[piano intro] - Next on "North Carolina Weekend," we say hello Spring from Big Bloomers Flower Farm in Sanford.

We'll sample honey in Robbinsville, listen to live music in Asheville and relax at River House Inn in Grassy Creek.

Coming up next.

- [Narrator 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.

- [Narrator 2] Funding for the "North Carolina Year of the Trail" series is provided by- - [Presenter] 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.

[uplifting music] ♪ [uplifting music continues] ♪ [uplifting music continues] - Hi everyone, welcome to North Carolina Weekend.

I'm Deborah Holt Noel.

And this week we're saying hello Spring from Big Bloomers Flower Farm in Sanford, one of the southeast largest plant selections now celebrating their 45th anniversary.

With 17 retail greenhouses representing over 30,000 square feet, Big Bloomers Flower Farm is a bonafide farm.

They're not just the retailers, they're the growers too.

Whether you're looking for perennials, annuals, tropicals, shrubs or trees, you'll be sure to find it here.

Now, to me, one of the first signs of spring is honeybees looking to pollinate.

So right now, let's join Chelsea Goodnight as she goes behind the scenes to Wehrloom Honey, a family-owned artisan honey and mead maker in Robbinsville.

[upbeat music] - What's up weekend warriors?

I'm Chelsea Goodnight and today's adventure brings us to Robbinsville.

We're at Wehrloom Honey where owners Aron and Jessica Wehr have been making quite a buzz around town.

Let's check it out.

- So Wehrloom Honey is just a small business here in Western North Carolina.

We started off as beekeepers and it has grown to honey manufacturing.

We have a whole line of skincare products and we also manufacture and sell mead, which is a honey wine.

Yeah, so come on back.

Back here.

- This is the workshop.

- This is the workshop.

We make candles, soaps, lotions, lip balms, all in here.

Back here, all these tanks are filled with honey, 12, maybe 15 tanks.

All the honeys we produce here are definitely on the raw side, so they maintain all those health benefits.

We have Sourwood honey, which is sort of our regional specialty.

- [Chelsea] Oh, very nice.

- That one, people are coming from far and wide just to get that honey.

Sourwood trees predominantly bloom in the Southern Appalachians, so they're unique to this area.

And then if we go back in our next room, you can see where all the honey's used to make mead.

You know, each tank holds roughly 300 gallons or so.

And here's Eric.

He's our assistant mead maker.

So if you want, we can try a little sample off one of the tanks.

- [Chelsea] I would love to try a sample.

- [Aron] So right here we have the Dry County Dry.

It's our 11 1/2% mead.

Just three ingredients, honey, water and yeast.

It's our most popular mead.

- [Chelsea] Yeah, that's an amazing flavor.

And I can't believe only three ingredients is pretty incredible to make this.

- Yeah.

Being a beekeeper, you realize pretty quick there's a lot of effort that goes to collect that honey and to process it, realizing every little honeybee makes like a 16th of a tablespoon of honey.

Like that's just pretty amazing.

- All right, so they're kind of on the trunk of a tiny little pine tree.

So it's pretty accessible.

They're not real high up, so it'll be not too bad to try to catch it.

What that'll do is that'll give us a whole new colony of bees that'll eventually grow up to be one of our production colonies.

What you're looking at is you are looking at the natural ways bees kind of perpetuate their species.

So this is part of their life cycle when they wanna divide and take one colony and turn it into two.

So that's what they're doing.

So what we'll do is we'll clip this tree and we'll carry it on up the hill and put it back in the hive.

So bees are super pheromone driven too.

So the queen has a really unique scent to her.

All of these bees are gonna be attracted to that scent.

So if we were to miss the queen and she was still on this branch, they would all come right back to her.

- [Chelsea] Oh wow.

- [Jessica] So Chelsea, I'm gonna give them this frame.

It's got a tiny bit of honey on this side.

- [Chelsea] Okay.

