How A Mountain Town Shapes A Life And A Career

The most meaningful decisions aren’t made on spreadsheets—they’re made in the quiet moments when you ask, can I sleep at night with this? We sit down with Lee Ann Lewis, a lifelong Black Mountain local and mortgage banker who blends hard-won finance chops with a heart for community, to explore how a place shapes a person and how numbers should serve a life, not the other way around.

Lee Ann’s journey starts with a dream to fly for Delta and pivots after Lockerbie to banking, where she rose through mortgage operations at BB&T before planting deep roots with Atlantic Bay Mortgage. She shares why she treats lending as stewardship, how she guides buyers to choices that fit their real lives, and what families relocating to the Swannanoa Valley need to know about schools, neighborhoods, and the local rhythm. Along the way, we tour the town’s daily joys—strong coffee, friendly counters, and food spots like Taylos—plus the restorative loop at Lake Tomahawk, where mountain sunsets do their quiet work.

Beyond work, Lee Ann opens the door to her family’s music nights, her commitment to handwritten letters, and the story behind her beach home, Ava Moon, tied to a surprise family link with Ava Gardner. We talk nostalgia without sugarcoating, from creek walking and cousins-as-siblings to the modern question of whether kids need more “entertainment” or just better access to trails and teams. There’s even a hint of a thoughtful resort concept on the horizon—growth that adds without shouting.

If you’re weighing a move, mapping a mortgage, or just craving the feel of a town that still looks you in the eye, this conversation offers grounded advice and local insight. Press play, then share your take: what tells you that you’re finally home? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more people discover the stories of Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley.

Transcript

Hometowns And School Days

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Good morning, Leanne Lewis. Good morning, Cheryl. I'm good. How are you? I am great. I am it's kind of weird to talk to somebody you know this well and have to act like you don't know them at all. Um but you are you are the face of Atlantic Bay Mortgage here in Black Mountain and Swantanoa. Correct. Is that right? That is right.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

And actually everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

Everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yes, yes. I didn't know that. But Black Mountain and Swantanoa is my love. That's where I'm from. I know.

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Born and raised here.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Yes. Outside of traveling just a little bit with my dad. He was a colonel in the Air Force, so I got to do some cool stuff. But Black Mountain is my home and the mountains are amazing for me.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

Very cool. So you you so were you like born in I mean born? I guess born in Asheville, yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Yeah, born at Mission. And you went to Owen High School. I did not. Where did you go? So I went to Black Mountain Middle. We called it, you know, because back then I hate to age myself here, but when I went to the Black Mountain School, we were at the actually the elementary school housed the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. Okay. So so I was in there. And then my mother pulled us out and put us into Swannanoa Christian Academy.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Um, and then I went to a Bravara Christian Academy. So yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Any of that.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Yeah, my husband's all in the Owen thing. He graduated through the whole, you know, Black Mountain system. But I was, I did go. I did a little bit. But you went to high school here. Right. Same thing. Yeah. I mean, it's all good. I feel like I have the you know, tar on my heel, the black mountain on my heel. Oh dear. Oh dear. I'm a Duke girl. Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Sorry. That hurt. Yep. Well, that's okay. I'm gonna have to leave. Okay. No, you can't do that. Yeah, and we beat Duke, by the way. That this time. It sort of changes every time. You never know. That was a cool game. It was fun. It was a fun game. It was a fun game. It ended not the way I wanted it to, but it was still I was surprised with it. You're always surprised at the end of those two when they play. Exactly. Yes. I am a Duke girl, and that's my dad has a rule that if you want to stay in the will, you will always let's see, you'll never ride a motorcycle and you'll always cheer for Duke. And so I've never ridden a motorcycle. Yeah. And I will always cheer for Duke.

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Now, if I were to stay in the inheritance, I would cheer for Duke too.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

There you go. There you go. So I'm your girl there. Yeah. I'm pretty sure my dad wouldn't wouldn't throw me out, but you never know. Yeah. Why risk it? Right. That's right. Why risk it? Yeah, I wouldn't rock the boat. That's right. That's right. So you grew up here. You did you go away to school? Did you stay here? Yeah, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

So after no, I I stayed here. I was here in the high school, you know, in the high school arena and worked. Uh actually went to Blanton's Junior College. I know I'm dating myself there as well. And so it's no longer, it's now South College, I believe. They're chamber members. Oh cool. Oh, that's great.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Have you been there lately? No. You need to go on a tour. It is a fascinating.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

It's come a long way.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

It is really cool. You need to go see it.

