16 Hands Is Next Weekend in Floyd County

 Come stay with us at Mountain Song Inn for this wonderful artisan tour. You won't be disappointed with your bed and breakfast get away or in the talent of our local artist and the guest artist that are a part of the tour. Make it your new Spring tradition.

The 16 Hands Spring Studio Tour Is Coming

It is time again for the 16 Hands Spring Studio Tour! The tour will take place the weekend of May 5-6th, and the studios’ hours will be Saturday 10am – 5pm and Sunday 12pm – 5pm.

This semi-annual event involves a self-guided tour through several local art studios along the scenic roads in the Floyd, VA area, featuring the work of local and regional artists.

From their press release:

Visit our four studios in Floyd County, VA. Meet our guest artists and enjoy beautiful hand crafted pottery, woodworking, sculpture and jewelry. This year our guest artists come from Floyd County, Wytheville, VA, Asheville, NC and Mexico City, bringing you some of the finest crafts around. We are proud of the beautiful work these guest artists will bring to the studio tour.

We hope in addition to the 16 Hands members work, you will have an unforgettable experience. Join us for refreshments, meet the guest artistes, and enjoy this beautiful spring, while you wind your way to each of the 16 Hands Studio’s.

You can download a map from our web site and get more detailed information about each artist participating.

Find out more at 16hands.com »

JACKSONVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS...FUN CENTER CENTRAL

SIGN UP NOW FOR FUN ART CLASSES AND A BED AND BREAKFAST STAY.

The following article is from our Jacksonville Center for the Arts News Letter; I copied and pasted to make sure all the information on up-coming classes are accurate. What could be more fun than a Mother's Day gift of a weekend in Floyd taking a class of your choice and have one on one time with Mom. It would be the perfect gift for Mother/Daughter, Mom/Dad, Mom/Mom, or Girlfriend/All Moms. The only thing that would make it the over the top gift of a lifetime would be to pair it with a stay at Mountain Song Inn, one of Floyd County's premiere bed and breakfast. We are full for Mother's day because of Virginia Tech's graduation, but  you can celebrate anytime. We would be happy to send a gift certificate. Hope to see you here soon.

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April Showers bring May Flowers...and New Instructors too! Treat your special mom to an adventure in creativity with one of our special  May 2012 classes. The Jax has invited a group of special instructors to try  their classes out at the Jax and now is your chance to get creative with them.  May classes begin with a rainbow of color in Scott Cole’s Kaleidoscope  making class. Scott comes to the Jax from his home in western North Carolina  where he teaches regularly at The John C. Campbell Folks School. He  has been making his beautiful copper, brass and aluminum encased  and etched kaleidoscopes for over 20 years and brings his master level  skills to the Jax on May 11-13. Precious Metals Clay artist, Annie Armistead will visit the Jax on Sunday,  May 13th for a 5 hour workshop on making jewelry from precious metal  clays. PMCs are a special malleable material with precious metals powder  mixed in, allowing the user to hand form jewelry that will be fired to solid  perfection. The Jax also looks forward to a long weekend out-of-doors with Bedford-based  plein-air artist, Ed Gowen,  May 18-20. Although essentially  self-taught, Ed has studied  under such masters  as Kevin MacPherson, Ralph  Oberg, and Charles Sovek. In his paintings, he  manages to establish  the effect of space and has a  technique that wields the power  to suggest mood—some of his works shining with the brightness  of life while others brood with the depth of shadow. This class will take  their inspiration directly from the Blue Ridge Mountains by spending at  least half the workshop outside on the Parkway or other space around Floyd. The month will draw to a close in our pottery studio when Mike Lalone,  Pottery Studio Manager at the John C. Campbell Folk School, brings his  special skills in sculptural work to the Jax for a week long workshop  on ceramic portraits, May 21-25. Learn the special skills involved in  sculpting facial features in clay in a fun and creative environment.  Mike’s special love of clay and years of teaching both children and  adults the art ceramics makes this class a sure-fire way to unwind  and grow at the same time. Click on class for more information:    Kaleidoscope ~ Intro to Precious Metal Clay ~ Plein-Air ~ Portraits in Clay (Remember that we offer gift certificates and they make great gifts too!) All classes at The Jacksonville Center require pre-registration. Register online  atjacksonvillecenter.org or call during business hours at 540-745-2784. Our new  satellite location, The Jax Galleria, offers class registration downtown at The Station.

220 Parkway Lane South, Floyd Va - 540-745-2784 - info@jacksonvillecenter.org

FRIDAYS ALWAYS SPECIAL IN FLOYD, NOW SATURDAYS, TOO

DON'T FORGET TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION AT MOUNTAIN SONG INN the Mountain's Season is starting and we fill up fast.  Hope to see you.

