The Mast Farm Inn in Historic Valle Crucis North Carolina is pleased to announce
"Step Back in Time"
a unique get-away
Available till December 31st 2007.
"Step Back in Time"
A $1,380 Value for $1,090, Taxes & Gratuities Included.
Description
- Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Night Lodging in The Loom House at The Mast Farm Inn
- A 3 Course Dinner for 2 on Thursday Night at The Mast Farm Restaurant with all non-alchaholic bevarages included
- A Gift Certificate for $50.00 at The Mast General Store in Valle Crucis
- The Book "Early Tourism in Western North Carolina" as a guidebook and souvenir of your journey.
- 2 CDs to Listen to in the car as you explore and to take home. CD1: Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs Of Western North Carolina, CD2: Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time Stringbands >From Ashe County, North Carolina & Vicinity 1927-1931
- The Mast Farm Inn Itinerary to select Historic Destinations in Western North Carolina
For Reservations:
Please Call (828) 963- 5857 or (1- 800) 963-5857, or
EMail us at
stay@mastfarminn.com,
For whatever reason, the so-called "Lost Provinces" of North Carolina--Ashe, Watauga, and Alleghany Counties--were a breeding ground for fantastic string bands in the late '20s. Maybe it was the isolated and tough nature of the region that inspired folks to turn to music. Or perhaps all those enterprising record companies were eager to sign old-time musicians. Whatever the case, the talent on this anthology of vintage 78 records is astounding and, at times, surprising. Is it possible, for instance, to listen to the Woodie Brothers sing "Likes Likker Better Than Me"-- a woman's lament for her alcoholic love interest-- with a straight face? Probably not. And why the heck did Jack Reedy & His Walker Mountain String Band use a Hawaiian guitar for the intro to "Chinese Breakdown"? Don't worry, there's also plenty of straightforward and memorable string band music here from the likes of Grayson & Whitter, Frank Blevins, the Smyth County Ramblers, and more. Throughout, you'll hear incredible old-time guitar, fiddle, and (thanks to Jack Reedy) banjo playing on a thoroughly engaging collection of laments, traditional tunes, and at least one presidential campaign number ("Governor Al Smith For President"). As with Old Hat's Violin, Sing the Blues for Me compilation, you'll find copious liner notes and excellent remastering in this wonderful package. --Jason Verlinde
About the CD "Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs Of Western North Carolina"
This "Minstrel of the Appalachians" performed hundreds of traditional songs and tunes that he learned from family members, neighbors, and other residents of western North Carolina. The breadth of Lunsford’s huge repertoire is represented, including ballads, folk songs, spirituals, 19th-century popular songs, and banjo and fiddle tunes. All tracks were recorded by Brunswick Records in the 1920s or the Library of Congress in 1949. Includes Old Mountain Dew, an original composition which found its way into both oral tradition and popular culture, Swing Low, and To the Pines, To the Pines. 55 minutes. "[Hits] faster and sweeter than a jug of corn liquor." - New York Post
About "Early Tourism in Western North Carolina"
At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans moved from farm to town, changing from agricultural employment to jobs in factories and retail shops. Along with these new occupations came a new idea called "vacation." Ready access to automobiles made leisure travel, once reserved for affluent citizens, increasingly feasible and affordable for working class people. With its cool climate and outstanding scenery, the mountain region of North Carolina became a welcome refuge and ideal tourist destination for weary workers and their families. Western North Carolina, often touted in promotional materials as the "land of the sky," hosts Mount Mitchell-the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River-hundreds of waterfalls, some of the world's oldest mountains and rivers, and abundant wildlife. The well-known Blue Ridge Parkway, numerous inns, lodges, hotels, campgrounds, and restaurants were constructed to serve the region's growing number of visitors. Early Tourism in Western North Carolina celebrates the rise of tourism from 1900 to 1950 in the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Sites featured include the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, Asheville, Mount Mitchell, Chimney Rock, the Biltmore Estate, and the Cherokee Indian Reservation. About The Author The author, Stephen C. Compton, is an eighth- generation North Carolinian and a student of Western North Carolina history. He is an avid collector of North Carolina pottery, handicrafts, folk art, photographs, and ephemera. Mr. Compton is executive director of the Office of Congregational Development for the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.
About The Mast Farm Inn & The Loom House
The Mast farm dates from the late 1700s, when Joseph Mast traveled to the mountains from Randolph County, North Carolina, where he was born in 1764. His father John had settled there after emigrating from Switzerland via Pennsylvania. Joseph is said to have traded his rifle, his dog, and a pair of leggings for 1000 acres of fertile Watauga River Valley land. The first house, a two-room log cabin, was built around 1810 and remains today as the oldest inhabitable log cabin in Watauga County. This cabin is the center of The Mast Farm Inn & Restaurant. It is called the Loom House because Aunt Josie Mast turned that original log cabin into a loom house and became celebrated for her coverlets, rugs, and handbags. Some of her coverlets are in the Smithsonian today. The Mast Farm Inn is a unique and eclectic collection of farm buildings, workshops, cottages, and cabins added between 1810 and 2004 and designed to receive guest in the greatest comfort possible while retaining the historical character of the buildings. It offers a wide and varied selection of lodging environments for different requirements and tastes. Each room, cottage and cabin has its particular features, benefits and character. Much like no two people are alike, no two rooms are alike. The Loom House is unique and a favorite of guests, photographers, artists, children, and passersby. It is the soul of The Mast Farm Inn.
Established in 1810, today The Mast Farm Inn, is world renown for its authentic historical setting, fine rustic lodging, and organic gourmet dining. The Mast Farm Inn was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, as "one of the most complete and best preserved groups of nineteenth century farm buildings in western North Carolina." Thanks to inspired restorations and loving care, The Mast Farm Inn welcomes visitors today as it did a hundred years ago, providing outstanding meals and comfortable period-modern rustic lodging in a unique setting. The Restaurant at The Mast Farm Inn, specializes in "natural hand-crafted organic cuisine offered with a noteworthy collection of imported & domestic wines and beers", and is often cited as one of the 3 finest gourmet restaurants within a 50 mile radius. The landmark Mast Farm Inn designates the start of the newly created Valle Crucis Historical District.
To Reserve:
Please Call (828) 963-5857 or (1- 800) 963-5857,
EMail us at
stay@mastfarminn.com,
The Mast Farm Inn