What: Lake Keowee Real Estate’s 1st Annual Pirate Poker Run on Lake Keowee
Where: Head to Lake Keowee Marina in your boat with your crew dressed as Pirates
When: Saturday, July 21st from 11am to 3pm
Objective: Visit each of the 4 “Treasure Sites” on the map below and collect something at each. Regroup at the marina to find out who wins.
Treasure: Best hands and best dressed crew will win prizes.
Charity: All proceeds benefit Hospice of the Foothills

Click on images below for information and the treasure map.

If you have any questions, contact Lake Keowee Real Estate at 864-886-0098.

Lake Keowee Real Estate’s 1st Annual Pirate Poker Run on KeoweePremier.com

Crescent Resources & Lake Keowee Real Estate completed a survey recently to discover what Lake Keowee area residents desired most in a lakefront home. The results of the survey, which included feedback from home buyers, showed that folks are most in search of moderate square footage combined with open floor plans, flexible space, and a simplified financing option – one that bundles the overall cost of the land with the home’s construction.

The new “Lakeside Legacy Collection” makes available six pre-designed, Craftsman inspired home plans, each created with Lake Keowee area buyers in mind. With open floor plans and outdoor living space, the “Lakeside Legacy Collection” of homes take full advantage of the natural amenities that come with lake living while offering the added benefit of construction plans that have already been priced. Homes range in size from 2,892 to 3,898 heated/cooled square feet, with construction pricing starting at $389,420.00 – all are turn key and move in ready upon completion. Lake Keowee Real Estate (864.886.0098) is proudly partnered with Crescent Resources and Builder Larry Hoeben in presenting this new product to the Lake Keowee market.

General Contractor, Larry Hoeben was chosen to be Crescent Resources’ Featured Builder for a cutting edge and price sensitive construction program that is being rolled out along the shores of Lake Keowee this Spring. He has been in the custom building business for 34 plus years, and since moving to the Upstate more than a decade ago, he’s built more than 100 homes around Lake Keowee. Crescent Resources has created more than 30 lakefront communities on Keowee over two decades.

“This is the current trend; this is the feel of what the lake is asking for right now,” Hoeben says both of the homes’ designs and the program’s streamlined purchasing process. “These homes have the treatments of larger homes. We’re talking to people all over the world,” Hoeben explains. “The biggest demand has been that the home be fluid enough for whatever their lifestyle needs it to be.”

So, what does that look like exactly? Typically, Hoeben says, “the master bedroom is on the main level with other living areas. The dining area is a more general space in an open plan style. The balance of  the home’s living space is in the finished lower level. Outdoor living space also complements the home and allows families to extend their leisure and activity time together. Some of the home plans include space for a future elevator, which permits the house to grow with its occupants.”

In addition to simplifying financing for the new construction work, the “Lakeside Legacy Collection” streamlines the work itself, offering approved finishes, materials, and treaments – all of which meet most lake area architectural review standards. And yet, each home is highly customizable. “We can enlarge or reduce the home plans to meet any needs,” Hoeben says.

“This is creating a starting point,” he continues. “An idea has to be born somewhere. You need a beginning, and that’s what this is.” Best of all, a home can be move in ready in as little as six months, without the challenges that can accompany a custom home.

Says Hoeben: “The process has been dramatically simplified, making it that much easier to start living life on the lake.”

Call Lake Keowee Real Estate at (864) 886-0098, or visit them at 896 N. Walnut Street in Seneca to learn more about the Lakeside Legacy Collection on Lake Keowee.

Check out the “Lakeside Legacy Collection’s” home designs and download PDFs of specific floor plans at Crescent Resources’ Lakeside Legacy Collection under the Build Your Dream Home link, or by contacting CORE General Contracting’s Larry Hoeben directly via e-mail or by calling (864) 903-2777.

Lakeside Legacy Custom Home Designs Cater to Keowee-Area Residents on KeoweePremier.com

This season, there’s even more to love about Keowee Marina, Lake Keowee’s only full-service marina and ship’s store.

