Innehållsförteckning för November 2022 från Country Extra

FROM THE EDITOR The heart and soul of Country has always been the photography. From sweeping landscapes to found moments, images telegraph our collective wonder at the beauty of America’s back roads and the character of small-town life. The work of so many outstanding photographers has graced the pages of this magazine over the years. And now, there’s Carol M. Highsmith. Known as America’s photographer, Carol was in her 30s when she picked up a camera full time. Capturing a disappearing America is her passion and her obsession. She has ventured to all 50 states and shot more than 65,000 images, all of which she generously donated to the Library of Congress. You can see a collection of her work starting on page 46. Looking at those photos, I see…

TOP FINDS WATERY BOUNTY In the 1900s, money made from harvesting sponges growing in the Gulf made Tarpon Springs the “sponge capital of the world.” GREEK FLAIR Experienced divers from Greece boosted the sponge harvest. Their influence an be seen today in the many Greek restaurants, shops, festivals and churches in Tarpon Springs. REBIRTH In the 1980s, 40 years after a blight wiped out the sponge industry, new beds were found, returning the city to its thriving sponge capital status. spongedocks.net…

No, it’s not a sci-fi movie set. It’s the whimsical world of the late Tom Every, known as Dr. Evermor. Every created a wacky wonderland of discarded parts from wrecking and scrapping jobs. The Seuss-esque centerpiece of the park is the massive Forevertron, the largest scrap metal sculpture in the world. Inhabited by dozens of intergalactic mechanical creatures large and small, the entire park looks ready to beam you to a faraway planet. worldofdrevermor.com HOURS: Thu, Fri, Sat and Mon 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sun noon–5 p.m.; closed Tues and Wed and Dec. 24–March 31COST: Free FOREVERTRON DETAILS: 50 ft. high; 120 ft. wide; weighs 300 tons.…

RON NIEBRUGGE WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER Leads photography workshops in Alaska. alaska-photo-tours.com POWERFUL FLIERS I love to take photos of bald eagles swooping down and grabbing fish. They soar and glide so effortlessly. Just the other day near my hometown of Seward, there were some 20 bald eagles riding an updraft and gracefully circling over a salmon stream. It was so fun to watch. WHERE TO GO Small towns in Alaska, such as Seward, Homer and Haines, have year-round populations. The key is to be at the right place. For example, when bald eagles are gathered and feeding on salmon, it isn’t too hard to get moderately close. WHEN TO GO Food becomes more concentrated in fall and winter, so those seasons are best. RECOVERY Bald eagles were removed from the endangered…

I’ve been blessed to call northwestern Montana home for more than three decades. In a land with an abundance of natural beauty and wonder, including nearby Glacier National Park, the clear waters of Flathead Lake still stand out. From my hometown of Whitefish some 30 miles north, it’s an easy drive to the shimmering waters, which are visible and most alluring when hiking Big Mountain. To explore the area, I often take the Flathead Lake scenic drive, an 87-mile loop (consisting of Highways 35, 93 and 82) that circumnavigates one of the largest freshwater lakes west of the Mississippi. Sometimes my outing is just a leisurely, relaxing cruise to marvel at the scenery. Other times it is a well-planned excuse to pull over at one of 13 public access sites…

COZY CABINS A woodsy waterfront retreat with a historic log lodge, cabins and hotel-style rooms, the iconic Captain Whidbey Inn is the “unoffi ial offi ial lodge” of Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. captainwhidbey.com WATER VIEWS Saratoga Inn is a charming getaway at the edge of Langley; a healthy breakfast buffet is in luded. saratogainnlangley.com SEAFOOD SENSATION In Coupeville, the Oystercatcher crafts exceptional dishes using local seafood and seasonal fare. oystercatcherwhidbey.com FOOD TRUCK The Braeburn at the Barnyard, a food truck at Penn Cove Brewing, serves crispy fried chicken and biscuits with house-made jam in an orchard setting. braeburnlangley.com DESTINATION EATERY At the south end of the island, the new, uber-popular Seabiscuit Bakery uses island-grown fruits in Danishes, black currant-iced cookies and much more. seabiscuitbakery.com…

Water, water everywhere, or so it seems when driving Maine’s 40-mile Acadia All-American Road. This eye-candy route delivers views of the granite-girdled and cliff-edged coastline, freshwater lakes and ponds, quiet and busy harbors, and island- and peninsula-salted horizons. And it showcases the best of Acadia National Park’s natural and cultural sights. This scenic trek starts in Trenton, follows state Route 3 across bridges and causeways and around Mount Desert Island’s northeastern end, then segues onto Acadia’s Park Loop Road before finishing in Bar Harbor, the anchor town of Mount Desert Island. While the route can be driven in fewer than two hours without stops, allow at least three hours. The Acadia All-American Road’s mainland section passes attractions, flightseeing operations and a boatload of roadside lobster pounds en route to the…

