What is it about Christmas that stirs our memories? Certainly, memories overflow when we gather with those we love, especially as we remember those who are no longer with us. Perhaps the annual rituals of the season, like venturing to the mountains to choose a live Christmas tree or searching through a shoebox filled with heirloom ornaments that have adorned your family’s trees for generations, conjure tales from long ago. It’s likely, too, that our holiday memories include exceptional moments, like taking your child to visit Santa for the first time or watching snowflakes paint a picturesque scene on a rare, white Christmas.
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At Home | Customer Stories | Mast Family Favorites
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December 3, 202514 minute READ
Stuff for Stockings
In these modern times, there aren’t as many reasons to hang our stockings “by the chimney with care.” That is until Christmastime arrives, and then we all want the biggest, grandest stocking we can find to be filled by Santa on Christmas Eve. How did that even become a thing? And what are some ideas for stocking stuffers? We’re glad you asked.
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Inspiration | Mast Family Favorites
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November 28, 20254 minute READ
Christmas Magic Takes Many Forms
Jack Tales are one of Appalachia’s most beloved storytelling traditions. The oral folklore series recounts the antics of Jack, a clever young boy, who finds himself in countless predicaments. ...read more
In the days after September 27, 2024, highway information signs were emblazoned with a message... Do Not Travel in Western North Carolina. That sounds ominous, but its message was not overstated. Because of the tireless work by state and federal employees, local folks, and thousands and thousands of volunteers, the mountains are OPEN – including two lanes of Interstate 40 – and we invite you to vacation... And volunteer!
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Inspiration | Local Flavor | Travel
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November 30, 202310 minute READ
It Just Would Not Be the Holidays Without
... Our favorite foods! Food is universal because everybody’s got ta eat! And the last two months of the year are filled with more than their fair share of family meals, work gatherings, special outings to favorite restaurants, tins filled with homemade cookies and fudge, and the anticipation of food traditions handed down from generation to generation
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At Home | Recipes
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May 26, 20237 minute READ
John and Faye Cooper: Why We Support Land Trusts
Even before we bought the Mast General Store, we were taken by the beauty of Valle Crucis. We’ve heard people describe the drive out Broadstone Road as traveling through a time portal. In the 1970s, fields in the river bottoms would be filled with tobacco, cabbage, or high with hay to feed cattle that were grazing in the summer pasture.
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