More boat rentals. More outdoor dining. More event space. And even more deck area for walking and lounging. The Seneca-based, waterfront business is poised to kick off its best season in years, after several improvements and renovations that took place during the winter and spring.

“Right now, business is taking off,” offers Kala Winchester, advertising manager for the marina who has also overseen efforts to spread the word about all the exciting improvements taking place at the marina. The full-service marina, service department, boat rentals, and ship’s store continue to be the go-to spot on Lake Keowee for all things fishing, boating, and recreating. Its two boat ramps are among the busiest on the lake, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And the marina’s two gas pumps also stay busy throughout the year.

Keowee Marina expects this summer to be among the busiest in years, and they are ready for the extra business, Winchester says. A new event center, built adjacent to the marina, can accommodate parties of up to 75 people, and it gives the marina’s Tiki Hut restaurant and bar more flexibility when hosting events. In the past, the restaurant had to close its doors when it was booked for a private event, Winchester explains. Now, the restaurant can remain open to others while the event center plays host to birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, and the like. Along with a deck overlooking the lake, it’s an ideal spot for mid-size parties to lounge and dine.

Boating and fishing enthusiasts can continue to enjoy the fully stocked ship’s store, and thanks to deck expansion work that took place during the winter and spring, there is more room for shoppers to navigate the route from dock slip to shop. There’s also more room for their pets, since so many boat owners enjoy taking their dogs out on the wooden walkways.

For those looking for more ways to take advantage of being on the water, Keowee Marina has added several rentable toys to its slate of offerings. Two water bikes and two paddleboards will be available for hourly rental, for the first time ever, giving folks a new way to exercise and recreate. Kayak and canoe rentals are other favorites for visitors to the lake, and the marina has added several deck boats to its fleet of rentals, including basic pontoons, tritoons, and ski boats.

The addition of the new boats will make it easier for the marina to make long-term rentals. For the first time this year, rentals of five days or longer receive a 20 percent discount on the daily rental rate. “There were a lot of people who were wanting to take a boat out for more than a day,” Winchester says. “Someone actually wanted to rent one for a month!”

The recent renovations extended to the Tiki Hut restaurant and bar, which expanded its outdoor seating and underwent a full kitchen remodel. The result is more dining space, more lounging space, and more room for a full calendar of entertainment offerings, which are already drawing big crowds at night and on weekends.

So whether you’re wearing dock shoes or dancing shoes, there’s plenty of square footage for all your feet at Keowee Marina this season.

Lake Keowee Marina
150 Keowee Marina Drive
Seneca, SC 29672
Phone: (864) 882-2047
www.lakekeoweemarina.com

Tiki Hut
For an updated listing of entertainment at the Keowee Marina’s Tiki Hut, visit their website or call (864) 882-0800.

Lake Keowee Marina Grows Again on KeoweePremier.com

For Reservations, call 864-888-4446

To meet Chef Mark Winters is to discover that he cooked for the likes of PGA Tour professionals Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson, not to mention hundreds of other Augusta National VIPs, when he served as a lead chef at the golfers’ Masters Tournament Champions dinners. Winters has also owned his own restaurant in nearby Liberty, worked as a sous chef at Keowee Key Country Club, and donned chef’s whites at some of the most popular eateries in the Upstate.

Knowing this, it seems fitting that Lake Keowee’s most heralded restaurant opening, perhaps ever, counts Winters as just one of the many highly experienced restaurant management professionals at its helm. Not surprisingly, as Lighthouse Lake Keowee prepares for a May 10 grand opening, anticipation only continues to grow among eager diners and prospective event center patrons.