. Download an app, such as Stellarium Mobile, with AI features that indicate the location and direction of celestial objects in the night sky. . Shoot on a tripod with a cable release to avoid camera shake and blur. . Use a full-frame camera for the best quality. I use a wide-angle lens with a fast shutter and a wide-open aperture to capture the light of the stars. . Make several test shots with high ISO to find your composition. . Play with your settings, but in general start with ISO 1000, the widest aperture (f/2.8 and wider) and a shutter speed of 20 se onds, then adjust as needed for your lighting. . In cold weather, wrap the lens with pocket hand warmers to keep it warm and prevent…

THEN AND NOW 1940 Improvements by the Civilian Conservation Corps made the steep canyon and cliff dwellings reachable. 2020 On the Main Loop Trail, visitors climb a wooden ladder to peek inside a cavate (a carved-out cave). STRONG TIES Humans were here 11,000 years ago, and about 23 tribes have ties to the area. SEE IT ALL There are 70 miles of trails to explore inside the park. The 1.2-mile Main Loop Trail takes you through many of the park’s important archaeological sites. PLAN AHEAD Bandelier is less than an hour from Santa Fe. Learn more about it at nps.gov/band.…

Get ready to giggle with Laughter the Best Medicine, a collection of the funniest jokes, cartoons, anecdotes and one-liners from Reader’s Digest and Reminisce magazines. ORDER TODAY Buy your copy online for $10 (plus free shipping) at rd.com/HDJX WANT MORE COUNTRY? CHECK OUT In the Dec/Jan issue ... • Explore the rural character of Upcountry Maui in Hawaii. • Experience a Scandinavian Christmas in Minnesota. • Discover holiday fun across the country. Subscribe at country-magazine.com…

No coastal drive sums up Florida quite so well as the A1A. Before moving here, I thought the state was all theme parks and condos. But on numerous drives down this iconic highway, I discovered coastal Florida’s richness and breadth—lighthouses and seaside towns as quaint as any in New England, frontiers as wild as the West and a quirkiness that is unapologetically Floridian. The A1A hugs the Atlantic almost the entire length of the Sunshine State, from Fernandina Beach down to Key West. My favorite stretch is St. Augustine to Stuart, 230 miles through classic “Old Florida.” Think fishing villages and roadside attractions, comfy palm hammocks and porch swings. This stretch takes around seven hours to cover; however, I recommend taking a couple of days if you can. Detours are…

BEST BREAKFAST As a breakfast aficionado, I go out of my way to experience the tasty menu at Pocketstone Cafe in downtown Bigfork. pocketstonecafe.com ROOMS WITH A VIEW Want great access to water sports, such as kayaking, swimming or sailing—and a place to sleep? Book a room at Flathead Lake Lodge, a popular guest ran h with many amenities. flatheadlakelodge.com AFTERNOONS IN THE PARK Several city parks dot the lakeshore in Polson. I love to stop by Riverside Park or Sacajawea Park, take a short stroll and wat h sailboats glide by. cityofpolson.com/parksrec PADDLE TRIP Take a kayak tour along the lake in Somers. Sea Me Paddle offers rentals, guided tours and trips to Wild Horse Island. seamepaddle.com FANTASTIC PAIRINGS Pair tasty pub grub with in-house raft beers at Tamarack…

Driving east from New Orleans on U.S. 90, I watched the fishing boats’ high rigging outlined against the last light of the day. On this 62-mile drive along what’s known as Mississippi’s Secret Coast, I aimed for the seaside towns of Biloxi and Ocean Springs, with dreams of royal red shrimp and fresh oysters dancing in my head. If sunset had a sound here, it would be the mournful blast of a brass-band horn or slow fingerpicking on a steel guitar combined with the low mumble of bar patrons peeling shrimp and sipping cold tea as dusk steals away the light of day. Also known as America’s largest national seashore, the Gulf Islands National Seashore includes the Secret Coast and offers not only a beautiful and scenic drive, but opportunities…

PLAN AHEAD Purchase a park vehicle pass and a timed Cadillac Summit Road reservation at recreation.gov. Note: A reservation doesn’t guarantee a summit parking space. Also, be sure to make a reservation for the Jordan Pond House at jordanpondhouse.com. For a quieter experience, start by 8 a.m. or after 3 p.m. CALL IT A NIGHT IN BAR HARBOR Staying in downtown Bar Harbor avoids parking hassles and puts restaurants and attractions just steps away. STOCK UP For breakfast or picnic fare, snacks, or gas, stop at Hulls Cove General Stores, set ba k from Route 3 at the intersection with Breakneck Road, just south of the park’s Hulls Cove Visitor Center entrance. DETOUR Get a close-up of Stanley Brook Bridge, one of Acadia’s most handsome carriage road bridges. Turn left…

