By Ashlie Miller Fall is a time for road trips, at least for our family — day trips, really. Last weekend, we ventured up to Brevard to connect with our oldest son, who is interning in western N.C.
Brevard is a perfect town with an atmosphere we love. It’s also not far from some favorite hiking trails. You may also know the town of Brevard for the local legend — the white squirrel.
Metal silhouettes of the town mascot sit atop the traffic posts, and across the corner from O.P. Taylor’s toy store is The White Squirrel Shoppe — dedicated almost fully to merchandise of this woodland creature.
Alongside the white squirrels, you may also find souvenirs showcasing a Sasquatch. Spying Bigfoot and white squirrels is like a game of Where’s Waldo while window shopping. I wondered how much of the white squirrel obsession was based on folklore and legend and how much represented something true and observable to the casual tourist.
But, other than that, I didn’t give it much thought. The hairy big guy, however, I discounted completely. Say what you will — the grainy photos are less discernible than my firstborn’s ultrasound.
After some window shopping and a fantastic supper at Corky’s Dawg House, we looked on the map for a nearby park with a playground where we could talk with our son while the younger siblings released their energy before our long ride back home. As we approached the parking lot — “Wait, what was that?! Did you see it?” We all saw a white fur ba.