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the-overreactress · 3 months

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Fellow Appalachia enthusiast! Which Gilmore Girls characters would thrive in Appalachia and what would they love best about it?

I love this question!!! So glad to see there are other Appalachian enthusiasts out there in the ether.

Luke would easily be the one to LOVE living in Appalachia. His quiet, unassuming nature fits the region best, I think. He'd own a diner in a small Appalachian town, go fishing on his off time, and live a cabin in the woods. As someone from an Appalachian town comparable to Stars Hollow, I remember the grumpy diner owner there fondly. (Holler!! Now I want to write a Gilmore Girls/Appalachian AU titled Stars Holler). Luke would THRIVE in Appalachia.

Lorelai and Rory feel slightly too city girl to live in a holler, but they would like Roanoke or Ashveille, I think. They take an annual pilgramge to Dollywood and Pigeon Forge and make fun of tourists together. They'd share an undying obsession with Dolly Parton and her incredible park food (seriously, Dollywood has the best park food.) Lorelai would appreciate and participate in Appalachia's long hand-crafting and quilting cultures. Imagine if she owned an Inn there and sourced all of the decor, bedding, and art from local artisans. Same goes for Sookie and the food. (Sookie and Luke would make amazing biscuits, ham, and collard greens!!)

Rory would love Appalachia's literary history. We already know her appreciation for William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Thomas Wolfe, etc. She'd appreciate the cultural landmarks of Appalachia (The AT, FoxFire, labor union history, etc.) more than the daily life there. I think it may bore her. This is why she'd like Asheville or Roanoke more than anywhere else. Both of those cities are full of artists and writers. Also, Roanoke is a local news haven.

I could only see Jess living there permanently in a city like Roanoke or Pittsburgh (which I'm choosing to include here because I feel sure he'd like it and its in PA). Places like Huntington, Morgantown, and Ashveille would remind him too much of Liz/TJ (hippy dippy druggy) for him to fully enjoy them. He would also be the type to visit Luke for a few days and revel in the quiet magnificence of the mountains. He reminds me a little of James Still, an Appalachian contemporary of the Beats. I could see him taking 6 months off from Truncheon, renting a cabin in the woods, and writing a book. Jess would appreciate the solitude of Appalachia the most. (I miss this aspect of it the most, myself.)

Characters who I think would love Appalachia: Lane (the live music), Richard (history buff, though he'd have a complex about it), Christopher (he'd love riding his motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway), Sookie & Jackson (the agriculture and food ways), and really, the enitre Stars Hollow Gang, especially Taylor. Liz and TJ strike me as WV types, Huntington or Morgantown. They can't afford Asheville (trust me, no one can.)

Characters who I think would hate Appalachia: Logan, Paris, and Emily. Emily might enjoy the vineyards, musuems, and things specifically tailored to wealthy, Northeastern visitors. I can see her calling most of it "quaint." Logan and Paris would be the ones to make cruel incest jokes. Sorry to all you Logan and Paris lovers, but that's completely true.

I hope I didn't miss anyone! This was a great ask, thank you :D

#gilmore girls #luke danes #lorelai gilmore #rory gilmore #jess mariano #ask

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writingquestionsanswered · 5 months

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I’m writing a story that takes place in my home city of Atlanta. The main character is a student who is new to the environment as a university freshman from out of state. I want to make her interactions with the landscape feel natural and not “touristy” if that makes sense. I don’t want for her to just be like “oh wow, the traffic here is terrible; it must be because of all the [insert forced info/history dump here]”. How can I avoid this? Thanks for your help.

Out of Town College Student

Unless the character comes from a similarly area/city or has been to Atlanta on previous occasions, you probably want them to be a little touristy, at least at first. I wonder if it's less that you want them to appear "touristy" and more that you don't want to repeat the usual out-of-towner cliches? Which, in that case, I think you can think about some of the less cliche things that might stand out to your character on that level. Some things I noticed on my first visits: it was so green! So many trees! Beautiful parks, too. Quite a lot of diversity and cultural vibrancy. I didn't know until I visited that they had a rapid transit system. The proximity to other places is great, too... an hour and a half to Helen, two hours to Chattanooga, three hours to Asheville, four hours to Savannah and the Golden Isles, five hours to Charleston, six hours to the Florida panhandle... So, that said, I think you can avoid the cringey "tourist" aspect by just having her notice less cliche things.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

#wqaadvice

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intheholler · 8 months

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Hi<3

I hope you are well! My best friend and I are working on planning a road thrip through Appalachia this summer and I was just wondering if you have any spots you recommend visiting or any tips about traveling there (ie places to stay/bars to go to, and general cultural etiquette)

Thank you so much for your time!!

