:45.720 Jeff Hunter: Right so.

00:41:47.250 –> 00:41:49.680 Jeff Hunter: You know it’s a big picture approach we’re taking.

00:41:50.460 –> 00:42:01.560 Joseph McElroy: Well, besides, you know obvious government regulations and bureaucracy and things like that Where are you getting pushback from anything for doing this sort of thing.

00:42:02.580 –> 00:42:11.730 Jeff Hunter: You know it’s funny it’s nice to have an issue like this right, I mentioned earlier, I ran a wilderness campaign wilderness can be pretty contentious you know because.

00:42:11.940 –> 00:42:20.910 Jeff Hunter: you can’t take a mountain bike you can’t take anything motorized and wilderness can’t even take a chainsaw wilderness right, you have to clear the trails with a cross-cut saw the old-timey way.

00:42:21.960 –> 00:42:28.290 Jeff Hunter: The issue I’m working on with safe passage is is the public is just responding and great ways.

00:42:29.370 –> 00:42:43.560 Jeff Hunter: They understand the issues clearly I mean every you drive the interstate you’re going to see that there are deer dead raccoons dead foxes and coyotes it gets old right it’s like can we fix that and.

00:42:44.730 –> 00:42:51.870 Jeff Hunter: So people get excited about the idea of actually having their tax dollars spent on something that not only benefits them but benefits wildlife.

00:42:52.740 –> 00:43:04.860 Joseph McElroy: cool well, we got to take another break here when we come back we’ll talk a little bit about you know your knowledge of the area where visitors might want to come to do.

00:45:05.910 –> 00:45:12.120 Joseph McElroy: howdy it is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with a gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Jeff Hunter so.

00:45:12.540 –> 00:45:17.400 Joseph McElroy: Jeff you, you know the Appalachian trail you’ve gone the whole distance and you know you know the.

00:45:17.970 –> 00:45:33.360 Joseph McElroy: Great smoky mountain national park and the Blue Ridge parkway so I doubt there are many folks that know all these betters all these three areas, better than you so where what would you tell visited this area that are really nice places to visit what’s your favorite place.

00:45:33.930 –> 00:45:35.580 Jeff Hunter: Oh gosh there’s so many.

00:45:36.900 –> 00:45:45.330 Jeff Hunter: You know I’ve got a map of the smokies here, open up on my desk while I’m talking to you, and you know, one of my favorite places of the Blue Ridge parkway.

00:45:46.080 –> 00:45:53.520 Jeff Hunter: To hike in the smokies is that flat creek trail and that’s just a short distance from Maggie Valley it’s.

00:45:54.120 –> 00:46:12.630 Jeff Hunter: it’s a relatively easy trail of walk with big rewards, particularly in spring with songbirds and flowers that are a favorite place or you can drive up to the parkway and go north to what a rock knob which has over 6000 feet beautiful views cool weather.

00:46:14.460 –> 00:46:18.750 Jeff Hunter: You know that’s close right now, because of the season, but those are a couple of favorite places.

00:46:20.130 –> 00:46:21.330 Jeff Hunter: The Cataloochee Valley.

00:46:21.810 –> 00:46:23.310 Jeff Hunter: um which is you know.

00:46:23.370 –> 00:46:24.390 Joseph McElroy: A spectacular.

00:46:25.020 –> 00:46:40.020 Jeff Hunter: Maggie Valleys the gateway there that’s where elk reintroduced just over 20 years ago and there are historic structures there a lot of historical interpretation about the folks who live there, back in the day and.

00:46:41.100 –> 00:46:49.710 Jeff Hunter: Last time I was there I saw a couple of bears eating apples and some apple trees that and those trees are there because there were settlers there.

00:46:50.190 –> 00:46:51.570 Jeff Hunter: And one of the partners created.

00:46:53.430 –> 00:47:01.920 Joseph McElroy: Now I took my three-year-old up there, when I was, like last time now down there they just they got to see out for the first time that first big animal of any sort and they were just dumped.

00:47:03.540 –> 00:47:09.960 Joseph McElroy: old enough to know that it was something you know what I mean it’s like yeah getting their experience the wildlife early is great.

00:47:11.610 –> 00:47:18.660 Joseph McElroy: Do you have any places where a real experienced hiker needs to get you would have to go to anything like that.

00:47:18.810 –> 00:47:22.890 Jeff Hunter: Oh yeah I totally do I’m flipping the map over here.

00:47:24.660 –> 00:47:28.560 Jeff Hunter: I’ll tell you a little story, if I may.

00:47:28.830 –> 00:47:32.010 Jeff Hunter: Sure, my wife and I, Carra.

00:47:33.660 –> 00:47:41.820 Jeff Hunter: We went to the park in late December with the goal of hiking the Booger Man trail.

00:47:42.270 –> 00:47:52.680 Jeff Hunter: Boogerman trail goes through the old-growth forest this huge giant oak trees and poplar trees and all the hemlocks are dead, sadly, but lots of big trees remain.

00:47:53.250 –> 00:48:01.470 Jeff Hunter: We were going to make a loop with the Caldwell for the trail, and unfortunately there were a series of bridges out on the Caldwell for the trail.

00:48:02.280 –> 00:48:13.770 Jeff Hunter: that’s a result of the maintenance backlog with the park service and that’s an issue we work on to ensure park funding so that parking infrastructure allows for safe experiences for visitors now.

00:48:15.000 –> 00:48:24.450 Jeff Hunter: I guess we’re not your typical visitors we like that you know Alan a hairy edge sometimes, so we ended up doing all those stream crossings waiting across them in the winter.

00:48:25.920 –> 00:48:28.260 Jeff Hunter: The water was waist-deep in some places.

00:48:30.330 –> 00:48:36.990 Jeff Hunter: It was exhilarating it was in nursing, but in the end, it’s an experience will never forget.

00:48:37.590 –> 00:48:39.960 Joseph McElroy: So that the experience people don’t take your kids there.

00:48:41.760 –> 00:48:51.000 Joseph McElroy: But that’s cool well you’re also you told me a music aficionado and you live in the Asheville area whatever what are you some of your favorite music places in that area.

00:48:51.330 –> 00:48:57.210 Jeff Hunter: Well, so there’s a new place called rabbit downtown that has a lot of outdoor shows.

00:48:58.230 –> 00:48:59.010 Jeff Hunter: In Ashville.

00:49:00.120 –> 00:49:10.560 Jeff Hunter: And we have tickets to go see bony there this June and Bonnie light Horsemen that should be fun of course he had the orange peel and places like the great eagle great venues.

00:49:11.790 –> 00:49:16.230 Jeff Hunter: You know it’s really a shame, what the pandemic has done to these live music venues they’re.

00:49:17.520 –> 00:49:27.960 Jeff Hunter: Really they’re there they’re trying to keep above water, so you know as we emerged from this crisis, you know I would encourage people to support the local establishment’s local music scene.

00:49:28.590 –> 00:49:38.670 Jeff Hunter: You know here in Burnsville where I live, and Yancey County, which is about 40 minutes from Asheville we have a place called the homeplace brewery and you’ll get a kick out of this.

00:49:39.690 –> 00:49:44.160 Jeff Hunter: This spring marks the 50th anniversary of the grateful dead’s Europe 72 tour.

00:49:44.310 –> 00:49:48.990 Jeff Hunter: Oh so on may 25 of 2022.

00:49:49.590 –> 00:49:50.160 Jeff Hunter: On the air.

00:49:50.250 –> 00:50:04.080 Jeff Hunter: The MC and a host for an event at the homeplace brewery in Burnsville where we will stream the show from May 26 1972 the Lyceum in London, England, and will stream that in its entirety.

00:50:04.920 –> 00:50:11.700 Jeff Hunter: Hopefully, will you know get the dance a little bit and enjoy the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend so.

00:50:11.790 –> 00:50:15.240 Joseph McElroy: wow you’d be able to give some commentary about what you remember.

00:50:15.810 –> 00:50:19.680 Jeff Hunter: Well, you know at the time I was 11 right my show is was 78.

00:50:19.740 –> 00:50:30.510 Jeff Hunter: So, but that’s my favorite period of music the beauty, is that folks back in the day recorded the show, so these recordings for man are artifacts.

00:50:32.310 –> 00:50:37.770 Jeff Hunter: And they’re out in the public domain it’s you know it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

00:50:38.160 –> 00:50:43.200 Joseph McElroy: Did you see that documentary of the Beatles that last concert that just recently came out.

00:50:43.590 –> 00:50:52.650 Jeff Hunter: I haven’t known, and you mentioned Frances who you had on your podcast recently she and I were corresponding over the weekend and she asked if the car and I had seen that yet.

00:50:52.950 –> 00:50:57.870 Jeff Hunter: She and her husband had just seen it so it’s on the yes pile, but we will get there.

00:50:58.440 –> 00:51:02.010 Joseph McElroy: yeah I got so many on my got to see pile it’s like yeah.

00:51:03.090 –> 00:51:16.680 Joseph McElroy: there’s too much content these days and I’m a content producer so it’s always an adventure so what’s the website people can go to to find out more information about wildlife past the wildlife passages.

00:51:16.860 –> 00:51:27.690 Jeff Hunter: sure that the address is smokies safe passage and that’s Smokiessafepassage.Org

00:51:29.190 –> 00:51:38.580 Jeff Hunter: And you know, there are six nonprofit organizations that have come together, specifically to create that website and push information out to the public.

00:51:39.240 –> 00:51:44.850 Joseph McElroy: cool and if they want to follow you is do you have any place for them to come follow you.

00:51:45.690 –> 00:52:00.960 Jeff Hunter: I, the only place I’m at other than here and Burnsville are LinkedIn, believe it or not, you know, I was an early adopter to that networking platform and that’s really it’s actually helped in my work and building the efforts.

00:52:02.280 –> 00:52:04.290 Jeff Hunter: To protect places like the smokies so.

00:52:04.590 –> 00:52:09.780 Joseph McElroy: I noticed that to find you those Jeffrey H you don’t have your last name up there yeah.

00:52:09.840 –> 00:52:12.330 Jeff Hunter: I think that’s the privacy setting you just have to.

00:52:12.720 –> 00:52:13.170 Jeff Hunter: Really.

00:52:13.230 –> 00:52:15.090 Jeff Hunter: Unless you’re connected to me you can’t see the last name.

00:52:15.180 –> 00:52:21.660 Joseph McElroy: Well, to try and find somebody is trying to search for you right you try to search for the different hunter and you will find you.

00:52:22.590 –> 00:52:23.790 Jeff Hunter: I think they’ll find, I think.

00:52:24.960 –> 00:52:34.560 Joseph McElroy: I was just trying to do that earlier and I couldn’t I had to do it, I had actually gone Jeffrey and then your position and you’re an organization that’s I found.

00:52:34.710 –> 00:52:41.040 Jeff Hunter: yeah listen to people who want to reach out here’s my email is [email protected]

00:52:41.460 –> 00:52:43.560 Jeff Hunter: And I love a conversation over coffee.

00:52:43.560 –> 00:52:45.030 Jeff Hunter: Virtual or otherwise.

00:52:45.540 –> 00:52:54.750 Joseph McElroy: Well cool I appreciate when I come down here, you should come out to Meadowlark and see what we’re doing there and hang out and have a car, I have, I have something the speakeasy we’re doing some music now too so.

00:52:55.410 –> 00:52:58.050 Jeff Hunter: I’ll do that, you can rest assured.

00:52:58.470 –> 00:53:09.510 Joseph McElroy: All right, that’d be cool I’d like to hang out appreciate you being on this podcast it’s been enlightening I think you’re doing is a fantastic thing and I love the grateful dead connection.

00:53:12.270 –> 00:53:13.410 Joseph McElroy: Of the small world isn’t it.

00:53:13.410 –> 00:53:15.270 Joseph McElroy: Oh, to do a dead, have you ever been to burning man.

00:53:16.320 –> 00:53:16.770 Jeff Hunter: You know.

00:53:17.490 –> 00:53:31.260 Jeff Hunter: I’ll just throw this and I actually teach classes on the grateful dead at UNC Asheville it’s a volunteer effort, I just through the pandemic I’ve been doing it virtually to bring people together and build community and that’s what I do is build Community I try anyway.

00:53:31.770 –> 00:53:44.610 Joseph McElroy: So cool alright so again, thank you very much, so this podcast is on the talk radio dot NYC network, which is a network of the live podcasts.

00:53:45.720 –> 00:53:52.620 Joseph McElroy: ranging from small business help to self-help to travel shows to you know to.

00:53:53.760 –> 00:54:01.830 Joseph McElroy: Health shows alternative wellness and I think it’s a very interesting network, you should go to talkradio.NYC and look at all the shows and.

00:54:02.130 –> 00:54:11.130 Joseph McElroy: Follow someone can listen to them live, I also have another podcast on Fridays at noon it’s called wise content creates wealth, which focuses in.

00:54:11.580 –> 00:54:22.650 Joseph McElroy: On using content to build your opportunities, whether it’s you’re looking for a profit of monetary sense or building a community is fun getting followers is just giving a cause known.

00:54:23.520 –> 00:54:41.670 Joseph McElroy: You know, you can find out more about that, on my podcast this podcast at the gateway to the smokies and you can find out more about it it’s smokiesadventure.com there is a link at the top, for the gateway to smoking’s podcast you can see all the previous podcast.

00:54:42.930 –> 00:54:50.970 Joseph McElroy: And, and the newsletter that you can sign up to you can also go to talk radio dot nyc to their shows section and click there and find out more about the shows.

00:54:51.780 –> 00:55:01.410 Joseph McElroy: We also have a Facebook page where it streamed live its facebook.com/gateway tothesmokiespodcast where you will definitely.

00:55:03.060 –> 00:55:06.000 Joseph McElroy: see more and more about us.

00:55:07.290 –> 00:55:12.990 Joseph McElroy: it’s been a really great pleasure to have you again, and I want everybody to go to that safe.

00:55:14.070 –> 00:55:30.480 Joseph McElroy: passages website that he mentioned and donate I notice there’s a donate button there, and so we should all go in a little, because what is happening is very important, and I think that we should be part of it looks like you got a great section on getting involved too.

00:55:30.870 –> 00:55:32.730 Joseph McElroy: Really for newsletter take a.

00:55:32.730 –> 00:55:38.460 Joseph McElroy: pledge education and even though, about what upcoming events you have that grateful dead there when I hope so.

00:55:40.290 –> 00:55:44.070 Joseph McElroy: Anyway, see you guys next week it’s been a pleasure bye.

We are joined by our special guest, Darren Nicholson, an Award-winning Charter Member of the Legendary Contemporary Bluegrass Group, Balsam Range, and fronts his own Darren Nicholson Band on side projects, while also doing solo gigs and multiple collaborative efforts with other musicians-- including duo concerts with his wife Jennifer.

We had him on the show last season and even repeated it once last year due to its popularity, so we invited him again this year, especially since he has a new project that has just been released-“Man on a Mission.”

Darren Nicholson is a gifted singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. You will learn from him some of his original American music from the mountains of Western North Carolina. He also discusses with us his newly released project " Man on a Mission."

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Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Joining us again on this second season of Gateway to the Smokies is Darren Nicholson. Before speaking with Nicholson, Joseph talks about his sponsor for today’s show which is his own Meadowlark Motel and Smokiesadventure.com, focusing on outdoor life in the Smoky Mountains. He also goes into special events happening at the motel such as activities like fly fishing. He then introduces Nicholson, who is a member of the legendary contemporary bluegrass group, Balsam Range, and fronts his own Darren Nicholson Band on side projects, while also doing solo gigs and multiple collaborative efforts with other musicians. Nicholson talks about dealing with the pandemic and getting back to songwriting going into 2021 when he wasn’t performing live. Joseph recalls when Nicholson helped out last year in Haywood County when there was a big flood. He along with Balsam Range did a concert to bring the community together during the relief efforts. Nicholson also talks about the Balsam Range Art of Music Festival.

Joseph and Nicholson discussed their collaboration last year to create the Darren Nicholson All-Star Bluegrass Band Camp. Nicholson talks about wanting to do this to pass down and share the Mountain music and keep the culture strong with others who are passionate about music and want to play. He describes it as a communal experience inspiring and engaging with others. Nicholson also mentions some artists in his lineup for his music festival and how special it was to have them in. They talk about his recent past performances at the motel and Haywood County and more about bluegrass music. Nicholson also talks to Joseph about being more of a mentor now being almost a veteran in the bluegrass industry. He talks about one of his own mentors, Steve Sutton, and the invaluable time he spent with him and how he has helped him over time in maturing and becoming the man he is today.

Joseph talks with Darren about his new album called “Man on a Mission.” Darren talks about some of the music on the album sounding edgy to even some having a bluegrass sound as well as rock n roll. This he says is his fourth solo project which is on the Mountain Home label. Darren mentions writing about himself and his experiences. He says he likes to write songs that tell stories, not paint pictures. He says that there's something about bluegrass and country music that is so authentic and connects people together. Joseph says that his favorite song for the album is called “All Night Long.” he says that it relates to old Appalachian music. Darren talks about the feeling of loss and lonesome which was one of the emotions that he wanted to get out of this song.

Joseph and Darren talk about Charles Humphrey who was a co-writer on his EP. You can go to darrennicholson.net to check out more of Darren’s music and merchandise. His new album can be downloaded on many streaming platforms like Itunes. Some Of his merchandise are stickers. Being someone who is an old-school wrestling fan, they joke about some of the humor like putting his face on Ric Flair’s body. He also talks about Balsam Range going into their 15th year together as well as making a Vinyl record. Darren also mentions that later this year he’ll be releasing a gospel album called “Songs of Hope and Inspiration.” Darren is also working with a bluegrass band called The No Joke Jimmys, from Nashville. There are a lot of fun shows he will be a part of this year. Darren also discusses always wanting to reinvent himself with his music. Joseph thanks Darren for coming on for today’s episode and Darren thanks him as well for a great conversation and for being a part of keeping the culture strong in North Carolina.

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00:03:01.980 –> 00:03:06.630 Joseph McElroy: Today, thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the smokies.

00:03:07.140 –> 00:03:08.820 Joseph McElroy: This is the second season.

00:03:09.120 –> 00:03:19.440 Joseph McElroy: Of this podcast focuses on the life, culture, and tourism of America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains national park, and the surrounding towns.

00:03:19.920 –> 00:03:29.520 Joseph McElroy: these areas are filled with ancient natural beauty a deep storied history and stunning adventures, and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly events or

00:03:30.420 –> 00:03:43.560 Joseph McElroy: episodes I’m Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also a deep roots in these mountains my family’s lived in the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture.

00:03:44.460 –> 00:03:50.040 Joseph McElroy: today’s podcast we’re talking about original Americana music coming from Western North Carolina.

00:03:51.090 –> 00:03:55.080 Joseph McElroy: First let’s talk about our sponsors, which happens to be me in this case.

00:03:57.780 –> 00:04:11.850 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past, it modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel a country in amenities, a place for adventure and for relaxation.

00:04:12.360 –> 00:04:23.580 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by a fine wine and craft beers.

00:04:24.030 –> 00:04:37.740 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of old-time music and world cultural sound imagine a place with mountain heritage, food, and an underground speakeasy where music kind of source play and listen to really great tracks.

00:04:38.370 –> 00:04:45.690 Joseph McElroy: There is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:04:47.760 –> 00:04:58.050 Joseph McElroy: Also, sponsoring us as smokies adventure.com smokies, smokies is plural, adventure is singular.com it’s got information and listings about the smokies it’s a.

00:04:58.410 –> 00:05:12.720 Joseph McElroy: Big directory and also has a lot of articles about the going and enjoying the smokies focuses on outdoor life like hiking camping and family adventures and outdoor recreation also gets into.

00:05:13.260 –> 00:05:24.780 Joseph McElroy: where you can have outdoor weddings and then find out information on lodging and cabins and conventions of honeymoons and more it’s it’s going to become the leading information portal just smoking out.

00:05:26.160 –> 00:05:33.300 Joseph McElroy: Now there’s a couple of events coming up at the Meadowlark I wanted to mention on February 26 at 4 pm we

00:05:33.900 –> 00:05:39.960 Joseph McElroy: were going to launch the Meadowlark smoky mountain heritage Center six-part heritage book series.

00:05:40.560 –> 00:05:50.910 Joseph McElroy: With award-winning author and general manager of the meadowlark smoky mountain heritage Center Bob Plott, the first book will be talked about what we strike and stay the story the Plot Hound

00:05:51.900 –> 00:06:00.210 Joseph McElroy: recognize now is one of the premier hunting dogs in America, the Plott bear, how does unique among honey dog breeds because it descends from Germanic stock.

00:06:00.720 –> 00:06:11.490 Joseph McElroy: Rather than the traditional English box, the breed story began when its original breeder Joe hands Plott and his brother Enoch left Germany in 1750 with their price, how many dogs.

00:06:11.910 –> 00:06:24.840 Joseph McElroy: And the trip across the Atlantic to give a 200-year journey that would culminate in the North Carolina mountains, with the development of what is now arguably the world’s finest breed of hunting dog.

00:06:25.500 –> 00:06:36.390 Joseph McElroy: And it’s now the state dog of North Carolina so the program well will be about that book and have wonderful stories that Bob is a great storyteller.

00:06:36.660 –> 00:06:42.720 Joseph McElroy: And it will be followed by a Barbecue dinner around six culminating in live acoustic music with Mike Ogletree

00:06:43.170 –> 00:06:55.170 Joseph McElroy: Former drummer with the super band simple minds and some of his friends, all this is free for Motel guests and $10 for visitors call eight to 8289261717 and reserve your spot.

00:06:56.160 –> 00:07:02.250 Joseph McElroy: And then I want to mention far ahead and April on the 15th and 16th we’re gonna have a fly fishing camp.

00:07:02.790 –> 00:07:13.050 Joseph McElroy: it’s a there’s going to be high trout guides limited it’s and owned by world-class fishermen named Dan Sastre who’s a 15 year veteran of the fly fishing industry.

00:07:13.410 –> 00:07:21.630 Joseph McElroy: and staff, including Charles Humphrey III a Grammy award-winning songwriter and long-time fly fishing expert.

00:07:22.050 –> 00:07:27.150 Joseph McElroy: There will be an instructor for every two students with a maximum of 20 students.

00:07:27.630 –> 00:07:41.820 Joseph McElroy: The price is $875 per student and includes and it will be in the instruction, but two nights of lodging free breakfast Saturday and Sunday free Barbecue dinner Saturday night two free beverages of your choice at the speakeasy on Friday night.

00:07:42.330 –> 00:07:48.840 Joseph McElroy: one half of the day, on Saturday, will be instruction on in the morning on Saturday and then you’re going to go out with the instructors.

00:07:49.470 –> 00:08:01.680 Joseph McElroy: For four hours of intense fishing on various elite streams around Haywood County and then it will be able to come back to have some Barbecue and entertainment on the Motel on Saturday evening.

00:08:03.000 –> 00:08:19.110 Joseph McElroy: And then we have a mountain heritage for stream right in the backyard and mountain meadowlark where you, you can practice your trout stream experience fishing experience and learn a few things on your own call eight to 8289261717 to book your experience.

00:08:20.850 –> 00:08:34.770 Joseph McElroy: Now, as I mentioned, we will be talking about original new Americana music in Western North Carolina day, and in my research, I found a brief cold call poem called smoky mountain woman by Mary Lou Iweaka.

00:08:35.820 –> 00:08:49.860 Joseph McElroy: smoky mountain woman herself of Cherokee and Scotch Irish descent so often I think ballads and songs of Appalachia focus on a woman from a man’s point of view, so I thought I would just read this as an acknowledgment.

00:08:50.970 –> 00:08:59.010 Joseph McElroy: I rise in silence steadfast in the elements with thought a smoke movil drown drawn around me.

00:08:59.700 –> 00:09:11.130 Joseph McElroy: seasons clothed me and Laurel and bittersweet in ice, but my art part is constant fire scars and Torrance a road my shape.

00:09:11.700 –> 00:09:40.530 Joseph McElroy: But strength wells within me to bear new life and sustain what lives already four streams of wit relieve my heavy mind smoothing boulders cast up raw edge and the raven’s lonesome cry reminds me that the soul is is, as it has ever been time cannot support my stubborn thrust toward heaven.

00:09:42.720 –> 00:09:43.800 Joseph McElroy: I think that a man can.

00:09:45.510 –> 00:09:50.310 Joseph McElroy: Understand that who’s actually I think written some songs that talk about that.

00:09:50.700 –> 00:09:57.720 Joseph McElroy: Is Darren Nicholson he an award-winning charter member of the legendary contemporary bluegrass group balsam range.

00:09:58.080 –> 00:10:08.430 Joseph McElroy: And they also front his own Darren Nicholson band man on many side projects, I also did, while also doing solo gigs and multiple collaborative efforts with other musicians.

00:10:08.820 –> 00:10:29.280 Joseph McElroy: Including duo concerts with his wife Jennifer a gifted songwriter singer and instrumentalists Darren’s new solo project is a man on a mission which captures a wide range of his talents, as he focuses on the various variety of electric and acoustic American economy music. Hello Darren

00:10:29.790 –> 00:10:31.560 Darren N: I think, but glad to be here.

00:10:32.400 –> 00:10:39.540 Joseph McElroy: I’m glad you’re back it’s a really appreciate you coming back, we had you on our show last season.

00:10:40.590 –> 00:10:48.060 Joseph McElroy: Then we even repeated at once, because you were so popular you were by far the biggest listen to episode.

00:10:49.140 –> 00:10:49.800 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:10:50.850 –> 00:10:53.340 Darren N: I remember, they must have been desperate during the pandemic.

00:10:53.670 –> 00:10:53.970 Joseph McElroy: I know.

00:10:54.000 –> 00:10:57.720 Joseph McElroy: must have been desperate desperation maybe it’s just my stellar questioning.

00:11:00.750 –> 00:11:17.520 Joseph McElroy: But you have a new album which we’ll talk about a little bit, but tell me, we met, we talked in the middle of 2021 and you were just getting back to starting to do some live tour this 2020 was a pretty horrible year, what was the highlights of 2021 for you.

00:11:22.170 –> 00:11:24.570 Darren N: I tell you what there were a lot of great highlights for.

00:11:26.250 –> 00:11:32.010 Darren N: Well 2020 and 2021 you know I tried to keep a good attitude to the whole thing I think that’s important.

00:11:32.790 –> 00:11:38.760 Darren N: You know, when you can’t change the things around you you can’t change your attitude and so.

00:11:39.450 –> 00:11:51.540 Darren N: That helped me through the pandemic, but in 21 and even the year before I really dove into songwriting because I wasn’t touring I wasn’t playing live shows, I really.

00:11:52.230 –> 00:12:01.590 Darren N: dug my heels into the songwriting aspect and recording so I’ve got I’m sitting on a pile of recordings right now that that is going to be coming out in the next year and a half that.

00:12:02.280 –> 00:12:06.930 Darren N: That are just sitting on the shelf there’s going to be a bunch of new music released in the next year and.

00:12:08.250 –> 00:12:16.350 Darren N: Just lit a fire in me to create and now I get to go out and play live shows as well, so it’s an exciting time for my musical.

00:12:17.640 –> 00:12:18.450 Darren N: creativity.

00:12:18.990 –> 00:12:27.780 Joseph McElroy: yeah it looks like you guys that balsam range you launched a new album and September what was called moxie and metal and that was, I think, received pretty well right.

00:12:28.140 –> 00:12:34.320 Darren N: Oh yeah yeah we had four number one songs off of it, one was number one for six weeks.

00:12:35.400 –> 00:12:39.060 Darren N: And it’s been a good record for us.

00:12:39.420 –> 00:12:41.850 Joseph McElroy: Santa Barbara That was the one that was like four weeks.

00:12:42.240 –> 00:12:43.770 Darren N: I think it was richest man.

00:12:43.860 –> 00:12:44.730 Joseph McElroy: richest man.

00:12:47.190 –> 00:12:48.630 Darren N: Barbara was number one.

00:12:50.160 –> 00:12:53.070 Darren N: Rivers and rains runaway trains and.

00:12:55.620 –> 00:12:59.370 Darren N: Trends think there was maybe possibly grit and grace.

00:12:59.940 –> 00:13:02.910 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool well i’m.

00:13:03.060 –> 00:13:04.020 Darren N: dying time anyway.

00:13:04.320 –> 00:13:09.000 Joseph McElroy: So you didn’t get to start doing some touring there so I think like you said that was really good.

00:13:09.690 –> 00:13:22.620 Joseph McElroy: yeah but you know one thing that stuck out to me, and I remember reading about it and reminded about it when we’re here is you guys really stepped up when the Haywood county had a big flood last year and.

00:13:23.280 –> 00:13:29.580 Joseph McElroy: yeah and you, you guys jumped right in and did some relief work for the victims and you did a concert right.

00:13:30.330 –> 00:13:41.490 Darren N: But we did in August of last year, there was a major catastrophe here and haywood county major flooding several people lost their lives and.

00:13:41.970 –> 00:13:57.960 Darren N: Hundreds of people were displaced lost their homes lost everything and it was a and you know balsam range was a part of that, but it was just a chance for the community to come together a lot of people in this Community worked really hard and that’s what you do.

00:13:59.190 –> 00:14:12.810 Darren N: You there there’s so much divisive missing and things in our country now where it’s there’s so many polarizing issues and when something like it, unfortunately, it takes something like.

00:14:13.260 –> 00:14:24.390 Darren N: 911 or a major catastrophe, whether it’s on a major you know, a national scale or in your community to realize hey we’re.

00:14:25.830 –> 00:14:33.810 Darren N: we’re kind of in this together we’re still human beings, and we have to help each other and love each other and we got to be there to support each other and.

00:14:34.680 –> 00:14:51.000 Darren N: And that’s what people did, and it got our mind off the riffraff and the fray for a few minutes, and we all dug in and really helped and then a couple of months later, we went right back to crapping on each other on Instagram Twitter as we did.

00:14:54.150 –> 00:14:55.350 Darren N: Like we did it that’s all we do.

00:14:57.840 –> 00:14:58.740 Joseph McElroy: More yeah.

00:14:59.610 –> 00:14:59.850 Darren N: But.

00:14:59.880 –> 00:15:03.870 Darren N: But it was good, it was good to see the Community pulled together and.

00:15:03.870 –> 00:15:06.420 Darren N: We have we were part of that same way so.

00:15:06.660 –> 00:15:13.920 Joseph McElroy: You guys actually do a number of concerts even though you’re like a big band number ones, all that stuff you do you actually do I think.

00:15:16.710 –> 00:15:23.190 Joseph McElroy: More than a surprising amount of concerts in Haywood County right you got your own balsam range festival right.

00:15:24.060 –> 00:15:40.860 Darren N: Here we usually do to concerts a year in Haywood County has balsam range both of those are like Junalaska the auditorium and that’s probably the biggest venue there and the art of music festival that’s in December, the first weekend of December.

00:15:41.910 –> 00:15:52.800 Darren N: And we did that, for a couple of reasons, one economically that was the slowest weekend on record every year in Haywood County so we wanted to do something to bring folks into the show.

00:15:53.910 –> 00:16:01.470 Darren N: All these people were we travel all over the country we tell them about Western North Carolina balsam range, which is the mountain range here and Haywood County.

00:16:02.010 –> 00:16:11.310 Darren N: And we invite them to our home and they get to come and December, and it does something to stimulate the economy here, and it also is a chance for us to

00:16:11.760 –> 00:16:24.540 Darren N: showcase mute bring music that we find out on the road and show off to our home folks that they wouldn’t ever get to see and Haywood county and we get to bring folks in and show off our home county and so.

00:16:25.860 –> 00:16:32.940 Darren N: it’s just it’s been growing we started it as we’re in the fourth or fifth year now doing it exciting.

00:16:33.720 –> 00:16:36.420 Joseph McElroy: exciting it’s a big it’s a pretty big thing and that’s.

00:16:37.290 –> 00:16:43.140 Joseph McElroy: You and the other one is your own is that the balsam range festival, is that the way to Junaluska art festival.

00:16:44.250 –> 00:16:50.910 Darren N: it’s the same thing it’s it’s like General it’s like Junalaska but it’s called the balsam range art of music festival.