‘Music and Stories’ series to feature New North Carolina Ramblers and author Charles Thompson on March 31

Posted March 27, 2012

The Floyd Country Store is hosting a series of music and story events starting this Saturday, March 31 at 7 p.m. The first event will focus on regional music and stories about moonshine. The New North Carolina Ramblers will perform, and the author of “Spirits of Just Men,” Charles Thompson, will read some of his favorite and local moonshine stories.

The New North Carolina Ramblers. Photo courtesy of Floyd Country Store

The New North Carolina Ramblers perform old-time string band music in the tradition of such legendary artists as Charlie Poole, The Carter Family, and The Floyd County Ramblers. The band features Kirk Sutphin on fiddle and banjo, Jeremy Stephens on fiddle and guitar, Darren Moore on guitar and autoharp, and Kinney Rorrer on banjo. They are inspired by the rural traditional recording artists and the back porch musicians who have entertained throughout the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains for generations. The band has performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, MerleFest, the National Folk Festival, The Ferrum Folklife Festival, the Wayne Henderson Festival, and the Barter Theatre. Kirk Sutphin has participated in the National Banjo Tour with Ralph Stanley.

Charles Thompson. Photo courtesy of Floyd Country Store

Spirits of Just Men: Mountaineers, Liquor Bosses, and Lawmen in the Moonshine Capital of the World (2011) tells the story of moonshine in 1930′s America, as seen through the remarkable location of Franklin County, Va., a place that many still refer to as the “moonshine capital of the world.” Charles D. Thompson Jr. chronicles the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935, which made national news and exposed the far-reaching and pervasive tendrils of Appalachia’s local moonshine economy. Thompson, whose ancestors were involved in the area’s moonshine trade and trial as well as local law enforcement, uses the event as a stepping-off point to explore Blue Ridge Mountain culture, economy, and political engagement in the 1930′s. Drawing from extensive oral histories and local archival material, he illustrates how the moonshine trade was a rational and savvy choice for struggling farmers and community members during the Great Depression.

Tickets for Moonshine Music & Stories are $8 and are available online at www.FloydCountryStore.com, by phone at 540-745-4563, and at the store.

The next event scheduled for the Music and Stories series will be Saturday, June 2, at 7 p.m. and feature author Ralph Berrier and his book “If Trouble Don’t Kill Me: A Family’s Story of Brotherhood, War and Bluegrass” and will feature bluegrass band The Java Brothers.

The Floyd Country Store, home of the Friday Night Jamboree, has been an important part of the Floyd community for a century now. This historical landmark is a destination along “The Crooked Road,” Virginia’s Music heritage trail, and continues to be the meeting place for traditional musicians from the area.

A NEW TYPE OF JAMMING IN FLOYD COUNTY, VA

Floyd, VA is well known for jamming,

read on and learn about an entirely new 

type. COME AND STAY AT MOUNTAIN

SONG INN FOR THIS FUN WEEKEND.

The Floyd Yoga Jam will be a vibrant and energetic celebration of yoga, 

dance, live music,  and the community spirit. We seek to entertain and 

uplift each individual; awakening positive change within, leading to more 

positive change in the world.

Premiering Labor Day weekend 2012, experience three days of yoga 

workshops, musical performances, progressive speakers, nature, and 

interactive art, nestled in the stunning heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  

Join us in creating a temporary community of beautiful like-minded people 

and feel the energy of what is possible within yourself and beyond. Try 

new yoga styles, dance your heart out, or just relax in the surroundings. 

The moment is what you make of it.

We have drawn our inspiration from all the great festivals that have come 

before us. It would be impossible to list them all, but we’d like to give a 

shout out to Wanderlust, FloydFest, Magfest, and Burning Man. Floyd 

Yoga Jam will be a combination of these vibes, along with our own unique 

additions to the festival experience.

The festival site, Burnette Farm, will win your heart with its gentle rolling 

meadows, large shade trees, and the creek waters that flow throughout. 

There will be two large yoga tents with workshops running from early 

morning sunrise stretches to late night, black light, DJ accompanied flows. 

Two live music stages are going to be jam packed with soul shining, chakra 

charging, powerful grooves. Ad to that an eco-vendor village, holistic 

practitioners, healthy eats, local brews, flowing wine, and a variety of 

interactive experiences and you have our inspirational vision. Not to 

mention plenty of room for participants to car or primitive camp onsite, 

creating a lively neighborhood atmosphere for the weekend.

Our mission is to nourish your highest potential, create vibrant 

connections, and enliven the community.

The founders of Floyd Yoga Jam are firmly committed to the community 

and supporting local initiatives in both the creative and environmental 

sectors. In addition to working with local non-profits on a variety of 

different projects, we will also be setting up a micro loan program of our 

own, with the goal of helping fund startup creative ventures within our 

community.