Embrace Traditions Remember that we celebrate things differently and we worship differently—and that is awesome. One year our Taiwanese student taught us about Ghost Month, the seventh month of the lunar calendar. In Taiwan, during this month one shouldn’t kill anything, bugs included. We’d never heard of or celebrated Ghost Month, and he had never celebrated Christmas. Forge Local Ties Welcome exchange students with a gift of items from the school they will attend or from local sports teams to help them fit in and feel part of the community. Find Exchange Organizations We host students through EF High School Exchange Year. Alix was our second exchange student. To host, we went through an exchange coordinator. We filled out an application, went through a background check and had an in-person…

1. Share your photos and stories with us using the online form, country-magazine.com/submit. 2. Note which department you are submitting for, and whether the material has been published before. However, your item may be selected to run in any section of our magazine, or elsewhere. 3. We do not return submitted materials. Although we are unable to acknowledge receipt of a submission, we will let you know if it is published. 4. We accept high-resolution digital images. Digital images should be about 4x6 inches at a minimum resolution of 300 dots per in h, or about 1200x1800 pixels. Photos must be in focus and of good quality. Please send submissions only through our online form. 5. If we print your submission in the magazine, we will send you a complimentary…

RISE AND SHINE Dawn on Florida’s east coast is magical. Jetty Park in Fort Pierce and the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne, where you might even spot baby sea turtles during nesting season, are two great options. fws.gov/refuge/archie-carr SOAK UP SURF CULTURE The world’s biggest surf store, the flagship Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, is fun to browse even if you’re not a surfer. Afterward, grab a drink or a dog at Long Doggers, a “radically relaxed” (and delicious) grill. ronjonsurfshop.com longdoggers.com CHILL ON THE BEACH For a laid-back lunch, try the Flagler Bea h fish wrap at Beach Belly Bob’s. Then stroll a quarter-mile north to see a beachside home with pirate dummies on the roof, scaling the side and cavorting elsewhere about the premises—because…

On a bluff-top path high above a vast sweep of sand beach, I was surrounded by drifts of purple vetch and fragrant wild roses. Far below, sun-bleached logs were piled like a giant’s game of Pick-Up Sticks. Washington state’s spectacular inland waterway, Puget Sound, was dressed this day in blues of many hues. Even from this high vantage point, I could hear the waves breathing in and exhaling. This dream-inducing place, Ebey’s Landing, is one of many compelling sights on laid-back Whidbey Island, beloved for its sand beaches, bucolic country roads, towns filled with pastel wooden buildings and much more. It’s only a half-hour drive and 20-minute ferry ride from Seattle, but Whidbey feels a world away. It takes just an hour to traverse this seahorse-shaped island on state Route…

SWEET DREAMS AND SEAFOOD After exploring the quaint shops and strolling the boardwalk in Bay St. Louis, check into the Pearl Hotel, one of the town’s newest boutique hotels. It’s located in the heart of Bay St. Louis, making it a walkable distance from local shops, restaurants, the beach, museums and more. It also houses the Thorny Oyster, a darling seafood restaurant that serves alluring royal red shrimp. pearlbsl.com A PLACE TO ROOST Built in a restored historic building in downtown Ocean Springs, The Roost Boutique Hotel is just minutes from the art galleries and fine dining of downtown and the glowing sunsets on the beach. The on-site bar and restaurant The Wilbur is named after the original 1950s Wilbur Motel and is a throwback to the time of speakeasies…

GENERATIONS Monument Valley, AZ/UT Highsmith’s photos reveal the heart and soul of places that she notes in her blog are “way, way far away from just about anywhere.” Here, Navajos Loretta Yazzie (left), Eula M. Atene and 3-month-old Leon Clark pose for a portrait with the valley’s famous rock buttes in the background. ROUTE 66 Kingman, AZ Capturing what she called a “disappearing America,” Highsmith often focuses her lens on Route 66, which stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. With its hot pink trim and over-the-top sign, Mr. D’s Route 66 Diner reminds us that the journey is as fun as the destination. CORNFIELD Habersham County, GA Highsmith prefers to drive instead of fly so she can capture images of all the small towns and rural areas along…

1. PACIFIC PARADISE Latourell Falls in Oregon’s scenic Columbia River Gorge are even prettier in autumn. KRISTIN EVERHART PORTLAND, OR 2. PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM The fall colors in Alaska’s beautiful Denali National Park were just spectacular. KATHERINE PLESSNER VERONA, ND 3. PERFECT PERCH This great blue heron admires the scene in Trojan Park south of Rainier, Oregon. ARNOLD BAUMFALK ST. HELENS, OR 4. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY This barn blended in with the fall colors in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest. MOGIE ADAMCHIK RALEIGH, NC 5. INTO THE WOODS You can literally sit and watch the colors change at this cabin in Harshaw, Wisconsin. KELLY RHODEN GILBERT, AZ…