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DILLSBORO STEAK & SEAFOOD is celebrating its sixth anniversary. Jim and Melissa Zoda own the popular restaurant, which is located on Haywood Street in Dillsboro. See their ad in this issue for information about their great menu and daily specials.
HISTORIC BALSAM MOUNTAIN INN, one of a number of Jackson County structures on the National Register of Historic Places, has new owners. Sharon White and Kim Shailer of Topsail Island purchased the inn from Merrily Teasley, who bought the 50-room inn and began extensive restorations in 1990. White and Shailer began assisting with the inn’s operations last fall and closed a deal to purchase it and the surrounding 26 acres early last week.
“We already feel like we’re at home here,” Shailer said. “Merrily has a great staff in place, and we’ve grown close to them – we feel like we’re off to a running start.”
Opened in 1908 as the 100-room Balsam Springs Hotel, the inn is a throwback to the early-20th century era of grand hotels in the mountains. It sits at 3,400 feet, above what was once the highest railroad passenger station in the east. Enormous porches, broad, breezy halls and an elegant dining room reflect a time when those who traveled did so at a leisurely pace.
By the late 1980s, the 42,000 square-foot Victorian structure, made entirely of wood, was closed, in disrepair, and seemed likely to succumb to time, fire or the wrecking ball. That’s when veteran innkeeper Teasley discovered it by chance, on a weekend hiking trip.
“It was night, and the moon was full, said Teasley. “There was this enormous, abandoned, magical place, shining on the hill.”
It was obsession at first sight. Two years and more than a million dollars later, the inn reopened with larger rooms, private baths and a state-of-the-art sprinkler system. Also added were modern plumbing and electrical wiring and a commercial kitchen.
Conspicuously absent were televisions and in-room telephones.
Teasley said that her innkeeping days are over.
“I’m starting a new career as a guest,” she said. “And I think I’ll work pretty hard at it.”
SHARON DAVIS, a Cullowhee Valley teacher, will hold a yard sale at P&M Automotive Saturday, June 12, from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. to replace computer equipment. Donations will be appreciated and can be dropped off Saturday. Call 586-8570 for more information or to volunteer to help with the sale.
SOUL INFUSION Tea House & Bistro will welcome Dana and Susan Robinson on Friday, June 11, from 9 p.m. until midnight. The duo offers old-timey, mountain-inspired folk music with a modern edge, and Dana has been described as a “modern-day Woody Guthrie.” He and Susan travel the world with their music. The Tea House will present a singer/songwriter showcase from 9 p.m. until midnight Saturday, June 12, featuring Valorie Miller of Asheville with her soulful blues and folk-rock guitar and harmonica. Both events are free. For more information, call 586-1717 or visit online at www.soulinfusion.com. |