(Also I have to say I really love your account)

hi there, thank you! <3

okay so, firstly, i mean this very gently, but, i wanna remind yall that appalachia is a massive region spanning across almost all of the eastern united states. even what we generally mean to discuss when we say "appalachia" (south/central appalachia) is still an expansive region that is in no way a monolith.

so like, swap out appalachia with any other region in the usa: "i'm gonna be visiting the midwest/PNW/southwest, are there any bars you recommend?" it's a similar vibe to your question, just to put it in perspective.

since it is so broad and i don't know exactly where you plan to visit, it's hard to give recommendations. especially because my experience in appalachia is restricted to the blue ridge, which is gonna be different from, say, appalachian alabama.

that said, the best advice i can give no matter where you intend to travel here is to practice "ethical" tourism (in so far as that can be a thing):

ask yourself why you want to come here/what you hope to see and experience, and make sure that it is not disruptive or exploitative. be prepared for potential cultural/social clashes and don't mock us for our ways.

support our economy. shop local while you're here. stay at local motels and inns, not chains. eat at local restaurants. shop your souveneirs or whatever at mom n pops and don't just get a keychain at hot spot that says "keep asheville weird" or what have you.

if that sounds expensive, it surely is, and if it's not something you can afford to do, then take a moment to consider how we live here, and how poor we generally are.

people who don't care--gentrifiers, snow bird tourists, et al--harm us by coming to the mountains and trying to live here like its wherever they came from, instead of respecting and strengthening what we already have going on. don't do what they do.

essentially: if you can't leave it better than you found it, it might not be the place to go.

thanks for taking time to consider these things before your trip!

#asks #appalachia

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ashintheairlikesnow · 2 years

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CW: Paranoia, PTSD, reference to drugging, Finn is an unreliable narrator

Death Valley on AO3

Asheville, North Carolina

Present Day

There was a young man with a typewriter and a chair writing poems on the corner for ten dollars apiece. Finn handed over wrinkled cash, so worn it felt like cloth and not paper anymore.

"What's your name?" The young man asked, looking up at him. A chilly breeze toyed with the scarf he'd wrapped around his neck, and he had an endless smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Finn couldn't remember the name on the driver's license in his wallet. He just shrugged. "It's not for me. Write a poem for my cat."

"Your cat? Sure, no problem." The young man's fingers settled over the typewriter's keys, and then he paused. "Uh, what's his name, then?"

Further down the road, another young man played guitar with his back against a brick wall. Next to him, tourists in coordinated outfits streamed in and out of a store that sold snow globes alongside tshirts and local jewelry. Someone laughed, briefly washing the guitar out entirely.

"Her name. She is a girl. I call her Little Mother." The young man blinked. Finn cleared his throat. "Because she has just had kittens, you see. Two months ago. Two kittens."

Well, three. But only two had been born alive. And all three now made Finn's truck feel more like a home. Or less like a cage, anyway.

"Aw, that's cute. Okay, yeah, I can work with that." The young man paused, and then began to type, fingers clicking in a stuttering rhythm as letters popped up on the slightly yellowed page.

Finn stood in silence and waited, letting his eyes wander. No one looked at him beyond the barest glance, and yet he imagined he could see them pause, take him in. Maybe wonder if he looked like someone who did not belong.

Maybe he fit right in, another scruffy man in an old army jacket barreling towards forty in a city full of people who had found their way here from somewhere else. Not like some cities he'd been to, where the people seemed to radiate determined ambition. No, in Asheville everyone seemed to have come here searching for some place where the downtown had more people playing instruments for money - or writing poems - than it did hurrying men and women in suits. Where ambition was overwhelmed by a moment to sit still.

Did he like it? He didn't know.

He saw too many men here, in the gas stations along the side of the highway, in mechanic shops when his tire went flat or his brakes needed replaced, who looked like Robert. Narrow faces with narrowed eyes. Jovial laughter with something cold behind it.