Lighthouse Lake Keowee, located on the water and just down the road from the intersection of Highways 183 and 130, is the newest place to enjoy waterfront dining on Lake Keowee, not to mention upscale events, outdoor seating, and cabana lounging. The three, brand-spanking-new facilities that make up Lighthouse Lake Keowee feature understated yet impressive decor, with raw wood and stack stone accents and lighthouse-inspired (a la restoration hardware) fixtures. The restaurant offers more casual dining downstairs and finer dining upstairs; cabana dining will be in a small, gazebo-type structure a little closer to the water; and the 4,000-square-foot event space facility sits just next door to the restaurant. Each building features mountain and lake views, boat dock access, and outdoor seating.

Just last week, an open house for Lighthouse Lake Keowee drew more than 500 guests – residents, real estate agents, and business owners among them – all there to support the forthcoming opening of this much-anticipated waterfront eatery and entertaining spot.

Managed by Maryland native and Clemson alum Andrew Merritt, Lighthouse Lake Keowee appears poised to offer one of the most experienced restaurant management teams in this area. Merritt is the current owner of Occasions at Wedgefield, in Central, a special event center and catering operation specializing in weddings and corporate events; he also was past owner of Rockhoppers and Boulevard Grill in Clemson. He now brings that experience, along with a degree in business management and entrepreneurship, to Lighthouse Lake Keowee as its general manager.

“We’ve gotten incredible feedback so far,” Merritt explains, during a brief break between almost-constant interviews for wait and kitchen staff. The event center has already booked a number of weddings, fundraisers, meetings, and even Christmas parties. The recent open house, which was held Friday, April 20, showcased the entire facility, including its 6,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant with seating for 200, and the adjacent event space with a capacity for 300.

And the restaurant is exceptional: At its center is a 360-degree fireplace, which serves as the focal point for the entire first floor. A large porch and deck area wraps around its exterior, and convenient boat dock access is within steps of the front door. On the second floor, the views of the mountains and surrounding lake take center stage from wrap-around plate-glass windows. Two private rooms for small parties of up to 30 are also on the upper level.

The event center has already hosted its first wedding, but the restaurant is still preparing for its first dinner service and grand opening on Thursday, May 10.  A special Mother’s Day brunch is also planned for Sunday, May 13. Daily dinner service will follow the grand opening, Merritt says.

By summer, the restaurant plans to be open for both lunch and dinner service, Monday through Sunday, along with a full bar and – by June – cabana service, with opportunities for private membership that extends to Sunday service. Hours are still being ironed out, but will be determined shortly. Although dining attire is considered “beach casual” (no wet swimsuits or shirtless diners, please!) Lighthouse will offer a more “fine dining” experience on its second level.

The space is spectacular, but will the food be good? From the looks of things, yes, yes, and yes. Chef Winters’ menu promises rotating specials, hand-cut steaks, freshly purveyed seafood (less than 24 hours off the boat in most cases from a Boston distributor), and locally grown produce – think shrimp and grits with smoked cheddar, Adluh Farms stone-ground grits, Andouille sausage and a country-style tomato gravy, with local tomatoes, when they’re in season. Certified Angus beef steaks are hand-cut in the kitchen and encrusted with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, then finished with a house-made garlic-chive compound butter.

“All of our menu items are somewhat traditional in certain fashions, but we have our own Lighthouse twist on them,” Winters explains. That means instead of chicken wings with blue cheese dressing, you’ll find a two-ounce duck wing with hoisin sauce and blue cheese coleslaw. Caribbean, Asian, Continental flavors, and more are all on the menu and dishes will be fresh and house-made to order.

Even the bar (which is full service, of course) will kick things up a notch, with specialty drinks that include a Keowee Cosmo (think Van Gogh blueberry vodka), dockside mojito, and the coconut cream pie (made with coconut rum and whipped cream rum). It almost sounds too good to be true, which is why we suspect so many will seek this new dining spot out for themselves.

Our prediction? Expect to be pleasantly surprised.

For more information about Lighthouse Lake Keowee, visit their Web site at www.lighthousekeowee.com or call (864) 888-4446 for reservations. The restaurant is located at 1290 Doug Hollow Road, Seneca.

