My son and I sometimes meet a friend at the park and have lunch together. She’s as cute as a button. Here she is: We named her Chippy because the first time we saw her, she came to our picnic table and we fed her chips (baked, no salt).1)For futureContinue Reading

One fine autumn day, a few months after my father passed away, my mother and I sat at the old cherrywood dining table and waxed nostalgic over old photographs. Like always, I soaked up every word and story, relishing even the stories I’ve heard over and over – about soContinue Reading

**Please consult your physician before consuming ginseng or any other plant.  Wild American ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius) is found in the eastern portion (mostly mountainous region) of the United States and Canada. Other nicknames for the plant are Five Finger (for its five leaflets), Red Berry, Man’s Health, and Man Root.Continue Reading

Roadside   Oconaluftee Islands Park   Museum of the Cherokee Indian Cherokee Way of Life Pottery & Baskets Trail of Tears The Idea of “Civilized”   Mountain Farm Museum   **Featured Image is a wax representation of a Cherokee ceremony.  ***All photographs were taken by Delonda AndersonContinue Reading

While meandering through the Museum of Appalachia’s treasure trove in Norris, Tennessee, I came across an exhibit encased in glass, and was intrigued by the words: She has been called: The Cherokee Chieftainess. The Pocahontas of the West, One of the Great Women in American History. In another section, I readContinue Reading

One rarely comes across an artist whose remarkable talents flow across a wide swath of multiple medias. Such is true of Mary Ruden – painter, sculptor, textile artist, illustrator, renovator, etc. She is a tireless champion of history and uses her artistic talents to promote and preserve antiquity. She masterfullyContinue Reading

Today, our journey begins in Appalachia’s Lawrence County, Alabama, where the mountains are more like hills, or, like a far-off friend reminding us, “I’m here.” Inside the county, the small town of Oakville boasts two outstanding parks and museums. One park is the Oakville Indian Mounds Park and Museum. TheContinue Reading

After they slid out of the rusty old Chevy, Amanda found it hard to keep up. She straggled on the concrete driveway behind her mother who held her baby brother as he tried desperately to worm his way out of her grip, all red-faced and wiggling, but the harder heContinue Reading

February is Black History Month. To honor that history, Appalachia Bare will endeavor to reveal the true tale of a Kingdom once nestled inside Appalachia’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The story begins with a group of emancipated slaves who journeyed to find a place of their own and wound upContinue Reading

The past year was certainly interesting. I hope the visits to Appalachia Bare have offered something special – a few laughs, a bit of knowledge, a good story or two, some remarkable poetry, amazing photographers, or amusement from our films. You may have noticed a few changes to the site.Continue Reading