The first time I viewed the Statue of Liberty, I was sailing into New York harbor on my way to Montauk, NY. That was nearly three decades ago. We slipped beneath the Verrazano Bridge and there she was. I was awestruck. The next occasion was a fly over nearly a decade later, but the same feeling was evoked. However, it wasn’t until June of this year that I actually visited Lady Liberty in person. I was again awestruck.

Shenandoah National Park is a family favorite and we travel there often. My husband, Eric, and I love it so much that we got married in the park - right off Skyline Drive at Timber Hollow Outlook.  As you see in the photos, I got married in a gray wool suit. I am not very “girly” and it was late November.

For our honeymoon, my wife, Michelle, and I went on a journey westward.  We started in Colorado and looped our way through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Utah visiting friends, family, and National Parks along the way. It was truly an adventure, and a magnificent start to the real adventure that is the rest of our lives.

We all enjoy getting outside and taking advantage of the longer daylight hours in the summertime, but an abundance of outdoor activities often leads to the need to give our bodies a little extra TLC. Thankfully, grandma’s old timey cures have withstood the test of time. From soothing sunburns and softening “gardener’s hands” to helping heal cuts and repelling pesky mosquitoes, we offer a few of our favorite cures for summer bumps and bruises: grandma approved! And best yet, all of these cures are made in the USA.

Throughout 2016, we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System by exploring the history of the parks, offering ideas about how to Find Your Park in the southeast, as well as tips to help you make the most of your park adventure.

This Father’s Day weekend, we’re celebrating an exciting new addition at Mast General Store. The Knife Shop is re-energizing what was once a feed/potato-grading room in the Original Store. This upcoming weekend officially marks the Knife Shop Grand Opening in Valle Crucis, with three days of events that will surely delight the dads, as well as knife enthusiasts, in your life.

We at Mast General Store feel so lucky that many of our stores are located right in the middle of vibrant urban settings.  There’s so much to do and see outside the doors of our stores. We’re excited to share a small selection of our favorites with you! This year, we’re offering a series that features a day’s worth of places to enjoy within walking distance of each of our urban Mast Store locations. Over the past few months, we’ve taken a stroll through Greenville, SC HERE and Waynesville, NC HERE. This week, we’re exploring Hendersonville, North Carolina. Won’t you join us?

Throughout 2016, we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System by exploring the history of the parks, offering ideas about how to Find Your Park in the southeast, as well as tips to help you make the most of your park adventure.

It’s been said that “there’s something about the southland in the springtime.” New baby goats are arriving weekly at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site in Flat Rock, NC. A pair of house finches who crafted a tidy nest on my porch weeks ago are now awaiting the arrival of their 5 chicks. The cherry blossom tree in the front yard is heavy with pink blooms. Everywhere you look, new life is bursting forth as winter transitions into spring.  Our Mast Store communities are also celebrating the season with activities the whole family will enjoy. Below is an offering of a few of the many events we’re looking forward to enjoying this April.

Throughout 2016, we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System by exploring the history of the parks, offering ideas about how to Find Your Park in the southeast, as well as tips to help you make the most of your park adventure.

Last week, we dug into the early years of Waynesville’s Mast Store location and the incredible life of the doctor whose home once stood there. To read about Dr. Rogers, his life and home, click HERE. This week, we’re exploring 63 North Main Street as it becomes a place of commerce.

Mast General Store owners, John and Faye Cooper, have been committed to selecting older, often historical buildings, for our store locations from the very beginning. The Original Store in Valle Crucis first opened its doors for business in 1883. The store served as the hub of commerce in the heart of the Valle for decades, but was temporarily closed for several years in the late 1970s. Thankfully, the Cooper’s unique vision led them to reopen the store in 1980, nearly 100 years after Mast General Store was originally built. Since that time, our company’s leadership continues to select older buildings for new store locations. Just like the Original Store, each Mast Store building has its own incredible history. Today, we uncover a Mast Store mystery that’s eluded us for 25 years… the exciting history of the Mast Store in Waynesville, North Carolina.

Some folks consider birding the best scavenger hunt available to mankind.  Last year, we explored Backyard Birding Made Easy. This year, we’re going to apply those principles to birding in the great outdoors. In celebration of the National Parks System’s 100th year, we’ve included a few tips on where to seek out and how to successfully identify birds in the woods and along the trail in a National Park nearest you.

Waynesville, North Carolina is a beautiful town nestled at the foot of the Smoky Mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway about 40 minutes south of Asheville. From the vibrant downtown area to the lush surrounding mountains, it's easy to understand why Waynesville has been a tourist destination for centuries.  Just as we did with Greenville, South Carolina in January, we're offering a small selection of our favorite spots to visit within walking distance of Mast Store at 63 North Main Street. Please come along.

The Charlotte Observer praised the Original Mast Store as a notable Southeast Excursion in the Living section. Here’s what they had to say:

From the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail in the mountains to the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout on the coast, the National Parks in North Carolina are varied in landscape and diverse in beauty.

Leafing through a stack of old black-and-white photographs of the building that now houses Mast Store Greenville, it’s fun to imagine what it felt like to shop at 111 North Main Street during the mid-20th century. A member of our Mast Store family fills in the blanks with her vivid memories of a beautiful and bustling store full of people and goods making the history of this lovely brick-walled building come to life. How does she know the nuances of this special place? Mary Alice Shand, a youthful 80-years-old, began her career in this very same building in 1951 at the tender age of 16.