[piano intro] - [Deborah] Next on "North Carolina Weekend," join us from Banner Elk for a winter weekend.

We'll visit Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville, explore Harkers Island, and hike down the Green River Cove Trail in Saluda.

Coming up next.

- [Announcer 1] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier island beaches you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer - [Announcer 2] Funding for the North Carolina Year of the Trail Series is provided by.

- [Announcer 3] SECU Foundation, proving how contributions from SECU members can generate the support needed to make a difference across North Carolina in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services.

[uptempo cheery music] ♪ [uptempo cheery music ends] - Welcome to "North Carolina Weekend" everyone.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel, and this week, we are in Banner Elk for a winter weekend.

[snowboard whooshing] [upbeat music] Smack dab between the South's largest ski resorts, Banner Elk is a great place to have a winter weekend.

Within 15 minutes of the town's lone stoplight, you can experience the great outdoors, fabulous dining, theater, and more.

Now, let's head down the Blue Ridge to Hendersonville, where an 85-acre riverfront estate offers a luxurious winter weekend getaway.

[slow relaxing music] - What's important for me on the farm is that when guests come here, whether they're staying overnight, or just visiting the spa, or the restaurant for the day that they feel like this is a place they can be themselves, and take a deep breath, unwind, relax.

[slow relaxing music continues] It's kind of like the biggest gift of this place is being able to offer that for others, and watch them experience it.

[slow relaxing music continues] - We're at the Horse Shoe Farm located in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

We're an 85-acre farm resort.

- [Jordan] We have lodging for up to 61 people in eight different homes.

We have the Stable Spa, which is our full service luxury spa in a renovated stable.

We have the Silo Cookhouse, which is our dining room here.

We do a modern farm-to-table dinner party every night for 40 people.

[slow relaxing music] - [Rachel] We have taken our silo, and cut out the bottom, and we turned it into a bar so you can hang out there, and just come relax and enjoy some time on the farm.

- We were living in Los Angeles prior to this, had just started our family.

We have two small boys, and my father asked me to come out, and see the farm, and I drove through the gates, and I was just blown away by it.

That was December, 2017.

July, 2018, we opened to a family of 50 that took the property for two weeks, and it's kind of been like wildfire since then.

I thought I was just doing lodging, and here we are close to five years later with the spa, with the restaurant, the pool, and it's really morphed into this really beautiful farm experience.

[uptempo cheery music] We're in the silo cookouts here, which I call the heart of the farm.

It's our lobby, our lounge, and our dining room.

We do dinner service here four nights a week.

It is a modern farm-to=table dinner party [people murmuring] - In connection with all of the things we try and do to create the ultimate guest experience.

My opportunity is to provide you with one of the best dining experiences that you can have.

At seven o'clock, we have passed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

and at 07:30, just like when this was a working farm, I ring the cookhouse bell, [bell ringing] and Chef will talk about our first course, and then the food all comes out at once, so we all dine together.

It's so convivial, and optimistic.

- [Jordan] You see every night, people are leaving with friends, with connections, with this, like, great experience.

The food is fabulous, if it's not grown here, from local vendors and farmers in the area.

- Jordan and I, for years, had been wanting to start some kind of a supper club.

The concept was just, okay, let's partner with a farm, a vendor, a purveyor for each month, and we'll feature their product across a three-course, family-style meal, we'll have our chefs play with it, and showcase it, and it's been really incredible to see people take to that idea, and really just learn more about what's in this community.

- We've done it with Lee's One Fortune Laotian Farm that produces Hmong, the best rice I've ever had, and we're doing another supper club with Carolina Ground, folks right here in Hendersonville, mill some of the best flower in the country.

When the sun's setting at nine o'clock at night in the summertime, and you're sitting there, and you're having your entree, I'm just kind of, like, where else on earth would I rather be?

[slow relaxing music ends] [slow relaxing music] - One of the things that, when I was drawn to this property, just like the magic of driving in here, was this idea of giving people a place to have space, to relax, to heal.

I knew I needed to find a place to make that happen, and so the old stables were on the farm here, and they're absolutely gorgeous, and the first time I ever walked into them I was like, "Why don't we convert the stable into a space?"

- The Stable Spa is a unique and gorgeous space here on the Horse Shoe Farm.

We offer a variety of massages.

We also specialize in a lot of esoteric services too, like cranial sacral sound therapy.

We utilize the herbs and flowers that we grow here in our garden in our services.

So we'll be making herbal and flower infused oils that we'll use in our treatments.

The whole energy of this property and this spa is so unique, and so different from any other place.

I hope they'll take away the sense of calm and serenity combined with the massage or facial treatment that they got, and when they leave they're just gonna feel totally amazing and absolutely different from how they walked in.

[slow relaxing music continues] - This is our home, and we are raising our family here on this farm.