00:16:50.970 –> 00:16:52.080 Joseph McElroy: I see okay.

00:16:52.620 –> 00:16:58.260 Darren N: Because we didn’t call it a bluegrass festival because it’s not just bluegrass.

00:16:58.590 –> 00:17:02.970 Darren N: We did an album with the Atlanta POPs orchestra, and so we do a set of music.

00:17:04.140 –> 00:17:16.740 Darren N: that’s balsam range with the orchestra, but you know we have everything from rock and roll to country to do it’s too old-time ragtime blues, and so it really is music, which is what we love.

00:17:17.070 –> 00:17:29.520 Joseph McElroy: You know Bob Plott loves that you know I mentioned him as a GM of the Meadowlark and he wanted to make sure that I put in a pitch to say hey you know you do some openings prior to that we can we come in the Meadowlark

00:17:31.890 –> 00:17:32.460 Joseph McElroy: I.

00:17:32.490 –> 00:17:37.470 Darren N: we’re open to anything we want to we’ve tried to get Haywood County involved and incorporate.

00:17:38.520 –> 00:17:43.410 Darren N: Different venues and places throughout the year so we’re always open for new ideas.

00:17:43.650 –> 00:17:46.170 Joseph McElroy: Alright sounds good, well, we got to take a break.

00:17:48.600 –> 00:17:55.470 Joseph McElroy: Now, and we’ll come back we’ll talk about a little bit more about some stuff we’ve done ago, like the bluegrass band camp and then we’ll get into how.

00:20:11.430 –> 00:20:20.970 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Darren Nicholson, so there last year last summer.

00:20:22.020 –> 00:20:29.670 Joseph McElroy: We collaborated actually on presenting a band camp, the Darren Nicholson all-star bluegrass band camp.

00:20:30.270 –> 00:20:43.740 Joseph McElroy: And it was holding them in Meadowlark and I thought you know, for the first year we were doing anything with the mountain the smoky mountain heritage Center I think it was the most successful event, I think it was successful for being the first one.

00:20:44.940 –> 00:20:53.250 Joseph McElroy: And you know, I was, I was pleased now I wasn’t very heavily involved in creating that or whatever Bob and you, I think, discussing how did that come about.

00:20:54.210 –> 00:21:08.640 Darren N: Well, I think it was Bob’s idea, he approached me about doing something like that, at the Meadowlark and I said yeah I think that’d be a great idea I’m always for bringing new artists to Haywood County and I’m all always.

00:21:09.960 –> 00:21:22.380 Darren N: Looking to anything to promote mountain music, especially if it’s a band camp where folks are coming who are interested in music and doing workshops and camps, who are interested in playing because that is.

00:21:23.370 –> 00:21:29.940 Darren N: A big part of the fabric of Western North Carolina and and and mountain music is passing it down passing it on.

00:21:30.420 –> 00:21:39.060 Darren N: Like in my family, it was a family thing from generation to generation, but it was also a Community thing and that music was shared and.

00:21:39.570 –> 00:21:50.850 Darren N: that’s how the music got around you know it left Kentucky East Tennessee and Western North Carolina and bluegrass is all over the world, now, you know there’s bluegrass.

00:21:51.270 –> 00:22:01.740 Darren N: association in Switzerland there’s a bluegrass association in Europe and Australia I’ve played bluegrass there’s a fest there are festivals in Australia and.

00:22:02.370 –> 00:22:09.120 Darren N: I know, in the 50s and 60s my dad left Western North Carolina and these.

00:22:09.870 –> 00:22:20.070 Darren N: mountain people they went a lot of them went out West to the Seattle area to be a part of the login boom and they were part of the logging industry, just like.

00:22:20.490 –> 00:22:27.780 Darren N: folks in Tennessee and Virginia went north to work in the auto industry near Detroit and Ohio.

00:22:28.560 –> 00:22:34.800 Darren N: They went out west to log and they took the music with them and now there are bluegrass festivals and old-time music.

00:22:35.220 –> 00:22:46.320 Darren N: all over the place in Barrington Washington and Seattle there’s winter grass winter hog there’s all this bluegrass out there, so much that years ago they used to have a festival and say I will call the tar heel picnic.

00:22:47.520 –> 00:23:02.730 Darren N: It all comes from that spirit of sharing this music and sharing this culture right so anytime somebody has an idea to do something like that which I know Bob’s a big fan of that stuff and when y’all offered I’m on board with anything like that.

00:23:03.120 –> 00:23:12.390 Joseph McElroy: I remember seeing a young guy young boy, there was this guitar sitting the audience and then you go for, but he was like ecstatic right.

00:23:13.020 –> 00:23:14.070 Darren N: And then he still.

00:23:14.070 –> 00:23:16.740 Joseph McElroy: playing a really you know in.

00:23:16.770 –> 00:23:26.550 Darren N: Those kind of thing I remember as a player when players that I looked up to or older players encouraged me and said hey come on people with us and.

00:23:27.090 –> 00:23:34.260 Darren N: And and it’s such a Community thing music is one of the things that really brings people together and.

00:23:35.070 –> 00:23:44.010 Darren N: It is a communal experience and that young man is now I’ll let him borrow mandolin that I’ve got and he’s playing the mandolin he’s playing the.

00:23:44.910 –> 00:23:54.330 Darren N: guitar he’s doing less than several times a week and he’s becoming quite a musician and I’m really he’s named Henry and I’m really proud of him and.

00:23:55.110 –> 00:23:55.830 Darren N: But that’s.

00:23:56.370 –> 00:23:58.710 Darren N: that’s the lifeblood of this music.

00:23:59.610 –> 00:24:09.420 Joseph McElroy: wow that’s amazing you know that’s that is you’re getting younger generations to become totally enthralled with it and embrace it as a way it lives on.

00:24:09.990 –> 00:24:21.360 Joseph McElroy: forever I’m really glad of that and what small part I might have helped you know it makes me feel good that we did that now, you had an incredible all-star lineup including ADI Blaylock all right.

00:24:22.290 –> 00:24:27.660 Joseph McElroy: Can you tell me I can’t tell us about the people you lined up for that, and what they’re known for.

00:24:28.410 –> 00:24:35.670 Darren N: yeah already blade lock is a professional touring bluegrass musician he makes his home in Indiana but.

00:24:36.780 –> 00:24:44.040 Darren N: He started as a teenager with one of the legends of bluegrass Mr. Jimmy Martin Mr good and country.

00:24:52.110 –> 00:25:01.140 Darren N: And so, he went to school with and learned traditional bluegrass from probably the best teacher there was and.

00:25:02.220 –> 00:25:05.790 Darren N: And so already I’ve always loved his singing and he’s got this amazing.

00:25:06.840 –> 00:25:16.080 Darren N: voice, he can switch from lead to tanner just flawlessly he was born to sing bluegrass and country music and and and so.

00:25:16.920 –> 00:25:25.560 Darren N: far he doesn’t get to play in western North Carolina whole lot and for us to be able to bring him down here was a with a great big tree because he’s got a lot of fans, but he.

00:25:27.060 –> 00:25:38.520 Darren N: He was on the list of bass players was read Jones he tours with Ali and I knew they would they’re so used to playing in together the rhythm section very important in bluegrass so the.

00:25:38.520 –> 00:25:39.690 Darren N: bass guitar where.

00:25:40.140 –> 00:25:49.470 Darren N: I wanted that to be locked in and the fellow who played banjo is an award-winning banjo player from up in Wilkes Barre North Carolina name Eric Ellis.

00:25:49.890 –> 00:26:02.280 Darren N: And Eric’s a legendary banjo player he never traveled much he’s gone out and he did professional recordings and travel some but Eric was one of those guys that.

00:26:03.030 –> 00:26:21.900 Darren N: He was smart enough to get a job with the state of North Carolina and play bluegrass on the weekends and we live in an area it blows people’s minds that they’re guys that that work at the post office that play bluegrass at a higher level than most people in Ashville.

00:26:22.020 –> 00:26:23.040 Darren N: Right, no, I mean.

00:26:23.610 –> 00:26:33.690 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah I mean I think bluegrass is like you know they say poets usually can’t make a living and they have big jobs, I think it was the same thing for bluegrass right.

00:26:34.650 –> 00:26:38.700 Joseph McElroy: It can make poetry with the music, but a lot of times they have big jobs.

00:26:39.570 –> 00:26:40.530 Darren N: Exactly but.

00:26:40.860 –> 00:26:54.210 Darren N: It was fun, it was a fun time and On another note, audio is coming back in at the end of March 1 of April to do a couple of shows in Asheville and Haywood county with me so that’s all.

00:26:54.990 –> 00:26:56.700 Joseph McElroy: The haters your wife.

00:26:57.870 –> 00:26:59.700 Darren N: yeah well it’s his first cousin.

00:27:00.120 –> 00:27:10.080 Darren N: Oh really years ago I’d filled in with him at IBMA, he was in Nashville at the time, the international bluegrass music awards association and.

00:27:11.550 –> 00:27:24.720 Darren N: And he called me and I went and did a road date with him a couple of months later in Michigan and he said we’re playing it his cousin school and we went up there and, in my mind, I thought his cousin.

00:27:25.890 –> 00:27:30.390 Darren N: I don’t know why I had this in my head, because he didn’t say either way, but I thought his cousin was a guy.

00:27:31.110 –> 00:27:41.700 Darren N: And we went he’s we’re walking up to her apartment he said we’re going to go see my cousin was the night before we played the show the next day we’re walking up there, and he said hey my cousin’s pretty good looking.

00:27:44.130 –> 00:27:48.750 Darren N: And I realized what was going on and We walked through the door and man, she was.

00:27:50.520 –> 00:27:52.590 Darren N: And that’s how we met and.

00:27:54.150 –> 00:27:55.080 Darren N: next thing you know.

00:27:55.440 –> 00:27:56.520 Joseph McElroy: You play music together.

00:27:57.750 –> 00:27:58.170 Darren N: together.

00:27:59.040 –> 00:28:10.440 Joseph McElroy: that’s fabulous well I, you know that was, I want to say that that you that bluegrass man, which you sort of put together for this was a fabulous I mean that was the hard drive and.

00:28:11.970 –> 00:28:20.760 Joseph McElroy: That was real you guys play for hours, I mean it wasn’t just an hour concert you play for a long time you just seem like you’re having a blast right.

00:28:21.240 –> 00:28:35.310 Darren N: That was like getting the that was like getting a full dose of medicine, it was the straight shot to the arm of full unadulterated in your face.

00:28:36.960 –> 00:28:49.920 Darren N: adrenaline bluegrass like high octane bluegrass not just there’s within bluegrass there are 50 different styles, but that is like intense.

00:28:50.400 –> 00:29:03.210 Darren N: You got to bring your a game it’s not for the faint of heart bluegrass and in it, it puts it keeps me on my toes it’s at the top of what I can do musically and it challenges me and that’s why I like playing with him.

00:29:03.750 –> 00:29:07.890 Joseph McElroy: And the audience is there because it’s bluegrass they were just they were really into.

00:29:08.370 –> 00:29:12.300 Darren N: They don’t get to hear music like that it’s like a punk rock it’s that intensity.

00:29:12.450 –> 00:29:12.900 Joseph McElroy: And like.

00:29:13.830 –> 00:29:19.830 Darren N: A lot of bluegrass doesn’t sound like that and it’s as mark says it’s like getting hit in the face with a wet squirrel.

00:29:22.230 –> 00:29:25.050 Joseph McElroy: Well I’m hoping that we can do another one you think we can.

00:29:25.620 –> 00:29:29.340 Darren N: we’d love to yeah the guys, they said they’d love to come back anytime so.

00:29:29.490 –> 00:29:33.570 Joseph McElroy: Well, I think it’s Bob’s putting it on the schedule and working it out because I think it’d be.

00:29:33.570 –> 00:29:47.490 Joseph McElroy: Great of the fact you know, we want to do things where there are more camp things for not only adults or kids too and yeah now it’s where we’re you know we’re looking at some others as well.

00:29:48.840 –> 00:29:53.280 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know you have you’ve been having you actually had an opportunity.

00:29:54.480 –> 00:30:04.590 Joseph McElroy: To mentor and teach those guests about the music and songwriting on an afternoon is that something you enjoy doing is mentoring, the mentor quite often.

00:30:05.850 –> 00:30:18.630 Darren N: We get when people ask you know you know I, I would like to say that you know I’ve had some influence on you know some folks but.

00:30:19.110 –> 00:30:27.450 Darren N: I’ve always you know I’m the youngest one in the band I’ve always kind of been the one that’s been mentors but I’m starting to get to that point in my career where.

00:30:29.070 –> 00:30:33.450 Darren N: I’m getting some age on me, you know my hair’s falling out my beards turning Gray and.

00:30:34.890 –> 00:30:36.120 Darren N: I actually did a gig.

00:30:37.980 –> 00:30:47.010 Darren N: a few weeks ago over in Tennessee and I got there and I played with a young guy i’d never met before his name was John and he’s like what.

00:30:47.730 –> 00:30:59.100 Darren N: I was like hey I’m there and Nice to meet you and he goes what’s your last name and I said Nicholson and he said oh my God I love your me he goes I’ve listened to you since I was a little kid.

00:31:00.870 –> 00:31:01.290 Darren N: honor.

00:31:02.280 –> 00:31:02.580 And that’s.

00:31:05.850 –> 00:31:08.100 Darren N: talk to me the rest of that but.

00:31:09.720 –> 00:31:11.910 Joseph McElroy: Your third year 38 right now you’re still.

00:31:13.470 –> 00:31:15.090 Darren N: he’s 20 you know he’s 20.

00:31:15.780 –> 00:31:16.080 well.

00:31:17.220 –> 00:31:18.090 Joseph McElroy: Your toddler.

00:31:19.710 –> 00:31:22.800 Darren N: yeah he was he was super nice but.

00:31:23.970 –> 00:31:29.010 Darren N: yeah I’m starting to become the older generation of bluegrass and maybe.

00:31:30.060 –> 00:31:34.020 Darren N: Maybe I can mentor some folks I’ve been more of the tour mentor.

00:31:35.370 –> 00:31:35.610 Darren N: and

00:31:38.850 –> 00:31:44.070 Joseph McElroy: Well you’ve had you said, your boss ranger been mentor you had a great mentor and Steve Sutton did you.

00:31:45.600 –> 00:31:54.630 Darren N: yeah yeah he was one of the guys who played with Jimmy Martin and he knew more about music than anybody ever met.

00:31:55.020 –> 00:32:02.970 Darren N: And not only did I learn everything I know about music, but everything I know about people and how to treat people in the music business.

00:32:03.360 –> 00:32:15.420 Darren N: We would travel to Nashville almost every week and so it’d be a four-hour drive down a four-hour drive back in the whole time we were talking about music or people or relationships or.

00:32:17.040 –> 00:32:19.590 Darren N: And you know, he was.

00:32:20.670 –> 00:32:39.090 Darren N: My number one influence and now that I’m getting older and getting some clarity and maturity, there are a lot of things that he said to me, you know 15 16 years ago that are just now I’m like oh now nobody man and my time with him are invaluable I owe him everything.

00:32:39.960 –> 00:32:43.440 Joseph McElroy: You have in a benefit concert an auction coming up for his family right.

00:32:43.740 –> 00:32:52.560 Darren N: yeah it’s actually not for his family we’ve we’ve set up a trust fund and we give a scholarship we give half the money to the IBMA trust fund.

00:32:53.340 –> 00:33:03.630 Darren N: To help musicians in need and then the other half goes to a scholarship for a test cola hospital student for music scholarship he was a trumpet major at Tesco.

00:33:05.010 –> 00:33:16.590 Darren N: We just it’s something to help the Community and keep his name out there and that’s going to be Friday march 18 at holt move Center in Waynesville okay cool.

00:33:17.850 –> 00:33:18.060 Joseph McElroy: thing.

00:33:19.230 –> 00:33:20.160 Joseph McElroy: To find out about it.

00:33:20.670 –> 00:33:22.500 Darren N: and get tickets at fault move to work.

00:33:23.400 –> 00:33:28.440 Joseph McElroy: OK cool Oh, we got to take a break now and then we’ll come back and finally talk about this new album you got.

00:35:35.250 –> 00:35:48.180 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McIlroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Darren Nicholson, So Darren, you have a new musical project out an album called the man and the mission.

00:35:49.770 –> 00:35:54.750 Joseph McElroy: And the I guess is devoted to Americana music, correct?

00:35:55.860 –> 00:36:01.770 Darren N: I guess when they can’t figure out what label, to put it under.

00:36:03.300 –> 00:36:07.920 Darren N: But it’s not really a genre clearly that they just call it America.

00:36:09.060 –> 00:36:12.300 Joseph McElroy: Like from like show tunes to country music right.

00:36:13.230 –> 00:36:15.180 Darren N: Exactly yeah exactly.

00:36:16.320 –> 00:36:16.800 Darren N: reggae.

00:36:17.280 –> 00:36:29.730 Joseph McElroy: But you that you use a lot of electric and acoustic instruments and wide variety songs I mean I listened to it and it’s like goes from blues to bluegrass to old-time country all sorts of stuff.

00:36:30.240 –> 00:36:42.330 Darren N: yeah well that’s what I want to sound like some of these tunes are a little more edgy rock and roll edgy and then there’s a song on there, that is straight-up country music and then there’s one song that.

00:36:43.200 –> 00:36:51.210 Darren N: sounds like something maybe Glen Campbell would have done back in the day, like you know it’s almost like a pop.

00:36:52.320 –> 00:36:52.590 Darren N: But.

00:36:53.010 –> 00:37:08.460 Darren N: it’s almost a bluegrass song and then, then there are a blues seven-bar blues and then there’s one slow pretty ballot on there and then it ends up with more rock and roll in your face with Lita Jones lyric Jones.

00:37:09.360 –> 00:37:11.850 Joseph McElroy: singing on there so whatever goes.

00:37:13.080 –> 00:37:17.100 Joseph McElroy: It started out with a bluegrass thing, and all of a sudden, it goes into southern rock and rolls it’s like.

00:37:17.130 –> 00:37:22.980 Joseph McElroy: yeah it was crazy that was that the drop there was like wow.

00:37:24.810 –> 00:37:26.490 Joseph McElroy: I totally took me by surprise.

00:37:26.520 –> 00:37:32.970 Darren N: that’s what I was wanting I wanted this album to be a curveball if I would have done this record on an electric record four or five years ago.

00:37:33.570 –> 00:37:47.430 Darren N: I think people would I would have done a classic country-sounding record and I think that’s what people were expecting out of me and so I’ve just got that rebellious thing in me where I can’t do what people are expecting.

00:37:47.940 –> 00:37:57.720 Joseph McElroy: yeah wow so you’ve had you this is on the mountain home label right me, but you have experienced with them it’s balsam range, but this is what your first solo project with that right.

00:37:58.710 –> 00:38:03.630 Darren N: yeah, this is my fourth solo record, but my first one on that label.

00:38:04.080 –> 00:38:07.260 Joseph McElroy: And what does that mean for you know that’s a pretty prestigious label so it’s.

00:38:07.290 –> 00:38:10.080 Darren N: it’s pretty yeah for sure, and just to have it.

00:38:11.160 –> 00:38:21.300 Darren N: That quality and I brought in a co-producer because I’ve done three records on my own, I know what a record sounds like when I produce it and I’ve had success doing that.

00:38:22.290 –> 00:38:28.980 Darren N: I locked away my record sound when I produce them I know exactly what I will, but I also I don’t want to get in a rut.

00:38:29.640 –> 00:38:39.120 Darren N: This sounds the same every this guy’s records they sound the same every time and so Jeff Collins came in and produce to help produce this thing.

00:38:39.570 –> 00:38:45.030 Darren N: And he got me out of my comfort zone, a little bit there were, I gave him the songs.

00:38:45.390 –> 00:38:57.450 Darren N: I had some very specific ideas on some songs we had some knock down drag out fights over some things, and then there were some things that I let go up that’s why you have a guy there and then there are some things that you.

00:38:59.130 –> 00:39:13.260 Darren N: That he took and made totally different and I’m like man that’s awesome I never would have thought of that and, and so it was just we think we both had a great time hey we would do another one together in a heartbeat I think is a great experience.

00:39:13.830 –> 00:39:19.800 Joseph McElroy: Well, I saw I saw a quote, that you the paper of you’re describing this album right.

00:39:20.280 –> 00:39:30.450 Joseph McElroy: And it was almost poetry, and it was you said it was a journey into the human condition with relationships and feelings turned into Appalachian Americana roots tapestry.

00:39:30.990 –> 00:39:38.850 Joseph McElroy: And then you were saying it’s saying goodbye to an old friend and a hello to a new one it’s like a rocket Saturday night house party and lonely Sunday morning.

00:39:39.150 –> 00:39:51.660 Joseph McElroy: its tongue in cheek it’s from the heart and songs written about the life and human condition now that’s a pretty amazing scope right there that’s a huge but ambition right, how do you feel about that how far you went towards that.

00:39:52.410 –> 00:39:55.140 Darren N: I think I nailed all those things in this record.

00:39:55.560 –> 00:40:02.460 Darren N: yeah that that that’s what I was going for because and that’s what I write about you know I write about.

00:40:04.170 –> 00:40:15.900 Darren N: My life, the only thing I’m qualified to write about is myself, you know and I’ve you know I’ve had relationships that didn’t work out I’ve had really hard difficult things I’ve been through I’ve had.

00:40:16.980 –> 00:40:23.730 Darren N: You know funny experiences in life, you know I don’t write about living in a cabin 200 years ago.

00:40:24.000 –> 00:40:30.180 Darren N: Now I never have you know, but I can write about things that I’ve experienced and.

00:40:31.650 –> 00:40:39.900 Darren N: You know, sometimes I’ll write a song I don’t like I would rather write songs it tells stories than songs that paint pictures.

00:40:40.320 –> 00:40:49.320 Darren N: I know to me anybody can write a song that paints a picture, but to tell your story and open up and talk about what you’re really feeling.

00:40:50.460 –> 00:40:56.340 Darren N: It just goes a little deeper, and I think people can connect with it that’s what I always loved about country music.

00:40:56.820 –> 00:41:03.960 Darren N: Is it was heartache it was trying, it was a Gospel song, it was hope and inspiration, it was.

00:41:04.770 –> 00:41:20.250 Darren N: It was sadness, it was the joy it was all those things in the music, you know it was a journey through real-life and authenticity there’s something about country music and when I say country music, I mean bluegrass.

00:41:22.410 –> 00:41:25.980 Darren N: I mean a lot of these different things you know it’s.

00:41:28.170 –> 00:41:31.620 Darren N: it’s authentic it’s the real deal.

00:41:33.900 –> 00:41:47.430 Joseph McElroy: You know this is, I mean for surprisingly how much it affected me, I mean, and then you know I heard you were describing the song called love is war, you described in all relationships, not just romantic has been a battle.

00:41:48.960 –> 00:41:52.740 Joseph McElroy: And then you said in there you don’t have to agree with somebody to love them.

00:41:53.760 –> 00:41:54.210 Darren N: and

00:41:54.300 –> 00:42:06.390 Joseph McElroy: I can’t help but think you know that that it was not just personal I felt like there you are also speaking to this polarized age this age of where we’re battling each other as citizens.

00:42:06.810 –> 00:42:10.710 Joseph McElroy: And I felt like there were some element of that and, in this in this song.

00:42:11.100 –> 00:42:21.960 Joseph McElroy: Are you saying we can as citizens love each other that agree on each other, I don’t know if that’s true, but I just felt there was a sense of that the two were channeling something in the Zeitgeist of where we’re living now.

00:42:22.470 –> 00:42:25.650 Darren N: What we do where the society that likes to scold each other.

00:42:26.040 –> 00:42:28.680 Darren N: Right, you know and that’s.

00:42:30.210 –> 00:42:42.180 Darren N: that’s and don’t realize that the hypocrisy and that is hey none of us are perfect mm-hmm, but I think what we don’t realize is is that where we get.

00:42:43.230 –> 00:42:46.920 Darren N: Where we get value in that is it makes us feel better.

00:42:47.490 –> 00:42:57.660 Darren N: When we cut someone else’s head off it makes us feel taller and we don’t have to look at our sales, as long as somebody else is screwing up worse than me that I don’t have to look in the mirror at myself.

00:42:58.410 –> 00:43:03.000 Darren N: And so you know, and I think that’s where a lot of that comes from is nobody.

00:43:03.690 –> 00:43:16.350 Darren N: You know it’s kinda it’s really hypocritical, but you know and I’ve been guilty of it, you know, but as I get older I realized that you know if I want to be forgiven and I have to learn to forgive.

00:43:18.510 –> 00:43:19.140 Joseph McElroy: We lost you.

00:43:22.380 –> 00:43:30.630 Joseph McElroy: Well, he jumped off folks will be back in just a second I’m pretty sure, but he had some I’m going to tell you this was a great album.

00:43:31.890 –> 00:43:37.860 Joseph McElroy: There was an I really enjoyed this song called all night long on that album.

00:43:39.390 –> 00:43:45.000 Joseph McElroy: And it was and I felt that a song that really resonated with old Appalachian music.

00:43:46.830 –> 00:43:47.250 Joseph McElroy: It was.

00:43:48.300 –> 00:43:53.250 Joseph McElroy: You know, like the old ballads from Scotland and Ireland, and also like.

00:43:54.270 –> 00:44:05.790 Joseph McElroy: Like classic American American song, so I guess you’d call Americana like nat King Cole seeing stardust or George Jones seeing he stopped loving her today.

00:44:07.230 –> 00:44:24.210 Joseph McElroy: I’m sure that he was he if he gets back here, he would talk about how that really had a real sort of reached back in time to that old kind of balance and then made him current because it was really about.

00:44:25.440 –> 00:44:25.890 Joseph McElroy: You know.

00:44:26.970 –> 00:44:35.760 Joseph McElroy: sort of a loss, and you know that the trigger but that the protagonists were going to be there all night long there is hey.

00:44:38.820 –> 00:44:39.840 Joseph McElroy: I can’t hear you.

00:44:42.900 –> 00:44:44.070 Joseph McElroy: I can hear you now okay.

00:44:44.130 –> 00:44:46.710 iPhone: More than I like I’m so sorry I lost you there.

00:44:47.340 –> 00:44:51.510 Joseph McElroy: that’s all right, well, I was telling everybody about your song all night long right.

00:44:51.570 –> 00:44:52.080 iPhone: Oh yeah.

00:44:52.530 –> 00:45:00.360 Joseph McElroy: And I was saying that I thought it resonated with that belief old Appalachian music, because it was you know, like the old balance from Scotland and.

00:45:01.650 –> 00:45:13.680 Joseph McElroy: It talked about last right, it was like that hi hi lumps of sound, but I also thought it resonated they brought me back to classic old American songs like even like nat King Cole singing stardust.

00:45:14.130 –> 00:45:19.860 Joseph McElroy: or floors don’t sing he stopped loving her today what was your inspiration for that song.

00:45:20.730 –> 00:45:26.250 iPhone: yeah well that’s I mean that’s what we were going for I was like that song needs to be.

00:45:27.270 –> 00:45:41.070 iPhone: pitifully lonesome because that’s the feeling, you know that’s the feeling you’re trying to convey and then it’s someone who’s lost, you know the person who means everything to them, you know, or you know.

00:45:42.900 –> 00:45:43.380 iPhone: That.

00:45:45.180 –> 00:45:52.410 iPhone: And there’s no I want the music to match the lyrics I’ve heard sad songs that have really happy music.

00:45:52.980 –> 00:45:57.300 iPhone: And I know we’ve got a drag to the long term, out of this.

00:45:57.690 –> 00:45:59.790 Joseph McElroy: But I was a classic.

00:45:59.790 –> 00:46:03.990 Joseph McElroy: High lonesome sound man I just I cried I really literally cry.

00:46:04.260 –> 00:46:08.460 iPhone: Well, thank you man that’s that’s probably my favorite song on the record.

00:46:09.660 –> 00:46:16.500 iPhone: And I started writing down these words when I had the first verse and.

00:46:18.840 –> 00:46:28.920 iPhone: and part of the chorus and I sent it to send it in a text to Charles Humphrey and I just I wrote it down, just like poetry and send it to him.

00:46:29.670 –> 00:46:44.010 iPhone: And then he started he sent back the third verse and we tweaked a few things we got together the next day and tweaked a few things and I picked a key on the guitar and I started arranging the music and then.

00:46:45.090 –> 00:46:47.310 iPhone: When we got in there, it was just an idea to put.

00:46:48.420 –> 00:46:52.860 iPhone: A stack of who’s on it, just like the eagles would.

00:46:54.240 –> 00:47:08.730 iPhone: You know, and so it’s got this vocal chorus in there that’s reminiscent of something in the eagles where there’s an in the bridge and it just turned out beautifully it’s losing the living life and.

00:47:09.060 –> 00:47:13.290 Joseph McElroy: it’s a classic song man I’m just telling it to class I hope it gets.

00:47:13.320 –> 00:47:14.190 iPhone: It gets me the.

00:47:14.280 –> 00:47:14.760 Joseph McElroy: way.

00:47:15.150 –> 00:47:16.680 iPhone: I will go ahead.

00:47:17.400 –> 00:47:18.180 Joseph McElroy: yeah I know.

00:47:21.630 –> 00:47:24.990 Joseph McElroy: Because I felt like that actually spoke to smoky mountains history because.

00:47:25.410 –> 00:47:34.380 Joseph McElroy: You know, if you read about history and some of the women scholars right today, you know smoky mountain women Appalachian women really had to deal with a lot of hardship and everything else, and they.

00:47:34.920 –> 00:47:41.040 Joseph McElroy: They could come across as being hard a little bit hateful, but they were really loved by their husbands right.

00:47:41.130 –> 00:47:41.910 iPhone: Oh yeah that.

00:47:42.540 –> 00:47:45.300 Joseph McElroy: That that I think that that really brought a.

00:47:46.800 –> 00:47:55.380 Joseph McElroy: a sense of that Appalachian woman like that original poet, but who found you found relief in her wit and you know.

00:47:55.500 –> 00:47:57.930 Joseph McElroy: around you know found loving her husband.

00:47:58.110 –> 00:48:05.910 iPhone: Right oh yeah yeah tongue in cheek very, very fun, you know it meant to be fun yeah yeah.

00:48:06.810 –> 00:48:12.270 Joseph McElroy: Well cool we’re going to take another break and come back and finish up with a little bit of what’s going on in the future here.

00:50:13.950 –> 00:50:22.560 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Darren Nicholson, so there, and you mentioned Charles Humphrey.

00:50:23.340 –> 00:50:28.020 Joseph McElroy: he’s a Co-writer on that on that EP and a fellow songwriter and.

00:50:28.740 –> 00:50:34.110 Joseph McElroy: And he’s also been a guest on this show, and he said he’s gonna be doing a fly fisherman camp and April with us, but.

00:50:36.930 –> 00:50:42.180 Joseph McElroy: he’s talking, I think, working with you to do a songwriting camp later this year is think that might happen.

00:50:43.140 –> 00:50:44.430 Darren N: There and be a lot of fun.

00:50:46.710 –> 00:50:53.220 Darren N: Or are the six songs on the EP, I wrote, with him, I wrote a song with him last week I’m going to go record tomorrow the DEMO for it we’ve written.

00:50:53.910 –> 00:51:04.650 Darren N: A 90% of the songs I’ve written I wrote with I’ve written with him and he’s an amazing talent and he is an incredible Fly fisher, Fisherman, I mean he’s the man.

00:51:06.210 –> 00:51:07.740 Joseph McElroy: He knows his stuff I.

00:51:08.850 –> 00:51:19.500 Joseph McElroy: mean we talk fishing quite a bit so where can people find get a copy of this this this album and your other music as well.

00:51:19.950 –> 00:51:28.200 Darren N: yeah well, you can, if you want to support the artists directly there and nicholson.net is the best place to do it my website darrennicholson.net

00:51:30.870 –> 00:51:43.440 Darren N: darrennicholson.net and I’ve got T-shirts and my other albums are on there I’ve got a new Gospel album instrumental mandolin record my other solo projects are on there all kinds of stuff hats things.

