"" Writer's Wanderings: Along the Country Roads of West Virginia - Tamarack

Friday, February 04, 2011

Along the Country Roads of West Virginia - Tamarack










On our latest pass through West Virginia, we stopped at Tamarack. The center features artisans, craftsmen, and foods from WV. There were beautiful woodcrafts, quilts and fabric arts, jewelry, glassware, pottery, the list goes on. There are also theaters which offered a variety of fare if you happened to be making an overnight stay in the area.

As we started our walk around the circular structure, we could hear light harp-like tones coming from somewhere. I assumed it was a recording but Bob discovered the source—a gentleman, Greg Westman, picking at a handcrafted bowed psaltery. Behind him, in a studio, was his wife/business partner, Tish, putting finishing touches on some other psalteries. Their website is Westman Instruments. com.

It was then I realized that on the outside of the circular structure, were studios that were shared by other crafts people. Not all of them had people working in them but we found a few: a potter, a glass etcher, a fabric artist.

The restaurant area featured a cafeteria-style deli/grill. Sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts were the main fare. I couldn’t pass up a fried green tomato sandwich with bacon and Swiss cheese. It was as good as it sounded.

While we were tempted by several things, our only purchase was an autographed copy of a Homer Hickman (author of October Sky) book, The Far Reaches. No matter we didn’t walk out with bags full of goodies. It was a great rest stop along the way and a great way to get a look at lots of things West Virginian other than “country roads.”

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