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!
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Inspiration | Local Flavor | Travel
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February 20, 20259 minute READ
Banjos & Beyond
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.
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At Home | Inspiration
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February 13, 20254 minute READ
Mast Store Columbia Shows Nation Its Heart
Imagine finding yourself in a sticky situation. One that confronts you with out-of-the-ordinary circumstances that test your patience, demand your resolve, or challenge you to take a stand and do the right thing.
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Behind the Scenes | Local Flavor | Mast in the News
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
All
November 30, 202310 minute READ
It Just Would Not Be the Holidays Without
... 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
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At Home | Recipes
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May 26, 20237 minute READ
John and Faye Cooper: Why We Support Land Trusts
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.
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