Lighthouse Lake Keowee Restaurant & Event Center on KeoweePremier.com

The first time I saw Stella Grove, she was behind glass. Her husband and I were colleagues at an Upstate newspaper, and her high cheekbones and long, dark hair were enough to turn heads, even when reduced to 4×6 size and placed amid the clutter of a newspaper reporter’s cubicle.

The second time I saw her, years later, was far more notable, not simply because our encounter was in living color, but, rather, because she was in artistic motion. Head lowered, pliers clasped, she was in the midst of creating one of her many, colorful jewelry designs. It turns out, Grove worked in the basement-level shop of a building that also housed my editorial offices at the time; she was teaching jewelry classes and managing the store – a popular favorite of many Upstate-area crafters called The Beaded Frog.

Being two staircases removed from Stella’s art for two years was an inspiration. Stones, recycled pieces, forged metals, and a variety of fair trade components come together under her adept hand to create a simple, elegant jewelry collection that is as wearable as it is unique. In 2009, she opened a studio in West Greenville’s Pendleton Street Arts District, and she used the shop as both a gallery and a work space.

Since then, life got hectic again. We both had children, and two years have passed since we shared an address in downtown Greenville. But in that time, Stella has been hard at work doing what she does best: creating, now from a home studio in Anderson. From there, she recently launched a nature-inspired collection of sterling silver branches, which she hand made by layering silver on top of branches gathered during her hikes on Paris Mountain.

“Over the course of several months, I gathered, then layered and layered … and layered silver atop the branches themselves, then kiln-fired the organic material out,” Grove says. After more than 60 layering sessions per branch, she had the pieces cast by The Cargo Hold in Charleston, and she now uses them to create sterling forest pieces, including some of the most exquisite necklaces imaginable.

“These pieces incorporate my love of all things Grove-related and the unique joy of loving exactly where I am,” she explains. And, not surprisingly, the branches line has been received with incredible enthusiasm, especially at the craft shows where she exhibits during this time of year, including the Pendleton Jubilee, which just passed.

For many of her creations, Grove purchases fair trade beads in bulk and uses them extensively. “These beads are from various organizations, but all of them help impoverished people across the world learn skills, get fair wages for their work, and provide benefits for them and their families,” Grove says. “It is one small way that a single jewelry-maker can make a difference.”

You can find Stella’s work at various festivals around the Upstate, at Cochran Jewelers and Emily Austin in Greenville, or online at her Web site.

Branching Out from Lake Keowee on KeoweePremier.com

OpenWater Charters may be a relatively new fishing charter company, founded in nearby Easley less than a year ago, but finding what’s biting on Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell is old hat to Captain Casey Reeves.

A 15-year veteran of the FLW Bass Fishing League and BASS weekend series, Reeves, an Easley native, now has his full-fledged captain’s license with the U.S. Coast Guard, and he is as likely to reel in 20 to 25 fish on either of his home lakes as most of the rest of us are to catch bottom. 

“I’ve kept meticulous records over the past 15 years,” Reeves explains of his craft. “Fish come back to the same general area year after year. It’s just like us – if you pack up and go on vacation for a month, you’re going to come back home. These fish are the same way. They will always come back to the same place. It’s part of their habits.”

Born and raised in the Upstate, Reeves graduated from Easley High School in 2000, attended Landrum University on soccer scholarship before transferring to Clemson, where he earned his degree. He now works for an Easley-based automotive business founded by his father, and he is a part-time sports talk show host on 104.9 The Drive, where he talks about the Tigers and fishing.

Reeves started his fishing career at a young age and never really stopped: “I can remember vividly in my mind, I must have been five or six years old, live-bait fishing for crappie with my dad on Hartwell. We brought two dozen minnows and caught 22 fish,” Reeves recalls.

After that, he was hooked, so to speak. “From that point, he bought me my first spinning rod, and as I got older, maybe 10 or 11, he bought a 17-foot bass Ranger boat with a 90-horsepower Mercury engine on the back.”