Every time a guest comes here, we feel like we're welcoming them into our home.

I mean, we started where we were the ones cooking dinner for our guests, and we still are involved in all the little details but it's grown and grown in this beautiful way, and I hope that everyone who passes through here finds some connection, whether it's with the folks they came with, whether it's to themselves, or the land, the animals, just taking that pause, making that memory, and taking that with them as they go on their way, and hopefully come back.

[slow relaxing music ends] - The Horse Shoe Farm is at 155 Horse Shoe Farm Drive in Hendersonville.

To learn about their lodging, dining, and spa retreats, check them out online at thehorseshoefarm.com, or give them a call at [828] 393-3034.

This is the Banner Elk Cafe and Lodge in the heart of Downtown Banner Elk.

Here you'll find practically everything in one location, two restaurants, an espresso bar, a bakery, a smoothie bar, and an ice cream shop.

Now, when culinary artist, Seraphim Smith, decided he needed some peace and quiet after the holidays, he decided to take it easy down east, and he picked a location that in many ways has remained the same for generations.

Let's join him as he explores the fascinating culture of Harkers Island.

[seagulls squawking] [slow relaxing music] - [Seraphim] One of North Carolina's many treasures is our coast in the winter.

[water babbling] The waters are cold, yet crisp and clear.

I'm an artist, and a culinarian, and I'm seeking to find out more a bout the history and culture of Harkers Island and Cape Lookout.

[slow relaxing music continues] My journey to Harkers Island actually began with this book.

It's a fascinating overview on their history and culinary traditions.

[uptempo dramatic music] Harkers Island is known for their waterfowl Festival and for the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center which details the history and culture of the people down east.

[uptempo dramatic music continues] If you're an avid reader, you'll find yourself in an ocean of literary joy at the book and gift shop.

While duck hunting has a long history on the island, there's been a resurgence in the craft of decoy carving.

I wanted to see how the decoys are made, and I spoke with master decoy carver, Corey Lawrence in his wood shop.

[saw screeching] - You can see when you do that, you're starting to get a round that bird up, and there's no such thing as anything square in nature, so you want, this is just one step in the process of getting it rounded up.

[saw screeching] - [Seraphim] Corey's Father, David, co-founded the Core Sound Decoy Festival, and the Decoy Carver's Guild.

[wood thudding] [file scraping] - There's not many people these days taking the time to make wood decoys to hunt over, but they're almost like heirlooms, and one of these days, maybe 50 years from now, someone will look back and be glad that I made these.

They're actually hunt over.

You know, when you really hunt over 'em, as they were intended, it makes 'em a real thing.

[slow relaxing music] This is some buffalo head decoys that I'm working on for my son, my oldest son.

He's really into hunting now, but he's decided he wants to collect buffalo-head decoys.

Those decoys over in the corner, that's some little dipper, or buffalo head decoys that my dad made for me, and he and I used to hunt over those, and when I look at those dippers, those buffalo heads over there that daddy carved, they mean the world to me.

When I'm sitting here carving these decoys, I'm thinking about the kind of hunts that my dad and I shared using those, and the kind of hunts that, hopefully, me and my son will share hunting over these, and I love that pretty soon these will be in the water and I'll be making those same kind of memories with my son.

[slow relaxing music] One of the things that I love about the Core Sound Waterfowl & Heritage Museum is the fact that we're trying to save who and what we are.

What we are is decoy carvers, we're boat builders and fishermen, we are gardeners, we're quilt makers, and crab pot makers, and net hangers, and a group of community that just really loves not only the area where we live, but we love each other, and we love who and what we are.

[slow dramatic music] [boat engine roaring] - [Seraphim] A trip to Harkers Island just is incomplete without a ferry ride to Cape Lookout.

- It's gonna be a real pretty day today, anybody getting off of Shackleford Banks?

- [Seraphim] Shackleford Banks once hosted a community of over 500 people, however devastating hurricanes in 1899 forced them to abandon their homes.

The banks are now only home to wild horses.

[people murmuring] [slow dramatic music] Incredibly, we were escorted to the lighthouse by a pod of friendly dolphins.

[boat engine roaring] I went to speak with a local historian at the Lighthouse about the people who once lived at the banks.

- It was a fishing community, and actually about 1706, or along there, whalers from New England came down here, so they introduced whaling to these people, and it was a very popular thing to whale, especially during the springtime when they were moving back and forth, you know, migration.

- [Seraphim] It has been said that the islander's ability to bear the torrential storms, coupled with their love for one another is what makes this community so remarkable.

There is so much to learn at Cape Lookout that, like me, you might get hooked on its unique history.

There is treasure to be found here, and I can't wait to return.

[uptempo dramatic music] - The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center is at 1785 Island Road in Harkers Island, and they're open daily.

