Tag Archives: little Switzerland North Carolina

The Shock Of A Bad Bookstore

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Bookstores are always my favorite places and the source of many souvenirs when I travel. Big stores, little stores, new and used bookstores and especially the ones with shop cats are all my favorites for different reasons.

I seek them out in my travels and never hesitate to support a local bookstore when given the chance. Each one has a different vibe, a unique personality. I like the used shops where I can expect to find the unexpected like some out of print novel with a gem of a cover. I also like the new ones with their comfy couches, carefully controlled lighting and selection of new books just waiting to be discovered.

Wheatberry in Chillicothe, Ohio is my closest bookstore and I always try to stop in if I’m in downtown. They focus on new books with just a small shelf of used in the backroom. It’s like whoever does their ordering knows exactly the kind of fiction and nonfiction I like and they always have the best selection of seasonal works to peruse.

My favorite regional chain is Tattered Cover in the Denver area. The fact I don’t live close enough to shop there regularly is one of life’s great disappointments. Their staff picks include a note card that describes why they like the book and the selection is divine. Maria’s in Durango, Colorado and Beyond Bedtime Books in Pittsburgh are favorites. There’s one called Little Switzerland Books and Beans that we stumbled into just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, convincing me that I can sniff out a bookstore nearly anywhere.

I could go on and on with recommendations.

That’s why it’s rare for me to leave one empty handed or to be annoyed in a bookstore. So far, I have found just two that I despise. Both make me claustrophobic and one was in Philadelphia during this last adventure.

It was a used bookstore with extremely tight walkways between shelves that was so cluttered with stacks of boxes, walking was difficult. Some rows were completely blocked by boxes stacked no less than three feet high. To make things harder, it was busy and passing a person in an aisle wasn’t possible in places so you just had to wait for people to move.

The place is a hoarder’s paradise. Actually, it looks like a book hoarder lost control of their obsession and hung out a shingle. The guy running the place reminded me of a little kid sitting in a fort made of books. 

It is not an exaggeration to say that I had a physical reaction to this place. My stomach turned continuous somersaults and I broke out into a sweat. I could hardly breathe even when the door was in sight. . To add insult to injury, prices written inside the covers were nearly illegible so it was hard to know if you were about to pay a dollar or seven or maybe a hundred. Who knew? 

The one redeeming quality here was the shop cat. I saw it once, luxuriating in a patch of sunlight. I knew I was struggling when I didn’t even stop to speak to the cat. I literally just scooted past and looked for the exit. 

I feel my blood pressure rising just telling you this crazy story because bookstores are supposed to feel like a vacation from the rest of the world rather than a reflection of the messy, terrible problems that lie beyond their front door. 

Also, I would like to note that in all the junk stores, antique malls and tiny shops in all the places I have been, none has brought on such a reaction. The other store I don’t like is in Columbus and it also makes me claustrophobic but I can usually hang in there long enough to find a book or two to bring home. In other words, it doesn’t make me want to puke!

We left this store and found ourselves walking past Christ Church. This was exactly the respite that I needed to recover and be ready to face the rest of the day. Come back in a couple of days and I’ll tell you all about this place that felt so steeped in history and so sacred, I could barely speak.

Bookshops

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I just want to sit in a bookshop and breathe. That’s all. Just flip through used books and study the titles in a section I don’t normally frequent. Maybe find a good western or a coffee table book about a painter I don’t yet know.

Bookstores are special places. They’re portals into new worlds, rocket ships to places only our imaginations can construct.

Oh, to just stand amidst the books and breathe!

The picture above comes from a bookshop in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. Read about that surprisingly amazing experience here!

Little Switzerland Of North Carolina

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The best things in life are rarely found in the places you plan to go. They typically occur at unlikely times and in places where you least expect to find something special.

That’s exactly what happened when we were searching for lunch on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had packed snacks and drinks but hadn’t planned for our midday meal. According to our trusty map (always carry a map because cell service is unreliable in the mountains), we were approaching a small town called Little Switzerland.

As you exit the Parkway, you will immediately see a resort called Switzerland Inn. It’s home to fine dining, shopping, a spa and more. But if you keep going, there’s a little area on the side of the mountain where you’ll find the village post office and a complex that includes a restaurant, general store and bookstore.

That’s right, friends.

In the middle of the wilderness, in a town populated by approximately 46 people – yours truly found a bookstore.

It was a proud moment.

We were there for lunch, not books, so our first stop was the Little Switzerland Cafe. Here we had the best meal I’ve eaten in ages.

The food was prepared fresh and served by a handful of waitresses who know how to hustle. We did have to wait a few minutes for a table because it was quite busy with locals and tourists including lots of folks on bicycles and motorcycles.

It was worth the wait.

They have vegetarian options and everything is made with what tasted like very fresh ingredients. My quiche had a flaky, buttery crust and was served with a fresh salad and homemade bread. The attention detail was impressive especially for the price which was about $10.

In the general store you’ll find some souvenirs and handmade items as well as some things you might need while out adventuring like aspirin and bandaids.

The bookstore, though, is the stuff that dreams are made of. It looks tiny from outside but the store is multiple rooms that wind around and reach into the basement. It’s packed from floor to ceiling with new and used books and interesting things to see in every nook and cranny.

At this point in the trip I had already purchased an alarming amount of books so I practiced restraint and purchased just one – a lovely little pocket sized copy of Thoreau’s “Walden.”

Little Switzerland was such a fabulous diversion that I badly want to go back to stay at the inn and explore the area (and the bookstore) more.

By the way, people like to think of Appalachia and rural areas as being backward. There are charging stations for your electric car right outside that bookstore.

Little Switzerland Books and Beans can be found online here. Learn more about Switzerland Cafe here. And if you’re interested in staying, there are a few options in the area including Switzerland Inn which we passed on our way on and off the Parkway. Find it here.