00:51:44.700 –> 00:51:51.480 Darren N: And then, if you want to find man on a mission it’s on all the streaming services, you can download it on iTunes.

00:51:52.650 –> 00:51:55.950 Darren N: Is a great way to get it, but the streaming services as well.

00:51:56.700 –> 00:51:57.630 Joseph McElroy: anywhere you.

00:51:58.800 –> 00:51:59.640 Joseph McElroy: Go sorry.

00:52:00.300 –> 00:52:00.660 Darren N: Go ahead.

00:52:01.350 –> 00:52:05.490 Joseph McElroy: I was gonna say you know the stickers and T-shirts are hilarious how.

00:52:06.000 –> 00:52:07.170 Joseph McElroy: Did you come up with those ideas.

00:52:08.100 –> 00:52:16.770 Darren N: yeah I’ve got well I’ve got a friend up in Kentucky who who who actually designed a couple of those I can’t take credit for that, but.

00:52:17.550 –> 00:52:36.420 Darren N: I have taken credit for ordering them and selling them but he’s in graphic designer he just sent me a new one, the other day because I’m always joking about wrestling old school wrestling and he did, one of my faces on rick flares body and it’s pretty cool.

00:52:37.290 –> 00:52:37.890 Joseph McElroy: I mean a.

00:52:38.730 –> 00:52:41.880 Darren N: Great the two great North Carolinians Earl Scruggs and Rick Flair

00:52:45.330 –> 00:52:56.970 Joseph McElroy: Wait to tell you I don’t know how do you have fulfill those orders, but what we discovered a new service service recently it’s pretty good it’s called principle right and they actually will manufacture on-demand T-shirts and.

00:52:57.000 –> 00:53:01.470 Joseph McElroy: mugs and all that, so you don’t have to keep any inventory it’s like.

00:53:01.470 –> 00:53:03.150 Joseph McElroy: it’s crazy it’s good yeah.

00:53:03.330 –> 00:53:04.560 Darren N: that’s really good yeah.

00:53:05.130 –> 00:53:07.320 Darren N: Because one one T shirt.

00:53:07.410 –> 00:53:08.100 Darren N: A year so.

00:53:08.220 –> 00:53:09.210 that’s really good.

00:53:10.920 –> 00:53:13.440 Joseph McElroy: yeah you buy 100 T shirts to keep them for 10 years.

00:53:16.770 –> 00:53:22.020 Joseph McElroy: yeah it’s like buying by the library books and sold a couple everyone so i’m still.

00:53:22.020 –> 00:53:25.920 Darren N: Trying to sell some cassette tapes I’m going to feel those are you guys looking for.

00:53:26.940 –> 00:53:30.270 Joseph McElroy: I met a guy wants to put out an album and he.

00:53:31.920 –> 00:53:35.070 Joseph McElroy: hadn’t sold me had like 2000 copies under his bed.

00:53:36.660 –> 00:53:40.830 Joseph McElroy: Well that’s All I will say this bottle is making a comeback.

00:53:40.890 –> 00:53:51.780 Darren N: In the plan is, you know i’m not trying to let the cat out of the bag, but the plan is for balsam range to do some kind of vinyl at some point because this is 15 this year is 15 years of balsam range.

00:53:52.200 –> 00:53:59.370 Darren N: And so I don’t have any details or any specifics on that, but you know that’s that’s.

00:54:00.300 –> 00:54:07.350 Joseph McElroy: We put a fabulous record player in the speakeasy with a actually a wall mounted album.

00:54:09.000 –> 00:54:16.050 Joseph McElroy: You know, storage and when we play albums there, so you definitely have to get us one of those man.

00:54:16.560 –> 00:54:31.890 Darren N: was a warm sound there they go that plan is to only print like 200 and do you know, and if people who love balsam range and the real diehard fans that have been there for 15 years of people won’t want it’s kind of a novelty, you know.

00:54:32.490 –> 00:54:34.530 Joseph McElroy: i’m i’m buying.

00:54:36.660 –> 00:54:39.990 Joseph McElroy: I’m buying it, no matter what it costs all right well yeah.

00:54:40.110 –> 00:54:41.640 Darren N: i’m not gonna spend a million oh that’s.

00:54:42.720 –> 00:54:43.830 Darren N: $8,000 apiece.

00:54:47.070 –> 00:54:47.250 Joseph McElroy: what’s.

00:54:47.910 –> 00:54:49.770 Darren N: what’s the most you give and not back out.

00:54:50.880 –> 00:54:52.230 Joseph McElroy: The most out give.

00:54:52.440 –> 00:54:53.490 Darren N: For now back out.

00:54:54.000 –> 00:54:54.360 Darren N: And not.

00:54:55.860 –> 00:54:56.100 Darren N: yeah.

00:54:56.940 –> 00:54:58.080 Darren N: that’s my feet.

00:54:58.170 –> 00:54:58.650 Joseph McElroy: My buddy.

00:55:01.860 –> 00:55:06.720 Darren N: I was trying to buy this instrument off my buddy Danny one time, and I said how much do you want for it, and he said.

00:55:07.980 –> 00:55:09.330 Darren N: what’s give and not back out.

00:55:13.170 –> 00:55:17.010 Joseph McElroy: So any other big projects, you have coming up this year.

00:55:17.610 –> 00:55:20.040 Darren N: yeah several things actually.

00:55:21.510 –> 00:55:29.880 Darren N: i’m going to officially be releasing this you can get a copy of my Gospel album through the website it’s kind of a pre order thing.

00:55:30.840 –> 00:55:37.680 Darren N: But i’m later on in the year i’m going to be releasing a Gospel record called songs of hope and inspiration and.

00:55:38.400 –> 00:55:49.080 Darren N: One of the songs I wrote with my buddy Eric Gibson and it’s being played on satellite radio right now and it’s been a few stations if bluegrass DJ is out there woman, they can contact me and get it, but.

00:55:51.060 –> 00:55:56.220 Darren N: balsam range I talked about the the 15 years we’re going to do some special for that.

00:55:58.230 –> 00:56:05.550 Darren N: I’m also recording and doing a handful of shows, with a blue all star bluegrass band called the no joke jimmies.

00:56:07.260 –> 00:56:16.320 Darren N: bunch of guys from Nashville and a bunch of around the country that are in national touring bands ones in the seldom-seen two is from the grass goals.

00:56:16.740 –> 00:56:24.270 Darren N: One you know plays with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder and it’s a bunch of buddies of got together and we’re in the process of.

00:56:24.660 –> 00:56:41.010 Darren N: We just released a single we’re making a full album i’ve been in Nashville last weekend recording on that and we’re going to be doing some of the major festivals around the country obviously when i’m not with balsam range and they’re not with their respective bands, but.

00:56:42.480 –> 00:57:01.770 Darren N: And also end of March 1 of April, going to be doing some shows in western North Carolina with all the block and just writing songs cranking out music got a bunch of bands and bluegrass who have a bunch of my songs i’ve written on hold it’s just an exciting time a.

00:57:01.800 –> 00:57:02.220 Darren N: lot of.

00:57:02.250 –> 00:57:10.530 Darren N: Really fun shows coming up this year things that I’m really excited about and life is good, you know.

00:57:11.070 –> 00:57:18.600 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know, a Gospel thing sounds great I mean you know i’ve been in a couple places like Barbados and plays and other places, never.

00:57:18.990 –> 00:57:30.810 Joseph McElroy: A Gospel brunch on Sunday is everybody, leaving the tourism area and they’re huge they’re really huge you know people really love that especially a Gospel on a Sunday morning.

00:57:31.200 –> 00:57:42.720 Joseph McElroy: right they not gonna be able to stay until 12 and go to you know go-to service that they go through 10 or 11 or whatever, and then get on the road, but they love that that the things I’ve been thinking about that, yeah but.

00:57:45.840 –> 00:57:48.120 Darren N: Gospel thing is something i’ve wanted to do for a while.

00:57:49.200 –> 00:57:56.760 Darren N: This man on the mission, I want to keep I want to keep reinventing myself there’s guys like Marty Stuart and Darrell Scott, who.

00:57:57.450 –> 00:58:06.540 Darren N: Who when they do records they might do a California country record they might do a blues record they might do a black Gospel record they might do a bluegrass record.

00:58:07.020 –> 00:58:17.100 Darren N: But they’re always changing it up, but it’s always a quality record I don’t know what Marty Stewart’s going to do next, but I will go by his record, because I know.

00:58:17.610 –> 00:58:28.620 Darren N: he’s a steward of American music and and he wants to carry American music forward whether it’s bluegrass country old time Gospel roots music.

00:58:29.880 –> 00:58:38.160 Darren N: But his records are always good and he kind of keeps reinventing himself and keeps pushing boundaries and that’s what I want to do with my music.

00:58:38.730 –> 00:58:39.060 and

00:58:40.200 –> 00:58:47.970 Joseph McElroy: Random you’re doing an Americana is actually a brilliant move on your part, because you can really go wide range with that.

00:58:48.420 –> 00:58:50.550 Darren N: Open canvas yeah.

00:58:50.760 –> 00:59:04.620 Joseph McElroy: It really is it’s a brilliant idea, well, I am I got a call to close it’s been a wonderful thing I wanted a whole time talking to you I didn’t get a chance to ask about your feud with the cleverly bland band but i’m sure other.

00:59:04.710 –> 00:59:07.080 Joseph McElroy: Well, I wouldn’t I wouldn’t talk about them anyway.

00:59:07.350 –> 00:59:07.920 Okay.

00:59:10.350 –> 00:59:10.800 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:59:12.210 –> 00:59:23.520 Joseph McElroy: so next time we will we will hopefully have another time but anyway we’ll see a few things in the future, I thank you for showing up.

00:59:23.670 –> 00:59:29.310 Darren N: Alright, so much for having me appreciate what you do for our culture here in Western North Carolina oh.

00:59:29.820 –> 00:59:38.640 Joseph McElroy: This this you can find more about this podcast on facebook.com slash gateway to the smokies podcast.

00:59:39.630 –> 00:59:45.210 Joseph McElroy: we’re streamed live, we also have on smokies adventures.COM, there is a.

00:59:45.870 –> 00:59:52.650 Joseph McElroy: there’s a link at the top, taking you to the smokies to the gateway to the smokies podcasts and all the episodes and transcripts.

00:59:53.070 –> 01:00:10.620 Joseph McElroy: and other information mailing list touching it on to find out more about what’s coming up this podcast is on the talk radio talkradio.nyc network where there are lots of great podcasts about travel business self-help and various other things are all live podcasts.

01:00:11.700 –> 01:00:16.830 Joseph McElroy: scheduled weekly this podcast appears every Tuesday from six to seven.

01:00:17.970 –> 01:00:27.120 Joseph McElroy: And we’ll have another great show next week for you and I look forward to seeing all of you again or well here, and all of you, or something like that.

01:00:28.500 –> 01:00:29.520 Joseph McElroy: Thank you very much.

GUEST: Boyd Burton

Boyd shared with us some of his world-class memorable tourism experiences. Watch this episode and you will learn about local culture, refreshments, and hedonism in the Great Smoky Mountains. 

In today's podcast episode, Joseph McElroy is joined by our special guest, Boyd Burton, a world-class pickle ballplayer, an avid BMW motorcycle enthusiast, as well food, music, and beverage aficionado. For more than three decades Boyd has traveled the globe, working hard and playing hard, utilizing these skills as he has created and developed world-class memorable tourism experiences for his clients and guests--just as he is doing today at the "Appalachian Chic" Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley, N.C." 

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

Starting off tonight's show, Joseph mentions his sponsor, who is part of his business. The topic of tonight is comfort and memorable experiences. Joseph’s guest is Boyd Burton who has 25 years of experience in management consulting. He also specializes in operational and financial consulting for hospitality, construction, and manufacturing industries. Now, Boyd is the manager at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. When talking about being a management consultant, Boyd says that he focused on helping businesses run better financially as well as changes with technology. Over time, Boyd felt like he had done everything he wanted to do in his career. So he ventured on to other aspirations and eventually came back to consulting for a bit more. Boyd ended up doing what he does best as a consultant in Costa Rica, having met two people who were architects and were doing good business. He recalls around 2008-09 when the economy wasn’t doing well, that he bought a hotel that had a defunct restaurant and casino. He renovated the place and turned it into something that hopefully people around can enjoy. Boyd and Joseph talk more about Boyd’s career in hospitality as well as some of his upbringing.

Segment 2

Boyd discusses his journey coming to North Carolina and Maggie Valley. Boyd is a motorcycle enthusiast and enjoyed riding through N.C. Passing by the Meadowlark Motel, he eventually met Joseph. Their ideas on hospitality were very similar and Boyd also likes the decor and look of the motel. He likes to see and make people happy, something that he shares with Joseph. They also discuss the changes happening in the motel as Boyd began to join them. Joseph talks about the demand in hospitality to make sure people are safe. They talk about the relationship they have with visitors and customers who stay at the Meadowlark and how they bring people together to create an enjoyable experience. Boyd and Joseph emphasize creating a family feeling, especially since Joseph grew up in this area and grew up with a family in the hospitality industry. They mention music performances that happen in the motel and recreating what Joseph enjoyed growing up but in the world that we live in now.

Segment 3

Boyd and Joseph talk about the challenges they've experienced in creating a great experience for customers. They also talk about the mountain culture and American culture that they bring to the experience including things like music and souvenirs. Boyd recalls a customer who told him that they were so distracted being at the motel that they forgot to check their phone for two days, expressing how great their stay was. Joseph says that it’s refreshing when the structure of your day changes like this. They also talk about creating a real speakeasy in the basement of the motel. They found that creating this place where people can hang out, have a drink and listen to music, becomes fun when they and the customers enjoy it together. Joseph also mentions bringing his New York experience to this as well. Joseph and Boyd say that they also have a vision of bringing good, and not-so-complicated food that fits the place and that customers will like. 

Segment 4

Joseph and Boyd talk about road culture and motorcycles. Boyd says that sections of West N.C and Virginia are great places for riding. He says the traffic, views, and weather are great for him. Boyd mentions the future of the Motel such as events coming up into the Spring such as weddings, live music, barbecues, and more. You can find out more about Boyd Burton by visiting meadowlarkmotel.com. Boyd says that anyone can call and ask for him, or ask any questions about their stay and experience and even recommend music or anything that you would want to see from the motel. They always welcome any ideas to make sure your experience is the best. Joseph also says that they will be having a heritage club that focuses on the local culture.

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00:02:53.280 –> 00:03:03.780 Joseph McElroy: howdy thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the smokies podcast this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park.

00:03:04.170 –> 00:03:18.060 Joseph McElroy: The great smoky mountains national park and the surrounding towns there are areas filled with ancient natural beauty a deep storied history and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:03:19.080 –> 00:03:20.220 Joseph McElroy: I’m Joseph Franklyn McElroy

00:03:23.310 –> 00:03:33.480 Joseph McElroy: a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family’s lived in the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture. today we’re talking about finding comfort.

00:03:34.110 –> 00:03:43.590 Joseph McElroy: And memorable experiences in the smokies, first let me tell you a little bit about our sponsors now the sponsors are obviously.

00:03:44.100 –> 00:03:53.010 Joseph McElroy: Some of you watch a long time is also part of my business so we happen to be sitting at the meadowlark motel in Maggie Valley.

00:03:53.460 –> 00:03:59.910 Joseph McElroy: in Meadowlark Motel I want you to imagine a place evocative of motor courts in the past.

00:04:00.300 –> 00:04:20.460 Joseph McElroy: Yet, with a modern and vibrant feel that we have Appalachian the chic it’s got the services and amenities, an old country in it’s a place for adventure and relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream real the catch on fire and eat accompanied by a fine wine or craft beer

00:04:22.830 –> 00:04:38.970 Joseph McElroy: imagine a place with old-time music and world country sounds cultural says there is no other place like the meadowlark motel your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:04:41.790 –> 00:04:46.110 Joseph McElroy: Today we’re going to be talking about comfort and.

00:04:47.250 –> 00:04:56.790 Joseph McElroy: memorable experiences and I have a great guest his name is Boyd Burton and he has had a 25-year career in management consulting.

00:04:57.450 –> 00:05:14.490 Joseph McElroy: And with an international CPA consulting for one of the top five firms, he specialized in operational and financial consulting for hospitality construction and manufacturing industries, but then you got into a different life.

00:05:16.350 –> 00:05:18.990 Joseph McElroy: And he left that world and he became.

00:05:20.430 –> 00:05:31.590 Joseph McElroy: involved heavily in hospitality hotels, restaurants, and bars in places like Virginia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, but then he ended up in Maggie Valley.

00:05:32.130 –> 00:05:36.720 Joseph McElroy: Looking to perhaps retire and I talked to him and now he.

00:05:37.350 –> 00:05:43.020 Joseph McElroy: believed in the vision we have here, and he become the manager of the Meadowlark motel here in Maggie Valley.

00:05:43.260 –> 00:05:52.860 Joseph McElroy: Hello Boyd, how are you doing?

Boyd: good glad to be here,

00:05:53.370 –> 00:06:03.150 Joseph McElroy: So, you grew up in Richmond so there are some similarities to the southern culture of Richmond to the mountain culture, the smoky mountain very much so I grew up south of Richmond towards Petersburg and if you look back at the migration patterns, the Scotch Irish.

00:06:03.540 –> 00:06:10.530 Joseph McElroy: came into Central Virginia and spread to the mountains of Virginia mountains of North Carolina when I’m here the names are mostly the same.

00:06:11.310 –> 00:06:20.640 Joseph McElroy: The people look and culturally or a lot like people that I grew up with just the accents a little bit different and the land is a lot less flat yeah.

00:06:24.720 –> 00:06:35.910 Joseph McElroy: You know this, this area is because now, but you’re right the the the Scotch Irish the settlers, besides the Cherokee and stuff do have a certain look that is reminiscent of what you see in other parts of.

00:06:36.900 –> 00:06:45.360 Joseph McElroy: The mountains here, because the Scotch Irish came in through the Charleston and Philadelphia just build up the Appalachians and surrounding areas so.

00:06:46.770 –> 00:06:49.860 Joseph McElroy: You were a management consultant tell me what that means.

00:06:51.480 –> 00:07:01.320 Joseph McElroy: Well, in my practice, it was helping companies early in my career, I did very big fortune 500 companies and mid to later part of my career, I focused on privately held.

00:07:01.800 –> 00:07:09.000 Joseph McElroy: You know, a medium hotel chain 100 million a year manufacturer My job was to go in and help them.

00:07:09.510 –> 00:07:22.020 Joseph McElroy: run more efficient operations and understand their finances better and provide the skill sets that as a medium-sized company they couldn’t necessarily afford on their own and help them in the last 30 years.

00:07:24.360 –> 00:07:30.300 Joseph McElroy: The technology changes the transition that midsize successful businesses have been pressured hard from the big.

00:07:31.020 –> 00:07:40.470 Joseph McElroy: brother to Walmart or whatever, and we, we tried to even the playing field a little bit form, yeah I mean yeah I remember that very good, I was in IBM and that time and now.

00:07:40.950 –> 00:07:46.020 Joseph McElroy: While they had they were still being very much a technology company, not as much management consulting but.

00:07:46.470 –> 00:08:02.670 Joseph McElroy: You know, you were mentioning stuff about EDI and that air I was being involved in the EDI and XML and that transition, so it was an exciting and troubling time, it seems like for lifetimes ago right, so how did you.

00:08:04.080 –> 00:08:10.080 Joseph McElroy: You know 25 years and you were senior partner, how did you just decide to go off into hospitality.

00:08:11.040 –> 00:08:21.720 Joseph McElroy: Well, I really wasn’t a decision to go off in the hospitality, it was more of a decision that I didn’t think I could do 20 more years as a partner working 80 hours a week I kind of lost.

00:08:23.730 –> 00:08:24.150 Joseph McElroy: My.

00:08:25.440 –> 00:08:35.250 Joseph McElroy: lost my desire to do it well at it and it was financially successful but I have done I’ve accomplished what I wanted to do I tend to be kind of goal-driven and, at the time I didn’t have.

00:08:36.300 –> 00:08:41.250 Joseph McElroy: No children and was divorced at the time and to be quite honest, I just needed to do something else for a bit.

00:08:41.760 –> 00:08:49.980 Joseph McElroy: And something else was one of my true love which is blues music water neighborhood bar and converted it into a blues venue with local, regional, national.

00:08:50.370 –> 00:08:57.360 Joseph McElroy: acts and in Virginia you can’t have just a bar, you have to have a restaurant, so it a little boutique restaurant music venue and I did that.

00:08:57.840 –> 00:09:03.420 Joseph McElroy: And instead of taking it easy I worked 80 hours a week, doing that for three years and making no money.

00:09:04.200 –> 00:09:16.530 Joseph McElroy: But I saw some of the great blues acts all down the east coast, really, and it was a Labor of love yeah they’re truly was a Labor of love, and what was the transition from that where did you go after that what was the reason for the transition.

00:09:17.700 –> 00:09:21.480 Joseph McElroy: I was tired yeah I got tired of the bar business the bar part of art.

00:09:24.630 –> 00:09:34.170 Joseph McElroy: and music venues all music venues are really tough yeah and at that point, I went back and did some consulting for young individual consulting for some of my clients.

00:09:34.800 –> 00:09:42.390 Joseph McElroy: out of the blue, some guys I’d done some work for asked me to go to Costa Rica and evaluate some companies they wanted to buy do due diligence on it, and I.

00:09:42.780 –> 00:09:52.530 Joseph McElroy: knew nothing about Costa Rica, other than I heard it was a nice place to go visit and I spoke zero Spanish, so I took the job, again I tend to you know in those days in particular.

00:09:53.070 –> 00:10:00.750 Joseph McElroy: I wasn’t tied down or something interesting I went down from 90 days actually recommended that they not by the company which ended up being pretty good advice.

00:10:01.140 –> 00:10:21.360 Joseph McElroy: While I was down there and a poker game, I met a Colombian architect, and a Spanish engineer we’re building hotels and condos and Panama Nicaragua, Colombia, Costa Rica and they knew how to build and they knew how to run.

00:10:24.030 –> 00:10:30.480 Joseph McElroy: Businesses in those countries, needed an operations finance guy that understood construction hospitality I happen to be one of those.

00:10:31.440 –> 00:10:43.170 Joseph McElroy: They literally offered me the job, a few days later, and I just decided to stay so I’ve now been living in Costa Rica, trying to learn Spanish on the fly which I’m functional with very ugly Spanish.

00:10:44.640 –> 00:10:55.920 Joseph McElroy: I can deal with taxi drivers and restaurants and I speak in phrases but uh mostly can do what construction guys enjoyed it, it was great yeah I had worked a lot internationally.

00:10:56.310 –> 00:11:03.300 Joseph McElroy: But this was the first time actually moved out of the country, and it was interesting Costa Rica, has a lot of English speakers and a lot of.

00:11:04.110 –> 00:11:11.550 Joseph McElroy: A blog people love to go there right yeah the weather 60 days, and then the valley, and you know there’s some things I didn’t like as much tubers lovely place.

00:11:11.940 –> 00:11:22.590 Joseph McElroy: And I enjoyed the work until the real estate crash wipe this just about out but didn’t you own a hotel room I did, but that was a result of the crap.

00:11:24.840 –> 00:11:33.660 Joseph McElroy: out, so I built up some equity in this business whole business was basically Canadians and Americans coming down by in second condos and 2008 2009 and.

00:11:34.740 –> 00:11:45.360 Joseph McElroy: It hit her further down harder down there yeah in order to get my equity out I took a boutique hotel that had a defunct restaurant at the casino license.

00:11:46.320 –> 00:11:55.680 Joseph McElroy: I took that because I couldn’t cash out, so I run a restaurant before and I’d run a bar before I knew about the hotel business but hadn’t hands-on runway.

00:11:56.280 –> 00:12:16.620 Joseph McElroy: So we renovated, the place put a little casino in it and turned it into a very focused ex-pat bar that’s kind of are you looking at the experiences that people were looking for and made it man exactly so something as simple as we had a real Philly cheesesteak no.

00:12:18.270 –> 00:12:23.010 Joseph McElroy: One in Costa Rica, I would have guys drive three hours to the beach on a sunny day.

00:12:25.830 –> 00:12:37.860 Joseph McElroy: or even got corn before me, and it was a neighborhood bar where everybody was welcome locals and expats from all over the world and we had music and food, and it was a comfortable place to be if you’re in Costa Rica is a.

00:12:39.330 –> 00:12:46.650 Joseph McElroy: hotel little banner, and it was 35 rooms right yeah you know, actually, it was either it’s either 34 35 this is how many we have here.

00:12:47.640 –> 00:12:56.760 Joseph McElroy: I was kind of luck yeah so you know how did, how did that, how did you get out of that one I ended up getting married and had a daughter and.

00:12:57.540 –> 00:13:08.850 Joseph McElroy: My wife at the time was from Nicaragua and I had an opportunity to sell my share I didn’t know it all, but I was one of the main owners and also, I was the general manager and President.

00:13:10.350 –> 00:13:15.930 Joseph McElroy: cashed out and we moved to Nicaragua for a couple of years and again bottle small hotel up there.

00:13:17.070 –> 00:13:23.160 Joseph McElroy: With less success actually yeah tougher market we get Okay, with it, I was.

00:13:26.430 –> 00:13:32.310 Joseph McElroy: Good reputations Costa Rica for pleasant, it was building to that the surfers are they are great Sir and.

00:13:32.850 –> 00:13:43.830 Joseph McElroy: Before I was actually statistically safe and unsafe in Costa Rica have enough here I mean Everybody talks about Costa Rica early versions of the tourists are getting out of surfers are coming to start building towards it, and that was kind of the hope and.

00:13:44.850 –> 00:13:55.650 Joseph McElroy: It got hard enough to make enough to support you know the future for my daughter, and all that I came back home, decide to come back to Virginia Richmond Virginia right yeah.

00:13:56.310 –> 00:14:08.850 Joseph McElroy: So, and you got a historical preservation business yeah so I had always been involved in that I’m from five generations of partners, the same Scotch Irish burton’s from North from Yorkshire and southern Scott when.

00:14:10.050 –> 00:14:16.200 Joseph McElroy: My grandfather always said, they all learned to be carpenters because they hated pulling the backup um that was much better

00:14:17.490 –> 00:14:22.500 Joseph McElroy: then I pulled the bag That was their options and made by and they all would shake their head.

00:14:26.430 –> 00:14:33.390 Joseph McElroy: That is, I grew up in a small home building business and my mom and dad encouraged me to go to school, and get a good education but I worked.

00:14:33.780 –> 00:14:43.800 Joseph McElroy: weekends and summers my whole childhood and into it and then personally when I lived in Richmond all those years, and of course, Richmond and peter are where we’re from have some of the most historic houses in the country.

00:14:44.250 –> 00:14:52.260 Joseph McElroy: I always personally lived in historic houses and restore them and thought when I would get them just about right that sell them and torture myself with another one.

00:14:52.770 –> 00:15:02.070 Joseph McElroy: For another four or five years, but I decided when I came back, I wanted to kind of reopen Burton custom builders, and actually renamed it Burton built.

00:15:02.580 –> 00:15:15.060 Joseph McElroy: and focus exclusively on historic houses pretty much 1880 and, earlier we worked on some stuff from the 19 1600s or at least 1700s the Thomas Wallace house where Lincoln and.

00:15:15.720 –> 00:15:22.410 Joseph McElroy: grant shook hands at the end of the civil war, we rebuilt, the porch where they shook hands on well I want some architectural awards for that.

00:15:26.280 –> 00:15:35.040 Joseph McElroy: And what it was kind of a Labor of love, I really the theme throughout the big farm management consulting which I love that the time I’ve kind of done whatever interesting at the time.

00:15:35.550 –> 00:15:48.030 Joseph McElroy: Not so focused about making money but doing things that I enjoy yeah and try to make a little bit of money at it well good, well, when we come back we’ll take a break now, when we come back we’re talking about how your how you ended up at the Meadowlark and found that joy good.

00:18:05.670 –> 00:18:15.750 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast with my guest Boyd Burton happens to be the manager of the Meadowlark Motel.

00:18:16.890 –> 00:18:22.320 Joseph McElroy: So Boyd your Richmond you’re going to historical preservation business.

00:18:26.910 –> 00:18:32.310 Joseph McElroy: skills as a master carpenter but you again, you decided to retire.

00:18:33.390 –> 00:18:40.500 Joseph McElroy: I sold my company to my partner, am I share the data my intent I’ve been coming to the smoke East arrived my I’m an avid motorcyclist.

00:18:41.190 –> 00:18:49.350 Joseph McElroy: BMW guys and coming up here to ride motorcycles forever he 20 years all through North Carolina and Virginia and I’ve written the entire parkway.

00:18:49.980 –> 00:18:55.470 Joseph McElroy: And I decided, I wanted to be somewhere in this vicinity west of Asheville and.

00:18:56.070 –> 00:19:02.040 Joseph McElroy: was looking around and found a beautiful place here Maggie valley and kind of fell in love with the place and my goal was to.

00:19:02.490 –> 00:19:18.600 Joseph McElroy: knock around for a couple of years and ride motorcycles play a little poker and just take it easy and that lasted about a week actually lasted about 45 days I really, really nice 45-day vacation yeah riding motorcycles and playing poker and eating good food.

00:19:21.300 –> 00:19:24.690 Joseph McElroy: And ran into you, yeah That was the real key to it.

00:19:28.290 –> 00:19:40.560 Joseph McElroy: No idea I’ve seen the meadowlark sign is a very interesting retro 50 sign, which is part of my design style and the place looks more like a lodge than a motel I’ve been riding by here and.

00:19:41.850 –> 00:19:50.340 Joseph McElroy: I had the opportunity to meet you and you are so very clear about which one to do with the place that you know more than a room and a key and that.

00:19:50.730 –> 00:19:57.900 Joseph McElroy: You wanted it to be as we later started to say yes still look and feel like a retro 50s motel to run it like a nice country yeah.

00:19:58.560 –> 00:20:11.430 Joseph McElroy: and your ideas about hospitality and the front end match the way I felt about it, as someone who had spent most of my adult life staying in hotels and motels and an end and.

00:20:12.780 –> 00:20:15.180 Joseph McElroy: Also, just the future, the place itself is beautiful.

00:20:16.320 –> 00:20:24.960 Joseph McElroy: The actual grounds, here in the buildings have a lot to offer as far as the renovation and potential for which we’re.

00:20:27.390 –> 00:20:33.720 Joseph McElroy: In the process of as kind of all over the place, which is kind of the last 20 years that’s what’s happened yeah it’s all over the place in a.

00:20:33.930 –> 00:20:41.610 Joseph McElroy: kind of have to be that way for me to want to work now yeah I couldn’t go back and do management consulting for any amount of money is like I can’t go and do.

00:20:41.940 –> 00:20:49.380 Joseph McElroy: I can’t do coding or thanks for people yeah it’s like if the certain boy year you’re beyond the on-call performance of things you know and.

00:20:50.220 –> 00:20:56.400 Joseph McElroy: it’s like you go to pursue the things you love when we have to make people happy here, I like making people happy that’s fundamental.

00:20:56.880 –> 00:21:03.390 Joseph McElroy: You know the hospitality gene is there with me and that I genuinely like seeing people well you know what I appreciate is that.

00:21:04.020 –> 00:21:08.010 Joseph McElroy: You make sure when you know there’s going to be a number of people here.

00:21:08.460 –> 00:21:25.290 Joseph McElroy: You make sure every time, no matter what’s happened you’re here in the morning to hear them as they come in to have breakfast and say hello and talk to them and feel the pulse of what they were they enjoyed themselves and you really want to help them feel like they.

00:21:27.810 –> 00:21:34.170 Joseph McElroy: were themselves into you know into figure out what if something’s wrong to fix it thing, I think that whole sense of.

00:21:35.070 –> 00:21:50.160 Joseph McElroy: of your care for the people is permeated the whole staff right well we’re lucky with the staff we have Kate and Amanda and Sharon and Linda and Alford are phenomenal we had a whole staff turnover when I got here if you remember when I got here you’re cleaning.