For more information, give them a call at [252] 728-1500, or visit coresound.org.

Perhaps your idea of a great winter weekend includes time outside on an invigorating hike.

Well, we have an interesting destination that dwarfs the size of any of our state parks, and offers some of the best hiking in Western North Carolina.

As part of our Year of the Trail series, let's join producer, Clay Johnson, on the Green River Cove Trail near Saluda.

[slow relaxing music] [water babbling] - [Clay] The Green River Game Lands is an 18,000-acre tract of public land in a gorge cut by the Green River - [John] And inside of it, you have around 20 miles of trails, and some gravel roads, and just all kinds of undiscovered little spots that take a little work, but if you're gonna do it, you're gonna get rewarded.

- [Clay] John Grace moved to this area from Indiana when he was was 10.

- I always loved it, and I've been kayaking this river for longer than I wanna admit, 25 years at this point.

And the Green River is an amazing river for paddling, and fishing, and even tubing, and things like that.

- [Clay] The river includes an area called the Narrows which has Class V rapids that are famous among whitewater rafters and kayakers.

Saluda's Green River Adventures offers kayak trips down two sections of the river, and there are several tubing businesses along the river as well.

Grace started an annual kayaking event here called The Green Race, as he explored the old logging trails, and roads, and the paths used by hunters, and the woods around the river.

Grace saw the potential for a network of recreational trails.

In 2012, he started a mountain biking and trail running event here called the Green River Games as a way to create and maintain them.

- We managed to clear off and connect 13 miles of trails right here with just volunteers and trail crew.

- [Clay] Since they traverse canyon walls, many of the trails are steep and rugged with intersections that are not always well marked.

- [John] So just be ready to do a little self navigating, and have plenty of water, and plenty of food, because you're probably gonna be out there a little longer than you think.

- [Clay] The Green River Cove Trail is a fairly moderate route that runs along the river for about six and a half miles.

It has a number of places you can access the water to dip your feet in on a hot day or get your dog a drink.

A nearly two mile out-and-back trail that's moderately challenging runs along Cove Creek to the 50-foot Little Bradley Falls.

Two shorter trails run along the same stream to the top and the bottom of the 75-foot Big Bradley Falls.

An easy three quarters of a mile trail near Flat Rock descends to Lower Big Hungry Falls.

- It really is sort of an outdoor lover's paradise.

It's steep, rugged, [slow relaxing music] but just full of waterfalls, an amazing country.

- [Clay] The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission manages the Green River game lands for hunting and fishing, but opens it to other activities - Pretty much if it's an outdoor activity, you can do it here.

- [Clay] Conservation groups continue to secure land to grow the property managed by the Commission.

- It's constantly being added to little bits at a time.

- [Clay] State game lands like this are managed very differently than state parks.

- When you think of a state park or something like that where you've got a nice bathhouse, and some tent spots, and whatever, that's not what you're gonna get here.

You're gonna get wild, you're gonna get bears, you're gonna get snakes, you're gonna get rugged.

- [Clay] But like a state park or any wilderness area, Grace says you should just enjoy the place, and leave no trace.

- [John] You're gonna go to an undiscovered wild place, and if you're willing to put in just that little bit of extra effort, and be up for a little bit of adventure, you're gonna have one of the most rewarding places in Western North Carolina that you can go have a trek.

[upbeat music] - The Green River Cove Trailhead is at 3851 Green River Cove Trail in Saluda.

For more information, check out conservingcarolina.org.

And for more information about the Year of the Trail, go to greattrailsnc.com, and look for more Year of the Trail stories on "North Carolina Weekend" throughout 2023.

I'm at the Banner Elk Winery & Villa which doubles as a vineyard and a luxury bed and breakfast, it's the perfect place to curl up with a glass of wine on a winter weekend, and why not try a new wine this season?

If you're interested in discovering new varietals, head to Chapel Hill where an esteemed sommelier has opened up a brand new wine shop called Rocks + Acid.

I'd heard about a new wine store with an interesting name, so I headed to Chapel Hill to check it out.

Paula, I have to say I love your shop.

It is so pretty in here and I am intrigued by the name of your store.

Rocks + Acid.

- Rocks and Acid.

- What's behind the name?

So Rocks + Acid are the two most important things about wine for me, and the name Rocks + Acid just popped in my head, and I was like, "Oh, that will promote a lot of conversation, a lot of questions.

- It certainly will, it certainly will, Rocks + Acid.

- Yep, and it's like I always tell people I don't sell vinyl and I don't sell illegal things in the shop, but it refers to terroir, essentially, the rocks part of it refers to a terroir, which signifies the type of soil that the vines are grown which gives off a lot of the nutrients as well as a very unique characteristic to the grapes.