- [Jessica] And a little bit more over here on this side.

This will just kind of give 'em a little bit of a headstart.

Then after that- - Yeah.

- [Chelsea] It's like a housewarming gift.

- [Jessica] It is.

There you go.

There you go.

I mean, it's just amazing the number of gifts that bees give to humans.

- [Chelsea] So Jessica, do you think that these guys will be appreciative that we've done this for them?

- [Jessica] [laughs] Just like our mead, now they are home sweet home.

- Ooh, I think we need a glass.

That's amazing.

- Let's go.

- All right.

- Wehrloom Honey is a far-fetched, unexpected dream.

We are the beekeepers.

We are the accountants.

We are the designers.

We've done everything on our own.

We moved to Robbinsville, our family did in 2010 and we didn't ever plan on staying here, but we fell in love with the area.

And that year, for Christmas, my husband Aron bought me two beehives and so two hives became 10 and that became 20 and it became a hundred pretty quick.

So when you're producing that much honey, we kind of needed a way to support our habit of keeping bees.

- I love when people come in and they're like, "Hey, I was inspired.

And so I went out and started my own hives."

We had a little boy who came in with his own money and bought a hive.

And just to think, think that kind of impact can go a long way, to me that's pretty amazing.

- Wehrloom Honey and Meadery is at 257 Willie Colvin Road in Robbinsville and they're open daily except Sundays.

For more information, give them a call at 828-735-2300 or check them out online@wehrloom.com.

As the weather warms up, music performances move outside and this next venue we could not recommend more.

Voted Asheville's number one place to hear live music, this riverside venue is the perfect destination for Spring.

Let's check out the Salvage Station.

- So we're at the Salvage Station.

We're in Asheville, North Carolina on Riverside Drive just adjacent to the French Broad River.

- We have been here since 2016.

The Salvage Station is a indoor-outdoor music venue here in Asheville that lays on seven acres of land.

- [Katie] The capacity inside's about 750 people.

Outside venue can hold up to 3,000 people.

- Salvage Station was called Asheville Auto Parts and it was essentially a salvage yard.

And I just always looked at it like there's gotta be a better use for the property.

And when it was offered to me, it immediately became clear what I wanted to do here.

And it's my life's dream, my life's work.

- So hence the name Salvage Station, it was born out of that vision and cleaning this place up on the river and turning it into a space for people to enjoy in the community.

So we do live music concerts on a regular basis, several a week and we also host community events, corporate events, private events.

So we have every genre of music.

I mean it spans from really great bluegrass shows to hip hop to jam bands, you name it.

We've even had some metal shows here as of late.

So we really try to touch on all music genres.

- Well, Asheville's always been so receptive to the arts of all kinds and so people come here seeking it out.

From a musician's standpoint, there's a place for everybody here.

- So the performers really enjoy the whole hospitality vibe that we have here.

It's just a really laid back place.

State of the art, sound, stage, lighting.

So it's a very professional production with a really laid back vibe.

- I think that the Salvage Station is one of those venues in Asheville where local people really do come out, but you also get the out-of-towners and they have the capacity to do like big shows with big crowds.

It's just a vibe.

You feel that when you're here.

- [Katie] Coming to Salvage Station to see a show is kind of like going to a music festival.

You know, you have this really vast outdoor space, seven acres to kind of roam around, enjoy.

You get to go to several different bars that are all in shipping containers.

So it's kind of a, you know, it's a unique experience for people.

A lot of great food options for the larger shows.

We do food trucks and of course Root Down Kitchen is here.

- So we do like New Orleans comfort Food, Creole, Southern, soul food type things, fried chicken, collards, red beans and rice.

You kind of get the best of both worlds.

You get some fantastic soul food to pair with the best music venue in Nashville - [Katie] With the bar, we've got our huge tap selection, a lot of great local craft beers on tap.

We work really closely with a lot of the local purveyors here.