00:21:51.180 –> 00:22:02.790 Joseph McElroy: And I asked who the staff was you said you’re looking at them don’t know I put I know I, I have to add bit twins, I have three-year-old twins and.

00:22:03.210 –> 00:22:10.740 Joseph McElroy: yeah at the time, you know I would come down, and I wanted to bring them down because their grandparents are here, but yeah was.

00:22:11.100 –> 00:22:25.860 Joseph McElroy: You know they can’t get back say don’t three years old, and so I wanted to bring them to a safe environment, but then I found out that nobody here was vaccinated which I’ve been led to believe they were so I put in a vaccine mandates right yeah good old fashioned back.

00:22:29.880 –> 00:22:40.680 Joseph McElroy: But both the concern, out of concern for my children and yeah this is hospitality right our ethics demand is to provide a safe place for our clientele.

00:22:41.130 –> 00:22:51.780 Joseph McElroy: And whether you agree with it or not, 70% of the people think that vaccinated establishment is the most safe so being a businessman I’m going to.

00:22:52.170 –> 00:23:03.720 Joseph McElroy: Of course cater to my biggest clientele right so and the ethics of it which I also happen to believe was is that I need to put in a vaccine mandate well, as you know that went nationwide.

00:23:04.830 –> 00:23:14.040 Joseph McElroy: A little no tellin Maggie valley and nationwide press I got all sorts of interesting responses to it, but then you showed up because I was doing it all, on my own.

00:23:14.850 –> 00:23:26.220 Joseph McElroy: I was renting rooms drive around the cart taking telephone calls and things like that, and here you show up, it was like almost like it was really surreal I couldn’t be some of your experience.

00:23:29.220 –> 00:23:40.050 Joseph McElroy: And I was interested and working here, it was there was a big turnaround for us, yeah well I just for me it was wonderful I fall in love with the place and.

00:23:40.560 –> 00:23:48.540 Joseph McElroy: The good news is we’re able to go out and find a staff that you know, had similar feelings about things, how we wanted to do things and we can teach them.

00:23:49.230 –> 00:24:03.180 Joseph McElroy: Are kind of focused on hospitality and what we wanted the hotel to be there wasn’t any baggage leftover from prior regime so that part was a little tough, the first month on have on you, in particular, cleaning rooms, but we got through it and.

00:24:04.290 –> 00:24:07.950 Joseph McElroy: The fun in hospitality I think it’s just a hands-on thing right.

00:24:08.220 –> 00:24:16.200 Joseph McElroy: You know, you can have a really nice place but people want when they come to a place like this, they want to kind of get to know the people, the fact that you grew up here in the building it’s important to them.

00:24:16.950 –> 00:24:26.310 Joseph McElroy: The fact that I’m willing to set out front and talk to them, and you know it’s very much by design and you’re exactly right breakfast is when and also.

00:24:28.470 –> 00:24:33.900 Joseph McElroy: While they’re still here if something isn’t exactly right or there’s more we can do for them, I can fix that.

00:24:34.410 –> 00:24:42.150 Joseph McElroy: Three days from now, and they’re gone yeah it’s either a good review or a bad review or meeting review, but there’s not anything I can do about it right it’s a sunk cost at that point.

00:24:42.540 –> 00:24:49.230 Joseph McElroy: or sunk opportunity and you really get the pulse of it, the Saturday morning breakfast and we also use that as a way.

00:24:49.710 –> 00:25:00.270 Joseph McElroy: of setting, we do a free Barbecue for everybody every Saturday night and live music and it’s a way of getting the customers here a connection to us and it’d be it’s fine.

00:25:00.690 –> 00:25:07.860 Joseph McElroy: Foods good and the music’s good but a way of getting them connected to us in the place and each other people from all over meet each other.

00:25:08.430 –> 00:25:18.480 Joseph McElroy: And some people want to be left alone and want to sit by the fire pit and eat their bbq and just chill out, but other people are you know, want to meet other motorcyclist or other leaf watchers or other.

00:25:18.960 –> 00:25:26.340 Joseph McElroy: Family trail hikers or other families and we have a lot of that, and people are starting to schedule to come back together, which is really.

00:25:29.100 –> 00:25:38.940 Joseph McElroy: really makes me feel good when that happens, and even in our gifts six months, together, we already are having quite a bit of repeat business, yeah I, including today, let a couple that was a family was here for the big snow and.

00:25:39.150 –> 00:25:42.870 Joseph McElroy: You wanted to bring his wife back for a couple of days just husband and wife getaway.

00:25:43.470 –> 00:25:49.680 Joseph McElroy: And there with us today, the hospitality, because you know I think it’s a lost art in some ways and connecting.

00:25:50.010 –> 00:25:56.700 Joseph McElroy: Listen to one of the things that have been a challenge for me is I grew up in a family of hospitality and the classic roadside.

00:25:57.120 –> 00:26:04.170 Joseph McElroy: motel traditions right there’s family own they’re here now even that it was all just.

00:26:04.860 –> 00:26:13.050 Joseph McElroy: A cop, you know, a place to put your head, it was on the road, but because of his family and you got to come to have a conversation with family and things.

00:26:13.320 –> 00:26:27.210 Joseph McElroy: There was conventionality there was a relaxed environment, you know that you were connected very close to the what the local culture, and I do, I wanted to really recreate that because.

00:26:30.090 –> 00:26:42.870 Joseph McElroy: other places, our not owned by people that area or their investment properties and they put in real staff that are professional adequate, but not necessarily that sort of family feel.

00:26:43.350 –> 00:26:52.890 Joseph McElroy: successfully been able to understand what I’ve been trying to do and create that family field here when you’re a big part of that, and the other thing that people realize people realize genuine versus non-genuine.

00:26:53.880 –> 00:27:00.240 Joseph McElroy: They realize that we care about the place be it’s part of your family your heritage that it’s really important to you.

00:27:00.960 –> 00:27:10.260 Joseph McElroy: and see that we enjoy being here, we like the place we like the music we like the bbq we like seeing them and they realize that you can’t fake that.

00:27:10.650 –> 00:27:27.480 Joseph McElroy: yeah people realize that Well, no, you guys like being here to this must be a fun place that you can see it and everybody always you know, a friendly owner that’s on-premises quite a bit and is enjoying themselves is a huge asset right people always want to make them feel.

00:27:29.820 –> 00:27:39.300 Joseph McElroy: Better about saving money here yeah when you for one of the first things you learned is that when we got here, we had Michael tree, he was the drummer for simple minds badminton is the artist’s arrest and he does a great job.

00:27:39.690 –> 00:27:46.620 Joseph McElroy: of putting on task interesting show for people, and so a lot of music here is performed by him or curated by him right.

00:27:48.270 –> 00:27:54.990 Joseph McElroy: And, but we had a pavilion that was the law of this performance in the warm in and what’s the weather performed right.

00:27:55.860 –> 00:28:00.300 Joseph McElroy: That had basically no management so Mike was on his own doing a performance.

00:28:00.720 –> 00:28:07.590 Joseph McElroy: You know what was the challenges of getting the pavilion into a structure that makes people really happy and keep some sticking around.

00:28:07.980 –> 00:28:20.310 Joseph McElroy: interacting with each other and enjoying the experience, well, I think, quite honestly, you had all the components that pavilions great it’s got a stage it’s got a bar it’s got a kitchen it’s got a bathroom got a fireplace I’ve got a fireplace it sets you to know.

00:28:20.610 –> 00:28:25.020 Joseph McElroy: A short distance from the creek has got fire pits all around it it’s beautiful, so it would.

00:28:26.700 –> 00:28:27.600 Joseph McElroy: mix an intro.

00:28:31.980 –> 00:28:39.660 Joseph McElroy: a combination of Irish and Scottish people like to hear and fits culturally here, it really just needed it needed a bartender and a host.

00:28:40.320 –> 00:28:53.100 Joseph McElroy: And really that’s convincing people to come out there it’s a short walk across the yard, but the front just team and myself if you’ve been here a couple of days leading into a Saturday, and you haven’t had at least three of us invite you to the BAT.

00:28:54.540 –> 00:29:01.680 Joseph McElroy: We feel like we’ve you know when they say oh yeah I’ve heard that everybody in this building has told me that makes me very happy very, very happy.

00:29:02.460 –> 00:29:11.280 Joseph McElroy: When they get out there, once again just be friendly offer them a beer talk to them a little bit introduce them to the guy that’s two doors down from the hotel.

00:29:11.820 –> 00:29:27.540 Joseph McElroy: And it’s really a nice environment so well I didn’t think that was the hard part, well, it was interesting because you know I’ve been in marketing and am not grew up in this business, it was a different kind of time, then so you know people come into a motel or hospitality experience.

00:29:31.110 –> 00:29:33.720 Joseph McElroy: To be direct with people versus like a.

00:29:34.710 –> 00:29:42.960 Joseph McElroy: movie or something and so trying to create recreate that experience I grew up with, but in a different world was a challenge for me and see what the things that you are doing.

00:29:43.260 –> 00:29:55.290 Joseph McElroy: Is an inspiration yeah I created the, yeah I mean I stole the idea, a little bit, but I started cooking cookies in the afternoon exactly and reminding them about the bbq and that was really.

00:29:55.680 –> 00:30:01.950 Joseph McElroy: Fulfilling and successful right it’s just a small thing like that, and the other thing we talked about this, the other day.

00:30:02.400 –> 00:30:10.500 Joseph McElroy: Is that well look it’s a free Barbecue we provide it now do you look at that as well that’s a cost, we provided as something that attracts people here.

00:30:11.040 –> 00:30:23.370 Joseph McElroy: But you know, are we interested in everybody in the place eating the bbq well, yeah we actually sit, even though we’re not charging them for the bbq we’re selling them on the idea of how much fun it’s going to be, and it is, and it is it’s always asked.

00:30:23.850 –> 00:30:28.230 Joseph McElroy: Well we’re gonna come back we’ll talk more about the things that we’re doing and interest.

00:32:39.150 –> 00:32:53.460 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and My guest Boyd Burton, who is the manager of the Meadowlark Motel, amongst many other great and fabulous skills.

00:32:54.870 –> 00:33:04.890 Joseph McElroy: You know, we were talking about the other challenges that we faced you know getting restarted and really focusing on the experiences that we give customers.

00:33:05.580 –> 00:33:11.280 Joseph McElroy: One of the things that we brought in, is the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Center.

00:33:11.760 –> 00:33:29.220 Joseph McElroy: Which is doing a lot of interesting special that’s how difficult, is it to have been to integrate those into our you know our offerings to clients, as well as I think it’s it’s a very good fit and nobody else here in this area seems to be particularly focused on it and.

00:33:32.820 –> 00:33:45.150 Joseph McElroy: People are interested in the mountain here and offering some insight into that and understanding that was not a weekend goes by, we don’t get some five people to say yeah my family Scotch Irish from somewhere in the mid-Atlantic.

00:33:45.660 –> 00:33:55.620 Joseph McElroy: And they’re interested in the Scotch Irish mountain culture and you know people frankly love you know to love you know the music the music big part of the.

00:33:56.220 –> 00:34:00.510 Joseph McElroy: hospitality, because you know you’re being friendly to people was always a big part of.

00:34:00.810 –> 00:34:09.600 Joseph McElroy: growing up here in the here, in the main building we play Appalachian music all day long yeah just to help kind of set the tone of this is where you’re at and you’re.

00:34:10.020 –> 00:34:17.430 Joseph McElroy: getting an authentic experience this place has been authentic mountains from the basic end of the 40s.

00:34:17.910 –> 00:34:29.520 Joseph McElroy: I mean the first little built was built in the 40s yeah it has been part of roadside American culture and mountain culture, its whole existence now and it’s really I’m really pleased by how successful.

00:34:32.130 –> 00:34:46.800 Joseph McElroy: We are now in a modern setting all the modern efficiencies and the computer systems and things like that, but we’re still able to we’ve translated that whole you know, experience and you’ve understood that experience to be.

00:34:48.300 –> 00:35:02.220 Joseph McElroy: Getting a true mountain culture experience with the cover and with the road motel part of it, people get excited about having a real key that’s yeah we get four or five comments, a week of man, a real key this is cool those are you know.

00:35:03.330 –> 00:35:08.760 Joseph McElroy: We have little blue tags and sort of diamond shape blue tags, those are original tags from.

00:35:09.600 –> 00:35:20.220 Joseph McElroy: Right and people really liked the idea, and you know we found we found shot glasses that we’re assuming your shot glasses from 70 or 74 that we’re.

00:35:20.610 –> 00:35:30.180 Joseph McElroy: Selling that we have a big stock of it was surprising we’re selling those you know so it’s been good, but the Heritage Center has been interesting because we’ve been very.

00:35:33.390 –> 00:35:42.630 Joseph McElroy: difficult to hers and you know and more foragers and Cherokee culture and even some West African influences on the mountain cultures.

00:35:43.500 –> 00:35:57.720 Joseph McElroy: And so I’ve been I think that’s been a huge success in terms of you know, creating awareness and you know we call it memorable experience right and it’s understanding connecting to you know, a local, you know traditions.

00:35:58.500 –> 00:36:07.410 Joseph McElroy: And I think that we’ve been very good at that, and I think it’s yeah you’ve been on the forefront of really even very quickly pushing it along with Bob Plott who’s yeah.

00:36:07.920 –> 00:36:19.920 Joseph McElroy: That means that’s his life he’s written six books rises these, one that top of the civilian award in the state of North Carolina so you know he is creative God of that heritage, saying that there’s has to be.

00:36:20.400 –> 00:36:30.180 Joseph McElroy: organizational thing to make it happen, I just think it’s such a natural fit with what we do here yeah well it’s I mean there’s actually if you look at my original business plan.

00:36:32.160 –> 00:36:44.490 Joseph McElroy: So I mean I hadn’t thought it out well, this is, we need to bring heritage, you know the original people recent people came to the mountain just because of mountain culture right yeah then me the parks.

00:36:44.970 –> 00:36:50.550 Joseph McElroy: goes down in Hollywood and all these things came in and it’s great and they’re fun they’re wonderful, but their their their consumer culture.

00:36:50.850 –> 00:36:55.170 Joseph McElroy: right there consumer culture where’s mountain culture is authentic and my.

00:36:55.410 –> 00:37:04.170 Joseph McElroy: a goal which you have totally embraced is this authenticity of mountain culture and a place to relax yes and a place to relax I think that’s a really important that.

00:37:04.410 –> 00:37:10.980 Joseph McElroy: You can really like your it’s not like you’re an old-time or new time in the future the past year, in no time when you’re here.

00:37:11.460 –> 00:37:21.630 Joseph McElroy: And no time exists here it’s like everything exists at once, and you can enjoy it all, and you know if we’re super friendly with the guests, and we also have a five-acre.

00:37:22.290 –> 00:37:30.270 Joseph McElroy: green space along the creek if a guest wants to sit and do nothing next to a fire nobody’s going to bother them while they’re.

00:37:31.290 –> 00:37:40.320 Joseph McElroy: Doing nothing and just this past weekend I had a guest say that they forgot to check their phone for two days and.

00:37:41.790 –> 00:37:47.970 Joseph McElroy: I got really excited about it, it kind of startled them they’re like oh that makes me so happy like why I mean cuz you relax.

00:37:48.300 –> 00:38:06.090 Joseph McElroy: You know, this morning I said yeah I was, I was, I was sitting outside drinking beer and enjoying the snow as forgot to check this morning I got up, we have down here and I got up, I went out to the rise and shine Chamber commerce, which is actually pretty good.

00:38:07.380 –> 00:38:09.210 Joseph McElroy: a group of people, business people around here.

00:38:10.260 –> 00:38:20.490 Joseph McElroy: But they meet very informally and yeah I went to that and I did a couple of things and I was going to the coffee shop we’re going to be to look for the business person I realized.

00:38:20.910 –> 00:38:30.510 Joseph McElroy: I hadn’t had my phone for all-day all morning I had my phone and check my phone and the interest of my phone is like yeah I live in New York City I’m on my phone constantly.

00:38:33.210 –> 00:38:42.810 Joseph McElroy: Here it changes the structure of your day right exactly the structure of your existence gets changed and it’s very refreshing.

00:38:43.050 –> 00:38:50.130 Joseph McElroy: And you know people come here to make you value for a number of reasons, we have motorcyclist we have people that want to come, see the leaves and October.

00:38:50.820 –> 00:38:56.970 Joseph McElroy: We have people that come from weddings where people come just to get away from the heat and humidity and places like where I’m from Richmond.

00:38:57.300 –> 00:39:02.460 Joseph McElroy: come up here where it’s much cooler people come to ski and the snow they come from the mountain culture.

00:39:02.940 –> 00:39:12.810 Joseph McElroy: I think our job is twofold one provides them a nice comfortable place to stay that’s the fundamental basis of it, clean comfortable place to say treat them nicely.

00:39:13.290 –> 00:39:23.280 Joseph McElroy: But the next step, and what we’ve done here, and are still continuing to improve upon is a place for them to enjoy and relax while they’re here doing other things they’re doing yeah.

00:39:23.760 –> 00:39:30.480 Joseph McElroy: And then, when they leave and say the best part of my whole day was where was the bbq in the music and.

00:39:33.360 –> 00:39:36.600 Joseph McElroy: I’m doing that and we just hung around and fun yeah yeah.

00:39:37.980 –> 00:39:49.740 Joseph McElroy: excited about that well, what do you feel we’ve done something new or created a real speakeasy I had a basement area that hasn’t been to us, you and I collaborated we’ve created a real speakeasy.

00:39:51.000 –> 00:40:02.160 Joseph McElroy: In the Meadowlark motels what, what do you think about that what’s the vision for that oh I’m super excited about when it’s a beautiful little space we are handled bar Joseph’s artwork.

00:40:02.640 –> 00:40:13.620 Joseph McElroy: is in there very good artwork and a little story is I use I studied a lot at the classically from the nudes so I have a lot of paintings big paintings of nudes.

00:40:13.920 –> 00:40:26.700 Joseph McElroy: So we know these would be good for a speakeasy my wife was like yeah see who’s The co-designer of the experience here, and you see everything that visual here my wife has been heavily involved in making sure that it’s totally aesthetic.

00:40:27.390 –> 00:40:30.570 Joseph McElroy: But she was like well okay, but if you’re going to put nudes

00:40:34.380 –> 00:40:39.270 Joseph McElroy: You can’t lose I don’t want a man cave so we’ve also got male nudes on the wall

00:40:40.680 –> 00:40:48.300 Joseph McElroy: guests yeah we’ve been opened, it’s up on Fridays and Saturdays and basically, we were all music aficionados here you guys.

00:40:49.260 –> 00:40:59.580 Joseph McElroy: rock and roll star and you’ve been headed blues bar with some of the top people in the world and we curated just an incredible list of world music and but it’s just you know.

00:41:00.150 –> 00:41:13.800 Joseph McElroy: Typical night down there at this point is, people are out snow skiing they come back they’ve had dinner, they want to come down have a couple of beers we start playing some music and yo two Saturdays ago turned into a dance party this one.

00:41:15.030 –> 00:41:21.480 Joseph McElroy: Again, the place was designed to be a place that we enjoyed and wanted to hang out and we find that the guests to

00:41:21.720 –> 00:41:31.050 Joseph McElroy: yeah I would say that the essence of us in a lot of ways, is the music started right the musical under the place and we had that Bob was really great that recruiting some.

00:41:33.870 –> 00:41:46.470 Joseph McElroy: Great music Balsam Range Member playing Darren Nicholson and a few others here and yeah we’ve had world-class music here I mean that has been one of the greatest.

00:41:46.800 –> 00:41:53.670 Joseph McElroy: News sources of pride, I have is the world-class music, we now have, if I don’t say so myself world-class art.

00:41:55.080 –> 00:42:04.590 Joseph McElroy: I got things in museums accounts right yeah it’s been really like the art isn’t meant to be a fun key and something different, and Maggie Valleys a.

00:42:05.760 –> 00:42:09.300 Joseph McElroy: The local watering holes and Maggie Valley, or what I would kind of determine as.

00:42:10.260 –> 00:42:18.930 Joseph McElroy: Sports bars and one of them, I like to go to watch football and have a drink but it’s a sports bar a lot of TVs kind of loud basic menu and or.

00:42:19.530 –> 00:42:31.890 Joseph McElroy: restaurant bars, but no yeah not really any bar so we went to this will be a funky little bar yeah for people to hang out after a long day and yeah they don’t have to drive anywhere and I wanted.

00:42:34.770 –> 00:42:39.240 Joseph McElroy: Everything about heritage and every part of my from my childhood my growth and everything else but.

00:42:39.690 –> 00:42:45.330 Joseph McElroy: I wanted to bring a little bit of my New York experience here too yeah so it’s got that so we got like a little sliding thing for people to.

00:42:46.260 –> 00:42:54.660 Joseph McElroy: ask for permission to come in collecting but fine so we’re also creating a restaurant because to get lifted by the drinks North Carolina hotels got to have a restaurant.

00:42:54.960 –> 00:43:02.820 Joseph McElroy: So we’ve actually come up with the concept for a restaurant and you have a great experience with that what would you say is the vision that we’ve been talking about.

00:43:03.540 –> 00:43:12.240 Joseph McElroy: Well, I think you know we’re still flushing it out, I think we need more restaurants and Maggie Valley, we need more restaurants that serve past nine o’clock at night.

00:43:12.720 –> 00:43:16.860 Joseph McElroy: So there’s definitely demand there and certain people want to eat where they’re staying.

00:43:17.520 –> 00:43:32.280 Joseph McElroy: So we believe that demands there and we have the facility to do it, we have a kitchen we’re converting We already have a nice dining room right over behind us, but I think the food we want it to be accessible, we want to have dishes that.

00:43:35.520 –> 00:43:46.500 Joseph McElroy: altar but also to them, yes right thing that both Joseph and I are I characterize ourselves as good amateur cooks not chefs, yeah but we’re both food easy probably tell by looking at.

00:43:47.010 –> 00:43:52.500 Joseph McElroy: That we haven’t missed a whole lot of meals and we’ve eaten all over the world, and we want some interesting but not.

00:43:53.040 –> 00:44:01.800 Joseph McElroy: Not food, food, not complicated interesting good food that’s different once again a different offering but still that you’re comfortable and accessible.

00:44:02.160 –> 00:44:08.400 Joseph McElroy: yeah that’s the framework and we’re building the menu, I mean, I think that yeah we are, we know some really good line cups.

00:44:08.850 –> 00:44:15.540 Joseph McElroy: But what we’re gonna do is we’re you know it’s hard to get a chef to come to the real small motel in the mountains alright

00:44:15.870 –> 00:44:32.550 Joseph McElroy: But as he said, we know a lot of important we’re going to curate great recipes and then have really good natural cook people cook it right good ingredients and that’s the fun part is curating the menu, and once again just like we’re doing with the.

00:44:36.630 –> 00:44:41.550 Joseph McElroy: a menu that we think fits the place and customers like, but also that we like yeah yeah.

00:44:42.750 –> 00:44:52.980 Joseph McElroy: So we’re not In addition the restaurants were actually also arranging for Meadowlark to respond toMeadowlark design tours right.

00:44:53.490 –> 00:45:00.480 Joseph McElroy: And I know you haven’t been as much involved this yet, but I think you feel it is pretty important to have this kind of adventure, to offer people.

00:45:00.780 –> 00:45:05.460 Joseph McElroy: And a lot of them are going to be very comfortable tours like you’re gonna be able to see the mountains, particularly.

00:45:05.820 –> 00:45:10.710 Joseph McElroy: You have a van that’s going to drive exactly, but you have the opportunity to get out and enjoy it.

00:45:11.130 –> 00:45:21.900 Joseph McElroy: yeah we yeah because of where we’re at we have people come in and they want to do things in the area and we have other places that we recommend that tour companies, we have tour companies we’re partnering with but yeah.

00:45:22.500 –> 00:45:32.760 Joseph McElroy: one of the reasons I moved here is because this is one of them, I think, maybe the absolute best spot to ride a motorcycle and certainly on the east coast and maybe the whole United States yeah.

00:45:37.680 –> 00:45:48.990 Joseph McElroy: And you know I wanted for that, for our guests and walking tours and fishing tourists and make sure that we can actually really help them maximize the enjoyment, while they’re here and not just hope that they find something that suits them somewhere else.

00:45:49.410 –> 00:45:56.010 Joseph McElroy: Well, I mean we have we’re gonna come back and we have to take a break now where it comes back in a few minutes to talk about some of the.

00:45:56.280 –> 00:46:06.180 Joseph McElroy: motorcycle rides that you’ve been on because he’s a bit on all the motorcycle rides the world, and maybe we talk about some that you’ve done in this area and other road culture type things that you might want to talk.

00:48:08.280 –> 00:48:17.430 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Boyd Burton the manager of the Meadowlark Motel, So Boyd,

00:48:17.910 –> 00:48:33.660 Joseph McElroy: You know, we do a lot of adventure start from this area Maggie Valley, you know Meadowlark Motel Smoky Mountains yeah outdoor adventures, and one of the biggest things is road culture right yeah a lot of people come here to go.

00:48:36.390 –> 00:48:45.150 Joseph McElroy: the fact we have a motorcycle museum across the creek from us in our backyard that people go to so it’s an important part of you know what’s.

00:48:45.630 –> 00:48:52.770 Joseph McElroy: What happens in the mountains is you know, being able to travel and see so you’ve been all over the world, with the motorcycle riding right.

00:48:53.460 –> 00:49:02.400 Joseph McElroy: Some of the best rides at least in the country I have to say that this is the best right for my money the Northern Rockies.

00:49:02.880 –> 00:49:11.250 Joseph McElroy: Glacier National Park that area is maybe more spectacular, but in terms of mountain roads that are rideable and enjoyable on a motorcycle I think.

00:49:11.640 –> 00:49:18.060 Joseph McElroy: You know, really, this whole this section of Western North Carolina and then the similar sections of Southwestern Virginia.

00:49:18.630 –> 00:49:33.720 Joseph McElroy: I think is just I think they’re the best and I’ve got you to know pretty good I’ve been everywhere in the lower 48 riding right and then there are beautiful rods all over but you’ve got good writing weather eight months out of the year it’s not too hot in the summer we just.

00:49:37.170 –> 00:49:46.740 Joseph McElroy: The traffic’s not bad and there’s titan twisting our roads will spectacular views every direction the gas come in and go, you know, give me your favorite ride I jokingly say pick a direction and go uphill.

00:49:47.580 –> 00:49:58.950 Joseph McElroy: in every direction is upheld, by the way, we’re in a valley yeah and then a lot of famous rides a tail of the dragon and the rattler and sure house skyway all are within you know.

00:50:00.180 –> 00:50:06.720 Joseph McElroy: less than an hour yeah less than an hour, if you draw a circle, this is a great place to be base camp for motorcycles.

00:50:07.320 –> 00:50:15.660 Joseph McElroy: As a motorcyclist, I like to drink and have a beer, but I don’t like to do that and ride yeah so being able to come back somewhere like the Meadowlark and.

00:50:16.620 –> 00:50:33.390 Joseph McElroy: be able to hang out go anywhere else go anywhere is really important, we a lot of car shows here and it’s just a beautiful place to come for a ride yeah I mean road culture was a big part of Americana you know when we were identifying what our modern culture is and.

00:50:37.590 –> 00:50:42.540 Joseph McElroy: So you know Mountain Heritage and American road culture heritage are important.

00:50:42.900 –> 00:50:51.810 Joseph McElroy: You know aspects of it, and you know frankly road closures are perfect for the covid era right because you write it upright to your door you don’t have to interact with anybody if you’re worried.

00:50:52.200 –> 00:51:05.700 Joseph McElroy: Right, so I walk right in the door because it is a motel, and uh yeah we get some people have been coming up here for road vacations for 40 years yeah that new your grandmother, and your mother still ask of them yeah I know.

00:51:06.840 –> 00:51:21.060 Joseph McElroy: That makes me feel good you connected to something real that’s been here for a few generations, we have about 1974 Meadowlark sign backlit down the Speakeasy that I think is a nice reminder of that the history of the place.

00:51:22.080 –> 00:51:28.830 Joseph McElroy: So what are some upcoming things that you’re looking forward to hearing well really the spring, for us, is about.

00:51:30.120 –> 00:51:34.260 Joseph McElroy: Getting the restaurant open and getting the full ABC.

00:51:37.260 –> 00:51:42.210 Joseph McElroy: We have lots of events coming up recycle groups and car groups and.

00:51:42.660 –> 00:51:54.750 Joseph McElroy: wedding parties so really getting ready for spring and the next step for us as a full restaurant and full bar environment to go along with the pavilion and what we’ve done this year it’s additive to it, and this is more opportunity to.

00:51:55.140 –> 00:52:05.250 Joseph McElroy: host and be hospitable and enjoy you know the company of our clients it’s a lot of work we’ve got a lot to do in the next 90 days to be ready for spring but we’re.

00:52:05.850 –> 00:52:12.930 Joseph McElroy: we’re on track I’m pretty proud that you know when you think about it when we open the when the summer comes we’re going to have.

00:52:13.500 –> 00:52:21.720 Joseph McElroy: him, do you not only get your experience to come to stay in a nice place and sleep, you know to go to take your ventures all over when you come back you got.

00:52:23.070 –> 00:52:34.680 Joseph McElroy: A restaurant, this will be mountain parodies inspired you’re gonna have a speakeasy you have a pavilion that’s them live music Barbecue you have a really nice pool environment where you can.

00:52:37.590 –> 00:52:49.200 Joseph McElroy: tie this huge recreation purpose so mountain heritage trout stream, you can fish in the children to learn a lot and also tube in the water, so it’s pretty exciting.

00:52:50.220 –> 00:52:52.410 about what we were creating here.

00:52:54.210 –> 00:52:59.670 Joseph McElroy: So what where do people find out more about you right.

00:53:01.350 –> 00:53:16.260 Joseph McElroy: Well, as part of that getting away from it all thing I came to the mountains, I actually decided to I had a pretty big social media presence related to historic to music and historic preservation and part of my semi-retirement were to get away from that.

00:53:17.400 –> 00:53:34.530 Joseph McElroy: But I now connect you know connecting back in through things like this podcast and our website and the smokies adventure, so I can go to our website and use the contact for sure we’d love to look for ideas for music and then also our for.

00:53:37.890 –> 00:53:45.870 Joseph McElroy: So can come into booking agencies or book directly through our site, you also can pick up the phone and call and you will get myself, Amanda, Kate.

00:53:46.170 –> 00:53:52.770 Joseph McElroy: We will do our very best to help you on the phone and talk to any questions you have been booked the room old style and also things like tours and exactly.

00:53:53.130 –> 00:54:02.880 Joseph McElroy: yeah that’s really cool it’s like family, you know family-run place done if you know corporate efficiency, but without the near of.

00:54:03.360 –> 00:54:12.360 Joseph McElroy: That corporate dryness it’s all about you know, being the family, yeah we’re here enjoying the place, so we hope people will come to enjoy it with us yeah I think so.

00:54:12.750 –> 00:54:28.680 Joseph McElroy: So the site is meadowlarkmotel.com, yes, we have a couple of Facebook pages, we have the Facebook page for the meadowlark motel but we also have a Facebook page for the Meadowlark smoky mountain heritage Center so you can just search for both those right.

00:54:30.000 –> 00:54:35.250 Joseph McElroy: You need to contact form on our website to get to both me and Anvil.

00:54:38.610 –> 00:54:47.220 Joseph McElroy: make suggestions or recommend music, you know always open to ideas that fit within and this now boy, thank you for being on the show oh it’s my pleasure.

00:54:47.520 –> 00:54:55.440 Joseph McElroy: Nice enjoyed the time and he did it out of the goodness of his heart it’s not like yeah it’s a motel or anything now, this is a Labor of love.

00:54:56.550 –> 00:55:05.400 Joseph McElroy: And I fell in love with the place and so we’re part of the talkradio.nycnetwork and

00:55:05.910 –> 00:55:17.580 Joseph McElroy: This podcast appears every Tuesday from six to seven on that network, I recommend you investigate the little I podcast on this network there are some great ones from self-help to

00:55:17.970 –> 00:55:30.270 Joseph McElroy: You know, to business to other travel destinations, you know there’s a great one on the work that you have to explore and you know I live in New York, as well as live I live in two places at once, somehow, but I’m here.