Also the altitude, the climate, the exposition of the vineyards, and most importantly for me, it's the traditional mill house that a lot of winemakers imbue on how they will make the finished product.

So that's a terroir part of it.

And then the acid is essentially the acid backbone of wines.

For us, it's more important than the alcohol levels, and so you want that acid, so that you keep on drinking the wine, it's refreshing.

So a really good example of a wine that has rocks and acid in it is this wine.

This one is the Celliers de Sion.

This one is made from the grape called Jacquère.

I like to say this with this wine to people who are like, "What is Jacquère?"

I was like, just taste it.

I know this is going to sound really weird.

It tastes like melted snow, which essentially is water, but you put it in the Alps, and it's like it brings you to that very pure flavor profile.

- It's very bright.

- Uh-huh, very bright.

- And clean.

- The acid is that, that's what's making it really bright and very zesty.

And then it finishes off with this really nice kind of citrusy tone to it.

This is the kind of wine that I would love to drink at the beginning of a meal, something with oysters, something with a green salad.

This next wine that I'm pouring for you is coming from Italy, so you can see it is very orange.

This is the Borgo Savaian, it is the Aransat, it's a local dialect for the word, orange.

It is also made from sauvignon blanc and pinot gris.

- [Deborah] Paula told me her interest in cooking was spurred by watching the Food Network while growing up in the Philippines, but her parents wanted her to be a doctor.

- I really wanted to be in food for, even when I was younger, but my dad was like, "No, no, no, no, no you have to get a real degree."

[both laughing] - I've heard that before.

- Uh-huh, yeah.

And so I was like, what would be something that I can do that had the least credits of math and sciences?

Okay, let's do Communications Marketing PR, got my degree, can I go, you know, can I go now?

- [Deborah] After graduating, she applied to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

- My professor was like, you have an aptitude for wine.

Do you wanna pursue this?

I never really thought about it as a profession.

I never thought that sommeliers were a thing.

I transferred, and did more wine credits, and then after graduation, I ended up here in North Carolina, and worked for Barrington Village.

So Barrington has this massive wine list, and it was almost like a bible.

And I just love learning about the different producers, the different grapes, and different regions.

At a certain point, it wasn't just about what's in the bottle, it became where is it from, what's the history, how did this come about, what are the wine making techniques that people used to make this final wines?

- I really love the mission and your philosophy behind selecting the wines, why you select these wines, what are buyers gonna see on the shelves here that's really unique?

- [Paula] All of the wines here are made by families.

They are very much small production in terms of there's no company or corporation that's dictating the flavor profile, or how many cases that they need to produce.

It's basically what the vintage gives these families to make every year, they're either organic, biodynamic, natural, or at least sustainably-produced.

So you won't see crazy additives of these wines.

- In addition to wines, Paula stocks wonderful cheeses, olives, meats, even caviar, all carefully curated to accompany a nice bottle of wine.

And your entire setup here is very engaging, and you like to have that interaction.

- Oh yes.

- With your buyers, right?

- Oh yes, I do love to talk to every single person that comes into the shop, and I understand that some people can get very intimidated about wine, because I mean, honestly, like the label sometimes it tells you a lot and sometimes it doesn't tell you anything.

- Anything [laughs].

- And even if it tells you a lot, what does it mean?

- I love that someone who's interested in that doesn't have to necessarily do all of the research themselves.

- I've done it for them.

- You've done it for them.

- Yes [laughs].

- Cheers.

[glasses clanking] Rocks + Acid Wine Shop is at 712 Market Street in Southern Village just outside Chapel Hill.

They're open Wednesday through Sunday, and for more information you can give them a call at [919] 545-1392 or go online to rocksandacidwineshop.com.

We're at the famous 5506 Sky Bar at Beech Mountain Resort named for its elevation at 5,506 feet.

[upbeat music] This panoramic bar at the summit offers beer, cocktails and snacks.

It's just a short drive from Banner Elk and a great place to wrap up a winter weekend.

And that's it for tonight's show.

We've had a great time exploring Banner Elk, and all the fun things to do here, and if you've missed anything in today's program, remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org.

Have a great North Carolina weekend everyone.

[uptempo cheery music] ♪ [uptempo cheery music continues] ♪ [uptempo cheery music continues] ♪ [uptempo cheery music ends] - [Announcer 1] Funding for "North Carolina Weekend" is provided in part by Visit NC, dedicated to highlighting our state's natural scenic beauty, unique history, and diverse cultural attractions.

From the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains, across the Piedmont to 300 miles of barrier island beaches, you're invited to experience all the adventure and charm our state has to offer - [Announcer 2] Funding for the North Carolina Year of the Trail Series is provided by.

- [Announcer 3] SECU Foundation, proving how contributions from SECU members can generate the support needed to make a difference across North Carolina in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services.

[piano outro]