Career Pivots From Hospitality To Banking

SPEAKER_00 2:57

We used to be downtown at Pack Square or Pritchard Park or whatever they call it, right there next to the Twisted Laurel restaurant, that large building, that's where the school was. And I took a hospitality course, business slash hospitality course. And so I'm like, oh, okay, I want to fly for Delta. So that was my goal was to be a flight attendant.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

That was mine too.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Oh my gosh, friends and sisters. And well, that was the first wave of terrorism, I feel like that we saw outside of war. And that's the Lockerbie Scotland explosion. Well, Delta put a freeze on. Oh, okay. Okay. So I'm like, oh, I gotta do something. So I had an accounting course, loved it, and went into banking and never got out. So I started at Asheville Savings and Loan Association, which is now First Bank.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

And, you know, just cut my teeth in the banking world and moved up the ladder and then went into BBT. Between those two times, I stayed in Nebo for about five years, four, four or five years. I were I lived there. And then uh came back into Asheville, Black Mountain area. And that's when I worked for BBT for 17, 18 years.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Holy cow, I didn't know that either.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Oh, yeah. I was in the executive ring and yeah, ran processing centers in the mortgage world. And yeah, it was great. It was great. So I've been here. Yeah, absolutely, ever since. Outside of just when I was younger, traveled a little bit with dad from Hawaii to Alabama.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Hawaii to Alabama. That's sort of disappointing.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Hawaii is too. Yeah, you go to Alabama and then South Carolina, Shaw Air Force Base. And oh yeah, total different world. But it was awesome. I loved it. That's why I've kind of lost a little bit of my accent, I think. Well, I think we have all lost it.

SPEAKER_02 4:40

People, people merge together. There's some melting pot. There are some people who still have it. They're hanging on to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

No, when I'm around my family, it changes. I get into that redneck slang and everything.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

I always say I say I have a I have I'm a chameleon that whoever I'm with, that's my accent. There you go. You should listen to the podcast with Scott Counts. Oh, oh my God. My voice all of a sudden became this girl from Mississippi. I don't know who she is.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Is he not lovely? I interviewed him on the podcast with Mary Noble. Oh my gosh. He and I talked wine the whole time. He's great. He's Mr. Mississippi. That's right. I love it. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

But so now you are with Atlantic Bay Mortgage. That's right. Down on Black Mountain Avenue.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

And tell tell me a little bit about what you do other than your work. Oh, other than that. Like I don't want to know about your. I mean, I think I know what mortgage companies, I think I know what mortgage lenders do. Yeah, there's nothing there's nothing sexy about it.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

I'll tell you. Okay. Um, but I do say that it is a true. I mean, it's numbers, it's crunching, but uh, but just to get back to what I do, you know, as a mortgage banker, I do operate differently on the lighter side, I call it, of financing. So I'm the one who taps into the emotional part of it and I say, Can you sleep at night with this? You know, it's not what I can qualify you for, how I can do things, but can you sleep at night with this, whether I get a deal or not, right? So, so that's the that's how I I, you know, just lead into what do I do outside of this? So I sing. Okay. Yeah. Didn't know that. Yep. My family, and we're not as active as we used to be because the patriarch is aging out and he has Alzheimer's, unfortunately. But my husband plays the guitar and he plays just about anything he puts his hands on, right? And so then I sing with him and his brother, John. Okay. Um, who uh plays the guitar as well. And so we had a family band and the father Yeah, the father played the banjo. That's cool. Yeah, and so it's like the Waltons at Christmas time. You know, we just and we did it actually in December. We all sat in the living room and Lily's following our path. Okay. So she played the guitar and Lily sang. Lily's my daughter. Yes, thank you. And so we're we're we're just all circled around the the fireplace and singing and playing music, and it's it's lovely. So that fills my heart. Good. Yeah. And I also love to write. So I'm a writer, you know, whether it's just, you know, we've lost the art of correspondence. You said that? No, I haven't. Nope.

SPEAKER_02 7:09

One of the few people I've gotten letters from. You know that firsthand, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Yeah. So I I handwrite notes and I send them out to whoever's on my mind. And I love writing things on the side, you know, whether it's poetry or I have like seven different books going. What else do I do? I love to create a beautiful home space for my family. Yeah. So living well at home is what I love. And that's creating a sanctuary. I have two homes. I have one at the beach and one here.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

That's one of the beaches' name.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Ava Moon.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Oh my goodness.

