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| Photo borrowed from friend’s FB wall. |
Every since the passing of Andy Griffith, my mind has been on small hometowns and the appeal of them. One of the most well-known small hometowns is Mayberry RFD. What a charming spot that was to visit each afternoon while watching the Andy Griffith Show.
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Did you know, Griffith’s hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina actually celebrates the bygone days of Mayberry RFD? It’s clear from the local shops they hold a certain reverence of that period. Why, did you know you can even eat at Aunt Bea’s? It’s true. You can even spend the night in *Griffith’s boyhood home for a price or have ice cream at Opie’s Candy Store. Visit, Mount Airy for more information on their version of Mayberry RFD!
*Inspiration from Gypsy and the Mariner’s RV Adventures after stumbling upon through Google search.
Did you grow up in small hometown? I did. The nostalgia and charm sorta faded away by the late 70s due to property damages from flooding, economic recess forcing businesses to close, and modernization – demolishing charming old schools and replacing with cold, impersonal structures with no character.
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But, I do recall a time, a time when I was very young… perhaps only grade school age when I could visit the Ben Franklin Five and Dime, similar to the picture on left, to buy penny candy, or go to a Saturday matinée with friends at the only theatre in town, or get a milkshake at the corner drugstore, or get a burger at the Blue Swan drive-in. These fond memories are forever ingrained in the timeless spaces of my mind.
This brings me back small hometowns and their appeal. We miss places like, we crave places like this, we want to visit places like, and some of us want to move to places like this. I sought out to discover some of these such places and stumbled upon this beautiful photo essay… Coolest Small Towns in American 2011.
Let me share with you a wee bit about a few small hometowns in my backyard. These hometowns have retained much of their original charm.
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Ninety-three miles northeast of Knoxville off I-81 surrounded by the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, you’ll discover Tennessee’s oldest city Jonesborough established in 1779. As you stroll along Main Street, you might imagine yourself walking the very footsteps of a few famous Tennesseans such as Daniel Boone, Andrew Johnson, Davy Crockett, or John Sevier. It’s easy to see why such a beautiful place like this is known as the Storytelling Capital of the World laced with conflicts of the past from the American Revolution to Statehood to the Civil War. Learn more about Jonesborough by downloading a free copy of their visitor’s guide, here!
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| Oliver Springs Hotel 1895 |
Northwest of Knoxville about 30 miles is Oliver Springs. Filmed in this old, quaint small hometown, the 1990s movie October Sky. The story is based on a group of aspiring young boys growing up in rural West Virginia (the same county where I was born & raised) in the late 50s encouraged by their teacher to dream big. Their dreams led them to build miniature rockets which ultimately helped them to win gold and silver medals in the National Science Fair in 1960.
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Across the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina is one of our favorite picturesque towns is Dillsboro a 19th-century railroad town nestled on the banks of the Tuckaseigee River. This town is truly small, spanning roughly 2-city blocks and is has lost very little of its charm over time. Do you remember the movie The Fugitive with Harrison Ford? If so, Hollywood filmed the train crash scene there. We love visiting Dillsboro at Christmas best. It’s really spectacular to see with hundred of luminaries lining the streets. I found a delightful blogger with several beautiful examples, here!
Hometowns…small hometowns especially offer a cozy, homespun feeling to your soul. This is something that is missing from larger towns and big cities, not that these places are bad – just different. Stepping back into time is a good way to unwind and appreciate a simpler era.
My 2 Questions:
1. What is your favorite small hometown – yours or another?
2. What is the name of your hometown? Do you know the population, if so tell us?
Visit Miss Jenny and the rest of the Alphabe-Thursday classroom to read more homework assignments on the letter ‘H’ and while you’re hopping around, be sure to play along with Miss Amanda in her latest edition of Thursday Two Questions.
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Hi Kathy ~~ Sorry I’m so late. I don’t know how I missed this one but will comment here before today’s.
My hometown was Tekamah, Nebraska. Population about 1900 or a little less now. It’s probably my favorite but since I was born and grew up out in the country, the little town of Herman, Nebraska (our post office town), might be my favorite. Herman’s population is 246.
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I really liked this post Cathy.
I grew up on Air Force bases but when I was 14 we settled in a very small town in Ohio, population 12,000.