You can get a full liquor drink if you'd like to at any of the bars and also non-alcoholic beverages.

We've got something for everybody.

- We are definitely the best because of our employees.

All these guys and girls are the best at what they do.

The whole facility was built around what it was like to kind of grow up in Asheville and it's kind of a down-home grassroots feel.

- A space that used to be a junkyard and a lot of that junk's been turned into art.

So it's a very art forward venue with a lot of beautiful murals done by local artists.

You know, there's surprises around every corner here.

We have a way about making everybody feel included and making everybody feel like they can really enjoy the space no matter who they are.

- Salvage Station is at 468 Riverside Drive in Asheville and they've got a full calendar of events.

To check out their lineup, go to salvagestation.com or give them a call at 828-407-0521.

When the air gets warm, it's time to start soaring through it, right?

Well, skydiving season is fast approaching and if this has been on your bucket list, the folks at Triangle Skydiving Center in Raleigh would love to show you how.

- [Comrade] What have we got going on today?

- Jumping our of a plane.

- We're skydiving.

[upbeat music] - All right, Gerard, are you ready?

- I'm ready.

- All right.

[upbeat music] - We find a lot of customers are just amazed at the experience.

They think that it's gonna be a rollercoaster ride and it's really just an overload of emotions.

That adrenaline dump as you go out the door and the wind hits you for the first time and you get into free fall, it's just so exciting.

[upbeat music] It has certainly been a life changing experience for me.

I see the world differently.

The world actually slows down after you become a skydiver.

You realize that you can do anything.

You just came out of a plane and you survived and it was a great experience and all the little tiny petty things just kind of fall by the wayside.

Skydiving is very safe.

So we have two parachutes.

There's redundancies built in and we learn from all the drop zones in the United States and even abroad.

All sorts of really important things that make our lives safer in the sky than they are of driving the car to come out to see us.

I've owned Triangle Skydiving Center for about five years now.

We have customers come out from all over the world to come jump at our drop zone.

First thing we do is we check 'em in and we give them a brief description of what the jump's gonna be like while we harness them up and get 'em ready.

And then it's off to the plane to go enjoy the ride to altitude.

Once we're at altitude, we're gonna go out of the plane.

[triumphant music] [customer screams] [triumphant music continues] - Woo hoo!

- [Joshua] So free fall is 60 seconds and we jump from 13,500 feet.

[triumphant music] And then you're gonna have a beautiful canopy flight where you get to see North Carolina in a way that nobody else sees it.

[triumphant music] - All right Madeline, so have a look at the camera and tell your friends what do you think?

- This was amazing.

Yes.

It's great up here.

- Well, tell 'em we'll see you guys on the ground.

- Yes.

See you on the ground.

[triumphant music] - [John] Woo hoo!

- [Comrade] Yo, how was that?

- It was awesome.

- Yeah, did you have fun?

- Yes.

I did, yes.

- [Comrade] What was your favorite part?

- Maybe land.

- [Comrade] Landing, yeah.

When it was all over.

- Yeah.

- You did great.

- You were like [indistinct] - Hanging out with John.

- Up there.

- Yes.

It was a good time.

- That was awesome.

- Yes.

- Good job, John.

- [Comrade] Way to go.

- Killing it, man.

- Thank you, John.

Thank you.

- Made it safe.

- That was great.

- John rules.

- [Comrade] Joe, thank you for jumping with us.

- Thank you.

- Woo hoo!

[upbeat music] - Triangle Skydiving Center is at 480 Airport Road, suite 200, in Louisburg.

To book your skydiving adventure, give them a call at 919-497-5867 or check them out online at triangleskydiving.com.

2023 marks the Year of the Trail in our state.

And if you've been thinking about exploring something a little bit different, we have just the thing.

This coastal Forest features hiking, paddling, fascinating wildlife, and more.

Let's join producer Clay Johnson on his visit to the Croatan National Forest.

