Don’t you enjoy finding little unique aspects of the places where you travel? If so, you’ll definitely want to visit the REAL, original Mast General Store the next time you’re in the vicinity of Boone, NC.
Although there are lots of retail shops called “Mast General Store” in the area, they can’t begin to compare to the original. It’s in a low spot called Valle Crucis in the middle of nowhere and it’s a wonderful gem of living history.
Much of the store hasn’t changed in decades. The wooden floors slope severely and everything creeks, but is a strong nostalgia rush!
The pot bellied stove still stands at the ready and a fire is kept going in the winter. It’s just around the corner from the checkers table.
As the only store in the vicinity the original store sold a little bit of everything, from food to hardware. The nail bins are shown above and the revolving drawers shown below hold all manner of hardware in pie-shaped drawers.
The food sold today still includes many southern offerings from days gone by. There are local soft drinks, moon pies, and “penny” candies.
Perhaps one of the most amazing things about the store is that it still functions as the local post office. Can you imagine getting your mail here? I think it’s VERY unique and interesting.
South of Boone is the lovely little village of Blowing Rock. It has a park in the center of everything where free music can often be heard during the summer. Plus, there are an abundance of shops, restaurants, and inns. And it’s all FILLED with beautiful flowers and landscaping.
There’s also something fairly new to Blowing Rock, a prayer tree.
A local shop set up a table with supplies and encouraged passersby to write prayers and to tie them to a tree right on the main sidewalk. Soon, white pieces of paper were fluttering in the breeze, in abundance. More recently, the prayer slips have been enclosed in clear plastic envelopes, which gives them an out-of-focus appearance.
It wasn’t long before the first tree was covered with white tags, so people started putting them all over the adjacent plants and such.
Now there are over 13,000 messages on the tree and beyond!
Recently the store that initiated all of this had a major fire which destroyed the interior completely. Fortunately “not one prayer was lost,” as posted on a sign in the first tree picture. It’s definitely a source of local pride and interest.
If you time it right, you might even get to enjoy the weekly farmers market, which is known for it’s beautiful flowers.
I hope you get to discover wonderful places on your travels and at home.
Ellen Lindner
You have beautifully described “my neck of the woods.” It’s a slow down kind of place. Now, let’s plan ahead and make your next visit long enough to include ripping up some fabric or magazine pages!! Cheers.
The prayer tree is gone. I found your article in search of an answer of what has happened to it. It’s the saddest thing. Construction is taking place there now. All the prayers and no sign of a tree or anything ever having life in its spot.
Oh no, it’s not there any more? That’s a bummer. Thanks for letting me know.