I still miss the feeling of it.
I really want to move back to a small town someday. I just hope it can be where my Grandlittles live!
This was a wonderful link. Thank you for sharing it.
A+
What a great post! I loved all the information about small towns. I grew up in the city but I always wished I had grown up in the country. I live in a town in South Florida now, population is under 23,000 so compared to most cities here we are a small town. There’s actually a dairy farm behind the homes where we live, and I love that! If I had to choose a favorite small town it would be mine, because we have that small town feel but are close enough to the big cities that we can get to them if we want to (though in all honesty, I rarely want to!).
I think Mayberry will always be my favorite small town USA! Sigh! I grew up in Pueblo, Colorado and today the population is about 107,000 folks. I live in the Denver metro area about 2 hours from my hometown today! I really enjoyed your post!
Finally getting around to visiting from Alphabe-Thursday! Could always count on a good rerun! Fitting tribute♫♪
I like your post Cathy! I still live in my small hometown. In fact I sit as a docent at our little museum. There is much to be said about small town life. My sister complains that she is lonely and doesn’t know anyone where she lives. I on the other hand can walk thru the grocery store and see a familiar face. Even though I am content to be by myself, I know that my neighbors or even a total stranger will come to my aid. Crime is low, children aren’t subject to bad things you might find in poorer inner cities. And everyone turns out for a high school football game!
Great post!~Ames
I’m not sure if the town I grew up in was considered small, with 27,000 people (don’t know what it is now). There was one high school, and a lot of the kids would ride their bicycles to school. We didn’t have fences between the houses and neighbors knew each other. It’s different now…
I loved the Andy Williams show. I didn’t watch it as a kid, but only in the last 10 or so years! {:-D
I went over to look at the list of Coolest Small town and as I scrolled through I found many that I have visited, some many times. One is just an half hour away from here. One of my favorites is Homer, AK which made the list. Another is Brookings, OR. Both have friendly people and a great atmosphere.
There is nothing quite like small town living. I grew up in a tiny GA town with a population of about 500. I’ve lived in cities and larger towns and now I’m back in a small town of about 30,000. While I enjoy all the things a big city has to offer I do like small towns.
I have visited Dillsboro. It’s been a long time since I was there but I have great memories of time spent there.
It’s always a nice surprise to hear when someone outside the area visits a place I’m fond of. ^.^
I grew up in a very small town–Buffalo, Wyoming, population while I was growing up, 3201. Population now about 5000.
I much prefer a larger town, but living in Wyoming no town gets larger than about 60,000. There’s not more than 600,000 people in the whole state. Small town is what we do here.
I don’t have a favorite small hometown, as I am a city girl at heart! I like traveling through them though.
My hometown (as a child) was Mill Valley, CA…it had a song written about it. My current hometown is Liberty UT…even smaller. I love them both! I love to visit the big cities but my heart is in small towns, for sure.
What a great post! I would like to eat at Aunt Bea’s myself…
=)
PS. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and Rancho Mirage. My home in the Valley was a suburb of LA, but it was a close community. Rancho Mirage was small when I lived there. It was before all the big hotels and other development.
I grow up in a city in the Philippines. But its not a city as big as New York or Chicago not even a fraction to the size. Looking back I remember the design of our old school, old stores, old church, market and all that now is being replace by huge buildings.
Here in MI hubby and I like to visit old towns. Some you feel sad because there is nothing you see it there but old dilapidated structures but it is still worth visiting for. Thanks for the visit Cathy I do appreciate it. ^_^
Kim, USA
What fun! I want to go to Opie’s Candy Store! I remember a five and dime I went to as a kid — it always smelled of popcorn! Wood floors and bins of candies and little trinkets — wish they were still around!
I understand the small hometown feel of community, but it seems I’m usually hearing horror stories from people who just want to get away from small hometowns as they feel restricted and limited.
You do a great post on the topic.
I’d love to visit those places.
1. I don’t have a favorite small hometown but I love my country where I grew up
2. I didn’t really have a hometown perse, so I can’t remember the population.
Maybe the small communities will return and people will have to know their neighbors.
Happy Thursday!
Hopping over from Alphabe-Thursday.
I love visiting small towns when travelling in the US.
But I’m a city girl!