Steer wrestling, a practice credited to legendary cowboy and rodeo star Bill Pickett, usually involves leaping onto a steer from the back of a specially trained horse. At the Madison

Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to

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A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

To celebrate the October issue of Our State, we’re taking a road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway! In our annual Mountain Issue, Our State editor — and resident soundtrack

Eastern

Madison County Championship Rodeo

To celebrate the October issue of Our State, we’re taking a road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway! In our annual Mountain Issue, Our State editor — and resident soundtrack

Food

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

To celebrate the October issue of Our State, we’re taking a road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway! In our annual Mountain Issue, Our State editor — and resident soundtrack

Playlists

An Our State Playlist: Mountain Music

Our curated Spotify playlist features a selection of Appalachian folk music and bluegrass — the perfect soundtrack for a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, from Sparta to Cherokee.

by Mark Kemp

To celebrate the October issue of Our State, we’re taking a road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway! In our annual Mountain Issue, Our State editor — and resident soundtrack maker — Mark Kemp wrote about an early-1980s trip he took along the famous road, and the mixtape of mountain music he made to accompany him. Now, Kemp is sharing the very playlist featured on that old cassette. The next time you drive the parkway, listen to songs drenched in fiddles and banjos; twangy voices backed by high-lonesome harmonies; and lyrics that complemented the rolling hills, gushing waterfalls, and little farmhouses tucked into the hollows, smoke puffing from their chimneys.