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Mountain Song Inn is a card carrying "Better Way to Stay"

Bed and Breakfasts are definitely  a "better way to stay", if you have never tried the experience call or log on to Mountain Song Inn and discover what it is like to experience the top drawer hospitality of one of the lovliest bed and  breakfasts of South West Virginia and the Blue Ridge Highlands.

B&Bs Timeline Posted: 14 Mar 2012 06:37 AM PDT BetterWayToStay.com | B&Bs Timeline With all this talk about Facebook’s new Timeline format, we thought it might be fun to take a trip down memory lane and look at the history of B&Bs in North America.  While the boom in today’s inns and B&B experience came in the 1990′s, the B&B tradition dates back centuries to a simpler time in travel. For a concise look at the B&B industry’s history, we turn to B&B guru, Sandy Soule, author of the first B&B guidebook series and keeper of the title for visiting more inns and B&B than anyone else in the country. Sandy describes the history of the B&B industry below. History of B&Bs The tradition of extending hospitality to traveling strangers goes back to the earliest recorded history for almost all religions and cultures worldwide. Other than soldiers and religious pilgrims, travel for business or pleasure primarily started in the 1700s. Scores of “coaching” or “stagecoach” inns, common in England and the eastern United States, typically provided stabling for horses and lodging for travelers; accommodations were extremely modest (at best). The advent of the railroads provided a huge boost in travel comfort, and hundreds of hotels were constructed close to train stations to accommodate growing numbers of travelers. As the United States and Canada  industrialized, more people had time and the discretionary income for travel; summer escapes from the sweltering cities to cooler mountain or seaside villages became popular. Wealthy families summered in private villas or luxury resorts, while the working classes headed for boarding houses. During the Great Depression in the United States, taking in boarders to help meet expenses proliferated. Homes located on state routes (this was long before Interstate Highways) often posted signs reading Tourist Home or Guests, where travelers could typically find a room for the night for about $2, usually including breakfast. Travel to Europe boomed after World War II; a strong U.S. dollar allowed millions of Americans to discover England’s and Ireland’s B&Bs , and equivalent accommodations on the Continent. Throughout the 1980s, the seeds for the B&B boom were planted. Interestingly, although B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada began as informal, inexpensive places to stay with shared baths and minimal amenities, they are now largely luxury accommodations with high levels of comfort, service, and luxury. The B&B boom in the United States was influenced by several factors: Enjoyment of the B&B experience by millions of Americans who traveled in Europe. The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 sparked a renewed interest in preserving America’s architectural heritage, and accompanying federal and state legislation provided tax credits for the preservation of historic properties. Many such buildings were on fairly busy roads, making them undesirable for private residences but ideal for conversion into bed and breakfasts; similarly, the large size of thousands of Victorian-era homes made them inappropriate for single families, but perfect for B&Bs. The 1980s saw a rapid growth in the numbers of B&Bs, but despite considerable media coverage, advertising was expensive, and getting listed in the many B&B guidebooks took a year or more. The growth of the Internet provided the biggest boost to the B&B industry, and leveled the playing field so that a bed and breakfast could afford to compete with area hotels, by listing in directories like BedandBreakfast.com, BnBFinder.com and Select Registry.com, plus participation in state-wide and allied associations, establishing a first-rate website, and offering a safe, secure online booking option. Today’s inns and B&Bs experience Today we estimate that there are 25,000 inns and B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada.  While growth in the numbers of new inns and B&Bs has eased with changes in the economy, innkeepers continue to update and accommodate traveler needs.  Nearly 96-percent of inns and B&Bs offer complimentary wi-fi for guests.  More than 75-percent now include TVs in rooms, and virtually 99-percent include a complimentary home cooked breakfast and/or afternoon refreshments for guests – all included in the cost of the stay. Travelers will find more places to plug in and more ways, as inns add i-Pod docking stations, computer and even i-Pads for guests use. For centuries travelers have been discovering a better way to stay at inns and B&Bs.  Isn’t it time for your next B&B escape? BetterWayToStay.com - Experience Today's Inns and B&Bs

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Lovely Article on the Blue Ridge Parkway...BUT

I love this article even though it doesn't give mention to some of my favorite places,so I will just say # 6 is Mabry Mill noted for being one of the most photographed sites on the parkway and a working mill. Floyd county # 7 has one of the longest routes along the parkway and is definitely worth exploring. We have mountain music and artisans willing to show and share there talents with you. Our bed and breakfast Mountain Song Inn is located off the parkway and a perfect place to stay while checking out all Floyd County has to offer.

Experience Appalachia's heritage, vistas

The most-visited attraction within the National Park System isn’t a monument, battlefield or forest. It is a road.

