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The Home of the This unique store in Spruce Pine sells an array of handmade items made locally. The store, served by French Broad EMC, offers products such as pottery, weavings, glass, iron, food products, textiles, cards and even lumps of coal. The coal lumps are made by a special group of young people, the Exceptional Children’s Class at Mitchell High School. Their lumps of coal are also sold in Mast General Store. The Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree Store takes its name from a children’s story. Staff hopes to start selling online in December. (828) 765-0571 |
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Parkway trail maps One place to obtain hiking maps is through the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s online store. Most sell for $9.95. Maps with free shipping include Cherokee and Pisgah National Forest; French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers; South Holston and Watauga Lakes; Covington/Alleghany Highlands Trails; and Linville Gorge/Mt. Mitchell: Pisgah National Forest. The maps show trails, campsites and recreational features. There are also maps for Virginia areas, including the Shenandoah National Park and Blacksburg/ New River Valley. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was incorporated in North Carolina in 1997 as an independent, private nonprofit. It provides private funding for specific programs and projects that further the preservation, protection and enhancement of the Blue Ridge Parkway. (828) 265-4026 |
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O’ Christmas Tree, O’ Christmas Tree If you like going out to scenic farms to pick out your Christmas tree, there are plenty of places to choose from.The North Carolina Christmas tree industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested. The North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, headquartered in Boone and served by Blue Ridge EMC, has guides on its Web site for locating “choose & cut” Christmas tree farms, along with growers who offer mail-order trees. There’s also a phone number for folks to call if they have trouble accessing the Web site. Note: For the holidays, the Association is donating at least 1,250 free North Carolina Christmas trees to the “Trees for Troops” program. The N.C. trees will be sent to Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point Air Base and Fort Bragg for servicemen’s families. (800) 562-8789 |
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Candlevision Paul Hoge Creations sells a variety of seashell candles, odor eliminator candles and odor eliminator sprays. In business since 1975, the Marshville-based company’s seashell candles come in 10 colors and seven styles. The 13-ounce jar candle boasts a 55-hour burn time. Candle fragrances include gingerbread, mulberry and a blend of cucumber melon. A set of three seashell candles sells for $24.95. The company’s store, Candle Factory Store, is in Marshville and open daily, or you can order online. (800) 252-6353 |
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Organic lavender products Sunshine Lavender Farm has transformed this soothing and fragrant herb into calming bath salts, relaxing eye pillows and sachets, aromatic soaps, hand and body creams, lip balms, candles and more. The Orange County-based business grows lavender using organic practices to develop its fresh products. Lavender helps relieve stress and ease headaches. It can be used in the garden to help repel mosquitoes or prepared as a recipe ingredient in the kitchen. Sunshine Lavender Farm sells its products in stores throughout Wake, Orange, Durham and Alamance counties, as well as a few locations in Virginia. (919) 732-5533 |