Maybe he was just paranoid.

Maybe every man who smelled like diesel fuel and had dirty coveralls would always make him think of Robert.

Maybe none of them looked like Robert at all.

"Hey, dude."

Finn blinked out of his thoughts to realize the young man had finished and was holding out the piece of paper to him, even waggling it a little to get his attention.

"Oh-"

"Your poem is ready-"

"Yes, I see-"

They were speaking over each other, and Finn's cheeks colored in vague embarrassment he couldn't easily define. He took the paper maybe more quickly than he needed to, half-ripping it from the young man's hand and turning to walk away.

His heavy boots splashed through a mud puddle leftover from yesterday's rain, but he barely noticed. He skimmed the lines of the poem, trailing down the paper like falling leaves.

Little Mother / like all mothers you make new worlds / held in a single set of eyes / a universe in the flick of a tiny tail / which makes me the man who feeds planets / a little kibble / so that pebbles / become mountains / and galaxies / expand

Well... Not the worst thing he had ever spent ten dollars on.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he dug it out, walking along the curve of a hill past a group of women, one in a tiara and a Tshirt declaring her The Bride.

"Hallo?"

He winced. No matter how long he lived in this country, his accent always thickened on that first word of every phone call. He saw someone glance at him - probably normal, totally normal - and yet his heart stopped. Then started again as they kept moving.

Every friendly smile seemed like Robert's just before he'd handed Finn the water bottle in the desert.

"Hey there." Noah's voice was warm and friendly, as always. "You good? We were supposed to meet twenty minutes ago."

"What?" He pulled his phone back to check the little clock numbers on the screen, then winced. "I lost track. I'm sorry, Noah."

"No worries. You've always been awful at keeping track of what time it is." Noah laughed, and maybe it meant nothing, but Finn felt like it was mocking, a little cruel. His eyes closed.

"I used to be better at it," He murmured. Barely speaking. Maybe not even out loud.

"Well," Noah continued after a beat of quiet, "Come on. I got us a table. Come sit down with me. We need to talk about your next six months or so."

Finn nodded before he remembered Noah couldn't see him through the phone, muttered an assent, and hung up. He walked past an empty storefront with papers taped, tattered and torn. Some advertised live music that had happened long ago. One was for a rally occurring next week. Three identical posters asked Finn to vote no on a proposition.

Not that Finn could vote.

Not that he could even have said no anyway.

The restaurant was takeout only, but when Finn stepped inside a sour-faced woman took him by the arm with fingers that felt like bear traps and pulled him behind a curtain, past the busy kitchen and into a room in the back.

Dimly lit only by lamps in the corners, it had four tables. Three were empty. One held a familiar face. "Hey, you," Noah said brightly. He looked Finn over-

Up and down-

Finn shuddered as the woman let go of his arm. He still held the paper with the poem in his left hand, wrinkled from his grip, slowly crumbling.

Maybe he didn't look at Finn that way at all.

"Hallo, Noah," Finn said, and moved on shaking legs to sit at the other seat at the table. "Why am I in Asheville?"

"Oh, just a town I like." Noah leaned forward. A little older than Finn, he smiled broadly. A friendly man, when he wanted to be. The table was so small their knees nearly touched beneath it. Steaming coffee was set out in mugs in front of them by the same woman. "Have some friends here, long-time friends. I wanted to talk to you about the last job getting botched. Well, not botched. You just didn't show up for it at all, did you?"

Finn swallowed. His throat felt suddenly tight, as if a belt had been wrapped around it and pulled hard. Weight on his hips and a smile like a skull grinning pale...

He took a breath. "I-... asked someone else to do it. Was it not done?"

"No, no, it was. But not by you." Noah leaned forward, resting his weight on his forearms on the table. His knees nudged firmly into Finn's. "I asked you to do the job, Finn. The more people we bring into each job, the higher the risk. I asked you, and you said yes."

You did not ask. You told. But Finn didn't dare say the words. He only stared at Noah, heart pounding. "I'm sorry," He managed, voice thin. "I didn't mean to disappoint you."

"I'm not disappointed."

"You're not?' Finn's fingers curled around the handle of his mug. Coffee tasted bitterly dark. Bitter to hide something dissolved in it? No, Noah wouldn't do that.