Last year, more than 15 million people traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway. Started during the Great Depression as a public works project, the scenic highway takes a 469-mile route along the Appalachians, from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. On the way, there are scores of scenic turnouts, parks, museums, attractions, markets, picnic sites, hiking trails, visitor centers and campgrounds. Here is an introduction to five of the most popular stops:

1. James River Visitor Center, Milepost 63.6: At the lowest elevation on the entire parkway, it can be easy to zip past this spot on your way to the area’s most impressive peaks. Those who take the time to stop will be rewarded with charming views of water and foliage. The visitor center includes information on the James River’s historic importance as a transportation corridor, and a short trail crosses over the river by bridge to a restored 19th-century canal lock. In the other direction, a 3.5-mile trail follows Otter Creek and offers glimpses of beaver dams and other wildlife. blueridgeparkway.org

2. Blue Ridge Music Center, Milepost 213: The parkway cuts through a region that has had an unparalleled influence on American roots music, from old-time fiddle tunes to the birth of recorded country music. This facility pays tribute to that legacy, with exhibits inside an interpretive center and performances at a 3,000-seat amphitheater that have included such legends as Doc Watson and Ralph Stanley. In addition to almost daily music during its operating season from May through October, the center offers scenic views of Fisher Peak.blueridgemusiccenter.org

3. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Flat Top Manor, Milepost 294.1: The Southern Highland Craft Guild operates five craft shops, but only one of them is housed within a 13,000-square-foot, 23-room, Beaux Arts mansion on a 3,500 acre estate. Built by textile magnate and conservationist Moses Cone in 1901, the manor house is open spring through fall, offering craft demonstrations, guided walks and interpretive programs. The surrounding park, on the other hand, is open year-round and features 25 miles of carriage trails and 100 picnic sites. blueridgeheritage.com

4. Linn Cove Viaduct, Milepost 304.4: The final segment of the parkway to be completed, this 1,243-foot bridge was finished in 1983 and opened to traffic in 1987. Snaking around Grandfather Mountain to minimize environmental damage, it cost almost $10 million and has been hailed as an engineering marvel. A trail departing from a visitor center at the southern end allows hikers to walk along and underneath the viaduct.blueridgeparkway.org

5. Waterrock Knob, Milepost 451.2: The visitor center for this mountain peak is at an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet. You need not go any farther than the parking lot for spectacular views to the east and west—making it a renowned location for watching both sunrises and sunsets—but for hikers there is a 1.2-mile trail to the summit. There you can enjoy a panoramic vista of the Great Smokey Mountains and Maggie Valley.blueridgeparkway.org

Ready for Elite Status!!!

Paii's Better Way to stay campaign is rolling out some

interesting information. Enjoy the article below and when you are looking for that special place to stay check out Mountain Song Inn where you are always special.

Today’s inns and B&Bs offer all travelers elite status

by Marti  in Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized

No Comments

Michelle Higgins, Practical Traveler columnist for the New York Times, wrote an interesting story about hotel frequent stay programs this week.  Thanks to Amy at the Saratoga Arms for sharing this article with us. Entitled How to Attain Hotel Elite Status, the article outlined how frequent hotel goers who spend anywhere from 36 to 100 nights with certain brand hotels are more likely to get perks like free breakfasts, individualized concierge service, a break on the exorbitant wi-fi access or resort fees, and maybe if they’re very loyal a free bottle of water too!  She went on to say however, “But let’s face it: Unless you are practically living in hotels, you are not going to see any of those benefits”.  Hotel loyalty programs move aside.  B&Bs are the better way to stay!

Travelers, you don’t have to join a loyalty program to have elite status at any inn or B&B; you automatically get it.  Choose an inn or B&B and you’ll be treated to a scrumptious complimentary and homemade  breakfast, afternoon refreshments and plenty of individualized attention and pampering.  Add to that, fabulously comfortable beds, in-room fireplaces and deep whirlpool tubs (in some rooms) balconies and great views too.  Free wi-fi?  Count on it at more than 93-percent of inns and B&Bs , according to the Professional Association of Innkeepers International. But you want a TV?  No problem, more than 81-percent of inns and B&Bs offer TVs that are probably nicer than your typical hotel version. All these amenities come complimentary with a room which in many cases will run far less than the rates of city based hotels.

The other thing that amazes us is how hotels consistently strive to emulate the country inn model, but never make it there.  Heavenly beds?  We had those years before Westin capitalized on them, along with high thread count sheets and beautiful bed coverings too.  Free breakfast?  It’s been included with a stay at a B&B for years. After all, breakfast is the second B in our name.  Yet hospitality? This is where hotels  fall short.  When is the last time the owner of a hotel greeted you by name, made your coffee just the way you like it. If the hotel owner happened to bring you coffee, you can be assured it would be added to your bill.  Elite loyal hotel goers receive individualized concierge attention.  Heck, we have an individualized concierge at every inn and B&B. We called them innkeepers!

Hotel goers, forget the loyalty program that takes forever to qualify for and under delivers. Convert to the better way to stay and give inns and B&Bs a try.