Published: July 02, 2009 06:24 pm      

TIM PRESTON: Country roads, pizza hunt and small business awards 070509

I had the day off Monday and was determined to do something fun and completely unrelated to work.

We didn’t have any good ideas, but hopped in the old car and pointed ourselves toward Grayson on U.S. 60, with intentions to stop and eat at Rosie’s Restaurant, based on repeated suggestions and rumors they have great chicken-and-dumplings.

It was a great day for a windows-down drive, and instead of stopping at Rosie’s, we turned left onto Ky. 854 and rolled on out into the Rush community and beyond.

We couldn’t have picked a better route and enjoyed the view as we traveled past a series of farms and scenic mountain ridges. It’s worth mentioning that there was practically no litter along this stretch of two-lane road, and it really added to the rural community’s charm.

A few miles down the road we realized we’d left Rosie’s pretty far behind, although we intended to go back. In the meantime, I started looking for a place to get a cold drink and we found ourselves at Country Corner Market & Cafe, at the corner of Ky. 854 and Ky. 3. While we were satisfied with a pickled sausage, peanut butter crackers and a Mountain Dew, the country store also offers catering, groceries, pizza and deli foods. For more information, call (606) 928-6587.

We trekked on down Ky. 3 into Lawrence County, turning right onto what may (or may not) have been Little Cat Lane when a banner promising Pick-Your-Own Raspberries got our attention. Twenty minutes and 2.5 miles later we found the berry patch, although there wasn’t a soul to be found there.

A neighbor said the picking had been going like crazy for the past few days and speculated the raspberry farmer may have been gone to the grocery store. Others tell me we missed the local raspberry season by about two days.

The area was starting to look familiar when I saw the sign for Fallsburg Elementary and I remembered a long-standing recommendation to stop and eat at Fallsburg Pizza, although we ended up driving right past the place. The Fallsburg community is also especially nice at this time of year, and it looked as if the family-owned campground there had plenty of guests.

If you’re adventurous and looking for a low-budget distraction, I can highly recommend such a drive into the country. You really never know what you’ll find along the way.

Sign is up

A new sign has been mounted at Blazer Plaza, near Paul G. Blazer High School along 13th Street in Ashland, announcing the pending arrival of Zanzi’s Pizza.

I’ve been scratching around, but haven’t come up with any information about the place. If anyone knows who is developing the new restaurant, please pass along my name and number.

Recognition

Allen Bocook and the staff at Mary’s Kitchen Catering at 230 16th St., Ashland were selected as the Ashland Alliance Business of the Week for July 12 through 18.

The business, named in honor of Bocook’s mother Mary Kitchen, is open for lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and offers free delivery to a limited area. The business specializes in catering for large and small gatherings, and has a chocolate fountain which has proven quite popular. For more information, call (606) 465-8588.

The Ashland Alliance has also selected Active Day of Ashland Adult Day Care and Rehab Center, at 6928 U.S. 60, as the Business of the Week for July 19 through 25. Active Day’s services are geared toward people who are eligible for nursing home care, but whose families choose to keep them at home while still being able to work.

The center provides many services for clients, including daily transportation and rides to medical appointments. The facility is staffed by registered nurses and licensed practical nurses as well as nursing assistants and provides a stimulating environment with community outings, exercise classes, dining, games and activities. For more information, call Sally Dyer, RN, at (606) 928-8119.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.