Or would he?

"Then... why did you ask to meet me here?"

Noah frowned, tipping his head to the side. "Because I'm... worried."

Finn blinked. "Worried?"

"Yes. I've known you a long time. Not like you to skip out on jobs, sit in one place for a week at a time like you have been... You were searching for the name last week."

Finn thought he had disabled Noah's ability to read his search history. He thought-

"... Do you have a keylogger on my computer-"

"Finn. Why are you thinking about Robert Weber again?"

Finn's breath caught. "Please don't say his name-"

"Tell me why you want to look him up again and why you're avoiding me and I won't. Why is Robert Weber on your mind?"

Every repetition felt like Bloody Mary. Three times in the mirror and Robert might appear, grab him by the throat and snarl, how dare you, little Mouse...

"Stop-"

His hand shook so badly he dropped the mug, coffee splashing across the table. His poem and his cats forgotten as he stared at the tinted liquid across the table. Noah swore and grabbed napkins to wipe it up. Finn was too frozen to move.

Noah left a pile of soaked napkins to one side and grabbed Finn's trembling hand so tightly it hurt. "Finn, please, talk to me. Why? Just tell me why."

Was it concern in his eyes and voice?

Or jealousy?

Worry, or anger?

"I-I don't know," He whispered, and slowly raised his eyes without moving anything else. Noah was slightly blurred through his eyelashes. "Why are you watching everything I do?"

Noah sighed. "You know why, Finn."

Because you own me, your very own Mouse.

"Do I?" His lips barely moved.

Noah's own lips pressed together in a line. His eyes were dark. "Do I need to say it again?"

Because you're mine. Finn tensed, waiting for it, to hear the words out loud. Because you belong to me.

All Noah said was, "Shit. It's because I care about you." Then he slid his own mug across the table. "Here. Drink mine. I'll order some more."

Finn nodded, taking the mug in both hands and lifting it to his lips to sip.

Noah believed the spill was an accident, and Finn felt himself relax. This way, he knew there wouldn't be anything in it to make him easier to hurt.

Not that Noah ever had.

Maybe Finn saw Robert everywhere. Maybe Noah didn't deserve this. But maybe he did. Maybe Noah was just another tool in the box, to him. You always lock the tool back alone in the darkness.

"I wish you'd just trust me," Noah said, and leaned his cheek against one hand, tone full of sadness and regret.

Finn kept his eyes on the coffee.

What would you do to me if I did?

@finder-of-rings @endless-whump @arlin-always-writing @thefancydoughnut @newandfiguringitout @doveotions @pretty-face-breaker @gonna-feel-that-tomorrow @boxboysandotherwhump @oops-its-whump @cubeswhump @whump-tr0pes @whumptywhumpdump @whumpiary @orchidscript @nonsensical-whump @outofangband @eatyourdamnpears @hackles-up @grizzlie70 @mylifeisonthebookshelf @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @burtlederp

@whumperfully @pigeonwhumps @squishablesunbeam @darkthingshappen @whumper-soot @pumpkin-spice-whump @pardonmekreature @d-cs @honey-is-mesi @whump-queen @sowhumpful

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vanilla-cigarillos · 1 year

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Why You Shouldn’t Whistle In The Woods: Appalachian Creatures and Folklore

In the Appalachian mountains, small communities whisper tales of creatures that would turn a Yankee’s skin blue and run rivers up his spine. For anyone interested, here’s a list of the must-know Appalachian spooks that haunt the mountain range.

The Bell Witch

One of the most popular examples of Appalachian folklore, this story originates in Robertson County, Tennessee. The Bell Witch (thought to be a woman named Kate Batts) was cheated in a land purchase by John Bell, the patriarch of the Bell family.

Around 1817 and 1821 the hauntings began, with the Bell Witch appearing disguised as an animal (such as a bird or a black dog). She focused on John Bell’s daughter, harming the girl with painful scratches and destroying her room during the night. Bell became so concerned for the safety of his daughter that he confided in a friend, James Johnston. Word from there began to spread, until eventually it reached the ears of General Andrew Jackson.

According to the story, Jackson and his party of men set up tents outside of the Bell residence. One man claiming to have knowledge of witch dealings, stated that his silver bullets were keeping the witch subdued. As punishment for his ego and mockery, the Bell Witch set her sights on Jackson’s party and ran them from the property with violence and malice.