00:55:30.630 –> 00:55:35.700 Joseph McElroy: You know, constantly because I’m really dedicated passionate about this, but I have a family.

00:55:39.300 –> 00:55:42.000 Joseph McElroy: Through your parents, I’m involved with that as well

00:55:43.200 –> 00:55:53.610 Joseph McElroy: You can with this we are, we have the podcast also smokiesadventure.com, you can click on a link at the top of take you to all the previous podcasts.

00:55:54.810 –> 00:55:58.620 Joseph McElroy: As well as links to interesting information related to the podcast.

00:55:59.700 –> 00:56:11.700 Joseph McElroy: We, have a Facebook page it’s a gateway to the smokies podcast on Facebook, which I recommend highly that you take a look at.

00:56:13.080 –> 00:56:18.330 Joseph McElroy: Where there are the live feeds are going on all the time, and we also have good conversations.

00:56:19.350 –> 00:56:32.250 Joseph McElroy: smokies adventure is a great website for you to visit it’s related to what we’re doing but it runs independently, it provides lots of information about.

00:56:33.390 –> 00:56:35.910 Joseph McElroy: You know, visiting the smokies where to stay what.

00:56:38.910 –> 00:56:46.560 Joseph McElroy: Part of books and trail guide and explanations about what to do in your outdoor adventures of the smokies.

00:56:47.280 –> 00:56:55.290 Joseph McElroy: And then the Meadowlark motel we have a great site that also has a lot of interesting shopping we just introduced a tin cup that’s become very popular.

00:56:55.590 –> 00:57:04.620 Joseph McElroy: And my wife sourced it and she came up with the idea that, basically, says the on the outside of the cup you drink out of this TIM coffee cup and it says.

00:57:06.240 –> 00:57:07.590 Joseph McElroy: This might be moonshine

00:57:09.810 –> 00:57:19.530 Joseph McElroy: we’re loving that so I recommend you go to our website look at that we got some good T-shirts and things like that, as well and we’re going to be introducing a Heritage club.

00:57:19.980 –> 00:57:35.970 Joseph McElroy: it’s more focused on regional and local people to be able to come on a regular basis we’re going to be doing things like we’re naming some of the rooms with when we’re doing sort of museum quality, you know installations in the rooms of pictures in history, the first one to be the.

00:57:39.570 –> 00:57:43.350 Joseph McElroy: legendary women of the smaller craft room mountain crafts room.

00:57:44.670 –> 00:57:53.250 Joseph McElroy: And we have openings in these rooms it’s going to have you know a lot of discussions about the art history related we’re also going to be doing.

00:57:54.090 –> 00:58:08.250 Joseph McElroy: A series of mountain cultures with books and authors that have written things about the mountain, so we look forward to you coming and visiting us and listening to this to gateway the smokies and thank you all for being here and see you next week.

GUEST: Nancy East

In this episode, you will learn about some hiking trails and trips in Haywood County. Nancy will share with us some of her favorite regional hiking trails, from easy to strenuous. You'll also hear about her memorable tourism experiences, and she'll give us suggestions for the best places to visit in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Our special guest, Nancy East, is a renowned Author, Program Director, Outdoor Survivalist, and Search and Rescue Expert, as well as a Record-setting Distance Hiker. A former Veterinarian, Nancy has hiked and led seminars and programs all over the United States, but her favorite trails are near her Haywood County home in the Great Smoky Mountains. 

https://www.hopeandfeathertravels.com/

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Segment 1

In today’s episode Joseph and his guest, renowned Author and Outdoor Survivalist, Nancy East, talk about things for families to do. The first place Joseph begins talking about is down in North Carolina called the Cataloochee Ski Resort which is one of Joseph’s family's favorite places to visit. Joseph talks about a few other places that he and his family enjoy visiting including a few foodie towns and some restaurants that serve what he calls “mountain heritage food.” Nancy begins to talk about how she ended up in Haywood County where she has been for twenty years now. 

Segment 2

At the beginning of the second segment Nancy talks about what drew her to Haywood County, and she talks about how she loves the natural beauty and the strong community. Nancy begins talking about one of her rescue stories in a crazy snowstorm, and how she and her team serve by saving others in some dangerous endeavors. Nancy begins talking about how she raised her kids to learn safety protocols whether that be skiing, dressing correctly, or using the proper equipment so that they won’t ever be in harm; in the same way she tells others to be cautious when they are planning a trip so that they will always have the right equipment as well.

Segment 3

Joseph and Nancy begin talking about how to keep little kids engaged when they are on an adventure, and Nancy has some great ideas from her years of experience, such as a scavenger hunt, or using electronics to learn compass and mathematics. There are also some great places for you to take your children to hike such as Flat Creek and Big Creek; they are one-way hikes which makes it super easy for the whole family. Nancy says that kids love water so any trail with a creek or a waterfall will keep the kids occupied. Nancy talks about a term she used in her book called Nature Deficit Disorder where Nancy explains that parents these days are so afraid of the woods. Nancy is aware that electronics are used more than outdoor time is allotted, but she isn’t fond of this, and definitely is a firm believer in the outdoors. At the end of this segment, Joseph and Nancy begin talking about her book, Chasing the Smokies Moon. 

Segment 4

At the beginning of the last segment, Nancy and Joseph talk about their memorable moments in the Smokies. One of Nancy’s first experiences was backpacking around the Smokies which she chose to do instead of getting a hotel, and this showed her how much she loves the outdoors, nature, and being in the mountains. These experiences that Joseph and Nancy are talking about, Joseph refers to them as “flashable memory experiences.” There are so many treasures to see in the mountains, and Joseph and Nancy both agree that there are breathtaking things to do and to see in all of these mountain resorts they talk about today.

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00:02:53.370 –> 00:02:54.240 Joseph McElroy: howdy.

00:02:54.330 –> 00:03:04.710 Joseph McElroy: Thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the Smokies, this is the second season of this podcast which focuses on life, culture, and tourism.

00:03:05.070 –> 00:03:14.190 Joseph McElroy: In America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park in the surrounding towns, this area is filled with ancient natural beauty.

00:03:14.580 –> 00:03:21.600 Joseph McElroy: A deep-storied history of stunning adventures and rich mountain cultures that we will explore with weekly episodes.

00:03:22.080 –> 00:03:33.930 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family lived in the great smokies for over 200 years my business is in travel but my heart is in culture.

00:03:35.490 –> 00:03:43.140 Joseph McElroy: In today’s podcast we’re talking about family adventures and outdoor experiences in the smokies, but first, let’s talk about our sponsors.

00:03:43.650 –> 00:03:52.860 Joseph McElroy: Meadowlark Motel imagine a place evocative motor courts of the past, yet moderate and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian feel.

00:03:53.490 –> 00:04:06.120 Joseph McElroy: a place for adventure and relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine and craft beers.

00:04:06.630 –> 00:04:24.930 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of old-time music and world cultural sounds imagine a place with mountain heritage, food, and underground speakeasy there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:04:26.610 –> 00:04:31.380 Joseph McElroy: Another sponsor is smokies adventure.com that’s smokies plural adventure.

00:04:32.160 –> 00:04:42.960 Joseph McElroy: singular.com is a site for information and listings about the smokies hiking information wedding venues, books, trail maps resources.

00:04:43.260 –> 00:04:55.650 Joseph McElroy: The emphasis of smokies adventures on outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, along with providing information on lodging family entertainment events conventions honeymoons, and more.

00:04:56.190 –> 00:05:01.290 Joseph McElroy: The goal of this site and its becoming, that is, become the leading information portal of the smoky mountains.

00:05:03.030 –> 00:05:13.590 Joseph McElroy: So we’re talking about family today and I have three-year-old twins and so we’ve experienced some things to do in the mountains with family and I thought I mentioned a few of the things that we do.

00:05:15.720 –> 00:05:30.180 Joseph McElroy: I don’t know if you know it, but North Carolina has the southernmost ski resort in the nation it’s a Cataloochee ski resort and there you can go skiing and snowboarding from essentially the end of November, until March.

00:05:31.680 –> 00:05:38.370 Joseph McElroy: And it’s it has a fairly lengthy snow season and also manufacturers its own so snow.

00:05:39.660 –> 00:05:51.000 Joseph McElroy: And the slopes are very good for beginners 44% of them are for beginners so that’s great for families to go to and in 39% intermediate so there’s very little advanced.

00:05:51.930 –> 00:06:01.710 Joseph McElroy: But there’s enough for one family member to go to the advanced stuff and then the rest of the family goes to the intermediate and basic stuff and they got great.

00:06:02.340 –> 00:06:13.020 Joseph McElroy: classes in the fact I took classes there when I was a kid and private lessons if you want and there’s also snowboarding up there, in fact, there’s great snowboarding sharp.

00:06:13.530 –> 00:06:28.980 Joseph McElroy: snowboarding shop at the foot of the hills recently, one of the X Games Gold Medal of gold medal winners was a snowboarder from Waynesville North Carolina to spend a lot of his time training on Cataloochee

00:06:29.340 –> 00:06:43.110 Joseph McElroy: So it’s a great place to go for winter adventures now at the bottom in the mountain right in Maggie itself is snow, to me, and they manufacturer the kitty slope of.

00:06:44.670 –> 00:06:57.390 Joseph McElroy: snow and kids can go up there and have just an incredibly fun time so let’s see sliding down on tubes almost the whole winter season is great for the entire family because they got these giant tubes that I could sit on.

00:06:58.710 –> 00:07:02.820 Joseph McElroy: And I’m a pretty big dude so it’s an unforgettable experience.

00:07:03.870 –> 00:07:07.980 Joseph McElroy: And you should book a time before you go, because it can get crowded, especially on the.

00:07:08.520 –> 00:07:19.830 Joseph McElroy: On the weekend now don’t forget to go winter hiking and smokies there are a lot of easy hikes you can look up online and they are sure our guests coming up, you mentioned a few but.

00:07:20.760 –> 00:07:32.070 Joseph McElroy: the beauty of hiking in the mountains as a couple in the winter is a couple one is it it’s not crowded like it is during the spring and summer in the fall.

00:07:32.550 –> 00:07:40.470 Joseph McElroy: And so you don’t have to deal with a lot of crowds but to is you might think losing all the leaves is a detriment, but.

00:07:40.770 –> 00:07:54.540 Joseph McElroy: What you get when you lose all the leaves his views you give incredible vistas that you get to look at and see so it’s something that you don’t get any other time of the year is this vast vista that you can see.

00:07:55.050 –> 00:08:15.180 Joseph McElroy: So it’s a great time to come up, it can be very safe, and you know and some of those waterfalls get ice on them that just make them dazzling frozen spectacles, and now you can also find museums in the mountains and there are some great ones, I personally went.

00:08:16.830 –> 00:08:22.200 Joseph McElroy: With the cred the new museum of the Cherokee Indian a few years back, I went there and I was dumbfounded.

00:08:22.590 –> 00:08:31.620 Joseph McElroy: They had a hologram which doctor that followed you through the whole presentation every exhibition is holograms show up, and it was just.

00:08:31.980 –> 00:08:49.200 Joseph McElroy: Incredibly, engaging and it’s just it’s a really beautiful elegant experience explaining a lot of the Cherokee culture that I just can’t recommend highly more highly enough, and they have, there are also lots of arts and crafts there’s actually a big.

00:08:50.280 –> 00:09:03.780 Joseph McElroy: You know sort of facility near next right across from the museum that has lots of native American Cherokee Indian crafts, especially mask incredibly number of mass and I love that place.

00:09:04.860 –> 00:09:11.040 Joseph McElroy: You can also, the Meadowlark motels and actually put into Meadowlark smoky mountain Heritage Center where we have.

00:09:11.400 –> 00:09:18.000 Joseph McElroy: A little we have exhibits on like the Plott hound and the State dog North Carolina we’re actually installing.

00:09:18.990 –> 00:09:29.700 Joseph McElroy: regularly new exhibits right now we’re installing one for called them moonshine room and we’ll have openings for people to see you know the history of moonshiners in the mountains.

00:09:30.420 –> 00:09:35.310 Joseph McElroy: In a way, maybe you haven’t seen before, so, and of course the Asheville museum.

00:09:36.120 –> 00:09:51.780 Joseph McElroy: there are museums in Gatlinburg in Pigeon Forge so it’s and there’s lots of great art, you know the Asheville area was immersive arts, for most of its time and said some great writers great artists, you know the black mountain school with.

00:09:52.830 –> 00:09:54.120 Joseph McElroy: Jake about bears and.

00:09:55.470 –> 00:10:02.310 Joseph McElroy: Rauschenberg and those others of that period, all work the black mountain school and it was incredible.

00:10:04.110 –> 00:10:13.950 Joseph McElroy: Speaking Asheville is a foodie town, and I could recommend restaurants galore in Asheville is, I think one of the top three towns in North Carolina may be in the eastern seaboard.

00:10:15.150 –> 00:10:23.280 Joseph McElroy: And you can go there, but in terms of things in the area, Silva has some great little restaurants Gulu pays is fabulous.

00:10:24.360 –> 00:10:34.770 Joseph McElroy: Mexican restaurant Silva Waynesville have some really good ones like sweet onion or they have one of the top 10 Barbecue joints in the nation according to the really recent magazine.

00:10:35.010 –> 00:10:40.920 Joseph McElroy: called Hazelwood smokehouse, of course, Maggie Valley, we have a wonderful family restaurant called J Arthur’s.

00:10:41.280 –> 00:10:52.800 Joseph McElroy: It from its get-go over 40 years ago the earth was a family-oriented steakhouse where fathers could get a steaks kid could get good food that appeals to them moms could get a great big.

00:10:53.190 –> 00:11:01.650 Joseph McElroy: Famous gorgonzola salad if she wanted, but they also serve fabulous rainbow trout there’s a great Barbecue place in Maggie called POPs but on the creek.

00:11:02.970 –> 00:11:18.930 Joseph McElroy: And it’s just fabulous, of course, the Meadowlark is opening upstarts and crafts that’ll be coming soon and it’s gonna be a small place but focusing on a different take a mountain heritage food so look forward to that.

00:11:20.190 –> 00:11:28.680 Joseph McElroy: Other places to go and in the mountains is there’s a lot of greats shopping and there’s a Christmas shop.

00:11:29.010 –> 00:11:44.070 Joseph McElroy: You know there’s a there’s one called Nancy touch Christmas shop, but of course, in Maggie, we have a wonderful one called cabbage rose is very unique and it’s got an eclectic shopping Center I think it has over 2000 square feet of Christmas.

00:11:45.630 –> 00:11:53.520 Joseph McElroy: Experience and you know and displays and mannequins and trains and moving parts and things like that.

00:11:53.850 –> 00:12:07.560 Joseph McElroy: So don’t forget that also I really love and recommend people go to the Maggie Valley rock and rock shop and Jim mine is really great for kids I get to see all these colorful stones and you know and experiences.

00:12:08.310 –> 00:12:13.500 Joseph McElroy: That, I think, is worthwhile and of course, there’s the market square in Maggie Valley, it has a lot of.

00:12:13.920 –> 00:12:21.990 Joseph McElroy: gift shops that are got a lot of one of a kind things, and then the beginning of Maggie there’s a mountain now you mountain near crafts, which is.

00:12:22.500 –> 00:12:34.560 Joseph McElroy: Which is a is an institution in Maggie valley been there for 10,000 years and it’s just a wonderful place to take kids because there are all sorts of wonderful gifts and toys that kids can enjoy.

00:12:35.280 –> 00:12:39.690 Joseph McElroy: So anyway, some ideas about what you can do in Maggie valley there’s a lot more.

00:12:40.140 –> 00:12:50.160 Joseph McElroy: You can just search online ago family things to do in the mountains, you can find there are all sorts of amusement parks you got you got the polar express, which is railroads.

00:12:50.850 –> 00:13:00.450 Joseph McElroy: there are still some amusement parks like Sanchez land, of course, over and the gap that in Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge area there’s a tremendous thing like Dollywood and.

00:13:01.260 –> 00:13:09.840 Joseph McElroy: Things like that and worthwhile taking them kids and family to in general, you know you know if you go up in the cage cove and go look at the elk.

00:13:10.260 –> 00:13:16.050 Joseph McElroy: and take the kids up there there are things to do, besides just seeing the elks which blow them away but there are old buildings.

00:13:16.320 –> 00:13:24.180 Joseph McElroy: There streams there are things that just will tickle their imagination, even a three-year-old, we took him up there, and they were engaged the whole time.

00:13:24.990 –> 00:13:35.850 Joseph McElroy: So anyway person who might know about a lot of this is our guest Nancy East, Nancy is a renowned author hiker, and outdoor educator.

00:13:36.270 –> 00:13:42.840 Joseph McElroy: A former veterinarian, not Nancy is hiked and leads seminars and programs all over the United States.

00:13:43.290 –> 00:13:54.210 Joseph McElroy: But our favorite trails are near her Haywood County home in the great smoky mountains, where she holds the fastest known time for hiking over 900 miles of all the trails.

00:13:54.630 –> 00:14:05.940 Joseph McElroy: In the smoky mountain National Park, she has an outdoors blog where she writes about the outdoors and what are the possible adventures with children in the wilderness Hello Nancy.

00:14:06.390 –> 00:14:08.370 Nancy Mercure East: hey there glad to be here.

00:14:08.670 –> 00:14:22.530 Joseph McElroy: I’m glad you’re here, so I like one of your quotes that I saw that although all you’re not a native and Haywood county you got here as fast as he could and now resided here for over 20 years.

00:14:22.620 –> 00:14:23.790 Nancy Mercure East: I have something.

00:14:24.060 –> 00:14:25.410 Joseph McElroy: To where were you before.

00:14:25.860 –> 00:14:34.770 Nancy Mercure East: Atlanta so definitely a big departure from where I grew up but I welcome change I think I’ve always been a country girl at heart, who just happened to grow up in a city.

00:14:35.730 –> 00:14:39.330 Joseph McElroy: and your What was your skills and professional background in Atlanta.

00:14:39.960 –> 00:14:49.590 Nancy Mercure East: yeah so I went to high school, they are graduated from high school and I headed over to Alabama lived there for about eight years, while I was an undergraduate and veterinary school.

00:14:49.800 –> 00:14:59.580 Nancy Mercure East: And then I was lucky enough to land my first job right here in Waynesville downtown Waynesville and I’ve never left it’s always been home since and it’s where I’ve raised my family.

00:14:59.880 –> 00:15:04.950 Joseph McElroy: Great it’s a great place to live raise a family so that’s why you’re Haywood county that’s fabulous.

00:15:05.100 –> 00:15:17.550 Joseph McElroy: yeah well um, we have to take a break now, I guess, I was long-winded on that first stuff so I want to talk about so you know what you learned about the region and then there’s some recent news we got to talk about.

00:15:17.640 –> 00:15:19.710 Nancy Mercure East: Alright sounds good.

00:17:34.800 –> 00:17:41.550 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and my guest Nancy East

00:17:42.570 –> 00:17:57.030 Joseph McElroy: So Nancy you came to the Haywood County and got raise your family, and you know to build a life here what’s, the most important thing you’ve learned about this real region, and so what it what are some of the qualities you enjoy the most.

00:17:57.600 –> 00:18:07.080 Nancy Mercure East: yeah gosh that’s a great question so anything’s to answer that one that we will what brought me here undeniably was just the natural beauty.

00:18:07.800 –> 00:18:15.990 Nancy Mercure East: It was just to me almost an unfounded treasure at the time, you know Wayne’s world has grown I’m sure as you’ve seen all your life, but just in the.

00:18:16.290 –> 00:18:24.900 Nancy Mercure East: Nearly 25 years that I’ve been here to it has grown exponentially, as far as just a minute ease and services and just people but.

00:18:25.470 –> 00:18:36.150 Nancy Mercure East: The people are what makes it so special to I love the sense of community I love raising my family here and having you know, a tight network of friends, but then a broader base.

00:18:36.420 –> 00:18:41.250 Nancy Mercure East: of just Community contacts everybody seems to want to help each other in Waynesville and.

00:18:41.550 –> 00:18:54.300 Nancy Mercure East: That means a lot, you know it’s hard to find that I think sometimes in a big city it’s a little harder to seek out and find anyway, so it felt like an instant connection when I moved here in that regard and has never let me down.

00:18:55.260 –> 00:19:01.440 Joseph McElroy: You know, when I grew up that I mean that was always the mountain hospitality or something we’re always proud of yeah.

00:19:02.400 –> 00:19:14.700 Joseph McElroy: Always there’d be a hitchhiker coming in the mountains and then my dad would stop and pick him up many times you find out there were students from somewhere like in German student once we put them up in a camper that we had on the property.

00:19:14.910 –> 00:19:17.910 Joseph McElroy: yeah it was like yeah that was important to just.

00:19:18.390 –> 00:19:19.470 Joseph McElroy: Be hospitable.

00:19:19.530 –> 00:19:21.870 Joseph McElroy: Right, I guess it runs in my blood that’s why I’m on.

00:19:22.050 –> 00:19:23.460 Joseph McElroy: hospitality guy now.

00:19:24.420 –> 00:19:25.710 Nancy Mercure East: There you go very fitting.

00:19:26.730 –> 00:19:38.040 Joseph McElroy: So you’re on the search and rescue team for Haywood County and there is some recent news that made the papers that were what a recent.

00:19:39.150 –> 00:19:44.430 Joseph McElroy: hiker got lost in the region snowstorm and shining rock Miller scenario.

00:19:44.610 –> 00:19:50.670 Nancy Mercure East: yeah yeah that was quite an interesting search, it was the day that the snow came in, you know the heavy snow we had.

00:19:50.670 –> 00:19:56.460 Nancy Mercure East: Last area yeah and I honestly I was walking back from my bedroom into the kitchen.

00:19:56.790 –> 00:20:04.470 Nancy Mercure East: And my husband said, you have a call out your phone just we have an alert that goes off on our phones and I really thought he was playing a prank I said yeah right he said no seriously you.

00:20:05.400 –> 00:20:10.260 Nancy Mercure East: And even still I thought this has got to be a practical joke nobody’s out in this weather, but they were.

00:20:10.650 –> 00:20:20.490 Nancy Mercure East: And it was a hiker or a backpacker rather who was hiking the art low trail, which is you know, is about a 30-mile trail that traverses through the shining rock wilderness.

00:20:20.910 –> 00:20:31.080 Nancy Mercure East: And that’s about when he called 911 was when he was upon the highest point near black balsam tenant mountain You know, as you know about 6000 feet in elevation.

00:20:31.440 –> 00:20:38.220 Nancy Mercure East: And he was standing, probably in about a foot of snow at that point and was in over his head as far as skillset gear.

00:20:38.580 –> 00:20:53.070 Nancy Mercure East: The whole bit he just didn’t check the weather, it was an innocent mistake that you would not believe, how many people may before they head into our hills and so he did the right thing, I applaud him for doing the right thing and calling for help because that’s what we’re here for.

00:20:54.150 –> 00:20:56.190 Joseph McElroy: fabulous but you guys breastfeed him right.

00:20:56.220 –> 00:20:58.770 Joseph McElroy: yeah your picture was in the paper I.

00:20:58.770 –> 00:20:59.760 Joseph McElroy: saw you right there.

00:21:00.180 –> 00:21:12.180 Nancy Mercure East: Was yeah so yeah we won’t do it on snowshoes and yeah that’s not that quick selfie of our team and yeah that thing just it’s been all over the nation, now it got a lot of media attention, for whatever reason, it was a fun picture.

00:21:12.930 –> 00:21:19.980 Joseph McElroy: So you knew the hiker personally he was a guest that he was like the father of somebody that’s a friend, with your kids or something like that.

00:21:20.310 –> 00:21:22.590 Nancy Mercure East: No, no, I didn’t know this particular hiker.

00:21:22.590 –> 00:21:23.790 Nancy Mercure East: I really because you were.

00:21:23.790 –> 00:21:33.030 Joseph McElroy: quoted as saying it fuels my fire to keep going out there for him, all I have to do is just look at my husband, the bed next to me and think it could be him out there.

00:21:33.390 –> 00:21:35.490 Joseph McElroy: because somebody that somebody love.

00:21:35.520 –> 00:21:37.020 Nancy Mercure East: dearly yeah.

00:21:37.380 –> 00:21:40.530 Joseph McElroy: I think that’s what drives us all, but what he didn’t know him.

00:21:40.650 –> 00:21:49.230 Nancy Mercure East: I did not know him but yeah to your point, though that’s all I have to do is to think of my child or my husband or my sister’s brothers anybody that I love dearly.

00:21:49.530 –> 00:21:55.950 Nancy Mercure East: Being the one that we’re going to help and it’s all I have to do to drop everything, even when it’s you know risking my own.

00:21:56.760 –> 00:22:06.180 Nancy Mercure East: You know, safety in the endeavor and that’s I think how our whole team feels you know we’d love to be outdoors we’re not going to lie we kind of enjoy getting called out in some of these crazy experiences, but.

00:22:06.480 –> 00:22:13.290 Nancy Mercure East: At the same time, what drives it for us over and over and over is the love of helping other people, you know just.

00:22:14.370 –> 00:22:16.290 Joseph McElroy: empathy for the family of the last.

00:22:16.290 –> 00:22:17.400 Joseph McElroy: that drives you right.

00:22:17.430 –> 00:22:18.510 Nancy Mercure East: Absolutely yep.

00:22:18.990 –> 00:22:23.520 Joseph McElroy: cool so as a father of three-year-olds I’m very interesting.

00:22:24.840 –> 00:22:30.330 Joseph McElroy: very interested in that family and do that and all the aspects of the family, you write about on your blog.

00:22:30.810 –> 00:22:35.460 Joseph McElroy: And I’m interested in having a great experience outdoor and I read on your website.

00:22:35.880 –> 00:22:43.860 Joseph McElroy: I’m an avid believer and Richard loves principles outline is popular book last child in the woods curing nature deficit disorder.

00:22:44.310 –> 00:22:58.260 Joseph McElroy: My goal is apparent is to raise my kids as stewards of the earth and with an understanding of how vital the natural world is for the mental health of happiness So how do you start teaching kids to be stewards of the earth and understanding the importance of the natural world.

00:22:59.160 –> 00:23:08.610 Nancy Mercure East: yeah So for me and for everybody that looks differently, but for me personally just from a young age, even as infants, it meant something as simple as.

00:23:08.880 –> 00:23:16.770 Nancy Mercure East: rocking my babies out on my front porch when the weather was nice or even when it wasn’t bundling them up, so we were prepared for those conditions and.

00:23:17.100 –> 00:23:27.660 Nancy Mercure East: just getting them outdoors and not being scared to face certain elements as long as we are prepared to instill that confidence in them from an early age really to.

00:23:28.320 –> 00:23:38.250 Nancy Mercure East: get to the zero such things as bad weather just improper clothing and gear are kind of my mantra and it’s I think a Swedish proverb that that comes from that says it much more eloquently than that but.

00:23:38.550 –> 00:23:44.490 Nancy Mercure East: Just from yeah their infancy I’ve really just tried to expose them to as many opportunities as I can, through.

00:23:44.790 –> 00:23:52.680 Nancy Mercure East: hiking backpacking skiing we’re very outdoorsy as a family, so, whatever their energy wants to be channeled into.

00:23:52.920 –> 00:24:02.070 Nancy Mercure East: We seize on that and just take advantage of it and it changes all our kids are teenagers now so it’s a completely different realm than what you’re in and he tells you it’s not going to get any easier, but.

00:24:04.500 –> 00:24:12.360 Joseph McElroy: I keep seeing these tik tok videos and videos of three years old skiing down the mountains like it’s nothing how likely it is I’m gonna be able to teach back its.

00:24:14.220 –> 00:24:14.700 Joseph McElroy: Old.

00:24:15.870 –> 00:24:25.620 Nancy Mercure East: yeah I’m not a skier so my husband’s on ski patrol in Cataloochee actually so yeah so where they’re well versed in skiing but their mom I would rather cross country ski if I’m going to ski.

00:24:25.950 –> 00:24:26.910 Joseph McElroy: OK cool.

00:24:27.690 –> 00:24:38.070 Joseph McElroy: So if, as a parent, I’m worried about taking my children out in the wilderness, what is the best advice you can give me to keep my children, safe and not last.

00:24:38.460 –> 00:24:52.890 Nancy Mercure East: Oh, I love this question prepare yourself don’t ever forget to pack, you know really what’s between your ears your brain that most importantly, but fill that brain up with the knowledge, you need to stay safe, most importantly.

00:24:53.460 –> 00:25:02.190 Nancy Mercure East: Think almost in a negative fashion before setting out and think what could go wrong, what if somebody gets injured and we can’t walk out and have to wait out help.

00:25:02.490 –> 00:25:11.370 Nancy Mercure East: What kind of weather is going to come our way in the next few days that’s a very common mistake, just like the backpacker and shining rock did not check the weather forecast beyond the day of their height.

00:25:11.820 –> 00:25:18.510 Nancy Mercure East: And then, all of a sudden they’re stuck in a snowstorm or drench will rain without the proper gear to endure that or clothing.

00:25:19.110 –> 00:25:24.750 Nancy Mercure East: So just empower yourself with knowledge, but also and it’s all on my website if people want to look it up.

00:25:25.230 –> 00:25:30.750 Nancy Mercure East: carry those 10 essentials it’s a very common kind of a buzz phrase in hiking and mountaineering

00:25:31.050 –> 00:25:38.640 Nancy Mercure East: These 10 essentials and they don’t have to weigh you down you don’t have to feel like a pack mule but it’s just basic things that will keep you safe.

00:25:38.880 –> 00:25:49.170 Nancy Mercure East: Should you need it and also might just enhance your experience, even if you’re not in an emergency situation if you just want to have a fire in a back country campsite while you enjoy your lunch or whatnot.

00:25:49.710 –> 00:26:03.600 Nancy Mercure East: You know, having those fire-making materials is a good thing to have for that, too, so not a big deal to do all these things, but people tend to think just don’t know what they don’t know and then they go out and realize what they don’t know when they need it, the most.

00:26:04.230 –> 00:26:19.380 Joseph McElroy: We know when I take them into a city Park, you know kids parks it’s like Oh, maybe 100 feet long 50 feet wide got some swings and things like that I have two three-year-olds right and it luckily, it has a.

00:26:20.370 –> 00:26:26.490 Joseph McElroy: fence, all the way around it, but I can what I’m them can distract me from maybe one second.

00:26:27.030 –> 00:26:31.230 Joseph McElroy: And then I’ve lost the other one now what would that be a big problem if I take them out.

00:26:33.300 –> 00:26:34.530 Nancy Mercure East: You might want to leave.

00:26:37.050 –> 00:26:41.160 Nancy Mercure East: No, but seriously, you know yours are kind of on the cusp of understanding.

00:26:41.730 –> 00:26:49.290 Nancy Mercure East: What could happen if they run off for mom and dad, but it is important, even from their ages and especially as they get older to really instill.

00:26:49.530 –> 00:27:00.720 Nancy Mercure East: Just some basic safety measures if, for some reason they did get separated from you, you know there’s the old boy scout adage of just hug a tree and that’s a good thing to teach a kid just to stay good.

00:27:00.960 –> 00:27:01.860 Nancy Mercure East: yeah yeah.

00:27:02.400 –> 00:27:06.720 Nancy Mercure East: that’s you know you don’t want to make kids think about too many things if they get lost but.

00:27:07.020 –> 00:27:17.370 Nancy Mercure East: I do one thing I used to do for my kids when they were younger and could read packed a little note I did make them carry their own backpack with just a few basic things like a warm coat.

00:27:17.730 –> 00:27:22.380 Nancy Mercure East: Ring gear that type of thing if they do get separated from me they at least had some basic survival.

00:27:22.980 –> 00:27:30.240 Nancy Mercure East: clothing items that they could put on, but I also stuck a note in there and just wrote down little bullet points of what they should do because.

