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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.
