Fun Adventures Going Off the Grid

  The store on Main Street, Marion I headed out down Interstate 81 recently to find out more about this moonshine I heard one man was making in Marion, Virginia.  A legal version of the stuff we all have heard was secretly made in the rural mountains of Appalachia.  And yup, right there in downtown Marion, we found the Mercantile and tasting room right in the middle of Main Street.  How cool is this? Inside this Mercantile & Stillhouse Store you can come in, taste their spirits and take a tour of the facility.  And that's just what we did.  And yes, it's made in the hills of rural Appalachia.  But this stuff -- is 100% legally because he pays federal taxes on everything he sells. We went inside and got to talk with the owner, Scott Schumaker, who told us that he accidentally made this moonshine when looking for a fuel source for his home.  He lives off the grid in Marion and when he asked for advice on making the perfect fuel to power his home, his buddies to

A Tradition That Lasts This winter was a brutal one for a lot of us on the east coast.  It just seemed like we couldn't get a break.  I especially felt bad for those living in Boston.  They got dumped on all winter long! Here in Southwest Virginia, we were spared much of the snow. We typically will get a good snow once or twice each winter. But it's short-lived and Spring starts showing signs around late March. And that's when I go away.  My girlfriends and I have made it a tradition to get together one weekend in March -- and we've been lucky so far with the weather. This year, however, Mother Nature was planning  to spoil all the fun with a major snowstorm a day before we were to leave.  But she didn't realize that 5 women were so determined. This is OUR weekend -- and come hell or high water - we're going!! The day before our trip, we all watched the weather forecast closely because it was looking like it was going to dump abou