Volume 1 - Issue 1

Greetings

The Preservation Channel crew and staff have been very busy and thought you might just be interested in where we have been, who we met, what we saw, what we did and where we are off to next, and yes who we are. 

The Battle of Tunnel Hill 

On Septmber 9^th, The Preservation Channel crew was taken into the pre battle strategic planning sessions of the respective armies. We were sworn to secrecy to not tell the opposing army of each others plans. The troops preparing for the battle were attending to their gear, guns, cannons and horses while others sat around fires, had coffee and discussed previous battles. It was truly life in another time.

The awaited moments were punctuated by the distant sound of the approaching Military Bands playing battle music to stir the men’s spirit. Accompanied by the hooves of horses and the sounds of marching troops, it was beginning to seem real……..Kaboom!  the battle was on, with smoke and fire and screams and music and medics.  Look for the announcement of the upcoming video of …The Battle of Tunnel Hill ...it is full of combat action along with interviews from the men who keep the army on the move.

"Stay With The Story" - My Victorian Bed and Breakfast

While on assignment in Mobile, Alabama during a heat wave this past July The Preservation Channel had the luxury of staying in My Victorian Bed and Breakfast as the guests of Naomi and Jim Maurer.  This great painted lady is ideally located on one of those arching tree lined streets for which Mobile is so famous.

Naomi and Jim are warm, engaging, cordial, and generous with their time and preparations. We felt as if we were the only guests and this charming home was full .The Maurers take consideration in every detail and aspect of hospitality and they are the specialists when it comes to thoughtfulness!

Each room is designed to cater to their guest’s special needs with custom amenities and textiles created by Naomi and her family. I renamed my room “Pink Heaven” and intend to return. The Victorian Crazy Quilt on my bed is a work of art, including semi precious stones, and special treats embroidered into each section. It was the perfect retreat from the busy world complete with a deep claw footed  tub to luxuriously bubble away any remnants of weariness. 

My Victorian Bed and Breakfast is famous for their Sunday brunch. The luscious menu is prepared by Jim, and is always different and unique and the guests tend to linger and chat long after the meal is over……many friendships have been forged at this table!

Yes, My Victorian Bed and Breakfast is canine friendly! There is a wonderful guest suite on the main floor with its own private entry, making outside visits uncomplicated for you and your pet. The Mauers have thought of everything!  My Victorian  Bed and Breakfast is truly a wonderful expression of The Preservation Channel’s “Stay with the Story” series.

Anna Ross' Field Notes... The Shack Up Inn

Crossing the railroad track in the early morning hours of a Deep Delta night is as close to any "Alice and the Looking Glass experience" one could legitimately have if seeking this destination ……Shack Up Inn/ Gin Bin Inn….. in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Not a work in progress, it is a work in authenticity, the real deal!  Bill and Guy and their certified cohorts are protecting a sacred sense of space and time where interpretation preservation is not a consideration.

 ”Nothing is new, not even the sheets…clean and they do not match but, they are genuine” is Mantra Number Two. Mantra Number One at the Shacks is the prolific and unabashed use of the word Shack as the definitive adjective, noun and yes verb of life in the Delta.

  Shacks are temples which encapsulate the day by day existence of people who lived and loved in rural America. In some circles it is called Rural Domestic Architecture, here it home. Here it is, Shacks.   Each of the six sister buildings has her own musical instrument should you become inclined. Each porch is invested with a distinct artifact, a rusted ice box, a wringer washing machine and an assortment of God should forbid, not thrown away items.  One building had a still in the attic, ask the fellas.

  Directly across a small field stands the Cotton Gin Inn outfitted in a style of decorating which elevates found, reused, and uniquely repurposed materials to an art form called Bins. The interior walls exhibit a thoughtful placement of hand hewn woods with copper wainscoting whose patina was created by time, water and a real fire, nothing faux.

 In the Cotton Gin Inn Bins the sheets are new with a 300 thread count and no repetitive framed artsy prints mussing up the bona fide texture of the walls. Art is approached in a more imposing fashion with murals of vernacular themes engulfing the bathrooms, worthy of a walking tour. Of course only local artists are exhibited here.

 There are ten completed rooms for overnight accommodations and the rest of the old gin skeleton is in the process of becoming spaces to be used as a lobby, conference room, gift shop and café and penthouse. After inspecting the piles of materials to generate the transformation…well, pick something better than unique and you have the concept.

 Across the road tactics are underway for “Shack o mininums” and more rescued structures to be collected and gingerly prepared for the cultural traveler longing for a serene and wondrous experience. Not a Hotel, not a B and B…but a Bed and Beer…never was room service here. You can support the cold drink vending machine or bring your own provisions and stay a bit.

  Leaving this compound requires crossing the railroad track back to your primary world.  Attention-grabbing as it may seem ….. You question having left reality behind?   It‘s The Shack Attack!

The Shack Up Inn/Cotton Gin Inn does not advertise…..

You have to wish …through your computer monitor.