Post by Kevin Brown 🎸

We got pulled over in Mayberry!! 🚨 Well...Mt. Airy, NC. Ever heard of it? I love this town and its history! It got its start as a stopover on the old stagecoach road running from Salem, NC into Virginia, and likely takes its name from a "Mount Airy" plantation along that route. Tobacco fueled a revival in the late 1870s and 80s, then the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad rolled in,and with it, the real breakthrough: granite. The quarry just east of downtown, known locally as "Flat Rock," became the largest open-faced granite quarry in the world, earning the town its nickname, "Granite City." The list of famous residents is wild for a town this size. The original Siamese Twins, Eng and Chang Bunker (remember them?), toured the world as performers, then settled down and raised their families on a farm just outside town. Country star Donna Fargo, with her string of 70s Top 10 hits, was also born and raised here. And then there's the town's most famous son: Andy Griffith. It's no coincidence fans flock here to trace his steps as Mount Airy is widely believed to be the real-life inspiration for Mayberry, and at least 35 people, places, and things from the show trace back to actual spots in town. You can still visit Floyd's Barber Shop, Wally's Service Station, and Snappy Lunch... and apparently get pulled over by a vintage squad car! Honestly, the music history might top even the Mayberry connection. Musicians from the Round Peak community carried tunes passed down from the earliest English and Scotch-Irish settlers, giving rise to "Round Peak" style, one of the old-time sounds that helped pave the way for bluegrass. And every Saturday morning since Groundhog Day 1948, WPAQ (740 AM) has broadcast its live "Merry-Go-Round" radio show from the Earle Theatre, the second-longest-running live radio show in the country, behind only the Grand Ole Opry. I kept looking over my shoulder for Ernest T. Bass the whole time, the town just feels like that era. If you're ever in the area, make sure to swing by Mayberry Country. We picked up some Aunt Bee's Kerosene Cucumbers, Charlene's Peach Butter, and one of the coolest t-shirts ever...great town to visit!! #devicenation