Can a room full of angry jurors ever reach a verdict? You’ll find out when you attend the Smoky Mountain Community Theatre’s current production of “Twelve Angry Jurors,” a play by Reginald Rose. Remaining performances are July 23, 24, 25, 26 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $8 for adults, and $5 for students ages 6 to 18. Children under six are admitted free. For information or reservations, contact Director Toby Allman at 828-488-8103 or 828-508-6645.

The Smoky Mountain Community Theatre is just one of the entertainment options available when you visit Bryson City and the North Carolina Smokies this Summer. There’s Saturday evening music at the Depot and Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center; as well as programs at the Swain County Center for the Arts and the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in nearby Franklin. You’ll find a complete schedule here.

A tradition of southern gospel runs deep in bluegrass music, almost as deep as the traditional cowboy hats that many groups wear on stage. Except when it’s time to sing a gospel song, the hats generally come off — another tradition observed by the Rye Holler Boys at the Freedom Fest celebration last weekend.

Ranging in age from 15 to 17, the Bryson City foursome has attracted a growing fan base. They’re scheduled to perform twice at the Saturday evening Music In The Mountains concerts at the Bryson City depot — August 7 and September 18. You can learn more about the free Music In The Mountains concerts here.

On Friday mornings throughout the Summer, local farmers bring their harvest to the Bryson City Tailgate Market at the parking lot next to Fred’s on Highway 19 West. Two of those farmers are Joan and Mike Glover whose small organic farm surrounds their mountainside home just outside Bryson City.

In addition to growing organic vegetables, berries, apples and medicinal herbs, the Glovers’ flock of free-range chickens produces a steady supply of brown and pastel-colored eggs. They’ll all find their way to Bryson City breakfast tables and restaurants.

The Glovers’ flock of Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucana, Dominics, Golden Comet, Black Sexlink, and Anaconas will never be tempted to cross the road and leave home. Their life on the farm is much too cushy. Joan has even named each of her ‘girls’ — including Polly, Sugarland, Marlene, Lindsey and Chick-Fil-A.

The legendary masked man returned to Bryson City last week …on a mission to protect Great Smoky Mountains Railroad passengers from marauding train robbers. The railroad was so grateful that they threw a parade for our hero and his faithful sidekick Tonto.

The Lone Ranger will continue protecting the Special Tuckasegee Excursion for the next few weeks…

Thru July 22, Tuesday through Sunday departs 1:00 pm
July 28, Wednesday departs 1:00 pm
August 3 – 14, Tuesday through Sunday departs 1:00 pm

There’s more information here.

Above, Peggy Medford places flowers on a grave in the tiny Conner Cemetery deep in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. ‘Decoration Day’ is a heartfelt Southern ritual that’s repeated annually in dozens of family cemeteries in the Smokies.

Peggy and husband Cledus gathered with friends Christine Proctor, Margy Trehern and Wendy Meyers for maintenance on what was once Peggy’s family land (her parents, Arnold and Meeter Bradshaw and family had to vacate their land in May of 1946). More than the cleaning, re-mounding and decorating graves  — one dates back to 1873 — it was a day to reflect and honor their ancestors who once called this area home.

Decoration Days are held throughout each summer along Fontana Lake’s North Shore and the mountains above. Because many of these once-accessible cemeteries were made ‘remote’ by the creation of the Park and Fontana Lake, which flooded old Highway 288 in the 1940s, the National Park Service provides a passenger ferry service across the lake for Decoration Days. You can find a schedule on the Swain County Genealogy Society’s website.

A visit to one of these remote cemeteries reveals some old-time traditions that some might find surprising. One is the orientation of all the graves — the graves face toward the Holy Land so that the deceased may rise to meet the Lord, who will be coming from the East in the Second Coming. Another is the ‘mounding’ of the graves, which author Alan Jabbour explains in his book, Decoration Day in the Mountains —

Mounding is a Southern practice, widespread till recent decades, in which all grass and weeds are removed from the gravesite and dirt is heaped up into a long mound running the length of the grave above the body — short mounds for infants, perhaps longer for older children, and a standard adult length for adults. Mounding is conventional at the time of burial to compensate for the anticipated natural settlement. But in the South, this burial practice became an annual ritual associated with Decoration Day. The mounds symbolize the body beneath, and their annual renewal is both a reenactment of the burial and (because of similarity of decorated mounds to the mounds of spring gardening) an evocation of resurrection.

The book Decoration Day in the Mountains (2010) is available for purchase at the Swain County / Bryson City Chamber of Commerce and on the author’s website.

The Blue Ridge Parkway turns 75 this year and it’s as gorgeous as ever, with unmatched views of Appalachia. “America’s Favorite Drive” stretches 470 miles from the Shehandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. We’re a little prejudiced of course, but we believe the rugged southern section is the most scenic. In fact, the 90 mile drive from Cherokee to Asheville will take you to the highest point on the Parkway at Richland Balsam. It’s a great day trip from the Bryson City / Cherokee area.

