Catching Up 5.20.2025 Chinquapin Bourbon & Stuff You Need to Know
- Martha Dobson
- May 20, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 6, 2025
In March, a group of Chinquapin owners attended a bourbon barrel pick hosted by Allen Dobson. They sampled four samples of different barrels of Conviction bourbon, made by Southern Grace Distilleries in Mt. Pleasant, NC. The barrel they picked got bottled last weekend by a few Chinquapin folks at Southern Grace, also known as Whiskey Prison, so named because the distillery is in a former State of North Carolina prison. Specially labeled for Chinquapin, the Cashiers ABC store will get a direct shipment of the bottles later this week to sell. Note—in NC, there is no difference in the price of liquor whether bought at an ABC store or at a distillery site. A couple
of bottles will be at the party May 24 for attendees to taste.
Stuff You Need to Know is a drop down menu item under the Owner Resources tab. It has Waterfront employee names, numbers and email addresses, the after hours number, Duke Energy, Balsam West & law enforcement info, medical resources, a local services list and a box to click for a local restaurant list. If you have local services that you’d recommend, send Val Talley or Martha Dobson the info. vtalley@gmail.com meadobson@gmail.com This information on Stuff You Need to Know is ALWAYS on the website, as is everything else on the owner private site—you can find it any time.
Mail and packages—with folks returning for the summer and others in the process of building, arriving packages stack up in the small Chinquapin post office building, at the first gate entrance, closest to the Trading Post. UPS is not delivering as many Amazon packages as it used to, due to a change on the UPS end of things. So Amazon is using the USPS more, and those packages get delivered to the tiny post office by the mail carriers versus a home. Large boxes are left at the Glenville post office, another place to check for your orders. Sometimes FedEx delivers to that post office building, sometimes to homes. UPS delivers to homes. Boxes stack up, claiming floor space and, at times, it’s the space in front of individuals’ post office boxes. Buzz by the post office regularly if you’re expecting shipments; see if yours is there.
FedEx contact info—if you need to contact them about something, call this number, 828-488-7359, and ask for Alise (not sure of the spelling) who is at the Bryson City office. She can help you. This info is also on the Stuff You Need to Know page, so you’ll always be able to find her number and name there.
Chinquapin Fire Station—there’s one on Flat Creek Road, and its proximity plays a big part in reducing fire insurance costs for area homes. Here’s an article about how that station came to be. https://www.chinquapinowners.com/news-updates-1/search/fire%20station
Bearwise.org has recent information about cleaning out vehicles and locking them and what the cubs are doing now. https://bearwise.org/the-two-second-solution-that-keeps-stuff-safe-and-bears-wild/ https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-may/ Bears can and will open car doors and their cubs watch and learn, too. Also, bears can operate lever types of home door knobs—don’t use that kind on exterior doors. Besides bears, all manner of wildlife is having babies now. If you see a baby, leave it alone. Mom may be gone several hours, but that’s okay. She’ll return. If you have a question about wildlife, call NC Wildlife at the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 (Mon-Fri. 8 am- 5 pm) or the Wildlife Enforcement Division at 800-662-7137 outside of business hours.
Wildlife orphaned, injured, abandoned, what to do? This link has the answers and explanations to questions about wildlife, rehabilitation, and knowing what to do and what not to do. Very interesting info! https://www.ncwildlife.gov/connect/have-wildlife-problem/wildlife-problem-faqs
Report rattlesnake and armadillo sightings—yes, there’s an organization that wants to know where you see these critters, NC Wildlife. Please report it through the HerpMapper.org mobile app, or by email with a photo (if safely possible), location (GPS coordinates preferred) and date and time observed to rattlesnake@ncwildlife.gov ARMADILLOS The Commission is seeking observations of armadillos from the public. If you believe you observed an armadillo, please contact the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 or wildlifehelpline@ncwildlife.gov.
Open the notifications you get from this site. Wix has a feature that inactivates site members if they don't open a certain number of consecutive notifications. Reactiviate yourself by opening a past notification you received.
Calendar—check it for Chinquapin pickle ball info about games and for a list, but not an exhaustive list, of local entertainment or activities, including the Chinquapin summer social events.
The hemlock woolly adelgid training will be rescheduled and you’ll be notified about when and where it is.