Life At Atlantic Bay Mortgage

SPEAKER_00 7:40

And there's a story behind that, right? Did I tell you? No. Is it okay to say? Sure. Okay. My grandmother bad words. No, no, no. This is good, I promise. Now, now she So my grandmother and Ava Gardner, the actress, were cousins. Oh. They were first cousins. And I didn't know about that till about six years ago. Yeah. And so I called the museum. They have a museum for Ava Gardner in Smithfield, North Carolina. Called them and they said, Oh, yeah, we remember. We called the family. They remember your grandmother. It was so awesome. Yeah. And so I was looking at a beach house at Sunset Beach, and my husband and I went into the one I really liked, and he opened the closet door, looked down, and there is a magazine sitting there with Ava Gardner on the front. Yes. So you it was the Our State magazine.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Did you buy the house? Yes. That was the one.

SPEAKER_00 8:27

She's mine, and it's Ava Moon.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

That's great.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:30

I know, right? It is, it's really cool. I think I heard about the beach house before I knew what she did for a living. I'm pretty sure it did. She's she's the other sanctuary, right? That's right. Yeah. So, so yeah, but that is one of the things I love to do is create a beautiful space. And it's not like, you know, this million dollar designer thing, you know, what you see on house hunters or whatever. But it's what when you walk in, you're like, and everybody confirms that. They love the speed, the space and the peace, you know, that we can offer. When you're not at home, what do you like to do in the Swananoa Valley? When I am not at home, oh my gosh, I think I'm the most boring person there is. I feel like, right? Yeah, well, yeah, besides my signature. We talked about that. I absolutely love just hanging out with my friends, whether it's at hell or high water, Taylor's. I just love such a foodie. I just love all the places to go to. So that's my thing.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Well, and Taylos is easy to walk across the street from work.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Well, I have and Taylos are the same. And then I have recess. That's where I can hit recess in the morning and Taylos at night. There you go. Or I have the old town discount. Oh, OTD. Those guys are hilarious.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

I love them. Yeah. They they're awesome. I hope you can get them. I found a place I don't like here in town. Right. I haven't. I'm still looking. I'm going to find it if it exists.

Music, Writing, And Family Traditions

SPEAKER_00 9:49

But and people are so envious of me when I tell them where I'm from and where I live. They're like, oh, we just love Black Mountain. And I hear that every single time. And I said, you know what? It's the truth, isn't it? It's like a little Norman Rockwell town. And they're like, yes. That's right. That's it. It's either that or a Hallmark Christmas movie town. Yes, especially Holly Jolly. Well, yes. So that's my other favorite thing. You know, it's Holly Jolly. And just learning about all the new businesses we have thanks to Cheryl and being a you know chamber member. I'm able to find out about all these cool places. And new ones coming all the time. I know. I'm just shocked. I just read your newsletter. Not only, you know, Sour Wood, but you have the other one that has joined. And I know I've it escapes me. I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

It's okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Elemental Pilates. That's it. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

The Pilates group. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

They have in their studio. Yeah. It's really cool. You should come to the ribbon cutting because you get to see it. They have ribbons or whatever you call, I don't know what they're really called, but they hang from the ceiling and they do all those things like you think of the circus.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Yes. I my friend does that, Shane. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

You have to come see it. It's fascinating.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

I think it's the coolest thing. But yeah, Black Mountain's so special. You know, it's there's nothing that you can compare it to really. I mean, it really is it's just so charming and so. And I've lived in other small towns.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

And I mean it. I mean, I've I've lived a lot of places. Right. I moved 11 times in nine years of marriage. So yeah, I've done a lot of moving in a lot of different towns. But um you have a lot to compare it to. That's right. That's right. And I moved from a really great town. I mean, it was a small town too, and I loved it. I always called Cartersville, Georgia was God's country. Oh, yeah. But I always called this almost heaven. So because I would go between the two. Those were the two places I lived.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

And so like the West Virginia song, Almost Heaven.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Yeah, exactly. That's where it came from.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Really?