Download a pdf map of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Photo by Shari Jardina, an Indianapolis photographer who’s captured many images of the North Carolina Smokies.

Deep Creek offers a ‘perfect three’ waterfalls. And you can visit them all within an hour’s walk from the trailhead parking lot at the Deep Creek Recreation Area. Because they’re on the main trail, Tom Branch Falls (above) and Indian Creek Falls are the most-visited. But if you take the short side trail to Juneywhank Falls, you’ll be richly rewarded. And if you’re one of the many who enjoy tubing on Deep Creek, you’ll get an up-close view of  Tom Branch Falls.

Deep Creek is one of the most accessible areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just two miles north of Bryson City. For more information on these and other area waterfalls, visit the Bryson City online visitors guide, GreatSmokies.com. Download a printable PDF map of Deep Creek’s trails and waterfalls.

The Summer vacation season got off to a great start this Memorial weekend. Bryson City’s motels and campgrounds were filled, there were great crowds at the Heritage Festival, and Deep Creek had a steady parade of holiday vacationers floating and bouncing along on brightly-colored “tubes” (the old-fashioned black truck-tire inner tubes have all but disappeared).

Since the Park Service does not rent tubes, the Hannah family of Hope Mills, NC rented their tubes at the Deep Creek Tube Center and Campground, where they were camping. The Tube Center is just one of several tubing vendors along West Deep Creek Road near the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and on the Oconaluftee River in Cherokee.

The 2010 season of Bryson City’s Music in the Mountains gets underway the first Saturday in June with a free concert by Dusk Weaver, a performer whose music has been described as “unique, toe-tapping, thought-provoking fun.” The following week’s concert features Bryson City’s own “The Barn Cats”, pictured above.

Each Saturday night, through October, Music in the Mountains brings a different performer to the stage at the Bryson City train depot. The groups range from old-time country to bluegrass, to jazz, to Celtic music. And Elvis will even make an appearance as the final show in October. The concerts are free and last from 6:30 to 8 pm. You’ll find a complete schedule on the Bryson City area entertainment calendar.

Unlike whitewater kayaking, which appeals to more adventurous individuals, lake kayaking is a more relaxed experience available to everyone. Along Fontana Lake’s north shore, kayaking provides a unique view of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where sightings of bear, river otter, deer or bald eagles are not uncommon. Interested? Visit the Bryson City website for information about kayaking in the Smokies, including outfitters.

Innkeeper Scot Warf (Charleston Inn) took this photo as he glided into the cove below the Goldmine Loop trail near the eastern end of the lake.

After months of commercially-grown-who-knows-where strawberries, the month of May is indeed special — we can finally enjoy the sweet taste of fresh-picked, locally-grown berries.

On Friday at the Bryson City Tailgate Market, Molly Shaw treated young Abby Shuler to a bright red berry from Shelton Family Farm in Whittier. Shelton and Darnell Farms are two area growers where you can pick your own or purchase containers of freshly-picked berries. And May 15 is the date for Darnell Farms’ annual Strawberry Jam, a full day of music, crafts, hayrides and food …including strawberry shortcake.

Molly Shaw is an elementary school teacher whose award-winning strawberry jam is available at the Cottage Craftsman and the Fryemont Inn. You can purchase local produce and crafts at Bryson City Tailgate Market, Fridays from 9am to 1 pm at the parking lot next to Fred’s on Highway 19 West.

Jennifer Wilson snapped this early morning scene on Fontana Lake as a boat passed under railroad trestle on its way to a day of fun on the 11,700-acre lake.

Several marinas rent boats for full-day or half-day outings which can include fishing, swimming and sightseeing. With the entire north shore of the 35-mile-long lake protected by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, wildlife sightings are common, including black bears and bald eagles.

The 791-foot long bridge, which crosses the lake 100 feet above the water, is one of the highlights of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s 44-mile Nantahala Gorge excursion which departs from Bryson City, March thru December.

Much has been written about Horace Kephart’s camps in the wilds of Deep Creek and Hazel Creek, but relatively little is mentioned about his time in Bryson City. Yet it was in his Everett Street office that he completed his novel “Smoky Mountain Magic” in 1929, two years before his tragic death. Kephart’s manuscript was preserved by his heirs and finally published — just last year — by Great Smoky Mountains Association. Fittingly, the book’s proceeds benefit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which Kephart helped to create.

Although written eighty years ago, “Smoky Mountain Magic” has received positive reviews. In Smoky Mountain News, Gary Carden wrote “Is Kephart’s novel entertaining? Yes, it is. … What better topic than a journey into a forbidden realm, complete with witches, robber barons, noble savages and a winsome lady, all wrapped in a cloak of mystery and myth?”

Great Smoky Mountains Association has produced an excellent video about Kephart (below) and how his love of Deep Creek comes to life in the pages of “Smoky Mountain Magic”. The five-minute film is partly narrated by Libby Kephart Hargrave, the author’s great-granddaughter.