Even after John Bell’s (mysterious) death in 1820, the witch continued to haunt the family.

The Brown Mountain Lights

Specific to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, these lights are a lesser known Appalachian mystery. In the Brown Mountain area near Morganton NC, locals and tourists alike have made several reports of glowing, orb-like lights hovering approximately 15 feet off the ground. First recorded sightings of these lights occurred in 1771, when engineer John William Gerard de Brahm wrote about seeing the phenomenon in his journal.

Legend tells of a gruesome battle between Catawba and Cherokee warriors on Brown Mountain, which left several dead on the battlefield. In the evenings, Catawba women would search for their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers by using torch lights to guide them. Many claim that the Brown Mountain Lights seen today are the spirits of these women, endlessly searching for their loved ones.

The Wiseman’s View Overlook, Brown Mountain Overlook, and Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook are the most popular places to see them. All are found off NC-105 S or NC-181 near Asheville and Boone. While reported sightings of the colorful lights are known for their inconsistency, the lights are typically seen at night, especially after a rainfall.

The Flatwoods Monster

Originating in Braxton County, West Virginia, The Flatwoods Monster is another population Appalachian myth. In 1952, Edward and Freddie May, Neil Nunley, and Tommy Hyer were playing at Flatwoods Elementary when a light went shooting across the sky. Arriving at the sight of the light’s crash, they saw a pulsing red light and 10-foot-tall creature with a glowing green face and gnarled hands levitating from the ground.

Little is known about what happened after this reported sighting, however an official U.S. Air Force inquiry was prompted and the incident made national news.

The Moon-Eyed People

According to both Cherokee legend and Appalachian folk tales, there is a group of humanoids lurking in the Appalachian mountains (usually associated with Murphy, NC). Described to be short with very pale skin and bearded faces, the Moon-Eyed People are known for their characteristic wide blue eyes. These creatures are said to be so visually sensitive to sunlight that they remain in hiding and nocturnal, prompting their title of “moon-eyed”.

Legend claims that local tribes waited for the full moon to appear to force the Moon-Eyed People from their underground caves. The bright light weakened them, forcing them to leave the area and hide in other parts of the Appalachian area.

Separate from other Appalachian cryptids, Moon-Eyed People were considered to be a separate race of human rather than any supernatural entities. While it may seem obvious to onlookers that said cryptids are simply European settlers, what’s shocking is that this story dates back hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus came to the continent.

The Mothman

Famous now around the world, the Mothman is a creature who originated in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The story begins when two couples reported seeing a large humanoid creature flying with a 10-foot wingspan and intense glowing red eyes. Stories caught and spread like wildfire, until December 1967 when the Mothman was credited for the collapse of Silver Bridge (killing 46 people).

#appalachian #cryptid #witch #folklore #witchcraft

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fancassticfiction · 4 months

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When I saw Sleep Token in Asheville, I met a bunch of people from my area of West Virginia, and it's really making me wonder something. So this is just a quick thought I've been thinking: why doesn't the Mountain State get more shows? Rant continues below.

Like In This Moment is going to be in Charleston next week, and Disturbed was in Huntington in February. We've obviously got venues that can hold some larger names. The Marshall Health Arena and the Charleston Coliseum have a pretty good-sized capacity. The Charleston Coliseum has a larger capacity than the venue I just saw Sleep Token in! We have an amphitheater near Fayetteville that hosts the National Scout Jamboree, and it hosted 80,000 during the Global Jamboree in 2019! (Though, to be fair, there aren't a lot of places to stay near there unless you want to go to Charleston or Beckley.) Why can't we get some good shows?

West Virginians have to drive 3-4 hours in any direction for a good show that isn't a country act. Why can't we assume that folks from other states would drive that far to come see an act in the Mountain State? We see it for the country acts that come here! We used to see major bands come to the Greenbriar back when they had large concerts alongside the golf tournament. (Like, in 2014, Maroon 5 was here back when they had a huge radio presence for the Greenbriar Classic Concert Series).

Then again, I'm not entirely sure how all this shit with venues and tour planning works, so maybe there's something there I just don't know yet. But like maybe they should consider. Our weather in the summer ain't bad, and we're used to tourist heavy draws.