By the time he hit high school, Reeves was launching that Ranger on his own and fishing on both Keowee and Hartwell regularly, eventually graduating to night tournament fishing. Now in his 30s, Reeves occasionally still takes part in those evening tournaments on Lake Hartwell and elsewhere, but he is now focusing on sharing his craft with the population at large, through OpenWater Charters.

Kentucky spotted bass and largemouth are favorite catches on Lake Keowee; they generally feed on shad and are highly aggressive fish. “They’ll fool you,” Reeves says, explaining that based on the fight of the fish, you’re likely to think you’re hauling in a four- to five-pound catch. “You grab the net, and then you end up pulling in something closer to a 2 pounder,” he laughs.

Another hallmark of Lake Keowee fishing is that the fish tend to school up very tightly. “It’s not uncommon if you get up on them, you can catch 15 or 20, and you can wait a little while and come back and do it again,” he explains. On Hartwell, where fish feed on blueback herring, fish are considerably larger, which gives fishermen a better shot at reeling in a big catch.

A typical OpenWaters charter on either Hartwell or Keowee starts at 7 or 7:30 a.m. and lasts about four hours. Reeves takes folks out on his 2009 Skeeter boat, with a 200 horsepower Yamaha on the back. He can take up to two adults at a time, and a half-day charter lasts 4.5 hours; a full day is an eight-hour trip. He provides all the fishing equipment and bait, including Fenwick rods and Shimano reels, along with life preservers and other safety equipment. Guests just need to bring they’re own food, drinks, and a South Carolina fishing license.

Before a single line is thrown in the water, Reeves will take a moment to consult more than a decade worth of records in his boat journal, so he can make sure his boat goes exactly where the fish are.

“It has details of any time I’ve been on the water,” he explains. “I write down water temperature, air temperature, barometric pressure – whether it’s rising of falling – I’ve recorded all that. And right now, we’re running about two to three weeks ahead of schedule.” The warm spring has prompted the fish to already spawn, and that means some big fish are already biting and likely will be through the end of June.

One of his best tricks to fishing Lake Keowee successfully takes a little extra effort on the part of the fisherman, but it is well worth the work: “Lake Keowee, especially in June, is a phenomenal fishery at night,” he explains. That means putting in at Keowee Marina (the Tiki Hut) at 10 p.m. and coming back at 2:30 in the morning.

“We’ve never understood why this lake does this at night, but it’s not uncommon to catch something big – seven, eight, nine, even ten-pound largemouth.” Hot holes on Keowee include the 183 bridge and some banks near the marina.

Along with a little history about the lake and even an underwater “Aquaview” camera that Reeves has onboard and allows fishermen to spy on what’s hanging out in brush piles, an OpenWaters charter promises to be a morning, afternoon or late night well spent –  hook, line, and sinker.

OpenWater Charters LLC
Lake tours and fishing trips on Keowee, Hartwell, and Jocassee.
USCG Licensed and Insured
Tours available Thursday afternoon through Sunday.
One person half day $225; two people $275
One person full day $300, two people $350
48-hour cancellation required.
For more information or to book a charter, call (864) 979-2389 or visit Captain Casey Reeves on Facebook.

Fish Finder: Lake Keowee Edition on KeoweePremier.com

Like many lakefront residences, sustainability has been part of the conversation for creators of The Reserve at Lake Keowee since the community was little more than a sketched-out map. That’s because before even a single shovel of dirt was turned over, 1,400 acres of greenspace was identified and set aside – 650 acres of which were placed in a conservation easement with the North American Land Trust.

The idea was simple, explains Lauren Harper, communications manager for The Reserve: “Of course, The Reserve is an amenitized community, but our biggest asset is the lake and the natural setting it is built in.”

Twelve years after Greenwood Communities and Resorts first created The Reserve, that spirit of preservation and conservation continues to permeate in ways big and small – the latest of which is an innovative community event that is open to residents throughout the Upstate, the Lake Keowee area included. Green with Envy: A Showcase of Sustainable Fashion is being sponsored by Greenville’s Talk Magazine and held in partnership with Sassy on Augusta and Ivy Salon. Scheduled for Saturday, April 28, the event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Reserve’s Great Lawn and include a light lunch, cocktails, and a variety of fashionable perks for attendees.

