North Carolina's Original Hilbilly

I suspected driving through a town called Bat Cave would bring added excitement to our trip, I just didn't quite expect it to be in the form from a prehistoric culture.

We had spent a luxurious weekend at the Grove Park Inn snuggled in the mountains of Asheville.  We were cutting through Bat Cave to stop by Chimney Rock and Lake Lure on our way home.  We were flying around a curve on Hwy. 74 along the ever cute and adorable Moonshine Creek when we all four were daringly drawn to this sign:

Well who wouldn't want that?

Two or three U-turns later we found Hilbilly Sam walking up the highway towards us.

We approached slowly, we weren't sure it was really Hilbilly Sam.  I mean what if you were walking along the road on a hot Sunday afternoon and some people pulled over assuming you were Hilbilly Sam.  You might be rattled.

So we approached slowly.   By "we" I mean Jackie, Doug and me.  Tom didn't approach slowly, Tom marched right up and started talking.

It wasn't long before Crazy Ellen, Hilbilly Sam's wife came out.

"I'm Crazy Ellen!"  She announced as she held out her hand.

Jackie offered her hand and said, "Who gave you that name?"

Crazy Ellen scrunched her eyes and said, "I did.  I gave myself that name."

Well OK then.
Hilbilly Sam's roots go straight back to Carolina mountain, but Crazy Ellen comes from Ohio.  For years she made afghans nearby at the Manual Woodworks and Weavers place up the road.  She says it took her 59 years to get married. Yeah, it's a match made in Heaven.

Crazy Ellen and Hilbilly Sam are practically newlyweds.  Married only 4 years now.  (They dated lived together 20 years prior)    "When he makes me mad," Crazy Ellen snorts, "The dogs eat, but he don't."

We had a great chat there on the side of the road.  I missed parts of a chat where Doug ("Doug Busbee South-Carolina-Pleased-to-Meet-You-Doug) enquired about some moonshine activity.  I'm pretty sure Hilbilly Sam denied any moonshine activity, yet when we stopped later to put something in the trunk......  I found this cradled beside Doug's camo bag.

I'm not sayin'.....  I'm just sayin'.

Other Busbee/Sliker adventures:
In Which We Go To Alaska
In Which Doug and I Go Rotatin'
Busbee/Sliker Gatorade Challenge
In Which We Conclude a Business Meeting the Redneck Way
In Which We Travel Flintstone Style
In Which They Teach Us Yankees About Snow


Other NC Mountain Destinations:
Grandfather Mountain
Blowing Rock
Linville Falls