Loose Leaf Notes

Part 1 of this entry can be found HERE.

1. This is Alder Burnette-Holliday and Abe Gorskey representing Phoenix Hardwoods, the woodworkers who created much of the handmade furniture in the hotel. They’re standing in front of one of their Phoenix Hardwood headboards in the Crooked Road room. I love this photo because I knew both these talented young men when they were children.

2. I’m probably not supposed to have favorite rooms, and if I did it would be the writer’s suite, right? In truth, all the rooms are beautiful and unique, but The Old Church Gallery is one on my favorites list. It was primarily designed and decorated by Old Church Gallery director and longtime Floyd art school teacher, Catherine Pauley, and Kathleen Ingoldsby, a member of our Writer’s Circle and Historical Society activist. The Old Church Gallery, founded in 1978, is just a stone’s throw from the Hotel. It preserves and showcases Floyd’s cultural and historical arts and currently houses an exhibit of a once active moonshine still. Catherine wasn’t able to attend the party due to a death in her family, but she was on everyone’s mind.

3. I got a tour of the Country Store Room by the store’s owner, Woody Crenshaw. He and his wife Jackie decorated their room. Woody named some familiar faces of local Jamboree icons shown in framed photos for me, and he had a few good jamboree stories to tell. It’s hard to see here, but the photos over the bed are of hands of jamboree fiddle “pickers” in action. The hotel is within walking distance to the Country Store and other Floyd hotspots.

4. Even the refreshments were locally made by some of Floyd’s best. We were served wine by the Chateau Morrisette Winery crew, who also have a room in the hotel. The food – lamb with cucumber raita, hummus, tuna, and stuffed mushrooms – was made by Over The Moon’s chef. Sally from Café Del Sol provided dessert and coffee. Unfortunately, I stashed some dessert for eating later at home, but I left it idle too long and it got cleaned up. I’m still wondering how those chocolate fudge bars dripping with strawberry sauce and topped with whip crème would have tasted.

5. This is Malawi Room, inspired by hotel owners Kamala and Jack’s Zion Lutheran good will trips to Africa. I was really impressed when I heard that Jack pulled this room together. He told me he hopes to schedule a public open house for the hotel to coincide with the neighboring Village Green opening sometime in November. Joe and I were one of the few couples who stayed till the very end, talking to Jack and Kamala. We sat in chairs out in the grassy courtyard, where an amphitheatre for music will be built, talking with Jack, Kamala and a few others. At one point a couple came to check into one of the four rooms we didn’t get to see because they were either occupied or reserved. “Oh yes, now we have to run this place, don’t we?!” Kamala joked. Somebody got up to sign in the couple.