The show has been billed as a “stunning debut of the hottest eco-friendly looks of the season in one of the most beautiful backdrops in the Upstate.” Sassy on Augusta will showcase fashions from the industry’s most responsible and stylish designers, and models will highlight this spring’s “in” looks for hair and makeup, featuring AVEDA products provided by the team at Ivy Salon.

Some designers have a commitment to ecologically friendly apparel, such as being made with environmentally friendly materials, including organic cotton and recycled or corn-based fibers. Others, says Sassy Owner Lisa McGehee, have ecofriendly manufacturing facilities. Accessories such as a vegan handbag will also be incorporated in the fashions.

Green with Envy will take place in a unique setting at The Reserve, as well: mid-day, outdoors, with the fashion runway leading from the Clubhouse onto the lawn area. Already, Reserve members have expressed interest and intrigue in the event, Harper says. Not surprising, given the emphasis on environmentalism that already pervades at The Reserve – this extends from an on-site recycling center to lake-fed irrigation on the golf course and geothermal heating and cooling systems in the Clubhouse. The housekeeping staff even makes some of its own cleaning products.

“Our members get very involved with responsible development,” Harper explains. “You can build a great pool anywhere, but our jewel is the mountain and lake views and hilly topography. That’s what draws our members to the Reserve to begin with.”

Green with Envy: A Showcase of Sustainable Fashion
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 28, 2012
Tickets, $30. Available for purchase at Ivy Salon (19. S. Main Street or Thornblade Commons on Batesville Rd.), Sassy on Augusta, or online at www.ReserveAtLakeKeowee.com/fashion.
For more information, call (864) 868-4000.

Green House Fashion on KeoweePremier.com

Here are a few favorites:

Dovetail Antiques

252 N.C. 107 S., Cashiers NC
www.dovetail-antiques.com


Just up the mountain a ways from Walhalla, Sally Johannessen crusades in earnest to bring authentic, French antiques into the homes of others and herself, in hopes of eliminating our collective urge to seek out trendy reproductions.

Johannessen has been to France more than two dozen times on shopping expeditions. While there, it isn’t uncommon for her to wake at 4 a.m. to visit her tried-and-true haunts for the rarest items. Sometimes she goes door-to-door, digging through garages and bartering with housewives. The result is a shop full of stories, history, and beautiful finds, from antique birdcages to ornately carved armoires and even a rustic bookcase with a crudely painted picture of Napoleon Bonaparte, which she dates to about 1810.

Nancy Roth Antiques

838 N. Trade St., Tryon, NC
Facebook Page

Less than 30 minutes from downtown Greenville, country grunge and city glitz sit side-by-side in this small shop, located just outside of downtown Tryon. There are dramatic differences in the inventory of retail roommates Nancy Roth and Joe Ewing, the common denominator, aside from the real estate space they share, is exceptional quality.

On Ewing’s side of the shop, glass cases are filled with piles of forks, knives, spoons, and servingware representing more than 150 silver patterns. His specialties include a silver matching service, which helps anyone trying to piece together partial collections from as far back as the 1880s.

Roth’s domain holds her primitive country furniture collection—most of which is beautifully displayed in its raw, “found” condition. Smaller country collectibles, from crocks and spice boxes to dry sinks and toys, complete the experience.

Reminisce Antiques Mall & Auction


47 Macon Center Dr., Franklin, NC
www.reminisceantiques.com


Reminisce Antiques & Auction has earned a reputation among appraisers and hunters as a high-quality auction house and high-end furniture dealer. First-time bidders are welcome: “We talk fast, but we talk plain,” says Ron Raccioppi, who owns the shop with his wife, JoAnn. Complex bids always start with an explanation; for example, “times the money” means you’re bidding on one chair, but at the end of the auction, that price will be multiplied times the number of chairs in the set. And, Ron says, if you raise your hand out of turn, they won’t hold it against you or your pocketbook.

