Appalachian Mountain Restrooms

Posted in Outdoors & Travel on April 28th, 2010 by marklynn
Haven’t found them yet? The below video tells you how. Watch it and you’ll have a pleasant, rash-free restroom experience. This clip is one in a twenty part series–How to Survive Hiking in the Appalachian Mountains. The other videos are full of helpful tid-bits like what to look for when you’re seeking shelter in a cave, the best ways to deter bugs, and how to protect your feet while hiking. Read More »


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Put Down the Beef Lips–Save a Forest

Posted in Outdoors & Travel on April 25th, 2010 by marklynn
Put Down the Beef Lips–Save a Forest
Were you too busy eating factory-farmed beef lips out of a styrofoam container to properly celebrate Earth Day? Don’t worry. We won’t tell, and it’s not too late to make a difference. With Appalachian Carbon Partnership (ACP), you can offset your carbon emissions and at the same time preserve Appalachian forests. Buying carbon offsets with ACP works like it does with most organizations. You, the energy grubbing proletariat, use Read More »


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The Clash + Bill Monroe = The Coal Porters

Posted in Music on April 21st, 2010 by marklynn
The Clash + Bill Monroe = The Coal Porters
Further proof that mountain music knows no bounds–The Coal Porters. The band was formed by Kentucky native, Sid Griffin, as an electric rock act in Los Angeles. Then in the mid-90s, it traversed a continent and an ocean to land in the UK, where Griffin produced a comeback album for British folk legends Lindisfarne. While under the influence of their acoustic sounds, Griffen picked up a mandolin. Before he knew it, his West Coast rockers m Read More »


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Help Brevard Win on Budget Travel-Vote Now!

Posted in Outdoors & Travel on April 18th, 2010 by marklynn
Help Brevard Win on Budget Travel-Vote Now!
Budget Travel wants to know the coolest small towns in America, and our mountain brethren in Brevard, North Carolina have made the short list. Competing against twenty other towns, Brevard is currently in second place. Only Ely, Minnesota has more votes. Rocky’s Grill and Soda Shop Never been to Brevard? Me neither, but thanks to Google Maps and Carolina” href=”http://brevardnc.org/” target=”_blank”>Heart of Brev Read More »


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When Are You Hiking Upward?

Posted in Outdoors & Travel on April 16th, 2010 by marklynn
When Are You Hiking Upward?
Planning a month-long trek? Looking for fresh air this weekend? In your cubical, thinking that you should grab a backpack and walk away like Johnny Appleseed? White Oak Canyon Before you hit the trails, check out HikingUpward.com. This sharp, little site gives user-friendly overviews about hikes in Virginia, West Virginia and beyond. In a concise format, it covers a lot of information. Read More »


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A Dead Miner’s Son

Posted in Coal on April 11th, 2010 by marklynn
This weekend, funerals began for miners who died in the Upper Big Branch Mine. They honored men who spent their days coaxing coal from the underside of mountain bellies. A half mile down in tunnels lined with rock dust, they were called names like Smiley and Pee Wee. They jibed with each other while working, one eye always up, watching for falls overhead. After a day, which sometimes lasted ten hours, they surfaced. They nodded goodbye in the m Read More »


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Virginia Wine-O

Posted in Food on April 6th, 2010 by marklynn
Virginia Wine-O
I’ve been trying to like wine since I was twelve years old, sneaking it out of Daddy’s jug of Gallo. I’d sip it from a stadium cup, pucker, then wash away the bitterness with a sweet tea chaser. Breaux Vineyards: Photo courtesy of Virginia Wine I still can’t stand the stuff, but I figure if anyone will convert me, it’ll be the folks at Virginia Wine. Their user-friendly Website includes a startlingly robust calendar Read More »


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Coal Country: Day of Reckoning

Posted in Coal on April 4th, 2010 by marklynn
Coal Country: Day of Reckoning
On all things coal, it’s best to defer to Jeff Biggers. He is the author of “Reckoning at Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland.” He also blogs about mountaintop removal on The Huffington Post and Grist. He’s addressed coal from every angle on every media outlet imaginable, but this Thursday may have brought him his biggest story yet.  Read More »


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Does Diane Sawyer Get Appalachia?

Posted in History & Culture on April 1st, 2010 by marklynn
Does Diane Sawyer Get Appalachia?
Yesterday, ABC News announced that it won The Peabody Award for Diane Sawyer’s report “A Hidden Camera: Children of the Mountains.” Maybe you saw it. It aired in February as a 20/20 special and followed the lives of four Kentucky children over two years. It drew the largest 20/20 viewership since 2004, but reviews from Appalachia were mixed. Read More »


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