Hello From The Ridge!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have started a Happy 2020. It’s always such a busy time of year and I had to put my blog, and most everything else, on hold until after the first of the year! I’m living pretty much full-time now in Ashe County, North Carolina, which is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just north of “Fraser’s Ridge”. I don’t care what season it is in these North Carolina mountains, it is simply beautiful. During the winter, the mountains are dark and you can see the ridges and hollows so much clearer. The profiles are distinct. It makes me think of what Jacosta told Jamie. When I’m out and about, I look at these mountains in winter and think this must be the way it looks in Scotland.
Season 5 And The Battle of Alamance
Well, I love that picture!!! Are you ready for Season 5?!?! After seeing the trailer and the promo picture above, I can hardly wait! It looks epic!
As the season unfolds, you’ll see that much of Season 5’s story revolves around the Battle of Alamance which took place in Alamance County, North Carolina, on May 16, 1771. Diana visited the Battleground in April of last year and you can too!
During the course of the season, look for blog articles from us exploring the real history and characters of the Battle of Alamance. Diana did a great job of depicting the circumstances leading up to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath in The Fiery Cross so we will be delving further into the real characters and history come February!
Happy Hour With Harmony Returns
If you’ve been around for awhile, you probably know that during season 4, Harmony Tersanschi, one of my talented admins, did a round of FB Live videos called “Happy Hour with Harmony”. If you’re new to the group, she worked her way through the cocktail recipes in the Outlander Kitchen Cookbook & came up with Mocktail versions as well each Saturday evening, live on the Outlander North Carolina Facebook Page. Well, it’s that time again and Harmony will be doing things a little differently during Season 5 seeing that the next cookbook won’t be out in time for the new season. This time she’s asking you to send her your cocktail requests. She’ll make & taste, come up with a Mocktail alternative, and maybe review an appetizer or two from the Outlander Kitchen Cookbook. Harmony loved hanging out & chatting with every one each Saturday evening, and she can’t wait to do it again! Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite or not so favorite (if you want to get a good laugh) cocktail recipes, so Harmony can start making her list. Last year, during Season 4, we gathered around our various devices to watch Happy Hour with Harmony before the new episode came on. We’re looking forward to Harmony’s return to the “small” screen on February 16! Leave her a comment below with your cocktail suggestion!
Fraser's Ridge Homecoming 2020There's No Place Like Home
We are deep into the final stages of planning for Fraser’s Ridge Homecoming 2020 and this year our theme is “There’s No Place Like Home”. If you’ve ever been to the NC mountains, you’ll know that no truer words could be spoken about Jamie & Claire’s home on The Ridge.
We are excited to announce that tickets for Homecoming 2020 will go on sale at 6:00 PM EST on January 13, 2020. I am so looking forward to meeting some of you in October!
In case you don’t know, Fraser’s Ridge Homecoming is a celebration of the history of Jamie & Claire’s North Carolina backcountry wilderness. The Homecoming is Outlander inspired but history focused making it a truly unique event for the history-loving Outlander fan. Drawing from the places the Frasers lived and visited, the events that shaped their lives and the people who crossed their paths, the Homecoming takes us back in time via workshops, living history, music, performances, food, drink and so much more. Combine that with a fun dose of Outlander and you have the perfect combination.
And as if it could get any better, for the first time, we will be welcoming home to The Ridge some very special cast members from the TV series….the MacKenzies of Castle Leoch! Mrs. Fitz, Colum MacKenzie & Dougal MacKenzie will be joining us this coming October!
We are thrilled to be able to share North Carolina’s 18th-century history with our special guests!!
Please click HERE to see ALL the amazing things we have lined up for this wonderful weekend…and we’re not done yet! By clicking on that link, you will also find all the current information on ticket price, deposit, what the ticket price includes plus information on installment payments options. Tickets are limited to 200 attendees!
Homecoming Venue & Lodging Options
Our venue for The Homecoming is the beautiful Leatherwood Mountains Resort in historic Ferguson, North Carolina. Within the ten mile radius of where The Ridge is likely located, you will feel as though you have truly stepped back in time when you arrive at Leatherwood. Relax in a luxury vacation home hidden in the trees in Leatherwood’s Blue Ridge Mountains and wilderness horse country. If you are the more the rustic type, Leatherwood offers camping options on site. Either way, you will know you have come home to The Ridge.
Because of the popularity of the Homecoming, most cabins at Leatherwood have already been rented. So, we have some alternative options if you are unable to reserve a cabin because of unavailabilty or because of financial restrictions. Check these alternative lodging options below:
- Other Local Accommodations. In addition, The Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express in Wilkesboro (30 minutes from our venue) have also blocked off rooms for us and you can get a special rate by contacting either of the hotels directly. Just be sure to mention that you are coming for the Outlander event at Leatherwood.
- Cabin or Hotel Room Sharing. Many life-long friendships have been forged by folks who shared their cabins with complete strangers while at the Homecoming the last two years. Besides, in the Outlander community, are there really any strangers? If you’re interested in sharing a cabin or a hotel room with others, please complete the form at this link. We will do our best to connect you with other folks who are wanting to share.
- You might also consider looking at VRBO’s and AirBNB’s in Ferguson, North Carolina.
- NOTE: If you rent outside of Leatherwood, please check with the owner for the distance from your rental to Leatherwood and keep in mind that you need to at least double the amount of time you think it would take to drive to and from. The roads are extremely narrow and curvy – it is the Ridge, you know! Which bring me to this point…Ubers and Lyfts are unavailable in the area!
Get Your Tickets Here!
So, Sassenach, are you ready to go home? Click the button below to purchase your tickets. If you click it before 1/13 at 6PM, you won’t see any tickets to purchase yet BUT it will give you the opportunity to read through and review the important preliminary information. That way you’ll be ready to purchase when the time comes.
I look forward to meeting many of you and welcoming you “home” in October! It’s going to be the BEST Homecoming yet!!
Homecoming Questions?
Click this link and complete the form. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Best Wishes For A Happy New Year!
In closing, I’d like to wish each one of you a very Happy New Year! Thank you for subscribing to the blog and taking time out of your day to read it. As I said earlier, you can expect more blog articles as Season 5 gets started. Only 38 days to go!! Which begs the question… what are you most looking forward to in Season 5? Put it in the comments below!
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