Life in a small town has its advantages; store merchants, restaurateurs,
the grocery store manager, even the staff at the power company know you by
name. Mountain folks are infectiously nice
and everyone knows just about everyone. In
Waynesville, word-of-mouth is the most efficient method of advertising, and a leisurely
trip through town is more preferred than using the “four-lane” to get somewhere
twice as fast. You take your time here,
there is no such thing as rush hour.
We do have traffic issues, probably not as bad as some of
your Interstates and demolition derby roadways, but I bet you can’t imagine how
frustrating it is to get caught behind a tractor doing 8 MPH or having to wait
for two or three cars at stop sign!
People refer to the relaxed pace as “mountain time.” At first I didn’t understand, then I had a
project that required some hired help. I
found out quickly that mountain time is another way of saying, “I’ll get there
when I get there.” Unless of course, it's
hunting season, or fishing season, or the hay needs baling, or a neighbor needs
a hand, then they might be delayed. Oh,
and don’t jump to the wrong conclusion if someone asks you to meet them at
dinner time, around here dinner is that big meal you eat at noon, the lighter
fare eaten at sunset is supper.
Everything moves “a mite slower” here and with far less
stress. That’s one reason why I never go
to McDonalds. The main thoroughfare that
connects Waynesville to Maggie Valley and Smoky Mountain Expressway is Russ
Avenue. This is where all of the banks,
grocery stores and fast food restaurants have congregated. A while back, CVS decided that our bustling
metropolis was in need of one more pharmacy.
They bought a tract of land next to McDonalds and built a brand new,
state-of-the-art, brick-faced architectural abomination with almost no parking for
the few people that actually shop there.
The new construction also ruined the access to the iconic
greasy-burger-and-fries merchant, so the restaurant rebuilt, expanded and worsened
the situation. I do my best to avoid
that area; it seems like every other day someone turning into the tiny entrance
at Micky D’s, gets rear ended. I’ll
stick with Wendy’s.
In addition to the commercialization of Russ Avenue and a
similar cancerous growth across town where Walmart built a supercenter and a
suburban-esque strip mall, Waynesville still has an active, quaint, Norman
Rockwell-type downtown. Main Street is
the social and literal center of our community; it is where everyone meets for
whatever reason. In addition to a
variety of restaurants, taverns, boutiques, clothing stores, art galleries, the
bakery, and of course, a Mast General Store, it is the location of the monthly First
Friday open house, Art After Dark, various festivals, street dances and holiday
parades. Our downtown is within an easy
walking distance to the post office, police station, library, the Justice
Center and Court House, our community theater and farmer’s market, plus at
least a dozen churches.
If there is any disadvantage to maintaining a traditional
downtown, it is parking. There is a free
parking garage at the Justice Center and several strategically placed municipal
parking lots, but the most cherished spaces are the spots along both sides of
the street. With the possible exception
of leaf season, when all you flat-landers come up to experience our mountain
hospitality and incredible autumn views, it is never too difficult to find a convenient place to leave my truck for an
evening in town. But I, like everyone
else, must first drive the length of Main Street looking for that illusive, curb-side
spot. Don’t get me wrong, there is always at least one vacant space, but it
will be on the other side of the street and taken before I can get turned
around. Geez, I end up having to walk a whole
block or more just to get where I’m going. |
| From the Burr Studio & Gallery 136 North Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 |
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