SPEAKER_02 11:37

That was my first concert, was John Denver. Oh like the 70s.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

We actually sing that song. Do you? Yeah, yeah. Country Reds.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Yeah. Oh wow. Yeah, John Denver. Boy, he's one to be missed.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

Yes. Tell me what it was like to grow up here.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Yeah. So it was honestly, it was like you were encapsulated in your own world. It was so different. Like if you're to go, I don't know, Burnsville just changed too, but if you're going to Bakersville, Burnsville, maybe a little bit of spruce pine, that's what it used to be. That's what it used to be like. You know, there was, of course, not as much development. Right. Right. And Black Mountain was not as developed and didn't have as cool stuff as we do now. So that's the good part, right? Of progress. But it was more neighborly too. In a sense of you didn't have anything else to do. So you went to the neighbors and played in the yard, and you, you know, you had the sleds, you snowed down or sled down the road and the snow. And but it was simpler. Simply, I like that. Simpler. I think it was just such simple times. And yeah, and and it was, I guess maybe it's just the 1980s and 90s nostalgia talking to me. But but it was, it was simpler.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

There's a book called Bowling Alone, and the author talks about that that the the culture has changed so much. That we used to all sit on our front porch and now we have elaborate back decks. Yeah, it's the deck. So we can like not be a part of the world. We can be in our own little world and not be. So we don't know everything or everybody in our neighborhood. And I think that's a cool picture of reality. And that's the way it is everywhere. That's a good point. I think it's a great, it was a I I don't I don't remember more about the book. I remember that the name was bowling alone because you don't do that. Yeah. Nobody does that.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

I don't guess right. Yeah. No, that's a really good point, actually. And I heard a comedian talk about the decks, as it was humor. Like we used to sit on the front porch and say hello to everybody, and now we're on the deck, and we have closed ourselves off in a sense. And and but to your point, we've created our own space. And I think that's what we really like to do now as create our own space because there's so much noise out there.

unknown 13:57

Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

I'm the girl who hates to be alone, even in my own house. I just I hate it. I was I'm the girl yesterday, went to church, came home, and decided I was gonna stay there until four o'clock. And at 2 30, I was uh in the car. I was like, I'm on my way to town. I'm gonna go do some work or something just because I just wanted to be around people. I like to be around people.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

You are such a strong extrovert. So I'm an I'm an ambervert.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Oh, well, good for you.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Yeah, I'm in the middle. Yeah, I gotta I can take both and and then I'm exhausted if I'm around people. People always say you work too much.

Creating Home Sanctuaries Here And The Coast

SPEAKER_02 14:28

You work too many hours. That's your jam. No, that's my jam. I love so I didn't work that energizes you. Yeah, I did do work. I went and did videos in different stores that we can make into reels so that we can advertise for our town. So yes, it was work, but I got to talk to people and see people and do things.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

Well, and this certainly isn't a plug-for-Cheryl hour or half hour, but but I do have to say how awesome you have been for this community. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

I love being here. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

It's a great place to be here. You've made a wonderful change and I've seen it and felt it. Thank you. But yeah, Black, definitely Black Mountains Wanna Noah is so special and near and dear, you know, to my heart. And, you know, when I'm leaving the beach and I'm coming home, as I call it, it's like there's this stretch in Morganton or right after Morganton. The mountains appear right. You know what I'm talking about. And it's like all is right with the world. Yeah, I just relax. It's like I'm home. Yeah, because I tell my family and friends and everybody, I said the mountains bring me strength and peace. And and I I walk at the Veterans Park. That's that's my walk and turn. Yeah, it is. And those mountains are there and the sunset or moonrise or whatever it is you're looking for. It's like tomahawk.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

Oh, yeah. That's where I walk. Yeah. It's my favorite.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

But I I I used to do that. I think I have a hot problem with mud.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Yeah. Now there's not as much mud now. Maybe you should get another shot. They've kind of fixed it.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Well, the thing about that is you can walk at all hours because you feel like you're safe. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. That's a good point.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

But it's also we send people from the visitor center to Lake Tomahawk because it's the best view in the valley.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Oh, it is the seventh system. You can see everything.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

So, which is funny because I would think you'd have to go to the top of a mountain.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:03