00:27:30.450 –> 00:27:40.200 Nancy Mercure East: As you know, whenever we’re panicked and scared in a situation we don’t always think rationally and kids don’t either, and so, if they have just that little love note, you know, obviously with some just words of.

00:27:40.590 –> 00:27:52.380 Nancy Mercure East: You know affirmation and just hopefully comfort for them if they were ever in that situation, but also, you know sit down eat the snack and your backpack take your stuffed animal out and talk to it just really.

00:27:53.490 –> 00:27:59.250 Nancy Mercure East: keep them to stay put because really internally that’s The worst thing I can do is keep running away and trying to find you.

00:27:59.610 –> 00:28:02.790 Joseph McElroy: wow, what do you, what do you tell them to do if I see a bear.

00:28:04.050 –> 00:28:11.250 Nancy Mercure East: yeah that same thing I tell adults do not run stand your ground, you know get a little bit higher ground if possible.

00:28:12.210 –> 00:28:18.990 Nancy Mercure East: One of the things that work, the best for me honestly noise-making noise hasn’t always worked to drive them off, especially if they’re habituated.

00:28:19.290 –> 00:28:32.760 Nancy Mercure East: But waving my hiking Poles above my head that always scares them they run off it seems like every time if I do that, so it just makes me look bigger it’s as simple as that, but just giving yourself, even just those hiking Poles, the height of that it tricks them.

00:28:33.930 –> 00:28:47.160 Nancy Mercure East: yeah but do not approach the bear that’s another thing just bears have become, as you know, I’m sure so habituated in this area and it’s easy to think I can go up and pet this little cuddly bear cub or mama and obviously that’s not going to lead anywhere good.

00:28:48.000 –> 00:28:59.790 Joseph McElroy: And you know my wife was interested in a couple of questions you said what if she’s very much into natural stuff right and not buying like insects spray and things what are some natural things you can do to protect them from bugs.

00:29:00.060 –> 00:29:08.970 Nancy Mercure East: that’s yeah I tapped into a really great resource and it’s actually made here locally from hazelwood soap company it’s called both be gone and it’s a lotion.

00:29:09.240 –> 00:29:15.540 Nancy Mercure East: That has just a proprietary blend of you know citron ella and probably lemon grass I’m not sure what they put in it.

00:29:15.930 –> 00:29:29.700 Nancy Mercure East: But it’s just a bunch of just natural products that they put into a base of lotion and you just rub it on like sunscreen and it really does a great job I was skeptical my best friend used to own this company and she sold it, but I was skeptical but it works.

00:29:31.410 –> 00:29:36.150 Joseph McElroy: And then my wife, want to know is, if the track is a track is a tracking device advisable impossible.

00:29:36.810 –> 00:29:41.850 Nancy Mercure East: yeah no it’s a great thing I don’t have mine with me, but something like a satellite device a Garmin.

00:29:42.210 –> 00:29:51.000 Nancy Mercure East: In reaches what I carry and it has an SOS button, so if I’m ever in a situation where I truly need help and I don’t have cell service, which would be more common than not.

00:29:51.210 –> 00:30:02.250 Nancy Mercure East: All I have to do is push a button and obviously you want to reserve that for a true emergency but it’s a great thing to have if you can afford one before the subscription and all that I always encourage it, but a lot of people it’s cost-prohibitive.

00:30:03.300 –> 00:30:10.470 Joseph McElroy: cool well you know we have to take another break now, but when we come back we’ll finish up talking about a little bit more about the little ones, and then we’ll talk about your book.

00:30:10.890 –> 00:30:12.030 Nancy Mercure East: All right, thank you.

00:32:17.730 –> 00:32:32.490 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Nancy East so Nancy got a couple more questions from my wife and me, my wife is a city girl and her idea of camping is with the Butler and.

00:32:34.410 –> 00:32:35.670 Joseph McElroy: And it really fancy dead.

00:32:37.800 –> 00:32:52.740 Joseph McElroy: So, but okay I’m working on her to say we got to get kids out there and experience what I experienced the mountain so she wants to know is, you know yeah engaging little ones, what can you do in the woods, that really engages little children.

00:32:53.370 –> 00:33:04.020 Nancy Mercure East: yeah I think the two things that came to my mind immediately when you ask that one would be a scavenger hunt of sorts, something that is educational but fun.

00:33:04.350 –> 00:33:13.080 Nancy Mercure East: To look for something you know your kid’s ages, you said three they’re both true yeah I mean that would be like really like looking for a brown leaf or.

00:33:13.560 –> 00:33:22.650 Nancy Mercure East: pink flower, you know really keep it simple but as they grow to make those questions, a little bit more advanced maybe play on some things that they might be learning in school.

00:33:23.400 –> 00:33:31.260 Nancy Mercure East: You know, or just something that you want to teach them and have interest in anything from navigation looking at distant peaks you know even using I’m.

00:33:31.650 –> 00:33:39.480 Nancy Mercure East: I used to be really opposed to using technology in the woods, with my kids and I really started to bend the rules when I thought they’re going to have more fun if I let them.

00:33:39.720 –> 00:33:48.330 Nancy Mercure East: have this phone or an iPod or whatever it is to take a picture and try to identify a wildflower or use an APP to identify a distance.

00:33:48.330 –> 00:33:48.660 p.

00:33:49.680 –> 00:34:00.990 Nancy Mercure East: thing, so I use it to supplement I also teach the map and compass skills and you know, interestingly kids really love that stuff if you do it in the way in a way that engages them and empowers them.

00:34:01.350 –> 00:34:15.360 Nancy Mercure East: More times than not they will actually get into it, they may be resistant at first, but if you just get over that little hump of getting them out there, usually they have a much better time than they act like they will before you leave home, at least in my experience.

00:34:15.630 –> 00:34:18.930 Joseph McElroy: that’s great now that’s some good ammunition for me to take back home.

00:34:20.130 –> 00:34:22.350 Nancy Mercure East: Again, the other thing I was gonna say is games.

00:34:22.350 –> 00:34:30.420 Nancy Mercure East: file names that you know alphabet games, you can look online and Google hiking games, but my kids love to play games, or they did their teenagers so.

00:34:30.840 –> 00:34:34.620 Joseph McElroy: I love anything version of you know I spy with my little lie.

00:34:34.920 –> 00:34:40.920 Nancy Mercure East: yeah exactly no that’s the perfect one, for their ages yeah yeah really gets them interested.

00:34:41.280 –> 00:34:47.190 Joseph McElroy: Now, is there any special gear, besides the technology like electronic technology for little ones.

00:34:48.240 –> 00:34:57.390 Nancy Mercure East: You know they make specific backpacks and sleeping bags and all that type of thing if you wanted to take them on more backcountry pursuits if you’re just going to go car camping.

00:34:57.600 –> 00:35:04.050 Nancy Mercure East: I think what you probably already have at home for sleepovers and you know just grabbing blankets off of the bed is probably fine too.

00:35:04.680 –> 00:35:21.090 Nancy Mercure East: But yeah you can go crazy with a budget, and you know, there are many, many options, but I like to usually advise people to start simple see what they like, and then work up to pricier maybe just better-made things that might suit them as they grow cool.

00:35:21.300 –> 00:35:24.030 Joseph McElroy: Well, I can guarantee I’m not starting out with that.

00:35:28.890 –> 00:35:30.390 Joseph McElroy: have to be at least 10 plus.

00:35:32.370 –> 00:35:33.690 Nancy Mercure East: You may need a camper van.

00:35:37.860 –> 00:35:41.070 Joseph McElroy: So what are some great places to hike in the smokies for children.

00:35:41.910 –> 00:35:50.670 Nancy Mercure East: yeah there are so many fun places it brings back so many memories when people ask me this question and they’re still interestingly, the places I returned with my kids as teenagers.

00:35:51.000 –> 00:35:54.090 Nancy Mercure East: Just off the top of my head, some of my favorites in the park.

00:35:54.780 –> 00:36:00.600 Nancy Mercure East: Really, my top one of my top favorites for myself or with children is a flat creek which is off the Blue Ridge parkway.

00:36:00.960 –> 00:36:10.170 Nancy Mercure East: On I guess it’s up near mile-high campground and the balsam mountain campground it’s a one-way hike and you can either shuttle cars or just have a parent.

00:36:10.440 –> 00:36:15.570 Nancy Mercure East: backtrack I think it’s only about a two-mile trail backtrack to the car and drive down to the other end.

00:36:16.290 –> 00:36:18.510 Nancy Mercure East: Big creek is another family favorite.

00:36:18.810 –> 00:36:29.220 Nancy Mercure East: You can either go all the way back into walnut bottoms which is five miles one way, so that’s a little bit of a track for younger kids but even if you just go to mouse creek falls, which I think is about two miles in.

00:36:29.490 –> 00:36:33.930 Nancy Mercure East: that’s a great turnaround spot and have a picnic lunch come back out call it ago.

00:36:34.080 –> 00:36:38.040 Joseph McElroy: Three and a half old I could see it about a mile and a half I’m putting them on my back.

00:36:38.310 –> 00:36:42.030 Nancy Mercure East: yeah my two little now you’re still on the carry on the back.

00:36:42.030 –> 00:36:42.360 Things.

00:36:43.740 –> 00:36:45.780 Nancy Mercure East: you’re not far off though you’re on the coast.

00:36:46.560 –> 00:36:48.870 Joseph McElroy: Of about a half mile right now, maybe.

00:36:50.130 –> 00:36:54.360 Nancy Mercure East: ya know you can look at Cataloochee device that’s another one that I really, really love.

00:36:54.600 –> 00:36:57.690 Nancy Mercure East: Just because it’s an easy one to access from Haywood county.

00:36:57.960 –> 00:37:06.690 Nancy Mercure East: And you can go as far as you like you’ve got those big rich top views from the trail kids really like that, but really, what I find kids especially younger kids like the most is water.

00:37:06.870 –> 00:37:16.950 Nancy Mercure East: If you can find a creek that’s not flowing too strong that becomes a hazard, you know, give a kid a creek and they’re happy all day looking for salamanders and crawl it adds all that kind of stuff.

00:37:17.940 –> 00:37:18.870 Nancy Mercure East: Our data creek.

00:37:19.470 –> 00:37:32.310 Joseph McElroy: Well that’s what a lot of people with families like to come to the Meadowlark we have that Nice Jonathan creek in our backyard and then we have like the not we have you know the side that serious has gotten out of the rapids and things making a splash around and things like that.

00:37:32.580 –> 00:37:35.850 Nancy Mercure East: Absolutely yeah they never want to leave yeah no that’s a great spot.

00:37:36.450 –> 00:37:44.190 Joseph McElroy: Now, what term you used in your in that title of that book and I just wanted you to explain it real quick, is what is it nature deficit disorder.

00:37:44.880 –> 00:37:55.950 Nancy Mercure East: yeah nature deficit disorder so Richard Lewis, as you mentioned earlier coined that phrase and wrote an entire book, I even brought it since we had talked about it earlier it’s a big fat thick book, I mean it’s it became, though.

00:37:56.250 –> 00:38:02.370 Nancy Mercure East: My Bible really is, I was raising kids to give me ideas and validation that what I was doing wasn’t crazy.

00:38:02.790 –> 00:38:08.520 Nancy Mercure East: Because honestly what I found as a young mother is that people seem to fear the woods mothers fathers even.

00:38:08.910 –> 00:38:16.110 Nancy Mercure East: Were fearful of taking their kids out thinking you know there are parents out there there’s venomous snakes all these things that could hurt my children or me.

00:38:16.560 –> 00:38:23.850 Nancy Mercure East: And it’s such a disservice to our children to raise them like that, in my opinion, because if we can empower them with knowledge and.

00:38:24.240 –> 00:38:33.840 Nancy Mercure East: teach them how to mitigate those situations because sure all those things are out there there are 100 different things that most people worry about the wrong things are worried about the bears when they should worry about the ticks you know the tick.

00:38:35.610 –> 00:38:45.870 Nancy Mercure East: Well, you know that his whole just mo what that book was to get people outside again because his big kids became more connected to digital devices.

00:38:46.230 –> 00:38:49.620 Nancy Mercure East: They became more disconnected from the natural world and.

00:38:50.220 –> 00:39:02.310 Nancy Mercure East: You know, again we’re fearful of it just doesn’t it doesn’t foster stewardship of it if they don’t appreciate it and we’re just raising a generation that won’t care for it like it needs to be cared for and protected if we don’t get them out there.

00:39:02.610 –> 00:39:14.430 Joseph McElroy: And it’s really seriously not that dangerous I mean my parents would send us walking two miles down through wooded gravel road pick up the bus before was even light of day.

00:39:14.640 –> 00:39:29.610 Joseph McElroy: And we were, six, seven and eight years old train trip is traipsing through the woods and the mountains now and then coming back from school three o’clock we were out, I would go miles away from fishing ponds seven years old.

00:39:30.000 –> 00:39:30.990 Joseph McElroy: Nobody around.

00:39:31.020 –> 00:39:32.160 Joseph McElroy: No things like that.

00:39:32.340 –> 00:39:34.770 Nancy Mercure East: Absolutely yeah nobody had to tell us to go play.

00:39:34.770 –> 00:39:38.460 Nancy Mercure East: outside his kids yeah this day and age it’s a little tougher I.

00:39:38.460 –> 00:39:39.180 Nancy Mercure East: find so.

00:39:39.930 –> 00:39:43.140 Joseph McElroy: If I fell in the pond I had to figure out how to save myself and I did.

00:39:44.130 –> 00:39:45.900 Nancy Mercure East: Learn by the school of hard knocks.

00:39:45.990 –> 00:39:46.440 Right.

00:39:48.030 –> 00:39:53.670 Joseph McElroy: Now, do you have any you know any sort of programs for our programs for kids is aware of any.

00:39:54.090 –> 00:39:59.400 Nancy Mercure East: yeah I’ve worked with some local schools for sure, in the past, but I haven’t done as much of that lately.

00:39:59.460 –> 00:40:07.920 Nancy Mercure East: I work more with adults, these days, but I enjoy working with anybody who wants to learn and I’ve got some young nephews who are the age, a little bit older than your kids but.

00:40:08.190 –> 00:40:17.910 Nancy Mercure East: They are very inquisitive and curious and are being raised to really appreciate the outdoors and so that just speaks my love language all day long but yeah I treasure working with kids.

00:40:18.030 –> 00:40:30.660 Joseph McElroy: Oh, Bob Bob wanted me to give you a nudge and say hey we’re wanting to do some kids stuff and then lark are you interested in doing some things that are outdoor activities for kids and the future.

00:40:30.930 –> 00:40:43.530 Nancy Mercure East: Absolutely yeah I’d love to talk more about it and find a way to work together and do that because I think it would be a really tremendous resource to offer your guest, you know to learn together with parents and children it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.

00:40:43.860 –> 00:40:57.450 Joseph McElroy: I think, so I think that I really liked the idea of you know summer camps, you know that take advantage of hospitality, but you know that can do families can come with both great for the family and for the kids so.

00:40:57.540 –> 00:40:58.740 Joseph McElroy: Absolutely alright.

00:40:59.040 –> 00:41:04.620 Joseph McElroy: So now, you have a book called chasing the smokies moon I love that is this your first book.

00:41:04.890 –> 00:41:10.920 Nancy Mercure East: It is my first book, yes, I used to think it was my one and only but I’ve already got too many ideas in my head now, so I don’t think it will be.

00:41:11.490 –> 00:41:13.440 Joseph McElroy: Oh no yeah you should use.

00:41:13.800 –> 00:41:16.110 Joseph McElroy: The reviews are great I’m seeing people love that book.

00:41:17.850 –> 00:41:19.200 Joseph McElroy: So, how did it come about.

00:41:19.770 –> 00:41:31.950 Nancy Mercure East: yeah so it came about and kind of a multi-faceted point in my life I was on the verge of turning I think 48 at the time and feeling kind of middle-aged feeling like if I don’t do something big.

00:41:32.220 –> 00:41:40.650 Nancy Mercure East: athletically I may not be able to do it, which is kind of silly because I knew I had plenty of years left but I always wanted to pursue something that really tested by limits of endurance.

00:41:41.040 –> 00:41:48.060 Nancy Mercure East: Simultaneous to this phase of my life with my search and rescue team, we were involved in a search in the National Park at the Clement stone.

00:41:48.420 –> 00:41:58.380 Nancy Mercure East: For a woman by the name of Susan Clements she was here on vacation with her daughter and got lost on one of the most popular trails less than a mile from her car at the trailer.

00:41:58.890 –> 00:42:09.780 Nancy Mercure East: yeah it was yeah highly publicized and so she Paris she died of exposure or hypothermia where her core body temperature was no longer sustainable with life and.

00:42:10.110 –> 00:42:14.940 Joseph McElroy: It really because it was like 40 and 50 degrees, I really didn’t understand it at the time.

00:42:14.970 –> 00:42:21.450 Nancy Mercure East: yeah well but wind and rain came in and I’d rather be in 30 degrees in snow than I would 40 degrees and rain and.

00:42:21.840 –> 00:42:27.270 Nancy Mercure East: burnt, you are absolute yeah so it wasn’t surprising any of us on search and rescue that she died, but.

00:42:27.630 –> 00:42:34.500 Nancy Mercure East: It really impacted my life, and so I wanted to start that that was really a pivotal point in my life, where I wanted to retire from veterinary medicine.

00:42:34.800 –> 00:42:41.730 Nancy Mercure East: And do more intentional work with the outdoor community to educate them to stay what I like to call safe and found and so.

00:42:41.970 –> 00:42:53.400 Nancy Mercure East: I decided to merge this middle you know midlife crisis, if you will, with a fundraiser to try and raise money for the part to implement search and rescue or preventative search and rescue programs and so.

00:42:53.640 –> 00:43:08.640 Nancy Mercure East: I thought I gotta do something flashy I can’t raise $30,000 just by saying hey you know I think this is a great idea, so I teamed up with one of my best friends and we chased the speed record for hiking all the trails and the bark to draw the attention to the cause.

00:43:09.450 –> 00:43:10.710 Joseph McElroy: And you want you got the.

00:43:10.710 –> 00:43:11.160 speaker.

00:43:12.600 –> 00:43:25.770 Nancy Mercure East: was more surprised than me my friend, is a natural athlete is that a lot of really big things and it’s like that, politically, whereas I had never done anything except run a marathon so it was a stretch, for me, but yeah I got through it and we were successful.

00:43:26.040 –> 00:43:31.410 Joseph McElroy: Well, I read that there was also a human-bear tragedy that happened at the same time as that.

00:43:32.400 –> 00:43:41.220 Nancy Mercure East: It was terrible I mean there have only been two fatalities in the park in the history of the part from a bear, and this was the second in our story became interwoven in that one.

00:43:41.430 –> 00:43:52.650 Nancy Mercure East: Not in the sense that one of us or anybody we knew was attacked and was this person involved in this vitality, but it impacted our hike we had all our routes planned out in advance and we had to.

00:43:53.190 –> 00:44:01.950 Nancy Mercure East: shuffle the deck a little bit and we’re sending our team into the exact same back countryside of the exact same time this was happening so it was a little sobering.

00:44:02.400 –> 00:44:14.310 Joseph McElroy: Wrong so this I mean you basically survived a grueling endeavor with lots of things stories, I became intertwined so this really set you on a track for a new life hmm.

00:44:14.640 –> 00:44:23.040 Nancy Mercure East: It did yeah really was a turning point, but a very positive one, I loved veterinary medicine, I truly love my career and helping animals but.

00:44:23.310 –> 00:44:33.360 Nancy Mercure East: I was just feeling like it was time to move on and do something different I’ve always been a little mercurial in nature and like to just I don’t know I go where the wind takes me so that’s where it took me.

00:44:33.990 –> 00:44:40.650 Joseph McElroy: So what would you say the arc of that book is if somebody is reading it, what are they gonna walk away with in terms of experience.

00:44:41.100 –> 00:44:55.200 Nancy Mercure East: yeah I think a sense of empowerment if they doubt themselves would be a pretty big one, I certainly am the worst about second guessing myself and my abilities and, more often than not, I prove myself wrong if I set my mind to something and really.

00:44:55.920 –> 00:45:04.470 Nancy Mercure East: channel my energies to a goal and a purpose and typically not always but certainly motivated to finish, and do, but.

00:45:05.070 –> 00:45:16.080 Nancy Mercure East: As I would say that it will also teach people just safety for hikes I interweave a lot of search and rescue stories in it and I try to teach by example, so people might take a step back and say wow.

00:45:16.530 –> 00:45:26.100 Nancy Mercure East: I’ve never thought about that, and maybe I should prepare a little better before my next height, so I don’t become you know in this earth find myself in the same situation is this person did.

00:45:26.610 –> 00:45:38.340 Joseph McElroy: wow so it’s a great book for somebody who wants to live vicariously or that somebody wants to actually experience it themselves that’s a double whammy I like they get this on Amazon and places like that.

00:45:38.640 –> 00:45:45.510 Nancy Mercure East: They can print quality on Amazon, to be honest, it’s not great if they do their own printing and they kind of print it as people buy it but.

00:45:45.780 –> 00:45:53.640 Nancy Mercure East: I have had a bunch of them printed from a printer that does a much better job was the quality of the paper, the print quality everything about it so.

00:45:54.990 –> 00:45:55.440 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:45:55.470 –> 00:45:56.400 Joseph McElroy: Where is that so that.

00:45:56.460 –> 00:46:02.610 Nancy Mercure East: that’s on my website just my website, yeah and I match amazon’s price, so there they all get free shipping so.

00:46:03.330 –> 00:46:04.350 Joseph McElroy: We sell some books.

00:46:04.350 –> 00:46:08.130 Joseph McElroy: To say we should you should talk to Bob and sounds like a wonderful book, we could promote.

00:46:08.190 –> 00:46:10.680 Nancy Mercure East: yeah sure no I’d love to sell it there yeah.

00:46:10.740 –> 00:46:11.160 Nancy Mercure East: yeah.

00:46:11.220 –> 00:46:12.240 Nancy Mercure East: Like a fun keepsake.

00:46:12.870 –> 00:46:18.570 Joseph McElroy: All right, we’re going to take a break and then we’re talking about come back and talk about some wonderful experiences you recommend it.

00:46:19.590 –> 00:46:20.340 Nancy Mercure East: sounds good.

00:48:21.270 –> 00:48:30.720 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with my guest Nancy East on the gateway to the smokies podcast so.

00:48:31.470 –> 00:48:42.300 Joseph McElroy: You know, we always talk about here at the gateway and the Meadowlark of memorable tourism experienced this is actually an academic study, but we were more practical about it and it’s um.

00:48:42.750 –> 00:48:57.360 Joseph McElroy: You know it’s about experiences that are flashbulb memories that people have right from things they do by traveling or hiking or going out or doing things and it relates to you know.

00:48:58.080 –> 00:49:05.790 Joseph McElroy: A lot of emotions and sensory perception, or you know refreshment they get from seeing new art or.

00:49:06.090 –> 00:49:14.190 Joseph McElroy: You know, the mystic moment of diving into the cold water under a wall of the waterfall just the physical you know experience or.

00:49:14.520 –> 00:49:33.600 Joseph McElroy: You know or meeting local characters or having an event with loved ones, so you know this kind of things, create these flashbulb memories so I’m just gonna put you on the spot and Nancy and say what is your most memorable flashbulb experiences if you hadn’t the smoky mountains.

00:49:34.500 –> 00:49:46.680 Nancy Mercure East: um gosh there are so numerous that’s hard to pinpoint but probably one of the first ones that popped in my head was when I first came to interview here 25 years ago about.

00:49:47.010 –> 00:49:57.630 Nancy Mercure East: And I had this interview all set up for obviously business hours, but instead of getting a hotel I’m a poor college student loans and I don’t want to keep accruing, and so I went out and backpack.

00:49:57.990 –> 00:50:01.500 Nancy Mercure East: and actually got a little turned around if I’m telling the truth and.

00:50:01.830 –> 00:50:10.320 Nancy Mercure East: had to really figure it out, it was my first experience with not really knowing where I was and having to draw and the knowledge that I had learned with mapping compass, and all that but.

00:50:10.710 –> 00:50:20.400 Nancy Mercure East: It really, even though I was a little mixed up and wasn’t sure how to find my way back, and I look at that trail now, and I think yeah I can see how I got lost so many people still get lost there but.

00:50:21.180 –> 00:50:30.960 Nancy Mercure East: It was really one of those flashbulb moments, where I thought, even though I’m scared I know I’m going to figure this out and I love it here, this is going to be home and I can’t wait to come back.

00:50:31.440 –> 00:50:35.580 Joseph McElroy: Well, that is, that is that’s a feeling of self-knowledge right.

00:50:35.820 –> 00:50:48.510 Joseph McElroy: yeah so you find out something about yourself, and you know you can really find that out in the mountains, you know when you go out of doors, you can really discover things about yourself that create permanent memories, for the rest of your life.

00:50:49.050 –> 00:50:54.570 Nancy Mercure East: yeah absolutely the bad ones, you know can sometimes turn into the most meaningful experiences.

00:50:54.600 –> 00:51:04.290 Joseph McElroy: isn’t one of the emotional factors that measure these academic studies is negative experiences actually can make them memorable and create revisit intention.

00:51:04.800 –> 00:51:07.110 Joseph McElroy: So it’s an interesting.

00:51:07.170 –> 00:51:16.350 Joseph McElroy: concept that I’m really thoroughly enjoying, but it also creates a depth of understanding of human beings I’m really enjoying too.

00:51:16.680 –> 00:51:27.030 Joseph McElroy: yeah so, can you think of other places and smokies that you think somebody could have a one of those like flashbulb memory experiences.

00:51:27.300 –> 00:51:30.840 Nancy Mercure East: yeah for sure so many of them, I would say.

00:51:31.320 –> 00:51:42.300 Nancy Mercure East: places like Cataloochee Valley, you know, I was such a treasure just to go down if you can get there early in the morning before the sun rises and be there when the outcome down off the hills just to.

00:51:42.630 –> 00:51:52.020 Nancy Mercure East: graze in those meadows before they go back up I don’t like the heat so they’ll go back up, there are some wonderful tour companies actually in Waynesville one that I work for so I’m a little biased but.

00:51:52.860 –> 00:51:54.300 Nancy Mercure East: yeah Cataloochee valley tours.

00:51:54.570 –> 00:52:03.630 Nancy Mercure East: Esther Blakely the owner does a wonderful job of taking people into the valley to see those elk in the fall when they’re in the rut you know part of their life cycle.

00:52:04.530 –> 00:52:14.790 Nancy Mercure East: synchronous fireflies that’s another tour she leads that’s quite the experience, but even just going it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate just going on a simple hike to a place like a big creek or deep creek.

00:52:15.390 –> 00:52:17.490 Nancy Mercure East: flat creek which I mentioned earlier.

00:52:18.030 –> 00:52:24.510 Nancy Mercure East: Even down into Cherokee they’ll call me lefty river trail is such a great one with the young kids you can even bike that one.

00:52:24.750 –> 00:52:35.940 Nancy Mercure East: and take your dogs you can’t take your dogs on any other trail, except that one and there’s one in Gatlinburg that you the Gatlinburg trail but otherwise not allowed to take the dog so Those are some of my family favorites.

00:52:37.050 –> 00:52:42.450 Joseph McElroy: Well, and then, besides the smoky mountains there are actually lovely little towns around the smoky mountains.

00:52:42.540 –> 00:52:46.110 Joseph McElroy: Yes, you live in the Waynesville where you live in Waynesville right.

00:52:46.530 –> 00:52:58.710 Joseph McElroy: yeah I, like you know we only have a few minutes, but I, like our guests, to tell us what would be a little nice itinerary for a day in Waynesville yeah breakfast what to do, lunch what to do, dinner.

00:52:59.040 –> 00:53:04.530 Nancy Mercure East: that’s a great question yeah I would actually probably start the day in Maggie I would go to POPs place that’s.

00:53:04.530 –> 00:53:04.980 Joseph McElroy: All you’re.

00:53:06.450 –> 00:53:07.740 Nancy Mercure East: Doing is great too, but.

00:53:07.770 –> 00:53:17.220 Nancy Mercure East: yeah POPs I have a little stronger preference for personally so that’s where I would probably start my day and then maybe meander around Maggie but I love downtown Waynesville.

00:53:17.730 –> 00:53:24.450 Nancy Mercure East: Even hazelwood is got some just wonderful shops, and these are with soap company that place that I mentioned before, Robin blue.

00:53:25.140 –> 00:53:37.260 Nancy Mercure East: there’s a coffee shop downtown lots of fun little three stores if people are into drifting that is just really well organized and not just a hodgepodge of stuff they really try to categorize things and thoughtful way.

00:53:38.370 –> 00:53:52.590 Nancy Mercure East: Great bookstores you can certainly find my book and a couple of them and then I would probably have lunch, it can be nice That would be my top pick on North main in Waynesville my daughter actually works there, so if you do go there you got to get a big good because she’s making she’s.

00:53:53.700 –> 00:53:55.350 Nancy Mercure East: Very talented bakers so.

00:53:55.350 –> 00:54:01.680 Nancy Mercure East: She who will make your Brown and your cake, or whatever you decide to get, but it really is a great restaurant.

00:54:02.850 –> 00:54:16.410 Nancy Mercure East: yeah and then for dinner that night gosh so many choices I probably have a beer I’d want to go and sit by the creek and have a beer so bear waters, maybe over in canton or naggy or frog level down in downtown Waynesville

00:54:16.470 –> 00:54:18.600 Joseph McElroy: be another time they all increased by that’s pretty.

00:54:18.600 –> 00:54:19.740 Nancy Mercure East: cool yeah it’s.

00:54:19.800 –> 00:54:27.570 Nancy Mercure East: Very yeah opportunistic places to have a brewery with live music and the water it’s just a great atmosphere So those are my topics.

00:54:27.960 –> 00:54:39.300 Nancy Mercure East: And then for dinner, it would just depend on the mood I’m in I probably hit up while Tommy if I were interested in something Asian I love dope boys pizza particularly their salads and have great salads.

00:54:40.440 –> 00:54:46.620 Nancy Mercure East: If I wanted something a little swankier maybe frogs leap and yeah that would probably wrap up my.

00:54:48.450 –> 00:54:50.310 Nancy Mercure East: Line yep on the parkway or something.

00:54:52.440 –> 00:54:56.340 Joseph McElroy: So how can people find out more about to contact you that sort of thing.

00:54:57.030 –> 00:55:01.950 Nancy Mercure East: yeah that website really is the best place because that channels into any social media I’m not.

00:55:02.010 –> 00:55:13.830 Nancy Mercure East: The greatest with staying engaged on social media, but my blog has a wealth of information about everything and anything that we’ve talked about, and then some I’m becoming more intentional about posting articles about safety and outdoor to.

00:55:14.040 –> 00:55:15.540 Joseph McElroy: Give the URL for your website.

00:55:15.720 –> 00:55:20.580 Nancy Mercure East: Sure yeah it’s just my name NancyEast.com East like the direction com.

00:55:20.640 –> 00:55:22.110 Nancy Mercure East: So all of its there.

00:55:22.320 –> 00:55:24.870 Joseph McElroy: I don’t you have another one hope something or.

00:55:24.960 –> 00:55:26.790 Nancy Mercure East: yeah they all go to the same place.

00:55:26.790 –> 00:55:27.660 Joseph McElroy: I read.

00:55:28.410 –> 00:55:31.710 Nancy Mercure East: The book yeah it’s one of those things somebody professional told me to do.

00:55:33.660 –> 00:55:34.380 Joseph McElroy: com

00:55:34.710 –> 00:55:35.130 Nancy Mercure East: yeah.

00:55:35.220 –> 00:55:37.710 Joseph McElroy: Well, and then get to everything else, they need to about you.

00:55:37.950 –> 00:55:39.150 Nancy Mercure East: Exactly it’s all their.

00:55:39.450 –> 00:55:43.980 Joseph McElroy: social media channel that you posted that as a lot of good information that you like you you’re proud of.

00:55:44.340 –> 00:55:50.160 Nancy Mercure East: yeah I’m probably more active on Facebook and I’m Instagram I’m old enough to think facebook’s a little cooler than Instagram but.

