Exploring the Valley

PC PRODUCTIONS
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Places & Travel

Discover the hidden gems, local legends, and can’t-miss experiences in Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley as we dive into the perks of Chamber membership and uncover what makes this mountain town a must-visit destination. Whether you're a local business or just passing through, there's something cool waiting for you!

  1. 3d ago

    Ask Jeeves Got Replaced By Ask Wesley

    You can tell a lot about a town by the people who quietly keep it moving and by the ones who choose to come back after trying somewhere else. We’re talking with Wesley Barker, a lifelong North Carolinian who grew up in Ash County, took a detour through the Durham and Chapel Hill area for public service work, and then made a fast return to the mountains when he realized “not home” is a real feeling. If you’ve ever wondered what makes Black Mountain, NC feel different, this is a candid, lived-in answer. We get into what his job at the Town of Black Mountain actually looks like day to day: constant pivoting, answering citizen questions, helping with public information, supporting coworkers, and handling requests that keep local government transparent and functional. We also clear up a common mix-up for residents and visitors alike: the town and the chamber of commerce work together, but we’re separate. That difference matters for businesses, events, and how information flows in a small community. Then we shift into the fun parts of putting down roots: Ash County cheese, small town festivals like Sourwood, live music nights, local restaurants, craft beer culture, and learning the hiking trails around the Blue Ridge Parkway. A big highlight is a plain-English breakdown of the Main Street program and what a Main Street designation could mean for downtown revitalization, from public art to better gathering spaces and stronger support for local businesses. If you care about economic development in Western North Carolina, you’ll want this one. Listen, share it with a friend who loves mountain towns, and then subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one change you’ve seen in your hometown that turned out to be good? Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  2. Jul 21

    Mountain Town Stories

    You can live near a place for years and still realize you’ve never actually seen it. That’s the moment that hits when Judy Schuford talks about finally taking a real tour of Swannanoa and walking away convinced we all need to show up, spend locally, and help the rebuild keep moving. We start with Judy’s personal story, from Monroe, Georgia to Chapel Hill, then a long arc that brings her back to Montreat for good. She shares what first brought her to the area, how camping and community connections turned into roots, and why moving to Highland Farms ended up being more than a lifestyle choice. When Hurricane Helene hit, “home” became complicated fast. Judy’s account of getting stuck, getting help, and then feeling deep gratitude for support systems is a reminder that resilience is built before the storm. From there we get practical and local: the Swannanoa businesses fighting back, the KOA campground rebuilding, and simple stops that make a difference when you choose them on purpose. We talk places like Papaw’s Place, Short Sleeves, Open Oven, Roots and Branches, and Blunt Pretzels, plus the little details that make a mountain town feel alive again. Judy also honors the legacy behind the Andy Andrews Visitor Center and shares why stories and service still matter here. If you love Western North Carolina, Black Mountain, Montreat, and Swannanoa, hit play, then subscribe, share with a neighbor, and leave a review so more people find the stories that keep our valley connected. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  3. Jul 14

    The Disco Ball Barn That Launched A Thousand Ideas

    A place can hold more history than we realize until someone walks us through it with names, dates, and stories that snap the whole landscape into focus. That’s what happens when we sit down with Leigh Maher, longtime event producer at Lake Eden in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and one of the people who helped shape what so many of us think of when we hear “LEAF Festival.” From a childhood in a Western Massachusetts mill town to a post 9-11 flight that unexpectedly changed his life, Lee connects the personal and the practical in a way that makes community feel tangible. We talk about how LEAF grew from a bold, multi-genre vision into a cultural arts education powerhouse, and why festivals are never “just music” when they are done with care. Lee shares what it takes to curate spaces that spark curiosity, protect local small businesses, and create traditions families return to for generations. Then we zoom out even further into the layered Lake Eden history: apple orchards, E.W. Grove’s quarry and planned community dreams, and the Black Mountain College era that brought progressive education and world-changing art into the Swannanoa Valley. Finally, Lee lays out what comes next with Lake Eden Reunion, a new gathering designed around play, family camp energy, and an experience-first approach while Western North Carolina continues recovering after Helene. If you care about community festivals, event safety, historic venues like the Black Mountain College barn, and what it means to keep a place alive, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves these mountains, and leave a review with your favorite Lake Eden memory. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  4. Jul 7

    Use Your Legs And Buy The Fish

    Fresh seafood in the mountains sounds like a contradiction until you hear how it actually works. We’re catching up with Carolyn Bajesse, a St. Thomas native who found her way back to Black Mountain, North Carolina and stepped into ownership of Black Mountain Seafood, one of the most practical, community-rooted small businesses in town.  We talk through the real behind-the-scenes logistics of getting fresh Atlantic seafood inland: the Thursday night pickup packed in ice, the Friday sell-through, the short Saturday hours, and the simple rules that keep fish at its best. Carolyn also shares what shows up week to week, from North Carolina shrimp and scallops to rotating local catches like flounder and black sea bass, plus how her Wednesday email list lets customers reserve what’s coming in before it even hits the case. If you care about sustainable seafood, seasonality, and buying food with a clear story, you’ll get a lot out of this.  Then we zoom out to what makes Black Mountain feel like Black Mountain: the Tailgate Market under the trees, chamber coffee meetups that turn into real referrals, and the local spots we keep coming back to when we just want to sit outside and watch the world move. We also get honest about Hurricane Helene recovery and why visitors matter even when downtown looks “fine.”  If you enjoy conversations about local business, community culture, and the best things to do in Black Mountain NC, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  5. Jun 30