But you don't.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

So And I remember in my youth going there and sitting on those benches, dealing with problems, figuring them out, processing, breaking them down, or or celebrating, you know. And I even had, you know, something, right? And I even had my children's birthday parties there under the shed. Yep. Yeah. And we had the band playing on the little platform there on the back that I think it's still there. I need to go back to Lake Tomahawk, though, according to you, and see it all though. Right. Yeah. But yeah, it had a lot of celebrations there and birthdays and things. So yeah, Lake Tomahawk's a must.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Right. What do you look forward to the most when you're at Ava Moon? What do you look forward to the most about coming back? And you can't use the mountains because you just did.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Yeah, I have soaked that one, haven't I? Yeah. Yeah, you know, it is it's coming back to my town. It is come that and my family. Good. And my home. Because again, you know, like setting up that peaceful sanctuary that when you walk in, you're like, phew, I could just stay here all the time. And yeah, just loving on my dogs and seeing, you know, my son Will, who is gonna be, he is entering the basic law enforcement training soon. Cool. And uh anyway, Black Mountain is sponsoring him. So we're really excited about that. Yeah. So right now he works at the YMCA. So he is a children's counselor and he takes care of our kids. Yeah, absolutely. He hangs at Black Mountain or Fairview. Those are the two places he goes. And yeah, he's he's loving it. He's a small town guy.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

So he's gonna stay.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

I think.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Yeah. He's gonna stay, definitely. Lily, my daughter, she loves coming home, but she loves Nashville, that scene.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Well, I get that. I mean, Nashville's a pretty fun place to go. But I mean, I grew up in Atlanta and thought, oh gosh, yeah. And it's a big city. And it is. When we moved way out to the country outside Atlanta, I was like, this is gonna be terrible. And then that changed my whole life. Right. And that's why I can can be here and why I would even think of living here because I was I went to the next step and then to the small, small, small town.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

So yeah, it takes a piece of your heart. Yes. It's yeah, because even with all my travels and everything, I used to spend summers in Maine, on the coast of Maine, which really outside of the coastal, you know, the rocky part, it's it's a lot like here, a lot like you know, Black Mountain, like the small town of Booth Bay Harbor is where I'd go. And there's a piece of my heart there too. Okay.

unknown 18:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

But I'm a pioneer.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

So I like water.

Foodie Spots And Local Hangouts

SPEAKER_02 18:28

So don't leave it everywhere. We need you for we need most of it here.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

It is. Most of it is here. I do, even when I'm in the at the beach, I miss home. I do. Okay. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

I'm not a beach girl, so that doesn't I can't even translate it. Doesn't even really. Yep. Don't care.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Would you like sand beach in the winter?

SPEAKER_02 18:46

Don't like the sand. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

See, I don't even go out on the winter, right? They still have sand in the air, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

They do. But I I sit on the front porch a lot because I'm like on the second row, so I see all the traffic and all the activity. But I don't there's times where I don't even hit the beach. I wouldn't. Yeah.

unknown 19:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

Yeah, it just depends on what's going on. You're not a beach girl. She's just do you feel like you're a mountain girl?

SPEAKER_02 19:07

Definitely a mountain girl. Yeah. Always been a mountain girl. Always been a mountain girl. Always been a mountain girl. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

I don't know. I I've told this on the podcast before, so I'm not going to tell the whole story again. Right. But I basically grew up here in these mountains. Do you know that? I came every weekend here.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

I think I knew that.

SPEAKER_02 19:23

So this is, I mean, you don't grow up in the classroom. I'm sorry to all the teachers who think I did. But you know, you grew up in the woods, playing in the playing in the woods, playing in the creeks. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Freeman is amazing. All the things.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Yeah, the my favorite thing to do is to go in the creek, you know, behind the house with my cousins, right? That's the thing about the mountains too, is the cousins. Yeah. Cousins are something else. They really are up here. They're like brothers and sisters if they are around you. Right. Like to this day. Well, anyway, I'll go back to the creek. The creek, I couldn't wait to get the rocks and look under them. See what was under it. Yes, because you had the crawfish and, you know, whatever going on in there. As long as it had legs, I was happy. Yeah. Well, they have legs. I'm okay. And we had horses and we would take back in, you know, into the the mountains and the trails with the Dillingham land, and they lived up there at the top of Light. I was at Little Cove Road is where I was raised. Yeah. Yeah, all the way at the end. And but yeah, it was really cool. And then the cousins, you know, I had the grandmother, my grandmother here from here, not the Ava Moon connection, but my grandmother is we're like six generations from Flat Creek area. And so the grand there's like six sisters. So all the cousins are here and we're like sisters. And I know our grandmothers would be so happy. I know. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

You have cousins, and they you all go to lunch that's right every once a month. Once every month once a month. Where have you gone to lunch in Black Mountain?

SPEAKER_00 20:49

So I'll I'll let you butcher the name, but it's those sweet little French places.

SPEAKER_02 20:54

I knew you were gonna say that when you said butcher the man the name, I was like, I always butcher that one.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Yeah, log in guests.

