4 Ways to Learn Something New

LEARN HOW TO MAKE POTTERY

These mountains can inspire the artist in just about anyone. And, there are opportunities to take a workshop or a private class in learning how to make pottery. Or, to improve your skills in that field. Cindy Trisler makes what she describes as functional and fanciful pottery in a setting outside Mars Hill, NC, which could inspire anyone to take up some type of artistic pursuit. Her fascination with nature, namely the shapes of flowers and leaves, is the primary influence on her work. She also reflects what she calls “Mother Nature’s sense of humor” in her pottery. Find a place to stay in these beautiful and feed your artistic soul as well.

TRY YOUR HAND AT DISC GOLFING

Golf with a frisbee-like disc? Yes, we have a disc golf course here in Madison County if you would like to give a new sport a try. The 18-hole course winds its way through the beautiful campus of Mars Hill College. And, you can even pick up a free score card and course map at the college bookstore. Or, download a copy from this website. The bookstore also sells the special weighted discs that are needed if you expect it to land in the basket at each hole. If you want to practice, Blannahassett Island in Marshall has a practice course.

FOLLOW CLUES TO A GEOCACHING CONTAINER

It didn’t take long after the popularity of GPS technology for someone to come up with a fun use of a GPS. Think of it as a 21st century scavenger hunt. Although there are some locations that are within the towns in Madison County–college students love to hide things on the campus–many of the sites are in beautiful rural areas. So, combine a hike through the mountains and track down the clues once you have reached the GPS site to uncover the treasure that someone has placed there. What a unique way to enjoy unexplored places.

RESEARCH YOUR GENEALOGY

If you have Madison County roots, the Madison County Library in Marshall has a history room designed to aid you in your research. The room is filled with public records (birth, death, and marriage certificates), cemetery records, and Civil War registries. There are many donated family histories as well as old maps and old newspapers for your quest in tracing your family’s history. The library keeps its one-of-a-kind books about Madison County in this room, too. Accessible from any of the public computers in the Library is a special version of Ancestry.com which allow you to search (free of charge) birth, death and census records. Make an appointment to learn about your ancestors and enrich your knowledge of your family history.