00:55:50.520 –> 00:55:51.330 yeah.

00:55:52.800 –> 00:55:56.010 Nancy Mercure East: So, but I’m not a tiktoker or anything like that I’m not that cool.

00:55:57.420 –> 00:56:08.310 Joseph McElroy: Well cool, thank you for being part of our show, and hopefully, we’ll have you back again sometime talking about all the other wonderful things you do you’re incredibly talented and diverse and once you do so, I look forward to that.

00:56:08.370 –> 00:56:11.010 Nancy Mercure East: Well, I would treasure it Thank you so much for having me.

00:56:11.010 –> 00:56:22.380 Joseph McElroy: cool so um this you can find out more about this podcast gateway to the smokies dot fun, which actually now forward to our smokies adventure slash.

00:56:23.070 –> 00:56:33.840 Joseph McElroy: gateway to the smokies site, we also publish this on Facebook.COM slash gateway to the smokies podcasts where you can actually see the live broadcast streaming.

00:56:34.890 –> 00:56:44.130 Joseph McElroy: we’re part of the talkradio. NYC network, which is a network in New York that broadcasts, a lot of live broadcasts.

00:56:45.930 –> 00:57:01.380 Joseph McElroy: Every day of the week with lots of different shows, ranging from travel to self-help to finance the business, I actually have another podcast on this network called wise is content creates wealth, because I’m a content marketing expert.

00:57:02.400 –> 00:57:04.710 Joseph McElroy: And so you can look that up as well.

00:57:05.820 –> 00:57:11.850 Joseph McElroy: And I recommend you stick around for a show after this, which is about New York, and I think you enjoy it.

00:57:13.290 –> 00:57:14.040 Joseph McElroy: You can.

00:57:15.060 –> 00:57:27.090 Joseph McElroy: I want to mention that the meadowlark motel is having a special right now, which is you know weekday special come stay 3nigths of those nights free if you bring a kid you know.

00:57:27.630 –> 00:57:40.290 Joseph McElroy: met the Cataloochee has a kid ski free promotion during the week as well, so you can get a free night and a free ski ticket for your child So hopefully, we’ll see you there’s lots of snow lately lots of.

00:57:41.580 –> 00:57:48.630 Joseph McElroy: fun times and this the tubing is great, and we also have you also do winter fishing and in the mountains and it’s very good fishing.

00:57:49.620 –> 00:58:02.880 Joseph McElroy: So you can fish in our backyard is a thing, of course, we have fire pits and fireplaces speakeasy to get all company with after you do your mountain adventures so come on by so I’ll see you next week.

00:58:04.050 –> 00:58:24.360 Joseph McElroy: We will have Boyd Burton, who is actually the manager of the motel we’re going to talk about finding a lot of comfortable and enjoyable hedonistic things in a good sense that, in the mountains, to enjoy yeah so thank you very much, see you next week Tuesdays from six to seven bye.

In this episode, the audience will get more information about pottery and crafts that Cory and Joseph will talk about during the podcast live but they will focus on discussing the Great Smoky Mountains and the outdoor activities that Cory will share with us. 

Our special guest is Cory Plott, he is a direct descendant of the famed Haywood County Plott clan who is credited with originating what later became the official state dog of North Carolina –the Plott hound. While Cory appreciates and respects the history of his family and their dogs, he has made his own mark as a renowned artist here in the Great Smokies. His work has been sold all over the world –including a specially designed mug that he crafted for PlottFest that can be purchased at the MSMHC. 

Don't miss this fun interview with Cory Plott as he shares with us some interesting stories about potteries and crafts and his experiences in the Great Smoky Mountain. 

https://www.facebook.com/cory.plott.3

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

SHOW NOTES:

Segment 1

Joseph opens up the show by mentioning a sponsor as well as a virtual event celebrating Scot-Irish heritage on January 25th. Today’s topic is pottery, originating from the Neolithic period. Joseph goes into detail about why people love pottery such as the aesthetic, form of expression, symbolism, and art as well as how it is made. Pottery is also used for storytelling and functional purposes. His guest for tonight’s show is Cory Plott, a descendant of the framed Haywood County Plott clan who is credited with originating what became the official state dog of North Carolina. He has sold his own pottery all over the world. He has been working with pottery for 10 years. He focuses on the East Coast as well when selling pottery. Living in the Smokies has been great for him and he loves being in Haywood county.

Segment 2

Cory talks about working in stoneware and why he likes it. Stoneware is very durable and can be used in several settings. He also has done sculpture. He got into pottery is inspired by the fact that he can be creative while making a living out of it. Cory was also inspired by artists such as one of his professors from his time in college. He was also motivated by his father who fully supported him. Cory has several items that he makes from mixing bowls to mugs and puts his own twists on it. He talks about agateware, a medieval technique that allows for patterns and different effects. He explains how this technique is used. He also mentions using a lot of woodashe in his pottery and explains how the texture of the wood affects the outcomes of the colors.

Segment 3

Cory discusses the process it takes to make mugs and more of his pottery. He takes clay and loosens it up a little. Cory makes sure that he wedges it a certain way. Once he gets it to the shape that he needs, he continues to shoot for consistency. He likes to make several of the same pottery in different sizes. Each week he does one batch of each item that he works on. He lines up his year quarterly which allows him to work on his 12 items. Cory goes into how the Cherokee make pottery and some history about them. The biggest piece that Cory has made is a base with a really tall neck, 4-foot-tall pottery. Cory loves being able to inspire and teach others to use their creativity which is why he also enjoys being at events like the North Carolina State Fair. He also just got into lamps as well.

Segment 4

Cory recalls doing pottery in elementary and middle school. Back then, he says they used earthenware. Cory’s favorite thing to create is roosters. Joseph jokes that he should make him a 4-foot rooster. Cory also talks about maybe teaching pottery himself one day. For exploration, he recommends visiting Dillsboro where they have a unique shop with pottery. You can find more of Cory’s work on Facebook as well as on Youtube. Joseph also promotes an event from The Meadowlark which is having a weekday getaway special. You can learn more at themeadowlarkmotel.com.

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00:03:02.610 –> 00:03:14.910 Joseph McElroy: hey thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the Smokies, this is the second season of this podcast which focuses on life, culture, and tourism.

00:03:15.270 –> 00:03:24.990 Joseph McElroy: In America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park in the surrounding towns, this area is filled with ancient natural beauty.

00:03:25.440 –> 00:03:32.520 Joseph McElroy: with deep-storied history stunning adventures and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:03:33.210 –> 00:03:46.260 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world also with deep roots in these mountains my family is living the great smokies for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture.

00:03:47.130 –> 00:03:55.650 Joseph McElroy: today’s podcast we’re talking about North Carolina pottery with a local potter may build a big reputation and crafting a life of the smokies.

00:03:56.940 –> 00:04:04.500 Joseph McElroy: So, as you all can see we’ve had some big snow here in the Maggie Valley area.

00:04:05.040 –> 00:04:18.210 Joseph McElroy: In my background for those of you who can’t see it it’s the motel covered in snow but it’s the beautiful day we had a full House people came up we had fires, we had sledding we had food we drink, we had a just a good old time.

00:04:20.040 –> 00:04:29.430 Joseph McElroy: And speaking of the Meadowlark of course it’s one of the main sponsors of the show, and I want you to imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past.

00:04:29.910 –> 00:04:42.000 Joseph McElroy: Yet, modern and vibrance with a Chic Appalachian field feel a place for adventure in for relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain where it is a trout stream.

00:04:42.660 –> 00:04:56.340 Joseph McElroy: grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wines or craft beers imagine a place for the old-time music and world country sounds imagine a place with country cooking but in.

00:04:57.570 –> 00:04:58.860 Joseph McElroy: Modern SpeakEasy.

00:04:59.880 –> 00:05:08.100 Joseph McElroy: And there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:05:09.000 –> 00:05:16.830 Joseph McElroy: Now our other sponsor’s smokies adventure.com it’s smokies plural adventure singular.com.

00:05:17.280 –> 00:05:27.450 Joseph McElroy: And that is a provides a lot of content articles about the smokies from about hiking about waterfalls about wedding venues about.

00:05:28.050 –> 00:05:39.990 Joseph McElroy: And destinations that you might want to visit and it provides you know the opportunity to give books and trail maps and all sorts of resources to help you enjoy your experience in the mountains of.

00:05:40.470 –> 00:05:55.410 Joseph McElroy: The smokies it’s focused on outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, and it provides a lot of information on where you can go for lodging family entertainment events Convention times, and more.

00:05:55.890 –> 00:06:01.320 Joseph McElroy: Its goal is to become the leading information portal of them, so the smoky mountains, I think it’s getting there.

00:06:02.580 –> 00:06:17.940 Joseph McElroy: Some event is coming up Tuesday, January 25, 2022, you have the Robert Burns birthday supper and we’re having we were going to have a full event happening, but you know there’s omicron.

00:06:18.780 –> 00:06:34.710 Joseph McElroy: viruses put a kibosh on that so we’re going to do a virtual event as part of the meadowlark heritage smoky mountain cultural heritage program and it’s a celebration of Scotch Irish heritage in the mountains, with the virtual birthday supper comprised of.

00:06:36.360 –> 00:06:40.980 Joseph McElroy: You know ideas of the food and poetry music and song and storytelling.

00:06:41.460 –> 00:06:51.750 Joseph McElroy: That happens and it burns dinner and it’s and then be more to honor that Scottish Bard Robert Burns the black Scotsman Mike Ogletree.

00:06:52.140 –> 00:07:02.220 Joseph McElroy: An expert on the Bards work and a resident artist, the Meadowlark c will host the virtual burns separate live stream from this mountain getaway in the mountains of North Carolina.

00:07:02.640 –> 00:07:17.340 Joseph McElroy: it’ll start at 5 pm on eastern standard time on January 25 you can go to facebook.com slash the meadowlark motel to get updates on the event and get access to the live stream.

00:07:18.330 –> 00:07:35.400 Joseph McElroy: So today we’re talking about pottery and I’m gonna give you a little bit of insights I found about pottery over the years and some information that people told me or I found now because you know I love pottery but I never really got into researching it and.

00:07:36.450 –> 00:07:45.330 Joseph McElroy: I decided to do that maybe I should know more about it so more pottery is an ancient form of art that originates from the Neolithic period.

00:07:46.140 –> 00:07:56.820 Joseph McElroy: Almost every ancient civilization practiced in some shape or form using different techniques and methods to achieve a piece of art that had a symbolic function.

00:07:58.200 –> 00:08:06.480 Joseph McElroy: Today, people love pottery because it really is an escape from the real world of mass production and consumerism.

00:08:07.080 –> 00:08:18.840 Joseph McElroy: Individual search for a sense of nostalgia and creating something beautiful or buying something beautiful that was made with the hand and it was that was similar to what our ancestors had.

00:08:19.260 –> 00:08:32.940 Joseph McElroy: So it’s a form of expression that grounds people in the present and represents in some symbolic membership and some tribe that they feel very akin to.

00:08:33.690 –> 00:08:45.060 Joseph McElroy: So to summarize the basics potter is the craft of making objects or claim materials and it comprises three major types earthenware porcelain and stoneware.

00:08:46.080 –> 00:09:01.380 Joseph McElroy: As you’re shaping the clay, the potter uses he can make it waterproof before decorating the exterior and it can have all painting glazing in other decorative moments I’m sure our potter here today or expert will give us some really good ideas.

00:09:02.790 –> 00:09:09.240 Joseph McElroy: So you know what is it, I talked about symbolism what is pottery symbolized.

00:09:10.470 –> 00:09:19.860 Joseph McElroy: audience pottery and ceramic I’ll just have a sick significance beyond utility and aesthetics and make your mind aspects of traditional and contemporary art.

00:09:21.060 –> 00:09:36.240 Joseph McElroy: Every you know I’m an artist as well, every art form carry some sort of symbolic meaning and from the materials to the symbols that they use, but a potter especially gets a lot of.

00:09:37.140 –> 00:09:48.690 Joseph McElroy: symbolism from the material the clay represents the earth and water used to mold it represents the bodies of water on this planet.

00:09:48.960 –> 00:10:08.010 Joseph McElroy: And it has religious connotations many religions believe that god’s sculptures the first humans from Zurich unless we come from the earth and many ancient culture use potter is a form of storytelling similar to decorative grieved races that narrate the legends of Greek gods.

00:10:10.140 –> 00:10:18.420 Joseph McElroy: You know, in the past, people first use pottery to carry water before creating it for decorative person’s personal purposes, now that they use it.

00:10:19.020 –> 00:10:28.500 Joseph McElroy: To try to understand the lifestyle they the living and the people in the past, and even the paste pieces we make today become artifacts for the future.

00:10:29.250 –> 00:10:37.650 Joseph McElroy: Now Maggie Valley in North Carolina and the surrounding great smoky mountains have been making handcrafted items like pottery since this area was first settled.

00:10:38.880 –> 00:10:46.350 Joseph McElroy: You know, in the beginning, it was used to make it was a utilitarian purpose, you know plates and things like that, but then.

00:10:47.430 –> 00:10:57.360 Joseph McElroy: As artists started becoming more involved in beauty and heritage, they started creating artistically studying, as well as functional people pieces.

00:10:57.960 –> 00:11:03.300 Joseph McElroy: And then, similar to the way storytelling served as practical purposes, preserving Appalachian culture.

00:11:04.110 –> 00:11:15.450 Joseph McElroy: What began as making everyday items I play some bowls became a treasured art form that is celebrated all around Maggie Valley and throughout the whole of the smokies.

00:11:16.110 –> 00:11:30.960 Joseph McElroy: Now you know if you’re coming to Haywood County and let you know, a couple few places, you can go visit and then we’ll get into speaking with our expert and artistic potter we have with us today now.

00:11:32.190 –> 00:11:42.090 Joseph McElroy: On the show before and Maggie Valley, we have the different drummer pottery, which is a local potter at homeroom and you’ve added residents and his family actually helped was.

00:11:43.110 –> 00:11:50.760 Joseph McElroy: Had the Meadowlark before my family did and actually built, one of the buildings there, so we had a very close connection in terms of.

00:11:51.150 –> 00:12:02.820 Joseph McElroy: And their potter is only a few doors down from the Meadowlark motel and it’s an old log cabin so it’s an interesting place to visit and it’s been working since 1980.

00:12:03.390 –> 00:12:13.140 Joseph McElroy: And then over in Boston North Carolina there’s the mud damaged pottery which is been operating since 1988 it’s a fully functioning studio and gallery that’s family.

00:12:13.980 –> 00:12:21.660 Joseph McElroy: And you can watch them throw play on the wheel and use our hands and special suits tools to create magic out of the air.

00:12:22.140 –> 00:12:25.710 Joseph McElroy: there’s an in Waynesville on Main Street there’s the Magnum park.

00:12:26.220 –> 00:12:36.390 Joseph McElroy: I know in Weaver bill and there’s the manga pottery well you find all sorts of gorgeous things, and of course, Asheville river arts district is as a Mecca for pottery.

00:12:37.290 –> 00:12:48.540 Joseph McElroy: As chocolate, full of all sorts of art galleries and a lot of them are Jalen ceramics and pottery both that the utility and the utilitarian level ended the artistic level.

00:12:49.890 –> 00:13:01.230 Joseph McElroy: And you have to go there and then there is the Blue Ridge parkway folk art Center it’s a one-stop-shop for all things of Appalachian heritage, including some stunning handcrafted pottery.

00:13:01.770 –> 00:13:06.990 Joseph McElroy: And it says, the main showcase for the southern Highland good craft Guild, which is one of the oldest graph CAP.

00:13:07.710 –> 00:13:16.770 Joseph McElroy: craft girls in the mountains and maybe the United States you’ll find a wealth of smoky mountain additions at your fingertips, you can meander through the well-curated galleries.

00:13:17.010 –> 00:13:27.540 Joseph McElroy: browse the bookshelf bookstore library pick out gifts from the craft shop and for the best part all you do is hang out in the lobby for up-close demonstrations and local artisans.

00:13:27.870 –> 00:13:35.520 Joseph McElroy: whipping up starting creations right before your eyes and don’t forget we at the Meadowlark have a smoky mountain heritage Center that has.

00:13:36.390 –> 00:13:47.130 Joseph McElroy: Some ceramic our artwork and utilitarian of the artifacts including mugs created by today’s guest Cory Plott.

00:13:47.550 –> 00:13:52.920 Joseph McElroy: And Cory is a Haywood County native is a direct descendant of the famed Haywood county Plott clan.

00:13:53.460 –> 00:13:57.510 Joseph McElroy: who’s credited with originating what later became the state dog with North Carolina.

00:13:57.900 –> 00:14:13.410 Joseph McElroy: The Plot hound, however, Cory has made his own mark as a renowned potter and sculptor here the great smokies his work is sold all over the world, as well as those those those mugs at the Meadowlark smoky mountain heritage Center how are you doing Cory?

00:14:14.130 –> 00:14:15.930 cory plott: hey I’m doing good today man, I hope you are.

00:14:16.800 –> 00:14:17.940 Joseph McElroy: doing fantastic.

00:14:18.720 –> 00:14:19.230 Good.

00:14:21.060 –> 00:14:26.370 Joseph McElroy: Food from snow in the mountains to ice in the New York City I’m having a wonderful.

00:14:28.590 –> 00:14:33.090 Joseph McElroy: Experience in the course of week one before we were talking about having no winter at all.

00:14:35.010 –> 00:14:35.550 cory plott: came quick.

00:14:35.970 –> 00:14:41.100 Joseph McElroy: And I just said, your work today and you’re the only one there because there is no dude right.

00:14:41.310 –> 00:14:41.730 cory plott: I know.

00:14:41.820 –> 00:14:46.080 cory plott: I know, everybody else Snowden but anyway I’ll show up I’ll open it I’ll close it.

00:14:46.230 –> 00:14:51.180 cory plott: and work this podcast I’m so excited about it, so I appreciate your time appreciate you having me.

00:14:51.420 –> 00:14:55.380 Joseph McElroy: Sure, so all over the world, where some of the places you’ve sold.

00:14:56.700 –> 00:15:12.390 cory plott: Oh well, you know, mainly I’d go up and down the East Coast, you know that’s what I focused on and that’s still what I focus on today yeah I’ve been turning pottery for about 10 years I’ve heard a piece is going up to Canada so that’s good I didn’t take there myself but they’re up there.

00:15:14.070 –> 00:15:14.310 Joseph McElroy: well.

00:15:14.760 –> 00:15:17.610 Joseph McElroy: there’s a mug in New York City yeah.

00:15:17.730 –> 00:15:18.270 cory plott: There we go.

00:15:18.420 –> 00:15:18.780 Okay.

00:15:22.290 –> 00:15:32.310 cory plott: that’s great so yeah but uh yeah like I said I just focus on the east coast, mainly from Philly all the way to Miami and I’ve worked a show somewhere every single weekend.

00:15:33.270 –> 00:15:34.200 cory plott: You know so.

00:15:34.380 –> 00:15:35.310 cory plott: yeah it was good.

00:15:36.030 –> 00:15:40.050 Joseph McElroy: We know, having you’re having been a guy that you know is

00:15:40.950 –> 00:15:48.720 Joseph McElroy: is maintained his heritage and is it is an Origination and everything I do, even though I’m ended up having to.

00:15:48.990 –> 00:15:59.730 Joseph McElroy: do a lot of work in New York City, because my other business, you see, I keep a lot of my original heritage like you know we’re over all the time, right now, their status over there, so overall.

00:16:01.890 –> 00:16:17.280 Joseph McElroy: A lot of people, a lot of people were Carhart down, I was, I was going into the Highland you know furniture store yes down there and some guy you know very old-timer came up to me said where’d you get them.

00:16:18.480 –> 00:16:24.120 Joseph McElroy: overalls I really liked him and I told him I got an Amazon, I said boy it’s hard to get over all these days, I really like overall.

00:16:29.700 –> 00:16:30.870 Joseph McElroy: Confirmation yeah.

00:16:32.550 –> 00:16:37.530 Joseph McElroy: How have you found living in the smokies has influenced your work.

00:16:38.640 –> 00:16:45.870 cory plott: Well, you know I mean ever traveling and everything you know I thought I fall in love with somewhere else, but I never did.

00:16:46.770 –> 00:16:59.280 cory plott: Even from traveling to big cities little towns working these shows that people were Nice and they were always respectful but nothing’s like here and Haywood county yeah just feel even more in love with Maggie.

00:17:00.270 –> 00:17:07.530 cory plott: and especially with the diversity that Asheville brings we didn’t leave because we never had to everything’s offered here.

00:17:08.580 –> 00:17:14.460 Cory Plott: So that was a surprise to me, I thought, surely, I find somewhere else but there’s no bait near I promise.

00:17:15.030 –> 00:17:15.570 cory plott: You.

00:17:15.900 –> 00:17:24.690 Joseph McElroy: hey listen, we have to take our first break, I guess, I talked too much, to begin with, but when we come back we’ll start talking about a little bit about your pottery alright.

00:17:25.350 –> 00:17:26.550 cory plott: sounds good alright.

00:19:42.900 –> 00:19:56.640 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with my guest Cory Plott on the gateway to the smokies podcast now for I’ve seen those mugs you made and they’re really beautiful back to drink for one right now.

00:19:56.700 –> 00:19:57.030 cory plott: Oh yeah.

00:19:57.870 –> 00:19:58.530 cory plott: yeah I know.

00:20:00.510 –> 00:20:01.710 Joseph McElroy: You had to and.

00:20:02.820 –> 00:20:07.920 Joseph McElroy: And, by the way, you go to Meadowlark Motel and buy those on that website.

00:20:09.060 –> 00:20:15.030 Joseph McElroy: And, and you know I need you to make me a mug that says, this is my moonshine cup but anyway.

00:20:15.780 –> 00:20:16.110 cory plott: I will

00:20:16.170 –> 00:20:16.920 cory plott: I will

00:20:18.840 –> 00:20:29.880 Joseph McElroy: I saw I saw the job that you made for the awards, are some of the people and things like that, but tell me what is the extent of what you work in pottery you mentioned that your sculptor to what do you work it.

00:20:31.350 –> 00:20:43.350 cory plott: well, I work in stoneware and that’s, not just for its historical purposes, it was mainly the Germans worked in stoneware and they brought that with them, you know, of course, whenever they came over and family Appalachia.

00:20:44.310 –> 00:20:53.310 cory plott: But I like stoneware because of its durability and also, I, like the way it turns on the wheel it’s got a lot of St in it it’s real smooth that’s really durable.

00:20:54.210 –> 00:21:00.960 cory plott: You have to wrestle it a little bit more because oftentimes it’s stiffer but you could really make a nice top part and make it really smooth shape.

00:21:01.890 –> 00:21:13.890 cory plott: But, mainly for its durability stone where’s to me number one, especially since you’ve mentioned at the dishwasher so you throw the dishwasher put in the oven you don’t have to worry about it but hands down I’ve always worked in stoneware.

00:21:13.950 –> 00:21:16.950 Joseph McElroy: And that’s opposed to porcelain.

00:21:17.070 –> 00:21:19.620 cory plott: And yeah porcelain or earthenware.

00:21:19.860 –> 00:21:21.720 cory plott: Now there’s a rich history of earthenware.

00:21:22.770 –> 00:21:39.930 cory plott: In Winston Salem with the meridian pottery or were little animal figuring flasks you know little squirrel flask it or read where slip trailed way or there’s a rich history in that too, and if I was to do anything but stone, where I would go into earthenware.

00:21:40.170 –> 00:21:40.530 Joseph McElroy: But I.

00:21:40.560 –> 00:21:53.520 cory plott: don’t think I’ll ever mess with porcelain ya know it’s porcelain to me it’s a little fickle you know I want to turn it put a handle on it put it on the shelf and dried out and rotate doesn’t double you know I don’t want anything to fickle.

00:21:55.980 –> 00:22:06.990 Joseph McElroy: seen you on your site, you had some fancy like look like pictures are either that or they were Turkish you know smoking implements but.

00:22:10.890 –> 00:22:11.790 Joseph McElroy: They were like long.

00:22:15.000 –> 00:22:15.990 Joseph McElroy: kind of cool but.

00:22:17.760 –> 00:22:18.030 cory plott: What.

00:22:18.480 –> 00:22:20.010 Joseph McElroy: You do sculpture as well.

00:22:20.610 –> 00:22:25.170 cory plott: I do yeah and that’s it thanks to Terrence Painter, down there a different drummer.

00:22:25.440 –> 00:22:27.120 cory plott: Every machine is working growing up.

00:22:27.120 –> 00:22:32.550 cory plott: seen his work out detail-oriented it was most partners don’t put that attention to detail.

00:22:33.000 –> 00:22:35.250 cory plott: But I always admired him for doing that I’d see.

00:22:35.250 –> 00:22:45.330 cory plott: His work at quickdraw for scholarship programs for the schools here in Haywood county it’s beautiful trees and stuff so once I saw his work and I’d always drawn and painted.

00:22:45.810 –> 00:22:55.680 cory plott: So I’ve decided to do those rooster jokes which is it’s their tedious father, my father I covered entire jug and scope of research on it and I’m now turning them into lunch.

00:22:56.010 –> 00:22:58.950 cory plott: wow so yeah so it’s a good.

00:22:58.950 –> 00:22:59.430 balance.

00:23:00.600 –> 00:23:04.830 Joseph McElroy: Have you met his son he’s come back and is now working full time as a partner with that.

00:23:05.100 –> 00:23:12.360 cory plott: He was telling me about that yeah it’s been a while now, but the last time I talked to him, he said yeah his son gateway so.

00:23:12.720 –> 00:23:16.170 cory plott: that’s awesome so maybe one day it’ll be popular pottery and sons, who knows.

00:23:18.600 –> 00:23:20.670 Joseph McElroy: Brazilian drones are interesting to me.

00:23:20.670 –> 00:23:22.890 cory plott: was saying that I thought I had to make it through them and.

00:23:24.450 –> 00:23:25.620 Joseph McElroy: said, you can do all sorts of.

00:23:25.620 –> 00:23:26.460 Joseph McElroy: stuff so.

00:23:26.520 –> 00:23:30.600 Joseph McElroy: yeah that you had that contemporary flair to your work right yeah.

00:23:30.840 –> 00:23:33.930 cory plott: yeah little bit about trying to bring you to bring in a little bit about.

00:23:35.430 –> 00:23:39.750 Joseph McElroy: How you got started as a potter is seeing Terry painter and getting into it, or what was.

00:23:39.750 –> 00:23:40.410 cory plott: In a way.

00:23:40.680 –> 00:23:52.650 cory plott: We went to school for it my after high school my best friend took a pottery class and I wouldn’t be in love with it, I thought Okay, you know easy yay all right, I draw and paint you know.

00:23:53.340 –> 00:24:04.470 cory plott: I’m not in the pottery but after the first semester my pottery Professor said Cory you’re the last one here semesters over you don’t have to go home I don’t care where you go you can’t stay here get your stuff and get.

00:24:06.510 –> 00:24:16.260 cory plott: I had about 24 months that I needed to take home in the day was young, you know it didn’t even really get started as about two o’clock so I took my belt off.

00:24:16.560 –> 00:24:24.150 cory plott: rang my bell through all the handles of the mugs and then drove to Main Street and walked up and down Main Street peddling these things.

00:24:24.720 –> 00:24:32.400 cory plott: wow yeah and I got ran out of a few stores that’s a no, no, I didn’t think about it, I was just trying to sell my mug.

00:24:34.290 –> 00:24:39.420 cory plott: But I was 18 I sold 24 months for $20 a patient about two hours.

00:24:40.890 –> 00:24:41.460 Joseph McElroy: right there.

00:24:42.360 –> 00:24:42.990 cory plott: When they click.

00:24:43.020 –> 00:24:49.350 cory plott: I thought Okay, I like pottery I’ll go into this, as long as I make live being creative I’m fine so.

00:24:50.790 –> 00:25:02.610 Joseph McElroy: In the arts are certain things they say like you know if your printer and as an artist as a visual artist the printer always makes money, the other artists don’t always make money but yeah yeah.

00:25:03.690 –> 00:25:08.430 Joseph McElroy: scope in the sculpting art a potter usually can make money right.

00:25:09.300 –> 00:25:14.700 cory plott: yeah well when you got the best about you could sculpt but I’ve always had my roots in production pottery.

00:25:15.840 –> 00:25:21.270 cory plott: And that’s exactly I took an apprenticeship, while I was at Haywood Community college with brad Dotson in Boston.

00:25:21.810 –> 00:25:33.660 cory plott: Oh, you know it’s I studied with him, while I was in school, and I mean he really taught me a lot about production and bread and butter and what it takes, you know I’ve always got my roots in production.

00:25:34.440 –> 00:25:35.670 Joseph McElroy: yeah now.

00:25:36.240 –> 00:25:43.230 Joseph McElroy: Besides, those guys you got any other specific artists that you really feel or mentors or influencers.

00:25:44.130 –> 00:25:55.530 cory plott: Or, well, I mean my Professor His name was Steve Annoyed I wish, she was with us, you know today, but he asked a while back, but I’ve got one of his teapots and I’ve got it in a really special place you know and I’m always thinking about.

00:25:55.950 –> 00:26:05.280 cory plott: You know, as far as mentors and stuff and he was real artsy you know, he was real artsy so I had that balance which is unusual, I had that artsy

00:26:06.660 –> 00:26:20.430 cory plott: Professor but then I’d go to my apprenticeship, you know, whereas graph production produces quantity, so I had the best of both sides of the coin right off the BAT which is unusual, it is a privilege.

00:26:20.760 –> 00:26:30.600 cory plott: Right yeah but other than that, of course, my dad you know I told him I was like oh yeah I’m gonna be a potter and he’s like oh yeah are you know.

00:26:33.570 –> 00:26:34.500 cory plott: over time.

00:26:34.740 –> 00:26:35.130 cory plott: You know.

00:26:38.700 –> 00:26:39.030 cory plott: My mom.

00:26:40.020 –> 00:26:43.320 Joseph McElroy: told me, potter, yes, you said don’t smoke too much.

00:26:43.980 –> 00:26:44.790 Joseph McElroy: yeah.

00:26:45.450 –> 00:26:47.760 cory plott: Are you sure you don’t get a real job.

00:26:50.970 –> 00:26:58.320 Joseph McElroy: So uh yeah do you how do you classify you were in the canon of it or have you got your own genre, what do you, what do you call it.

00:26:59.160 –> 00:27:04.260 cory plott: um well you know I’ve got 12 items that I make you know and.

00:27:05.130 –> 00:27:14.430 cory plott: that’s you know mugs bowls I’ve got my production basis mixing bowls you know, and these are all things that I’ll crack open a history book and look at.

00:27:14.970 –> 00:27:19.590 cory plott: And then put my own twist on it like right now what I’m focusing on now is.

00:27:20.040 –> 00:27:35.010 cory plott: it’s a medieval technique and German Jews did a lot to it’s called agate where it’s we’re used to different colors of clay so I’ll turn my stoneware pot put the color clay on it and it swirls it looks like it’s a marble.

00:27:35.580 –> 00:27:51.480 cory plott: mm hmm so it’s yeah and to me what I love about it, is it captures how fast that part was spinning so even after its fire that thing you can tell it spun around my wheel 1000 miles an hour eternity it captures that motion.

00:27:52.920 –> 00:28:00.540 cory plott: So, even though it’s a medieval technique and the Germans used it, I still put my little spin on it, and it can be modern and minimal too.

00:28:01.440 –> 00:28:07.410 Joseph McElroy: Now you know you do you don’t use electric spinning right use your own foot speed is that right.

00:28:07.650 –> 00:28:23.850 cory plott: Exactly I’ve got a kick wheel that I use a locker be kicked we’ll adjust it up a little bit put a little brass light switch on it now it’s got a motor but it’s also a free-spinning wheel and I’ve got the treadmill wheel I drove up to Kentucky to get that thing it was so beautiful.

00:28:24.090 –> 00:28:24.930 cory plott: And what is it oh.

00:28:25.470 –> 00:28:31.110 cory plott: it’s usually up on a board you lean upon it, and this is what traditional North Carolina potter’s you.