[gentle acoustic music] - [Michael] This is just the best place to paddle in the area.

- [Clay] Michael Crews loves to paddle at Croatan National Forest Cedar Point recreation area.

He lives nearby, so this is a quick escape.

- [Michael] This is a beautiful, perfect spot for that.

We have a very hectic world now and coming out here just immediately as soon as you hit the water and paddle away from this access right here, you know that kind of melts away - [Clay] For his customers too.

Crews owns Hot Wax Surf Shop and Paddle Sports in nearby Emerald Isle.

He sends his customers who rent kayaks and paddle boards here and he takes groups on guided trips.

- [Michael] Early in the day is a call for all of our activities here because the wind is the calmest and the wildlife is out.

We have kingfishers, eagles, of course the osprey.

They can sometimes spot bottlenose dolphin in here.

- [Clay] The water is only two to three feet deep and it's protected from strong winds and currents.

- So it's a very safe place to paddle.

I always say, "If you wanna be like a baby bird and nest, come right here and paddle in this first bay."

And our southwest dominant wind, which is to my back, will blow you right back to the access on most days.

- [Clay] There are two connecting bays to paddle to.

- [Michael] All of the things that this place has to offer is just a superior spot to paddle.

[cheerful music] - [Jessica] In 2016, I was introduced to the Tideland 24, which is a 24-hour ultramarathon.

- [Clay] Jessica Schneider runs the annual ultramarathon on the Croatan National Forest Tideland Trail.

It's a nearly mile and a half loop.

She runs it other times too, - [Jessica] When it's nice, I try to run at least once a week here.

- [Clay] She's logged a few miles on this trail.

- [Jessica] Over a thousand I'm sure, if not more.

- [Clay] Pushing her daughter, Anna Elise, makes it even more of a workout.

- That's a challenge.

Some of the bridges are a little narrow so we really have to turn a lot and navigate it, but we've kind of mastered the way of doing it.

So you have to kind of keep, pay attention so you don't miss your turns, but I prefer trail to pavement.

- [Clay] Especially this trail.

- [Jessica] The scenery is beautiful.

Got wildlife, a lot of fowl and people like to kayak out here too.

So you see people out kayaking.

And has some beautiful bridges.

I've told many people about it.

Every time I post a picture on my running groups, they all ask, "Where is this?"

So I spread the word.

[horses neighing] - [Darrell] Everybody's got their outlet for the things that the stressors, if you will, that they accumulate during the week, and this is ours.

- [Clay] Meaning the Back Country Horsemen of the Croatan.

- [Darrell] We're a volunteer service group.

We also do a little socializing of course, and it's always horse related.

This group is primarily into trail riding, so there's a lot of camaraderie as well.

- [Clay] Especially here on the 13 1/2 miles of riding trails in the Croatan.

- The trails are maintained.

They're well maintained by our group.

One of the trails goes out by the river.

We put a picnic table out there where folks can stop.

Some of the other trails will go along swamps.

There's some up and down, some varied terrain, if you will, which is kind of uncommon in this part of the world.

So that makes it nice and we enjoy being with each other.

It's just nice to be here.

- [Clay] And nice to have this public resource it's users value.

- [Darrell] It's important because it offers an opportunity for folks from the outside to come and enjoy this area.

- Oh my goodness.

- [Clay] Whether horseback riding, fishing in the forest's five lakes, hiking or running its trails or paddling its waters.

- [Darrell] This is I think probably one of the most important things we can have is areas like this for people to get away and explore and to get back to nature.

[cheerful music] - The Croatan National Forest has several entry points for visitors in Craven, Carteret and Jones counties.

For more information, go to visitnewbern.com and look under things to do.

For more information about the Year of the Trail, go to greattrailsnc.com.

This Adirondack chair out here at Big Bloomers in Sanford is the perfect place for a selfie.

Cheese.