SPEAKER_02 20:59

Login get. But she says it so beautifully. I know. She's a dream.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

I'm sure they're saying it right, but she's the way she when it comes out of her mouth, it's perfect. Well, but we've been there, and let me tell you something. That is a gem.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

Yes. People don't know about it, and it's sort of off the beaten path. And one of our volunteers just loves that place. Oh man. Everybody have to go there.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Yeah, that's mushroom, Swiss crepe. Let me tell you. That sounds good. Oh, yeah. And they're, of course, their French onion soup is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 21:25

That's what everybody says. I mean, that's that's what everybody says. I haven't had their French onion soup at that other phase, but anyway.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

It the one thing, another thing that comes up with Black Mountain, and people say, Oh, you know, it's like a Norman Rock wheel. I said, Yes. But it's a great place to raise your kids. Let me tell you something, because my kids have filtered through the whole entire Black Mountain system. And of course, with the Black Mountain primary, it's so sweet and wonderful. And we had Mr. Green. And oh my gosh, what an experience that was. And then as they went through the elementary in the middle and the high school, I'll tell you, I mean, every school has their problems, whatever. But I It's it is the best place to raise your children.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Yeah. And I have a lot of families that come in and I always tell them that, right? It's good. When they're buying here. And I said, it's a great place for your kids. So just breathe. It's good. Yeah. It's lovely.

SPEAKER_02 22:14

People say a lot of times that we need to add like an arcade. That's not the right word. That's 1980s, but a place where kids can go. What do they do? That the the shooting thing, the paintball. They need a place like that. They need a place. And I and I just think how sad that is that we need that. Yeah, we don't. You have all, I mean, you go outside your door and boom, it's amazing. Yeah.

What Makes Black Mountain Special

SPEAKER_00 22:38

Well, what did we do growing up? We didn't that's why I was saying we didn't do that. Creepy and simple and, you know, yeah, we made our own. We created our own. We soothed ourselves through activities. And right.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

So people come to the chamber a lot and ask, you know, what does this town need? What can I I want to start a business. What does this town need? Ah. And people will say that. And I and I just think I don't know that I can't with my right, with my I just I can't see it being profitable enough. And I don't, I just don't think it fits. But I if somebody wants to try it, I will back them up 150%. But I'm not gonna suggest it.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Think about it. They're so involved in sports and play, you know, and that, you know, that's just kind of what we're doing now. Um, I know my kids were involved in sports. I didn't have time for anything else. And I had one who was in sports and one who was not.

SPEAKER_02 23:25

Being the one who is not loves to hike and climb and play in the creek and all those things, and he's 28 years old, and he still likes to hike and climb and play in the creek and all those things. So yeah, I just think there's there's plenty to do here. But but that might happen someday too.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

So who knows? So can you share anything with me that's coming on the horizon?

SPEAKER_02 23:45

Or I can't right now, but there's a really cool I'm gonna butcher it. It's a resort concept that we're working on that's very cool, but not it's not disruptive. Yeah. I don't know how to say that. Hey, it's like what nobody will know it's there unless you know it's there, and then it's really cool. Well, I'll give you a challenge.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

Yes. Anything that keeps me from having to go somewhere else, and you know my subliminal message there, yes, where I can just stay right here in my sweet little town, I'm with you on that. Okay, I will support you 100%. Cause I love to just stay here and just relish it's such a it is, it is, it did so wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

It did take me about a year to absolutely fall in love with living here. Sure. But I think that's true anywhere you go. I think you have to find a new person to cut your hair, you have to find a new everything. I mean, just everything is a is a chore. That's right. That's true anywhere. But but but when it clicked, it was all in. I'm an all or nothing girl and I am all in. Yes, I agree. I am too. That was kind of how it goes.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Yeah, that's a really per that's a that's a good perspective, though, to share. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_02 25:01

I am really glad you're here today. And I asked you a lot of questions and you came up with a lot of things, but is there anything that you want to share that I forgot to ask or didn't think to ask?

SPEAKER_00 25:10

No, I can't, I can't really think of anything, but maybe just leave some words of wisdom, you know, for our community. And and it's just to thine self be true. And if your calling is here, it's not gonna be a mistake. That's right. Rally that. And I can tell you that too, it will not be a mistake. So thank you so much, Cheryl. This has been such a pleasure. Oh, good. Thank you. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Thanks for joining us on Exploring the Valley. Until next time, keep celebrating the pride of our community and discovering the magic of the mountains. In the meantime, you're free to move about the valley.