00:28:31.560 –> 00:28:48.390 cory plott: you’ve got the big pan, this is the three by four so it’s a box with the spinning wheel in it with the wheel head and it’s got a board that comes out that you leaned on one leg with your other leg you’re kicking a board, which spins the way at the bottom to turn the wheel.

00:28:49.980 –> 00:28:56.550 cory plott: There you’re constantly kicking it’s got a lot of torque once you get going you’re fine you know.

00:28:57.240 –> 00:28:57.450 When.

00:28:58.650 –> 00:29:02.940 Joseph McElroy: We do a lot of work that way don’t mean to start favorite one leg in a different way.

00:29:03.990 –> 00:29:08.730 cory plott: You cannot switch legs, if I take off too fast, I have a hard left and I’m like oh easy you know.

00:29:10.500 –> 00:29:12.150 cory plott: I run in circles if I go running too fast.

00:29:14.700 –> 00:29:20.190 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow that’s interesting and yeah and use action you’re in you’re right.

00:29:21.150 –> 00:29:21.630 Joseph McElroy: I do.

00:29:21.930 –> 00:29:30.930 cory plott: I do, I use a lot of wood ash and it would actually have been predominantly that go to especially with North Carolina pottery and especially Western North Carolina pottery.

00:29:31.710 –> 00:29:46.320 cory plott: mainly because you know they had used the word to fire, the Council wood ash was in abundance and they saw that if the punch in the front of the Kingdom there was getting blasted by all this fire and blasted by all this heat and ash would they have drips on it.

00:29:47.490 –> 00:30:04.710 cory plott: And what they would do is they would save it down put it on top of the clay, on top of the pot if that he would melt it because what it is, is silica net and tree whenever it’s alive it pulls up silica from the ground that’s why it’s so rich it needs silica to be strong.

00:30:05.220 –> 00:30:15.570 cory plott: Right so yeah to that silica is exactly what Milton creates those drips in wood-fired pieces and with you, using ash places even in an electric eel.

00:30:17.010 –> 00:30:17.730 cory plott: So.

00:30:18.060 –> 00:30:34.200 cory plott: it’s real and what’s really neat, let me tell you this, which really date is the softer the wood, the green or the ash the density as follows the color wheel by the color of the ash, so if it’s a soft good it’s a green medium yellow and if it’s a hardwood it’s orange or Brown.

00:30:34.620 –> 00:30:35.670 wow.

00:30:37.320 –> 00:30:41.340 cory plott: yeah just to uncover one of these natural phenomena, I mean it’s just neat.

00:30:41.910 –> 00:30:52.620 Joseph McElroy: wow yeah cool so uh so we’re gonna take another break here when we come back we’ll find more about what’s your process and things you’ve been doing all right.

00:30:53.220 –> 00:30:53.580 cory plott: All right.

00:32:59.760 –> 00:33:15.030 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Cory Plott. hey, Cory so they made some mugs in jugs for us at the Plott fest that will be held this year.

00:33:16.080 –> 00:33:19.050 Joseph McElroy: What did what does it take, how do you what’s the process of making.

00:33:20.220 –> 00:33:21.420 Joseph McElroy: a jug or a mug?

00:33:22.380 –> 00:33:24.630 cory plott: Okay, so what I’ll do start to finish, is.

00:33:25.950 –> 00:33:31.800 cory plott: I’ll get the clay and I’ll widget so what I’ll do is I’ll loosen it up a little bit I’ll take the block it plays out.

00:33:32.130 –> 00:33:39.510 cory plott: Unless I’ve dug it if it’s a special batch and I’ve dug it let’s start there say I’ve dug it and I’m mixing some local clay in with some clay I’ve already got.

00:33:39.870 –> 00:33:53.520 cory plott: I’ll save it down get the rocks out of it, you know at least the big rocks leave a few of in there for the character, yet, but I’ll save it down mix it in there with it and then I’ll begin to which, so what I’ll do is I’ll widget by.

00:33:54.960 –> 00:34:07.590 cory plott: it’s gosh it’s called a spiral which so I’ll need it basically you just need it in the same way, over and over and clay actually has a memory in it whenever it’s turning and whenever it’s firing.

00:34:08.070 –> 00:34:09.030 cory plott: So when.

00:34:09.840 –> 00:34:11.760 Joseph McElroy: You use a lot of local players that.

00:34:12.240 –> 00:34:27.690 cory plott: yeah I do now, just like what you’d mentioned it’s more of a special art form, I don’t do it in my plates and bowls but I’ll do it for a teapot or I’ll do it for a rooster I’ll do it for the nicer pieces to add a little home edge, you know what an honor to use in this local clay.

00:34:28.200 –> 00:34:29.160 cory plott: right, so.

00:34:30.240 –> 00:34:39.870 cory plott: I’ll need a widget together and I’ll make sure that I widget in such a way that it’s spiraling in the same way that whenever I put it on the wheel in the same direction.

00:34:41.040 –> 00:34:43.530 cory plott: Now that’s a neat little trick it’s got a memory.

00:34:44.040 –> 00:34:47.190 cory plott: Right it’s like whenever you fire it’ll untwist a little bit.

00:34:48.300 –> 00:34:48.930 cory plott: it’ll move.

00:34:49.470 –> 00:35:01.710 cory plott: yeah so so I put it on the wheel in the same direction, I needed in and I’ll get that kick we’ll go in I’ll get the momentum I’ll start kicking on that treadmill we’ll Center it open it up and stand up.

00:35:02.820 –> 00:35:11.160 cory plott: So you just kind of REACH in there and squeeze it and pull it up as far as you can with your inside hand up a little bit above your outside.

00:35:12.510 –> 00:35:17.400 cory plott: push it up and push in because this centrifugal force will want to push it out.

00:35:17.880 –> 00:35:23.070 cory plott: Right so to keep it pushed in and collard up straight that’s, the best thing to do.

00:35:24.180 –> 00:35:40.470 cory plott: Then, after once I’ve turned it to the height that I need I’ll use a piece of metal called a rib and then I’ll smooth it out so I’ll put my hand back in there with my robe on the outside in smooth it out and scrape all that with clay off which compresses the pot for durability.

00:35:42.120 –> 00:35:52.860 cory plott: So once I get into the shape that I need I always measure my stuff if you’ve seen any of my time lapses or any of my videos on Facebook I’ve been trying to do a lot more little bit more than that since show slowed up a little bit.

00:35:53.070 –> 00:35:55.770 cory plott: yeah I figured well I better go virtual now, I guess, I have to.

00:35:56.310 –> 00:35:56.730 cory plott: You know.

00:35:57.750 –> 00:36:08.670 cory plott: I got my yardsticks out I’m always measuring I’m always shooting for consistency, which is another old-school way I don’t make one-off batches I make doesn’t to the same thing similar sizes.

00:36:10.080 –> 00:36:26.190 cory plott: So once it’s turned way tonight, let it get leather hard and they put a handle on it I’ll pull in stretching handle and then put a handle on it so it’s stepping up whenever I’m pushing on it couldn’t handle alone it’s not going to push the potty and then deformed it.

00:36:26.850 –> 00:36:28.200 cory plott: Right yep.

00:36:28.530 –> 00:36:29.520 Joseph McElroy: And then you fire it.

00:36:30.420 –> 00:36:33.660 cory plott: Well I’ll let it dry out I let it dry out for a couple of weeks yeah.

00:36:33.990 –> 00:36:43.650 cory plott: And then, this fire it so I’ll fire it about 1200 degrees, which is low, most founders could have 1600 but I’m just trying to get just what I need to get.

00:36:43.950 –> 00:36:45.510 cory plott: You know and that’s good about stone.

00:36:46.470 –> 00:36:54.030 cory plott: stone where it’s got a little leeway so far it’s 1200 pull it out and it’s like a terracotta pot right there’s no place it’s got a little thing.

00:36:54.480 –> 00:37:08.400 cory plott: But it’s a terracotta pop basically then I’ll put the glaze on it I’ll pour the body of the glaze and then dip the top in the ashes wipe the bottom is, if you don’t want the bottom it’ll fuse to the Shell right, you know.

00:37:10.170 –> 00:37:19.890 cory plott: yeah so wipe the bottom sign it plot and put the year on it put it in the kill and then I’ll fire to 2300 degrees 20 3050.

00:37:21.030 –> 00:37:21.420 Joseph McElroy: wow.

00:37:21.450 –> 00:37:34.830 cory plott: And then man, then it comes out it’s got a nice teen it’s got a good ring if it’s cracked in any way you’ll hear it on my waiter very good you could just hear it, you know it’s got a cracker it’s flawed, you could tell right away, but.

00:37:37.560 –> 00:37:38.100 cory plott: I do.

00:37:38.490 –> 00:37:39.300 cory plott: I really do.

00:37:39.570 –> 00:37:44.820 cory plott: yeah well I’ve got a spot off to the edge of my property because there’s a lot.

00:37:45.210 –> 00:37:45.720 Joseph McElroy: You know.

00:37:45.840 –> 00:37:47.430 cory plott: Over time there’s a lot.

00:37:47.640 –> 00:37:50.310 cory plott: yeah you know kind of a fan.

00:37:51.060 –> 00:37:54.540 Joseph McElroy: I have to tell you I read somewhere you don’t like tons of Calais or.

00:37:55.650 –> 00:37:56.730 cory plott: eight times the.

00:37:57.180 –> 00:37:58.170 cory plott: return is.

00:37:58.200 –> 00:38:00.360 cory plott: 850 500 bucks.

00:38:00.660 –> 00:38:01.290 cory plott: wow and.

00:38:01.770 –> 00:38:10.230 cory plott: The way that I do that I’ve got 12 items that I’m making it I’m focused I’m not you know I’m not often space I got my feet on the ground.

00:38:10.290 –> 00:38:17.400 cory plott: You know I got to play, so I do 12 items each week I’ll do just one batch of it, each item.

00:38:17.850 –> 00:38:21.330 cory plott: Right, so what I mean is I’ll do 350 pounds of batter balls.

00:38:22.560 –> 00:38:33.750 cory plott: You know or I’ll do quarter-ton pitchers like if they’re eight pounds, you might be able to afford or 10 a week and then so then every 12 weeks comes around which is a quarter.

00:38:34.410 –> 00:38:43.470 cory plott: Well, my years playing out quarterly Then I come back on the rotation and it’s been a while, since I’ve made mugs because it’s been three months, and then I could do it again, you know.

00:38:43.530 –> 00:38:44.340 Keep it fresh.

00:38:45.600 –> 00:38:46.080 Joseph McElroy: So.

00:38:47.220 –> 00:38:49.200 Joseph McElroy: So where do you get all that play.

00:38:50.400 –> 00:39:07.020 cory Plott: we’ll add you know what I buy I buy by the time be honest, I really I bought by the time from high water clay, they make the great place you sell a stone I love it it’s light clay, it reminds me of pipeclay, which is what we have here its light.

00:39:08.280 –> 00:39:19.950 cory plott: Gray clay and it’s here in these mountains it’s type clay and then there’s another kind of clay it’s like a real Ramzi kind of Green clay, but Zilla stone reminds me a pipe play which is here.

00:39:20.340 –> 00:39:21.000 cory plott: Oh so.

00:39:21.300 –> 00:39:22.410 Joseph McElroy: Why is that.

00:39:22.680 –> 00:39:27.030 Joseph McElroy: So you get all your claim from that one source you, you get some local clay from somewhere.

00:39:27.780 –> 00:39:36.630 cory plott: A tech-like people will reach out to me they’ll say hey Cory you know I’ve got this vein of clay and I’ll say now you sure to call you to know, can you make a pretzel out of it and they’ll.

00:39:36.630 –> 00:39:37.440 cory plott: Say yeah it’s quite.

00:39:37.590 –> 00:39:41.790 cory plott: So then I’ll go get some and it makes it in with the specialty pieces.

00:39:41.880 –> 00:39:50.850 cory plott: Oh that’s good I remember it hey what Haywood Community college they dug out the foundation for the new Hazelwood elementary school on the Plott creek.

00:39:51.060 –> 00:39:58.110 cory plott: right they had this huge deposited clay, I mean dump truckload to this stuff that’s all I turned in college was the local clay.

00:39:58.620 –> 00:39:59.940 Joseph McElroy: wow yeah.

00:40:00.630 –> 00:40:02.460 cory plott: That process that and turn it out so.

00:40:03.210 –> 00:40:14.400 Joseph McElroy: So you know the Cherokee had a long tradition of making pottery as well, how does, how does your work as a potter compared to what the charity, do we.

00:40:14.730 –> 00:40:19.080 cory plott: Will Cherokee have an awesome history, a lot of their pieces were.

00:40:20.130 –> 00:40:24.870 cory plott: fired like a pit fire earthenware which is neat you know it.

00:40:25.890 –> 00:40:36.630 cory plott: It actually they will burnish the pot so much they’ll use around the stone and burnish it dirty it compresses the surface of the clay so much to where it’s.

00:40:37.380 –> 00:40:51.900 cory plott: it’s not waterproof but it’s usable you know they don’t have to glaze it, it could be fired at a lower temperature because they put the elbow grease and burnish that pot so much where it’ll hold food and water fine and has for years since.

00:40:53.130 –> 00:41:00.540 cory plott: Oh yeah so they don’t glaze they don’t, but they will use the pit firing and the burnishing to make it food safe, which is fun.

00:41:01.680 –> 00:41:02.280 Joseph McElroy: interesting.

00:41:02.910 –> 00:41:09.990 cory plott: yeah so, but now here’s something now I didn’t know this speaking of Cherokee until I read the white road, which is a book by Edmund to the wall.

00:41:10.650 –> 00:41:28.320 cory plott: And the wide road mentioned that back in the 70s 60s with Joe sigh which would you know which would pottery stoke on Trent England way across the world, heard about Cherokee and actually Cherokee has some of the finest porcelain on the earth.

00:41:30.210 –> 00:41:31.920 Joseph McElroy: If Kalan right there that would.

00:41:32.970 –> 00:41:33.690 cory plott: be what it is and.

00:41:34.470 –> 00:41:35.670 Joseph McElroy: lining there yeah.

00:41:35.760 –> 00:41:51.900 cory plott: yeah that’s exactly what it is now even on the other side of the world and the 1760s which would found out the battle, so the mountains have always been just I mean just so so full of natural material it’s not funny it’s been on the map for centuries so.

00:41:52.230 –> 00:41:56.370 Joseph McElroy: Is there still any other than these mountains oh yeah yeah yeah.

00:41:57.240 –> 00:41:59.970 Joseph McElroy: cool they just don’t mind it as much anymore, though right.

00:42:00.000 –> 00:42:01.290 cory plott: Probably not much, but yeah.

00:42:02.010 –> 00:42:08.880 cory plott: Exactly, I think I think the need for it went down a little bit stuff comes and goes, you know they need entered now, it might not be you know so.

00:42:09.840 –> 00:42:12.330 Joseph McElroy: yeah what’s the biggest piece of pottery maybe.

00:42:13.140 –> 00:42:31.680 cory plott: the biggest piece is I’ve actually got it I I said the village of yesteryear working in the North Carolina state Bayer l with my treadmill wheel I love the North Carolina state fair, you know and our ability to address colonial you got to demonstrate it’s all about teaching people.

00:42:31.890 –> 00:42:44.670 cory plott: it’s all about the team, but I’ve turned this fictional piece, and it was all my little turtle wheel, nobody would have guessed it, but I turned a 12-pound bass and then with a 12 anyway there are four sections.

00:42:45.570 –> 00:42:46.170 cory plott: And then.

00:42:46.260 –> 00:42:55.200 cory plott: I turn this thing so tall on purpose with these different shapes and it looks pretty but what I had to do, I had been whenever I had that crowd.

00:42:55.740 –> 00:43:05.790 cory plott: watching me do this and I was demonstrating and teaching this I had to call a little kid I said a little buddy come here, I need you to kick this because I’m gonna have to get on this stool, so I can reach the top of this pond.

00:43:07.800 –> 00:43:08.610 cory plott: So here.

00:43:09.360 –> 00:43:12.090 cory plott: This little kid he was working that will thank you, Robin, like a boat.

00:43:14.880 –> 00:43:19.230 cory plott: And I was just sitting up there up top hoping I didn’t have to slow down say what’s going to happen with that guy down there.

00:43:21.660 –> 00:43:21.750 cory plott: It.

00:43:23.880 –> 00:43:24.750 Joseph McElroy: kind of follows it.

00:43:25.500 –> 00:43:34.740 cory plott: Will it be a big bass I turned a big base with a really tall Neck and then I ended up putting two of my rooster heads off of it real or name.

00:43:35.070 –> 00:43:35.970 cory plott: Real wow.

00:43:36.090 –> 00:43:43.830 cory plott: How many just total demonstrations it’s about four feet tall and I’ve got a house I don’t know how I got that thing back in one piece, but I did so.

00:43:45.330 –> 00:44:00.870 cory plott: But yeah yeah and that’s part of my passion anything I can do to inspire somebody anything I can do to teach somebody to show a little kid in this virtual world that you can make things with your hands that you do have good ideas that are what I’m here to do.

00:44:01.590 –> 00:44:10.710 Joseph McElroy: wow so you have to mention mugs and jugs and bases and roosters do you do laps and tables.

00:44:11.250 –> 00:44:18.030 cory plott: I just got into lamps yeah I really did I just got into lamps cuz I just looking at Christopher.

00:44:19.680 –> 00:44:34.920 cory plott: spits Miller, I think I’ve never met him or nothing but I was just looking at his videos up in New York, you made me think of it whenever you mentioned New York, yeah but anyway, he makes nothing but lamps and I thought that’d be the LIFE make nothing but lamps.

00:44:39.060 –> 00:44:41.700 Joseph McElroy: You can be the Thomas K, to have a.

00:44:41.730 –> 00:44:44.340 Joseph McElroy: potter’s and be the potter of light.

00:44:48.990 –> 00:44:58.950 Joseph McElroy: But we have to take another break and we’ll come, the last thing we’ll talk a little bit about the things you’d like to North Carolina finish up talking about how they can even find out about your pottery.

00:44:59.790 –> 00:45:00.120 Okay.

00:47:01.680 –> 00:47:18.090 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and My guest Cory Plott so Cory you know I hate to admit it, but the 50 years ago I was in elementary school rock hill elementary and.

00:47:19.140 –> 00:47:30.300 Joseph McElroy: Then on Jonathan creek seems like only yesterday, but we used to make in-class pottery I remember that like candle holders and ashtrays did you have to do that grown-up.

00:47:31.110 –> 00:47:35.460 cory plott: Oh yeah yeah I had missed Loveland in middle school.

00:47:35.910 –> 00:47:46.260 cory plott: And elementary school and both of them just such nice people that you know slow, their role and teach and to me that really let them are.

00:47:47.340 –> 00:47:48.720 Joseph McElroy: What kind of pottery was that.

00:47:49.980 –> 00:47:52.110 Joseph McElroy: You remember yeah well what.

00:47:53.040 –> 00:47:53.400 cory plott: Was it.

00:47:53.670 –> 00:47:56.940 Joseph McElroy: Was it was earthware, was it stone.

00:47:58.800 –> 00:47:59.580 cory plott: it was earthenware

00:48:00.300 –> 00:48:05.100 cory plott: yeah and I remember my high school teacher mystery laser he was a.

00:48:06.090 –> 00:48:15.600 cory plott: sergeant and then he went into our teaching and his favorite phrase was drawn to your notice, please you know don’t get up that you’re done draw draw draw draw and.

00:48:16.350 –> 00:48:30.030 cory plott: So he sat me down with a piece of clay and he said I want you to take all day and just do one thing so anyway, I made a little planner and it had this little face on it and that face had so many details because he made me sit there to do it all day.

00:48:31.860 –> 00:48:33.960 cory plott: But i’ll never forget that either so.

00:48:35.100 –> 00:48:35.490 cory plott: yeah.

00:48:36.000 –> 00:48:39.150 Joseph McElroy: wow so um what’s your favorite thing to create.

00:48:41.160 –> 00:48:45.480 cory plott: My favorite thing to create definitely my roosters you know there’s so much.

00:48:46.920 –> 00:48:51.420 Joseph McElroy: I actually when I was in the Meadowlark okay all right we’re gonna talk about that.

00:48:51.660 –> 00:48:51.990 Okay.

00:48:54.630 –> 00:48:56.250 Joseph McElroy: I got we got them in a few.

00:48:56.280 –> 00:48:59.520 Joseph McElroy: metal was, but some stoneware ones might be pretty good.

00:48:59.610 –> 00:49:00.930 cory plott: yeah that’d be good.

00:49:01.200 –> 00:49:03.600 Joseph McElroy: Maybe maybe we get a six-foot-tall was.

00:49:05.550 –> 00:49:06.030 Joseph McElroy: One today.

00:49:07.650 –> 00:49:08.730 cory plott: don’t do me i’ll do it.

00:49:11.250 –> 00:49:18.600 Joseph McElroy: Are you going to do any other mediums are you going to break out of your 12 of 12 items, or is this a commited for a while.

00:49:19.650 –> 00:49:22.290 cory plott: Well, I don’t know if I came in I don’t know if I could.

00:49:22.620 –> 00:49:37.260 cory plott: I mean, I thought about getting a little weird lately, you know, but I don’t need another you know I can’t it’s too much me to potteries too much epic I mean you know it’s you know I just came, you know I sketching stuff and I don’t.

00:49:38.250 –> 00:49:40.770 cory plott: know what I mean I don’t anymore, just because I found such wealth.

00:49:41.220 –> 00:49:41.580 Joseph McElroy: of you.

00:49:42.030 –> 00:49:43.200 cory plott: Know loving it.

00:49:44.130 –> 00:49:49.410 cory plott: yeah yeah, first of all, you can’t get bored it’s so personal you can do anything.

00:49:49.440 –> 00:49:55.740 Joseph McElroy: Well potters are great you can live a whole lot most potters start out as potters they end up as barters they just love.

00:49:56.910 –> 00:50:07.080 Joseph McElroy: I love it from the get-go you just because of the medium itself is like a this gets into your sensory you know.

00:50:07.320 –> 00:50:12.840 Joseph McElroy: aesthetic and you just yeah So do you teach do you do any kind of classes.

00:50:12.840 –> 00:50:13.500 cory plott: One day.

00:50:13.710 –> 00:50:20.970 cory plott: One day okay yeah that’s kind of my that’s my plan later down the road Emperor I’ve done it, you know what I mean quite a while.

00:50:21.540 –> 00:50:22.080 You know.

00:50:26.130 –> 00:50:28.470 Joseph McElroy: Bob’s trying to put together some summer camps.

00:50:43.980 –> 00:50:46.770 Joseph McElroy: One of the things I like to do all right is.

00:50:48.180 –> 00:51:01.590 Joseph McElroy: is also you live in Haywood county and they are in the gateway to the smokies and you know people listen this life know to do things that we give them a lot of ideas about pottery places to go, is there any other pottery places you’d recommend them to go.

00:51:02.370 –> 00:51:18.090 cory plott: Oh well, well I’m one of my favorite little towns in Hillsborough you know to go buy deals for a check it out a beautiful scratch, you get the train right there the triangle take you there you know Costas great place to eat, but my favorite places a.

00:51:19.320 –> 00:51:22.290 cory plott: dog would grab that crafters dogwood crafters they.

00:51:22.710 –> 00:51:22.860 They.

00:51:24.360 –> 00:51:25.590 cory plott: shop yeah hillsborough.

00:51:25.950 –> 00:51:27.420 cory plott: they’ve got such a unique shop.

00:51:27.450 –> 00:51:40.050 cory plott: All these different mediums so many different artists, I mean it’s just wild that you can fit that many things under one roof, I mean really you know me back 10 years ago for a scholarship for me hey what Haywood Community college.

00:51:41.130 –> 00:51:47.370 cory plott: And so I’ve become a part of them and a part of what they do and put my pottery in here as well, and help them.

00:51:48.540 –> 00:51:54.120 cory plott: get more scholarships for future students and for future craftspeople I mean you can’t beat it.

00:51:54.660 –> 00:52:06.000 Joseph McElroy: Oh so like 25 minutes from Maggie so it’s an easy little per trip for our guests, to go to and really a wonderful day trip catch the train do that too it’s like an old steam train it’s.

00:52:06.630 –> 00:52:15.540 Joseph McElroy: A it’s a wonderful experience so yeah yeah so uh any places and Clyde or can you would recommend going to eat.

00:52:16.560 –> 00:52:20.970 cory plott: Now, well, I mean you know you the pioneers always say you go The funny.

00:52:21.720 –> 00:52:23.760 cory plott: yeah yes it’s great.

00:52:24.240 –> 00:52:25.650 Joseph McElroy: it’s been there forever

00:52:25.950 –> 00:52:28.410 cory plott: it’s been there forever I like to go the blue ridge

00:52:29.220 –> 00:52:29.430 Oh.

00:52:31.170 –> 00:52:31.410 Joseph McElroy: yeah.

00:52:32.430 –> 00:52:32.910 Joseph McElroy: place.

00:52:33.390 –> 00:52:35.820 cory plott: yeah there, but the only place where that chicken livers.

00:52:38.640 –> 00:52:39.240 cory plott: really good.

00:52:40.110 –> 00:52:48.720 Joseph McElroy: Good shrimp and grits it’s not it’s a mall but you know it’s a good place it’s like a real country place yeah really it’s really good I mean it’s really.

00:52:48.720 –> 00:52:49.860 Joseph McElroy: yeah yeah.

00:52:50.040 –> 00:52:59.520 Joseph McElroy: yeah so so tell me how people could go and find out more about your pottery buy it even order, it will where can people to look you up.

00:53:00.240 –> 00:53:08.850 cory plott: Well, you know I’m really gonna pile a lot and a dog with crap you know there’s gonna be a lot of dogwood crackers also mountainous gallery and blackmail.

00:53:09.300 –> 00:53:10.140 cory plott: With Steve Anderson.

00:53:10.710 –> 00:53:23.760 cory plott: yep Stephen Tina Anderson sweet people I mean you go in there they’ve got so many different things just the shop and what they put together, I mean you know with the mountain so I’m just glad to be a part of I mean really I’m mean really.

00:53:26.010 –> 00:53:27.000 Joseph McElroy: Their website is.

00:53:27.630 –> 00:53:29.070 cory plott: I think it’s a mountainous gallery.

00:53:31.800 –> 00:53:33.240 Joseph McElroy: You know their website is.

00:53:34.110 –> 00:53:36.570 cory plott: A dog with graphics COM.

00:53:36.840 –> 00:53:40.260 Joseph McElroy: Alright, you have a Facebook page for.

00:53:40.260 –> 00:53:41.190 Joseph McElroy: plott ware right.

00:53:41.670 –> 00:53:44.190 cory plott: yeah exactly yeah I’m website expire.

00:53:44.370 –> 00:53:58.020 cory plott: Because I’m changing the look a lot changed in the look I’m going to change the way I do it a little bit normally I just wholesale and I’ve always loved wholesaling and working shows, because to me wholesale it is old school.

00:53:58.080 –> 00:54:05.340 cory plott: You know you get to work from home it’s a real cottage industry, you know you work from home you crank it out.

00:54:05.790 –> 00:54:17.100 cory plott: I literally take it to the shops, you know it, not just dog with crafters in a black mountain, you know that and mountain nest not just them, but I haven’t several shops if I was working a show in that area.

00:54:17.430 –> 00:54:24.480 cory plott: I would send pictures and reach out to the galleries in that area and wholesale it to I’m talking to old school 5050.

00:54:25.200 –> 00:54:33.450 cory plott: You know they’d come by the end of the show it just about why me out, you know they come in, they love the look and we start talking Turkey 5050.

00:54:35.340 –> 00:54:41.700 cory plott: So I love that and I don’t I don’t know if I’m sure I’m having a shop and that’s probably will never I’ll be ready to teach.

00:54:42.000 –> 00:54:47.310 cory plott: yeah you know but I’m not worried about that I like having the flexibility I’ll get up at five and crank it out.

00:54:47.730 –> 00:54:48.150 cory plott: You know.

00:54:48.780 –> 00:54:57.150 Joseph McElroy: So let me, let me ask you what How can people follow you personally, do you have a YouTube channel, do you have a Twitter, you have.

00:54:58.860 –> 00:55:02.550 Joseph McElroy: someplace to a Facebook page that thing just finds out about you what you’re doing.

00:55:03.000 –> 00:55:09.030 cory plott: So this year I’ve been focusing on Facebook this last year has been focusing most on Facebook, but.

00:55:10.050 –> 00:55:26.310 cory plott: This year, like I said I’m going to reinvent the website lot of pictures going to become it, I want to do a YouTube channel, so instead of the time-lapse videos it’s going to be more of me slow and down teaching, you know, showing what I’m doing and stuff like that you know, on YouTube.

00:55:26.730 –> 00:55:28.140 cory plott: So i’ve got to come around.

00:55:28.140 –> 00:55:36.660 cory plott: To it I’m own so I don’t want to be staring at a computer all day I want to be making pots, but I gotta do a lot of marketing ghetto and that’s why.

00:55:37.290 –> 00:55:37.980 cory plott: i’m excited.

00:55:38.190 –> 00:55:40.980 cory plott: I’m excited to say it’s gonna be fun so.

00:55:41.400 –> 00:55:46.440 Joseph McElroy: feel free to call me I knew all about this stuff right so yeah oh yeah.

00:55:47.670 –> 00:55:55.260 Joseph McElroy: I want to thank you so much for being on this show, I look forward to seeing you in June at the plot fest and more of you.

00:55:56.310 –> 00:56:01.860 Joseph McElroy: And I think we’re gonna you’re gonna be at the Meadowlark Smoky Mountain Heritage Festival later in the year right yeah.

00:56:02.370 –> 00:56:04.680 Joseph McElroy: So anyway, anyway, Bob says.

00:56:08.460 –> 00:56:09.210 Joseph McElroy: Years I guess he’s.

00:56:14.340 –> 00:56:15.450 Joseph McElroy: never been on here.

00:56:15.840 –> 00:56:16.500 cory plott: All right.

00:56:17.550 –> 00:56:22.020 cory plott: My pleasure, thank you for the opportunity thanks for taking the time open it take up too much your time.

00:56:22.470 –> 00:56:32.310 Joseph McElroy: I’m glad to be here so that will be a little promotion here the meadowlark is having a week-day getaway special combined with the keys.

00:56:32.880 –> 00:56:47.580 Joseph McElroy: kids ski free promotion, but at Cataloochee, So if you come in arrive on Sunday or two or Sunday through Tuesday at the Meadowlark and stay overnight, you will get a third.

00:56:48.060 –> 00:56:54.690 Joseph McElroy: A third night free in your space day so to stay tuned and take these you say three nights to get who own paper too.

00:56:55.140 –> 00:57:03.180 Joseph McElroy: and your kids one of your kids have an adult goes with them and pays for themself a kid gets to go skiing for free at Cataloochee

00:57:03.570 –> 00:57:18.600 Joseph McElroy: So reach out and go to the Meadowlarkmotel.com reserve a three-day stay starting on Monday through Tuesday Sunday through Tuesday and we’ll arrange for you to get a free ticket for the kids now if you.

00:57:20.160 –> 00:57:28.140 Joseph McElroy: If you need guides and things to do in the mountains go to the Meadowlark motel.COM site go to the store or shop and you can find guides and

00:57:28.830 –> 00:57:34.200 Joseph McElroy: And books and all sorts of things to help you enjoy your adventures in the mountains now.

00:57:34.980 –> 00:57:42.750 Joseph McElroy: So be sure to go there and then are you can find this [email protected]/gatewaytothesmokiespodcasts.

00:57:43.620 –> 00:57:52.800 Joseph McElroy: or smokiesadventures.COM, they have a link to the podcast we’re part of the talkradio.NYC network there’s a lot of great shows here.

00:57:53.700 –> 00:58:01.710 Joseph McElroy: A lot of them about travel and there’s others about shopping there are things about New York there are all sorts of things so stay tuned listen to more live broadcasts.

00:58:02.400 –> 00:58:11.250 Joseph McElroy: On this on this network and I’ll see you next Tuesday from six to seven talking about the gateway the smokies again and talk to you later bye.