Exploring the Valley
Discover the hidden gems, local legends, and can’t-miss experiences in Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley as we dive into the perks of Chamber membership and uncover what makes this mountain town a must-visit destination. Whether you're a local business or just passing through, there's something cool waiting for you!
Episodes
20 episodes
New In Town, Falling For Black Mountain
A leap of faith can look like a rental signed sight unseen, a job change across state lines, and a promise to figure it out as you go. We sit down with Melissa Baker to trace how a Florida beach couple found their footing in Black Mountain, Nor...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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24:11
Rooted In Bloom: How Volunteers Shape A Mountain Town
A beautiful town rarely happens by accident. We sit down with Anne Drummond of the Black Mountain Beautification Committee to pull back the curtain on how 135 volunteers design seasonal displays, care for street trees, and make public spaces fe...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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22:53
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
A room lights up when the right neighbor walks back in. That’s the energy Tammy Potter brings as she traces her path from New Mexico to the Smoky Mountains and shows how a “service first” mindset turns a company into a community engine. We dive...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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26:20
Love, Music, And A Town That Shows Up
Two lives intersect over paint cans, songs, and a mountain skyline—and suddenly a vacation town becomes the place you can’t imagine leaving. We sit down with Jeanie Grindstaff to follow a winding road from Tuscaloosa to Belmont, through Nashvil...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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27:57
A Through Hike Led To Coffee, Community, And A Life In Black Mountain
A six-month hike from Maine to Georgia can change everything. That’s how Andy Gibbon stumbled into Black Mountain, fell for a local arts festival, and started a life anchored by family, music, and a small-batch coffee roastery that smells like ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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18:14
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 fi...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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25:51
What Makes A Community Worth Never Leaving
A hurricane knocked down trees, but it lifted up something bigger: the kind of community you only understand when neighbors show up with laundry baskets, hot showers, and time. We sit down with Hope Burk—longtime local, real estate pro, and ste...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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26:58
From High School Sweethearts To High Country Guides
What makes someone trade the easy path for a winding mountain road and a van full of strangers who become friends by sunset? Phil Holderman joins us to share how a high school romance, a deep love for Western North Carolina, and an obsession wi...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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27:21
Love On The Corner
What happens when a single word becomes a weekly promise to your town? We sit down with Ruth Pittard to follow a winding path from childhood trips through Black Mountain’s craft scene to a tiny, solar-powered home and a public ritual that turne...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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24:51
What If Home Is The Dream After All
Ever wonder what happens when a part-time high school job turns into a life’s work and a community legacy? We sit down with Lori Morris to chart a rare arc: from a 17-year-old filing papers at White Insurance to becoming an owner, mentor, and s...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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24:57
A Relief Worker Arrives For A Storm And Stays For The People
What does it take to move from emergency response to real, lasting recovery—and why would a relief worker choose to stay long after the chainsaws go quiet? We sit with Operation Blessing’s Bob Burke, who arrived after the storm to clear trees, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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23:00
What Makes A Community Taste Like Home
A hometown can change your taste—and your life. Cheryl sits down with Black Mountain native Ali Whitman to trace a winding path from teenage restlessness to culinary roots, from Atlanta classrooms to Asheville kitchens, and finally to a Japanes...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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29:15
Roots And Return
What if the place that raised your curiosity also raised your confidence? We sit down with Jack to trace a path from creek-stomping summers in Montreat to choosing Black Mountain as an adult, and the story is full of unexpected lessons about fr...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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15:30
She Came For Class, Stayed For Bears
We meet Treselyn, a Montreat senior and basketball player from Texas, who finds unexpected home and purpose in the Swannanoa Valley after storms, loss, and a major change to outdoor recreation. We talk about real outdoor skills, community resil...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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17:04
I Bought An E-Bike And Didn’t Crash, So Now What
Start with a bike, stay for the community. We sit down with Michael of Epic Cycles to explore how a beloved Black Mountain shop became a crossroads for locals, visitors, students, and families who want to ride safely, see more, and feel connect...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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21:55
From Paper To Valley Echo
A small mountain town can feel bigger than any city when the gym lights come up and the whole valley shows. We sit with Fred McCormick, founder of The Valley Echo, to trace how a stay-at-home dad found journalism, begged his way into a newsroom...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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20:07
Merry Wine and Holy Mustard: A Sommelier, a Choir Guy, and a Town That Talks
Some places find you before you realize you’re looking. That’s how Scott Kelts tells it—a Mississippi native who came to the Blue Ridge for a summer camp job, fell for a chef named Catherine, and never quite left. We share how a picnic turned i...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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26:09
From Beehives to Fire Trucks: A Chief's Life
Few people embody the spirit of Black Mountain like Fire Chief Coffey, whose roots in emergency services stretch back to his teenage years as a volunteer firefighter. Driven initially by the classic teenage motivation of escaping high school cl...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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16:19
Crafting Community: Sarah Sunshine's Pottery Journey
Sarah Sunshine of Sarah Sunshine Pottery shares her journey from environmental chaplain to pottery business owner in Black Mountain's vibrant downtown. Her serendipitous path includes taking a pottery class for fun, buying a house with a studio...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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26:05
Where Neighbors Become Storytellers
Cheryl Hyde, director of the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, introduces "Exploring the Valley" podcast dedicated to sharing the people, places, and stories that make the Swannanoa Valley special. This new show aims to highlight lo...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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4:34