Furniture continues to be Raccioppis’ niche, a carryover from when they started their English antiques business. One beautiful example is a French sacrament cabinet made from long-grain oak. It opens by placing a finger on the chin of an exquisitely carved cherub. Magnificent New England pieces, including benches and square-nail cabinets are on display as well. In the gallery, an array of highly collectible pieces can be found, including Cherokee baskets, and Cash family and Blue Ridge pottery. Those smaller, more affordable items (“smalls” in antique speak) are hot right now, due largely to a struggling economy. But that means it’s a great time to get a good buy on a beautiful piece of antique furniture.

Antiquing Around Lake Keowee on KeoweePremier.com

Captured by the camera lens, the Oconee Bell is in perpetual bloom when matted, framed, and hung on a wall. But far more rare is to discover this delicate and elusive flower in its native, natural habitat.

The Appalachian Mountains’ first harbinger of Spring, these wildflowers are about to enter their brief but lovely blooming season right here in the forests of Oconee County.

The Oconee Bell (Shortia galacifolia) has been sought out for more than two centuries and is recognizable by its white and yellow blossom with red stem and red-tinged leaves. The wildflower blooms only from mid-March to early April and is found in moist, wooded parts of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, usually along streams. The flower has a very limited range in the wild, according to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreations, and Tourism; it grows in only a handful of spots in the mountains of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

The story of the Oconee Bell goes back more than two centuries: The Southern Highlands Reserve reports that the Oconee Bell disappeared from sight for nearly a hundred years after the French botanist Andre Michaux first identified it in 1788. In the years that followed, other botanists including Asa Gray (known for his correspondence with and influence on Darwin) were among those who searched for another specimen of the plant. “The elusive plant, like the Holy Grail, began to take on mythical proportions,” the Reserve recounts. It was finally rediscovered almost 100 years after Michaux’s specimen was first collected.

Today, Devils Fork State Park, located at the gateway to the Jocassee Gorges just beyond Lake Keowee, is an exceptional spot to go looking for Bells, which reach their peak season during the next two to three weeks. If you decide to hit the trails, make sure to bring water, your natural curiosity, and a camera. Only then can you prepare to take your place among naturalists throughout history who have pursued this lovely and rarely seen bloom.

Get a closer look at the Oconee Bell with an in-depth, guided Oconee Bell Nature Walk at Devils Fork State Park at 10 a.m., March 15. The hike lasts about 2 hours and will be led by park Interpreter Tim Lee along the Oconee Bell Nature Trail, a mile-long loop trail. Bring water and comfortable shoes.  Cost is $5/person or free with a Park Passport.

www.southcarolinaparks.com/sc-parks-insider/Blog/8002

Photo by: zen on flickr.

Rare Blooms on KeoweePremier.com

Just over the South Carolina state line is a treasure trove of history and culture — waiting to be discovered in nearby Western North Carolina. When it comes to antiquing, you don’t even have to go all the way to Asheville for fantastic finds. That’s because some of the best spots for vintage and antique collectibles can be found a bit off the beaten path, which is close by to the shores of Lake Keowee.

Western North Carolina, or WNC as it is often called, experienced a unique renaissance as industrialization marched forward in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the face of economic adversity, the people of Western North Carolina answered by rekindling a revived interest in hand-crafted goods.

The Craft Revival Project, a project of Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, tells the story of this movement. The WNC artisans who created unique pottery, textiles, toys, and wood carvings, were more likely to be entrepreneurs than artists in the early 1900s. They were farmers in the off-season; mothers making clothing and textiles for their families; and local tradesmen providing implements for their communities. They had the talent and the ability to make things that were much needed for daily living. And because their effort coincided with the growing popularity of mountain tourism, their handiwork also helped shape the region’s economy and culture for nearly half a century.

