Country December/January 2021

WHEN CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS appeared back in October, I did not go into full Grinch mode (I’ve always belonged to the “after Thanksgiving” school of thought). This year, as COVID-19 rates soared in my area, I said OK when my son asked if we could buy more decorations. I could put aside my traditional impulses. After all, he was back in school, wearing a mask all day and eating lunch at his desk 6 feet away from the other kids. Like so many of us, he needed something to look forward to. Sometimes it’s the little things that help get us through tough times, especially during the holidays. Maybe it’s strolling through a garden filled with illuminated trees (page 12), receiving handmade slippers from Grandma (page 14), seeing an artist’s brushstroke…

Road Trip Americans rediscovered the road trip this past summer. Tell us about the trips you took and memories you made along the way. What were your favorite stops? Be sure to send photos! Please label your submission “Road Trip.” Parks National, state and county parks are scenic destinations that offer plenty of recreational opportunities. Tell us about the parks you’ve visited and share a few photos with us. Label your submission “Parks.” Hidden Gems What off-the-beaten-path places do you enjoy exploring? Is there a destination close to home that visitors should know about? We’d love to read your story and see your photos. Please label your submission “Hidden Gems.” Photo Tips • Cameras and smartphones can capture large images. Send us unmodified originals (minimum file size is 1 MB).…

I painted the photo of the little boy fishing, which ran on page 74 of the June/July issue, and thought you might like to see it. I deliberately made the background more subdued so the boy would be the center of attention. The back page of the August/September issue might be my next project! KARIN BELL Mountain City, Tennessee I ENJOYED the photo and the “Hello, Operator?” article about the crank wall phone (Aug/Sept, page 62). We had one exactly like it on our farm. Our rings were two longs and a short. You would give the crank one long ring to get central. It was indeed a party line, and if one person was using it, others had to wait until he or she was finished. I got in…

Winter Beauty Barns are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. This picturesque structure sits along Highway 42, just south of Egg Harbor in Door County, Wisconsin. My wife, Barb, who grew up just minutes from this site, and I both remember this barn from our youth. It has always looked this pristine, including when it was owned by one of Barb’s classmates. The cropland has been rented for many years. Although the property has had several different owners, each maintained the barn and outbuildings in as immaculate condition as they are today. Egg Harbor, Wisconsin…

HOLIDAY GARDENS BECKON I AM FORTUNATE to live only 30 miles away from Longwood Gardens, the place USA Today voted Best Public/Botanical Garden in the nation in 2014, 2016 and 2018. It also won Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights in 2019. My wife, Jill, and I make an annual trip to Longwood, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, to see the splendor of hundreds of decorated evergreen trees. Poinsettias and Japanese camellias are everywhere. The holidays come alive in three areas: throughout the outdoors, in an indoor conservatory and at the Peirce-du Pont House on the premises. The visuals are impressive enough, but when you hear the holiday music playing at various times within Longwood, the mood is set. It is amazing how in no time we can be in the countryside,…

WHEN PEOPLE LIVING in Phoenix need to get away from it all, they head 100 miles north to the Verde Valley and Sedona. The lush Verde Valley is named for the Verde River, one of the last free-flowing rivers in the state. Several scenic roads lead visitors to the valley’s wonders, which include sites preserving Native American history, old mining towns and red rock formations. My friend Natalie Watson and I started our trip walking beneath the cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle National Monument. The site looks like an ancient apartment building, and it was home to the Sinagua people between A.D. 1100 and 1425. Though visitors can’t climb up the ladders into the structure, all can imagine what living there must have been like. We then walked beside nearby…