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What is a passport? In short, a passport is merely a few leaves of paper marked with photos and stamps. In modern legal terms defined by U.S. Department of State, it is “a request to foreign governments to permit you to travel or temporarily reside in their territories and have access to lawful local aid and protection.” While extending us welcome to a new place, passports also offer their holder the services of the U.S. embassy or consulate as a sort of diplomatic home-away-from-home. ...read more
Local Flavor | Mast Family Favorites | Travel
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In the days after September 27, 2024, highway information signs were emblazoned with a message... Do Not Travel in Western North Carolina. That sounds ominous, but its message was not overstated. Because of the tireless work by state and federal employees, local folks, and thousands and thousands of volunteers, the mountains are OPEN – including two lanes of Interstate 40 – and we invite you to vacation... And volunteer! ...read more
Inspiration | Local Flavor | Travel
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Have you ever thought you had a pretty good idea how something came about only to find out that, well, it’s complicated. That is the story of bluegrass music – which, by the way, wasn’t even referred to as “bluegrass” until well into the 1940s. This music, most associated with the Appalachian Mountains and the working class, is a long tale of shared influences, forks in the road, and happy reunion gatherings. ...read more
At Home | Inspiration
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In the days after September 27, 2024, highway information signs were emblazoned with a message... Do Not Travel in Western North Carolina. That sounds ominous, but its message was not overstated. Because of the tireless work by state and federal employees, local folks, and thousands and thousands of volunteers, the mountains are OPEN – including two lanes of Interstate 40 – and we invite you to vacation... And volunteer! ...read more
Inspiration | Local Flavor | Travel
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... Our favorite foods! Food is universal because everybody’s got ta eat! And the last two months of the year are filled with more than their fair share of family meals, work gatherings, special outings to favorite restaurants, tins filled with homemade cookies and fudge, and the anticipation of food traditions handed down from generation to generation ...read more
At Home | Recipes
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Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture. ...read more
Local Flavor | Mast Family Favorites
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Shenandoah National Park is a family favorite and we travel there often. My husband, Eric, and I love it so much that we got married in the park - right off Skyline Drive at Timber Hollow Outlook. As you see in the photos, I got married in a gray wool suit. I am not very “girly” and it was late November.
With about 80,000 acres of protected wilderness, Shenandoah National Park gives you a true feeling of “getting away from it all." Of course, there are tons of great hikes and beautiful views, but my favorite thing to do there is just sit and be still with the quiet.
If you go, be sure to stay at or visit Skyland - the hotel “resort” taken over by the National Park Service in the 1930s. The cabins are small and offer beautiful views, but there haven't been many updates to the rooms which adds to fun for me. Skyland’s dining hall offers tables with incredible views as well as “Roosevelt Fried Chicken” and “New Deal Turkey and Dressing.”
We visited Shenandoah earlier this month for the first time since moving to Boone in 2011. I was nervous that it would not seem nearly as magical now that I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina and can see Grandfather Mountain from every room in my house – including the bathroom! Not a chance, though. Driving up Skyline Drive, I knew it would feel as special as it has in the past. An enormous calm settles over you the moment you get there. Time spent here connects you to something greater than yourself and fills you with peace.
I think that the creation of the National Park Service is one of the greatest things we have done as a country. I hope we continue to protect these majestic places. Happy Birthday NPS!
- Teresa, Mast Store Home Office
For more of our Mast Family National Park Service adventures and recommendations, click HERE