Now out in Ash County there's a true North Carolina gym.

It's called the River House Inn and Restaurant, where gracious hospitality and elegant food come together.

[jazz music] The home now called River House majestically sits on 160 acres overlooking the New River where it's been since the 1870s.

The Inn's founder is Gayle Winston.

- When I bought the property, which was in 1988, we're now going on 35 years.

I have scars to show for every year.

- [Deborah] Spend five minutes talking with Gayle and you'll quickly learn the secret to River House.

- She is part of the charm of what makes this place so awesome - And she's got all the energy in the world and she's got stories and she loves to see everyone that walks through the door.

- [Deborah] In 2009, Gayle was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest civilian honor, for her contributions to the hospitality industry.

- I'm 10th generation Ash County and I've lived in New York for 20 years.

I worked for Time Magazine and I produced plays.

- And of course it started out everybody loves Gayle.

and then it just flows out from there.

- [Deborah] That's Julie Milunic.

She and her husband Matt were frequent guests until Gayle persuaded them to become co-owners in 2016 - They were getting ready to downsize.

So I said, "Well, why didn't you come and live here?"

And they did.

I mean, no, I mean, and they did, like almost immediately.

Their house sold in about an hour and a half.

- I called Gayle first and said, "Were you really serious 'cause we're about to be homeless now?"

- [Deborah] She was serious all right.

Together they're continuing the traditions of River House starting with the bar and restaurant located inside the main house.

- The food is incredible.

I have never had a more soul food here that isn't.

She is the best.

- Well, of course we use a lot of local ingredients, but the food is very good.

Breakfast is one of the best breakfasts you can have anywhere, I promise.

- [Deborah] Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with two seatings, one at 6:00 PM and the next at 7:30.

- There will be five or six appetizers, five or six entrees.

The same with desserts.

- [Deborah] Gayle's passion for the arts, in this case music, comes alive on Sunday.

- [laughs] It is wonderful.

And we have music often and when possible musicians are on the front porch, people sit down below on the lawn to hear music.

- [Deborah] Dinner is slightly different on that day too.

- On Sundays, we do fork or set menus that the chef decides.

- It's a fun thing in the sense that we have the entertainment and then we have our dinner, but we don't really know what the chef's gonna create for us - [Deborah] On this night, the first course is fresh butternut squash soup - And it's just magnificent.

Second course is black grouper.

- It was amazing.

Yes.

- Third course will be beef tenderloin.

Always, he gets it just right.

Whatever temperature you want it.

- [Deborah] And you can always count on a delicious dessert.

After dinner, it's a short walk or drive up to the guest rooms, which have been renovated from the property's original outbuildings that meander up the hillside from the restaurant.

- [Gayle] We have altogether 13.

- The existing buildings pretty much look like they did back then, but inside they're renovated.

- They're king sized beds and whirlpool tubs and and gas log fireplaces.

And you know, it's rather elegant, you know, in a country way.

- [Deborah] The same can be said for the inn's owners, as well as every square inch of River House.

- We want people to get away from their busy lives and come here, be pampered with our good food, relax, sit on the porch.

- We had a review was said about River House, "It's elegant without a trace of pretension."

[jazz music] - The River House Inn and Restaurant is at 1896 Old Field Creek Road in Grassy Creek.

That's in Ash County.

To book your room or make dinner reservations, give them a call at 336-982-2109 or visit them online at riverhousenc.com.

Well, that's it for tonight's show.

We've had a lot of fun out here at Big Bloomers Flower Farm in Sanford.

They are ready to help you get your garden growing this spring.

And if you've missed anything in today's show, just remember you can always watch us again online at pbsnc.org.

Have a great North Carolina weekend everyone.

[joyful music] ♪ [joyful music continues] ♪ [joyful music continues] ♪ - [Narrator 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.

- [Narrator 2] Funding for the "North Carolina Year of the Trail" series is provided by- - [Presenter] 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]