Some places find you before you realize you’re looking. That’s how Scott Kelts tells it—a Mississippi native who came to the Blue Ridge for a summer camp job, fell for a chef named Catherine, and never quite left. We share how a picnic turned into a partnership, how a storefront on State Street became a living room for locals and visitors, and why Black Mountain still feels like a town that looks you in the eye at the grocery and adds five minutes for conversation.

We dig into the layers that make a community resilient and warm. Scott talks about honoring public schools while building an a la carte path through homeschool cooperatives, letting each child stretch—one into early college writing, the other through advanced math and a self-taught engineering statics course supported by a brilliant local tutor. Education here is a network, not a silo. So are the trails: Montreat’s Greybeard and Rainbow, Ridgecrest’s Rattlesnake and Kitsuma, the glide of Point Lookout, and the transformed access at Catawba Falls. Whether you’re porch-sipping or pushing to a vista, there’s always a route that fits your pace.

Inside Merry Wine Market, the details tell a bigger story. An old luggage cart from the New Ray Inn anchors the locals’ picks, while travelers get a curated walk-through—price point, pairing, purpose. The shelves mix global bottles with regional gems like Lusty Monk mustard and locally born snacks that went national, proving that small towns can launch big flavors. Dogs are welcome, stories are free, and the best souvenirs might be the names you learn while browsing.

If you’re curious about how to choose a town that chooses you back, or how to make a business double as a bridge between people, this conversation offers a clear, grounded view. Subscribe for more Valley stories, share this with a friend who loves mountain towns, and leave a review with your favorite Black Mountain hike or sip—what should we explore next?

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