Today, many of the pieces created in WNC are among the most collectible items one can expect to find in antique shops. If you’re new to the area, or just new to antiquing in general, it’s helpful to know a little about some of the most sought-after pieces to be found in this region. Here’s a quick primer:

Brasstown Carvers

The Pieces: Animals, angels, carved Christmas crèches

The History: The Brasstown Carvers can trace their beginnings to 1929 when a local craft guild was organized in cooperation with the John C. Campbell Folk School. By the mid 1930s, craft production at the school focused on carving and, by the 1950s, the group became known as the Brasstown Carvers. Today’s Brasstown Carvers, some of them second- and third-generation from the same families as the original artists, continue to produce work for the school’s sales shop.

Claim to Fame: The high quality of their craftsmanship goes back to the group’s beginnings: When Queen Elizabeth (then princess) visited America, she purchased two of Brasstown Carver Avery Beaver’s colts in a Pennsylvania shop, and she later she wrote the shop owner to express how much she liked the carvings.

Brown’s Pottery, Arden

The Pieces: Traditional Southern folk pottery including face jugs, earthenware, tableware, and devil jugs

The history: Brown’s Pottery originated in England and came to America in the early 1700s. The current North Carolina location, south of Asheville in Arden, opened in 1924, and is now owned and operated by eighth generation potter, Charles Brown, his wife Jeannette, and their sons, Charlie and Christian.

Why it’s collectible: Considered “art pottery” these handmade pieces can’t be found in huge numbers.

Cherokee Baskets

The Pieces: Single- and double-weave baskets made from rivercane (the most rare and oldest form), maple, white oak, and honeysuckle

The History: Basketry is among the most widely recognized trades of the Cherokee, dating back centuries. Used to catch fish, store grains, and for other utilitarian purposes, baskets have been an integral part of Cherokee life since prehistoric times. Cane was traditionally boiled with black walnut or native bloodroot to produce dark colors, yet just as often it was left in the natural yellow hue.

Why They’re Collectible: Although many traditional weaves have been passed down through generations, antique baskets are highly valued, largely because they were designed for use, thus fewer have survived. Among the most desirable examples are those by Eva Wolfe, Nancy George Bradley, Rowena Bradley, Lottie Stamper, Edmund Youngbird, and Minda Wolfe. Often, these artists did not sign their work, but skilled professionals, including those at Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, can usually tell by looking at a basket’s weave who it can be attributed to.

Pisgah Forest Pottery

The Pieces: Vases, bowls, candlesticks, jugs, pitchers, lamps

The History: Walter Benjamin Stephen (1876-1961) and his mother founded Nonconnah Pottery in Shelby County, Tennessee. Later, he moved to Arden, where he opened Pisgah Forest Pottery in 1926.

Why They’re Collectible: Stephen’s work is noted for its unusual shapes, turquoise and crystaline glazes, and freehand cameos. He made a new marking plate each year from 1927 to 1954, so the gradual development of Pisgah Forest Pottery can be charted over time. Today the pottery is operated by his grandson, Tom Case.

Tryon Toy Makers, Tryon

The Pieces: Noah’s ark, circus-themed figures, animals, dolls

The History: In 1901, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale moved to Asheville, where they taught wood-carving skills to boys living close to George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate. When Vanderbilt’s wife, Edith, learned of the women’s efforts, she worked with them to create Biltmore Estate Industries in 1905. The women spent a decade teaching the people of WNC traditional crafts, including woodwork and weaving. Vance and Yale then moved to Tryon in 1915 where they started Tryon Toy Makers and Wood Carvers, teaching youth to build furniture and toys. These hand-carved, hand-painted pieces became popular and desirable items. The school was sold in 1936.

Why it’s collectible: Whimsical, well-made, and hand-crafted, the pieces are difficult for antique stores to hang on to because they have such an avid following
For more information about the people, pieces, and history associated with Western North Carolina’s traditional Craft Revival, visit craftrevival.wcu.edu

Photo by: sarahstierch on flickr.

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