#fancasstic sidetracks #west virginia

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silverspleen · 1 year

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An attempt at some vaguely liminal space-y surreal pics from a work trip to a medical conference.

Taken at The Omni Grove Park Inn Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina

It’s a really old, absolutely massive building, and alternated between super crowded areas where there were loads of tourists and conference attendees and staff, and super empty, absolutely creepy areas with literally no people except me and my camera. The layout of the place was also super confusing and there were multiple random stairwells and hallways that sort of just went into weird side rooms with nothing there.

Including:

- the front desk area was actually above the rooms, so you had to go down to get to the rooms and the conference rooms

- a large model of the hotel floating on a table by a weird side door with nothing by it except a stairwell that did not connect to the nearest landing, but actually went below it

- an elevator nestled in the side of the massive stone fireplace that led to the old vintage hotel rooms, supposedly haunted according to a coworker, the elevator had an attendant

- random, not working fountains hidden in side entrances to the hotel (we entered at night in the dark after a fancy dinner courtesy of our friendly local drug reps)

- a display of fancy gingerbread houses from their gingerbread house competition (this was cute)

Would love to go back and hang out in their awesome spa, but it’s also insanely expensive and the only reason we got the room in the first place was a sweet conference discount.

#The Dragoon Diaries #long post #but also.... I will go back I could spend all week in that fucking hotel it was rad as hell #just gonna take two days to wander the halls aimlessly #hotel #liminal space #Architecture

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pokemonwearingsportsmerch · 6 months

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#teddiursa #asheville tourists #baseball #minor league monday

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goalhofer · 1 month

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#Sports #Baseball #MiLB #Asheville Tourists #Bowling Green Hot Rods #Greenville Drive #Hickory Crawdads #Rome Emperors #Winston-Salem Dash #WTF #lol

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yorkesteins · 2 years

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i didn’t finish the post-canon fix it i was working on before dean’s birthday like i’d planned bc of who i am as a person but posting this lil family bit i’m obsessed with because it’s his BIRTHDAY and he is ALIVE AND THRIVING as a HUSBAND AND FATHER:

They usually drive down the mountain a bit to Burnsville on the weekends. It ain’t that big, but it’s novelty enough for a five year old, and they’ve got a hardware store with a garden center. When Sam and Eileen come by, they’ll take a longer drive to Boone or Asheville and do the tourist thing (which apparently means buy Jack a goddamn seven dollar milkshake from that yuppie chocolate place, according to certain semi-fallen angels mooching off Dean’s hard earned fraudulent credit cards, but whatever), but Saturdays in Burnsville are family time all the same.

They always do the hardware store first, because it takes the longest. Dean has already grabbed the new faucet for the kitchen sink, but Cas is taking his sweet time in the garden center, agonizing over the fertilizer. Jack, in some unholy combination of a kindergartener’s boredom and an ongoing adjustment from the loss of adult coordination when he downsized, has already knocked over three ceramic flower pots and two of those weird little six packs of marigolds. The flowers seem okay, and only one of the pots was a little chipped on the rim, so Dean surreptitiously shoves it behind a couple his kid’s flailing limbs haven’t gotten a hold of yet.

“C’mon, kiddo,” he sighs, holding out his hand. The little bit of irritation that’d been building up slides away as Jack’s palm smacks against his own, automatic and trusting. “Let’s go to the bookstore while your dad finishes up.”

Jack bounces on the balls of his Converse clad feet. Dean hadn’t even known they made Converse that small. Jack’s got them in four colors now, because the kid’s got a killer pout and Cas is a pushover.

“New books?” he asks, hopefully. The edges of that killer pout begin to form. Dean crosses his arms, because he ain’t a pushover.

“We’ll see.”

“Four? I got four last time.”

“Three,” Cas corrects, idly. Dean turns to look at him; Cas’s brow furrows intensely as he inspects a container of Miracle Grow for Fruits and Vegetables. “He got three last time. But he’s already read them all.”

“You’re a pushover,” Dean says, for the umpteenth time in the past month at least. Cas looks up, finally, and smiles placidly. Dean sighs. “Two, Jack. We can get two, and that’s my final offer.”

“Okay, two!” Jack says, head bobbing in agreement. Dean silently resigns himself to the inevitability of leaving with three new books.

