Even though we have headed to the frigid north to be with family for the holidays, I’d like to share a look at how we celebrate in our tropical hometown. Miami is beautiful this time of year and there is a lot going on besides Art Basel in early December. Locals make sure to visit the Night Garden at Fairchild Botanical Gardens, hang out in Coconut Grove, grab a meal at a sidewalk cafe, tour historic homes with The Villagers, see Santa at Coral Gables Merrick House, or stop off for some Bayside refreshments. Holiday parties extend to balconies and backyards, and convertibles ferry local dignitaries through festive parades.
And, of course, spreading the joy – taking gifts to kids is an essential part of the holidays.
Miami is getting a bit of a chilly blast this year (the 50s), just in time for Christmas. In the meantime, we’ve had a burst of snow in the DC area and are ready for dropping temps and wind.
Whatever you celebrate – stay healthy, warm, and safe. Happy Holidays!
Kicking off the holidays with Thanksgiving here in the US is always a time for reflection. Taking stock of the positive forces in our lives and focusing on the good. I have much to be grateful for, including living in such beautiful and interesting places.
“Miami” is well known and most often used to describe our area, but it really defines a composite of wonderful and culturally diverse neighborhoods. For most of the year, mine is beautiful, historic Coral Gables.
Sometimes we have to just look around our own neighborhoods to find hidden treasures. To me, some of the most fascinating are places we pass every day and just don’t give a second thought. It can be hard to slow down, take a breath, and see your surroundings with fresh eyes. With that thought in mind, I shared a few overlooked “sights” in a recent article published in Coral Gables Magazine. For my local readers who may have missed it, I hope it helps you find History Hidden in Plain “Site.”
Happy Thanksgiving!
I love fall. And it was a glorious season in the North Carolina High Country this year. But as the leaves blow off the trees and Stone Crab season opens in Miami – it’s time to head south. I will leave you with a few of my favorite scenes from the last few weeks.
The grandkids loved the pumpkins and seeing Fannie Mae, a bear at Grandfather Mountain, but they were most content just kicking leaves down the drive, baking Halloween treats, and throwing bread crumbs for the birds.
Jonesborough is billed as the oldest town in Tennessee. And it is – now. But it was born as part of North Carolina. And, for four years was part of the State of Franklin, a territory vying to become the 14th state.
In any case, today it is a well-restored small town in Washington County, Tennessee, jam-packed with history. Along with two other couples, we decided to check it out for a day.
From the 1700s the area attracted many, as it became an important stop on the Great Stage Road and a town that grew as many provisioned for the trip west or came from eastern states to seek a new life farther west and decided to stay.
Daniel Boone surveyed the area, Andrew Jackson practiced law and fought a duel, and the first periodical devoted to the abolishment of slavery – The Emancipator, was published here. Davy Crockett, who became a folk hero known as “The King of the Wild Frontier” was born in the same County and was a soldier, politician, and vocal opponent of Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act.
Another famous resident and rival of Jackson, John Sevier, fought in the Revolutionary War as a Colonel in the Battle of Kings Mountain (where his brother Robert was mortally wounded). He served as a member of the House of Representatives representing North Carolina’s District of Washington (which included most of what is now Tennessee) and became the only governor of the short-lived State of Franklin.
As support for Franklin collapsed, the NC governor issued a warrant for Sevier’s arrest. He was captured in Jonesborough after attacking a store owner for refusing to sell him liquor, and transferred to Morganton, NC to be tried for treason. The sheriff, a fellow veteran of the Kings Mountain battle, let him go. He was eventually pardoned and went on to become the first governor of Tennessee.
You can tell the pandemic had a bit of effect on the town, but shops and restaurants are open and thriving, and the Tennessee Hills Distillery, housed in the old salt factory is one of the area’s growing businesses. Restoration work is ongoing at one of the town’s historic bed & breakfast inns, and work is underway to re-open a fine dining restaurant housed in a historic church. Every October, Jonesborough hosts the only National Storytelling Festival. The small town’s population swells by tens of thousands as visitors arrive to hear storytellers from all over the world.
Restoration has been meticulous, with brick sidewalks re-created and utilities buried. An excellent library of archival photos has driven specific guidelines and historic accuracy, earning the Historic District a place on the National Registry of History Places.
The Chester Inn opened in 1797 and now houses the Jonesborough Heritage Alliance. History buffs can check in there to view exhibits and follow a town tour guide or schedule a private tour like we did, hosted by a costumed volunteer. Tours are generally 1-1.5 hours and cost $5pp.
I promise you will be surprised by just how much American history you didn’t know.