Kephart’s Bryson City office — he called it ‘”my den” — was on the second floor of the Waldroup Building (above) overlooking the Tuckaseigee River, with a view of his beloved Smoky Mountains. In 1929, the smaller barber shop building had not yet been added, and a flight of outside stairs led to the second floor balcony. Part of that balcony — Kephart’s porch — still remains behind the barber shop and can be seen from the bridge.

Horace Kephart Days, April 30 — May 2
Next weekend marks the second annual celebration of Horace Kephart Days with special events, hikes, music, speakers and storytelling in various locations around Bryson City and Deep Creek. You can find more information at HoraceKephart.com.

Previous Postcards devoted to Horace Kephart: January 2009 and January 2010.

One of Bryson City’s oldest landmarks has been rescued from near obscurity to become the town’s newest showplace — the Bryson City Cork & Bean Wine Bar and Coffee House.

Owner Ron LaRocque, shown above with Rollon and Sherry Smith, completely renovated the historic Bryson City Bank, restoring many of its original architectural features. Even the original walk-in bank vault was converted into a wine vault where customers can peruse the restaurant’s selections.

Located at 16 Everett Street next to the old Courthouse, the structure was built in 1904 to house Swain County’s first bank. It was established by Stanley Black with just $5000 and was notable for having survived the Great Depression. Once it outgrew the space, the bank moved in the ’60s. Most recently, the building housed the Swain County Chamber of Commerce from 1987 to 2008.

Whitewater rafting is great fun. But it’s even more fun with a group of friends. That’s especially true on the Nantahala where a few short stretches of smooth water provide breaks from the rapids and a chance for friendly banter between rafters.

Each year, more than 200,000 paddlers ride the eight mile course that snakes through the scenic Gorge. With its Class II and III rapids, the “Nanty” is a family river, suitable for just about every generation (children must be at least seven years old or at least 60 pounds). Yet it’s challenging enough to have been chosen as the site for the upcoming 2013 World Kayaking Freestyle Championships.

National Geographic Adventure and ABC’s Good Morning America’s “Vacationland” series named the Nantahala River the number one place to spend a wet and wild vacation in the US.

Trips can be scheduled with a number of Nantahala outfitters. A variety of trips are offered and each company seems to add its own personal touch. All outfitters provide approved life jackets and most provide a wet suit and/or paddling jackets during the cooler months.

Photo courtesy of Adventurous Fast Rivers Rafting

The most surprising thing about Lori Anderson’s exquisite wildflowers is not her attention to detail, it’s the materials she uses to craft her perfect reproductions. Each flower is made of cornshucks — a flame azalea (pictured), a dwarf crested iris, a flowering dogwood and many others — all native to the Smokies.

Recently accepted into the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, on Saturday Lori was demonstrating her craft at The Cottage Craftsman (above) in Bryson City, where her work is for sale. And she’ll be at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, April 21st thru 25th.

It’s the beginning of the wildflower season in the Smokies. For a blooming calendar, visit the Hiking page of the Bryson City Online Travel Guide.

While honey bees don’t hibernate, they do remain in their hives throughout the Winter months, living off honey they made and stored last year. And now, with warmer days and budding trees, the bees at Balltown Bee Farm are finally emerging from their hives — officially confirming the arrival of Spring in the Smokies. In another rite of Spring, Balltown’s beekeeper Kelley Penn (above) carefully inspects each hive to see how the bees fared over the Winter. “Quite well,” she said.

More than just bees, Balltown Bee Farm is a small, sustainable farm producing mixed vegetables, spring transplants and shiitake mushrooms, all raised chemical-free. You can find their products at the farmers markets in Bryson City, Sylva and Cashiers (in season).

Because they’re on the main trail, two of Deep Creek’s waterfalls — the Tom Branch and Indian Creek falls — are relatively easy to visit. But Juneywhank Falls requires a little more effort. And those that make the short quarter-mile uphill trek to the falls are rewarded with a beautiful 80-foot cascade. And if a brief rest is desired, there’s a wide foot bridge at the foot of the falls, with benches for sitting and viewing the show.

Download a map of the Deep Creek trails and waterfalls. More info.

Photo by Shari Jardina, an Indianapolis photographer who’s captured many images of the North Carolina Smokies.

One of the most-requested breakfasts at the Folkestone Inn Bed and Breakfast is their French Toast Sundae. And innkeepers Steve and Eva Clayton are graciously sharing their recipe with Postcards From The Smokies readers.

French Toast Sundae
Serves 6

5    eggs
2    cups Half n Half
1    Tbsp. vanilla extract
1    Tbsp. cinnamon
1    Tbsp. sugar
1/8    tsp. nutmeg
12    slices French bread, sliced 1-inch thick
Crushed cornflakes, enough to coat one side of bread
Fresh sliced fruits, in season
Whipped cream
Butter

Preheat griddle to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and Half n Half until well combined. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Dip bread into mixture but do not soak. Dip one side of the bread into cornflakes.  Repeat with all slices.

Add butter to griddle and cook bread with cornflakes side down first. Flip when golden brown. Turn and cook other side. Place two slices on plate and top with fresh fruit. Add dollop of whipped cream. Serve with maple syrup.