    The Day The Secret Service Took Over My Shop

    Your neighbor town can feel a mile away, until someone tells you the truth in a parking lot. We sit down with Brian Burpo, a Black Mountain local and the owner of Diamondback 4x4 in Swannanoa, to talk about how communities really connect and why small details like names, websites, and who you include in the story can change everything for local pride and local tourism. We get into what people come to the valley for: shopping, art galleries, restaurants, hiking trails, fishing trips, and a growing wave of mountain biking across Western North Carolina. There’s also a hilarious reality check about e-bikes and what “assist” actually means after a long ride through the mountains. From new trail systems to a future bike park, we keep coming back to one idea: Black Mountain NC and Swannanoa NC do better when we stop competing and start sharing what’s nearby. Then Brian tells the unbelievable storm-recovery story you have to hear to believe, the day President Donald Trump’s office asked to use his parking lot for a press conference. Security, secrecy, background checks, and a debris pile turned into a media platform, it’s a vivid snapshot of a community in a high-stress moment. We close by talking Swannanoa’s history, Beacon Manufacturing, old rivalries, and a fresh strategy for bringing visitors in through storytelling tours and geocaching. If you care about small town business, local history, and things to do in the Blue Ridge Mountains, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves these towns, and leave us a review. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  6. Jun 23

    How A Neurodivergent Boarding School Builds Belonging In Black Mountain

    A teenager walks into a coffee shop and the staff already knows his name. That sounds small, but for a neurodivergent kid trying to rebuild confidence, it can be life-changing. We sit down with Brandon Moffitt, a licensed clinician and the founder and executive director of Black Mountain Academy, to talk about what happens when a school and a town work together to create real belonging for high school boys in ninth through twelfth grade.  Brandon shares how families travel from across the United States to Black Mountain, North Carolina, and how the community becomes part of the learning plan: first jobs with local businesses, mentorship from safe adults, and a rhythm of daily life that helps teens practice social skills in the real world. We also get into why the school values the chamber of commerce, how community service builds purpose, and why “supported independence” is a healthier goal than the myth that anyone grows up totally on their own.  You’ll also hear what visiting parents do around the Swannanoa Valley and Western North Carolina, from hiking and mountain biking to Lake Tomahawk walks, fishing, and the simple relief of sitting down to a great meal during a hard season of parenting. If you care about mental health, adolescence, neurodiversity, and the power of small town community, this conversation will stick with you.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves Black Mountain, and leave a quick review so more people can find these local stories. What place has helped you feel like you truly belong? Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  7. Jun 16

    Selling Sofas While Planning A Festival And Raising A Baby

    An 80-year-old furniture store doesn’t last by accident, especially in a town that’s changing as fast as Black Mountain, North Carolina. I’m sitting down with Olivia Tyson Warren, a Black Mountain native and third generation leader at Tyson Furniture, to trace the real story behind a legacy business that started in 1946 and still earns deep trust today. We talk about the early pivot that shaped the company, why customer loyalty is built one relationship at a time, and how a local showroom can grow into a Southeast delivery operation without losing its hometown feel. Olivia also gets honest about what modern small business ownership looks like now: learning social media marketing on the fly, keeping everything in-house, and trying to stay visible while platforms and algorithms keep moving the goalposts. Her path includes leaving home, working in Atlanta furniture retail, and then returning to Black Mountain with a clearer sense of purpose and perspective, which is a lesson for anyone thinking about family business succession or small town entrepreneurship. Then we widen the lens to community life. We get into the behind-the-scenes effort it takes to pull off major events like the Sourwood Festival, what board leadership really demands, and how all of that changes when you add new motherhood. We also talk about why Black Mountain is becoming more attractive to young families, how outdoor play can beat screen time when the option is right outside your door, and why “digital detox” might be the most honest tourism pitch around. If you care about family owned businesses, community events, chamber of commerce work, or raising a family in a mountain town, this one will stick with you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves small towns, and leave a review so more people can find Exploring the Valley. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

  8. Jun 9

    Black Mountain Parks And People

    A new director walks into town and decides the best way to learn it is to get outside with everyone else. We’re joined by Jacob Guiot, Black Mountain’s Director of Recreation and Parks, who’s only a few weeks into the role but already deep in the details that shape daily life here, from youth sports and community spaces to the events that bring the whole town together. Jacob shares the long road that brought him from Kansas to Western North Carolina, including years in state parks and the exhaustion of managing record crowds during the COVID period. That experience shows up in how he talks about public service: staying visible, listening fast, and building programs that are equitable and welcoming. We dig into what Recreation and Parks actually covers in Black Mountain, including Park Rhythms returning to Lake Tomahawk, indoor and outdoor youth soccer at Grey Eagle Arena, the Center for Active Aging, and how the town’s swimming pool works for both residents and visitors. We also get into the fun stuff: favorite local restaurants, where to catch live music, fishing and kayaking, and what’s next on the horizon like the Swannanoa bike park and a possible neon bike ride that turns a simple route into a community spectacle. Plus, we preview the Sourwood Festival, one of Black Mountain’s biggest traditions, and talk about why good trail information matters for visitors who come here to hike. If you love Black Mountain NC events, outdoor recreation in Western North Carolina, and the people who make small towns run, this one’s for you. Subscribe to Exploring the Valley, share this with a friend who needs a mountain weekend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Best Buy Metals is the industry leader in long-life metal roofing and siding materials. With seven manufacturing locations, they deliver high-quality products at everyday low prices and at speeds others can’t match. But what truly sets Best Buy Metals apart is their people—a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional service for projects of any size, every single day. Support the show

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5
out of 5
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About

Discover the hidden gems, local legends, and can’t-miss experiences in Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley as we dive into the perks of Chamber membership and uncover what makes this mountain town a must-visit destination. Whether you're a local business or just passing through, there's something cool waiting for you!

Information

  • Creator
    PC PRODUCTIONS
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Exploring the Valley
  • Show Website
    Exploring the Valley