The bookstore is small, and it smells like a small, used bookstore–undertones of old, musty pages and the warmth of an old heater working against the last of the early spring chill. Jack makes a beeline for the middle of the third aisle and immediately plops his little butt down. From what Dean can tell, he’s meticulously debating the merits of every Magic Treehouse book they’ve got in stock. Like father, like son.

Dean grins a little to himself as he picks idly through the Staff Recommends section up front.

#anyway this is part of appalachianatural #the good post canon that lives in mine and sab's texts #maybe like 2 or 3 people here care about this but it makes me happy!!#dean winchester #deansbirthdaybash #spn

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alirafiaei · 1 year

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Top Travel Destinations in the South

In January 2023, Travel + Leisure and CNN Travel compiled their annual list of top travel destinations for the year. Unsurprisingly, a number of US cities made the list of top destinations. Of the chosen cities, six were in the American South.

Two of the cities named were in the Carolinas. The January 2023 issue of CNN Travel reported that one vacation destination well worth visiting was Charleston, South Carolina. Noteworthy destinations include the Spoleto Festival and the International African American Museum, expected to open in June 2023.

Held in March, the Spoleto Festival hosts theatrical, dance, opera, and musical acts at a range of venues. The International African American Museum offers visitors the chance to tour places where Africans arrived during the slave trade. Visitors can also tour exhibitions that describe the lives of enslaved people and their descendants.

Charleston also has something for those who enjoy dining out. Food lovers can hang out at the Charles Wine and Food Festival in March. Alternatively, visitors can experience the upscale establishment Magnolia's. For a less formal night out there is Bertha's Kitchen, where visitors can try its famous red rice with sausage, fried chicken, and lima beans.

Asheville, North Carolina, is the other city that made the top destination list in the Carolinas. Travel + Leisure reports the town offers a well-rounded vacation destination. Here, tourists can partake in year-round outdoor activities, explore the city's historic sites, and enjoy sophisticated dining spots.

For example, those who like white water rafting can visit Wrong Way River Lodge, where they can stay in A-frame cabins sitting along the French Broad River. Those who want to camp comfortably can stay at AutoCamp Asheville, which will open in mid-2023. The Glamping Collective is another newly opened establishment on a 160-acre site, where visitors can stay in glass cabins and domed pods.

Essential dining establishments include the S&W Market, a food hall offering a wide array of cuisines. French Broad Chocolates and Battery Park Book Exchange are old favorites, the former offering confections and the latter a chance to sip Champagne while enjoying a good read.

Just north of these two states, Alexandria, Virginia, provides tourists with easy access to vineyards in the northern part of the state and the chance to learn more about its history. The city was home to the country's largest domestic slave trade during much of the 1800s.

Sites such as the Freedom House Museum tell the narrative of Africans forced to work as enslaved people. Furthermore, the African American Heritage Trail, which opened in 2020, features 11 historical sites narrating 200 years of African American experiences, including stops at the Torpedo Factory, where Black people worked during WWII, and Waterfront Park, a point known for it slave trafficking. Jones Park is another significant landmark where visitors can learn about Benjamin Banneker, a notable mathematician, inventor, and free man who was instrumental in surveying the new U.S. capital.

Another American favorite, Nashville, Tennessee, is in the middle of a renaissance. The Conrad, 1 Hotel, Soho House, and redesigned Hermitage House are a few of the hotels fueling this rebirth. Regarding good places to dine, visitors can head to Fifth + Broadway Complex, where they can enjoy Southern staples such as fried chicken at Hattie B's or the Assembly Food Hall, which offers varied eating establishments and bars.

In terms of nightlife, travelers can get their fill of honky-tonk bars until the wee hours of the morning. They can also head to Justin Timberlake's Twelve Thirty Club or live events, such as CMA Fest (Country Music Association Festival), which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

For travelers looking to entertain the entire family, Central Florida offers various theme parks, such as Disney World, Epcot, and Universal City Walk, the latter offering adults a sampling of Orlando nightlife. Travelers to Disney this year can eat, breathe, and sleep Star Wars at its newly opened Star Wars: Galactic Star Cruiser, a two-night adventure. Another option is to travel southeast to Tampa and spend the day at Busch Gardens, an amusement park experience with a tropical theme.

#Ali Rafiaei

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