Tech
Echo Spot
Echo Spot brings you everything you love in a stylish and compact design. Just ask to see the weather, get the news with a video flash briefing, set an alarm, see lyrics, check your calendar, browse and listen to audiobooks and more. Echo Spot features far-field technology with four microphones, beamforming technology and enhanced noise cancellation so it can hear you from across the room – even while music is playing. Amazon’s Echo Spot has a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a camera and Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa, built in.
Hot Off the Press
Christine Hurley Deriso is an award-winning young adult author who loves putting interesting characters in character defining situations. Her novels include All the Wrong Chords, Then I Met My Sister, Thirty Sunsets and Tragedy Girl.
In Things I’d Rather Do Than Die, Jade Fulton and Ethan Garrett are opposites in every sense of the word. Ethan is an all-American poster boy, a star athlete dating the most popular girl in school and a devout Christian. Jade keeps mostly to herself. She abhors joining “things,” hates everyone at their high school except her best friend Gia and considers herself agnostic. When Ethan and Jade find themselves locked in an aerobics room overnight, their confinement forces them to push past the labels they’ve given each other. Jock. Loner. Jesus freak. Skeptic. Golden boy. Intellectual. Amid hours of arguing, philosophizing and silly game playing, Ethan and Jade learn there’s a lot more to the other person than meets the eye. After that night, life returns to normal and each goes back to their regular lives. Still, neither one can shake the unexpected bond they formed and they can’t help but question what they’ve been taught to believe, who they want to be and where their hearts truly lie.
Visit Christine Hurley Deriso at www.chderiso.com
Events
Jan 10. Troy Breslow will perform at Riverwatch Brewery at 6 p.m. Mother-daughter duo, Brey and Anne Sloan decided it was about time Augusta had its own brewery so they created one in Riverwatch Brewery.
Their lineup includes four core brews, in addition to limited releases and experimental brews so there are always plenty of new ones to experience. They also offer guided tours so you can see where the magic happens. Grab a beer and relax on the patio, because the wait for a hometown brewery is over. 1175 4th St. Open Wednesday through Saturday.
Jan 19. Elenowen and the Tuten Brothers at The Refinery After Hours. This is a unique concert experience, referred to as a “listening room.” Artists perform in an intimate audience setting, where they can draw the audience in with their talents as well as the stories behind their songs. Doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner and social time. Show begins at 7 p.m. Dinner is included with ticket price and cash bar (wine and beer). Seating is limited. 953 Jones St. The Refinery After Hours is also a barber-spa and lounge.
Visit www.mensrefineryspa.com.
GETAWAYS:
Snowshoe, West Virginia
Let the fun begin
Snowshoe, W. Va covers a total area of 11,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountain Range and is among the top rated ski resorts on the east coast.
Snowshoe offers extensive lodging options, gourmet dining, shopping, wedding areas and a luxurious spa. Snowshoe Mountain Resort is part of a family of 13 resorts plus CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures.
Where to Stay
The South Mountain area is situated at the top of Snowshoe Mountain. Most units are ski-in/ski-out with easy access to diverse terrain. Plus, the Top of the World check-in center is there, making your travel distance from check-in to lodging very short. Best of all, this is where the Soaring Eagle Express is located, accessing the mountain’s newest terrain and allowing you a speedy trip home at the end of the day. Hoot’s, The Tool Shed and Top of the World rentals make this a convenient location for dining, retail and rental needs. Properties located in South Mountain are the Soaring Eagle Lodge, Logger’s Run, Timbers, Snowcrest, Leatherbark, Wabasso, Treetop and Top of the World.
Where to Eat
Set in the resort lodge, this BBQ eatery offers American classics with live blues and scenic vistas. Firefox Grille is Snowshoe’s Snowshoe’s most adventuresome venue with a uniquely conceived combination of a cosmopolitan and country atmosphere. Great views, imaginative lighting and a warming fireplace all add to the experience.
Old Spruce Tavern. Located in The Village at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Old Spruce Tavern is a favorite of both locals and resort guests. The kitchen serves made-from- scratch soups, fresh salads and sandwiches. There are no fried foods on the menu so it’s a perfect spot for a quick lunch or light dinner.
What to Do
Green Bank Observatory. The Green Bank Observatory designs, builds and runs the world’s most sophisticated radio telescopes for scientists, including the Green Bank Telescope, the largest steerable telescope in the world.
Cass Railroad. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park recalls an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Trips to Cass are filled with rich histories of the past, unparalleled views and the sights and sounds of original steam-driven locomotives. The park’s 11-mile-long heritage railroad and authentic company town are some of the state’s most popular tourist attractions.
Monongahela National Forest. Monongahela National Forest, in the north central highlands of West Virginia, is a place where visitors can enjoy breathtaking vistas, peaceful country roads, gently flowing streams and glimpses of the many plants and animals that live there. This special place was established in 1920 and encompasses one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the United States, with elevations from just under 1,000 feet to 4,863 feet above sea level. The Monongahela is a “working” forest, which provides timber, water, grazing, minerals and recreational opportunities.
Greenbrier River Trail. The Greenbrier River Trail is a 78-mile former railroad now used for hiking, biking and horseback riding. It is the longest trail of its kind in West Virginia. The trail provides many breathtaking views as it passes through several small towns, crosses 35 bridges, goes through two tunnels and cuts through some of West Virginia’s most remote areas. The Greenbrier River Trail is one of 50 Millennium Legacy Trails in the United States, and was rated one of the top 10 hiking trails in the country by Backpacker Magazine. Part of the Greenbrier River Trail lies within a National Radio Quiet Zone so cell phones do not work.
FACES:
Regina Edry
Born in Nashville, Tenn., Regina Edry is a self-taught artist from Augusta University. Regina has taken her art and passion and has “built her kingdom on a base level.” In her younger years, Regina served in the missionary field in Mexico and had the honor of meeting Mother Teresa while visiting New York.
After the loss of her father, Tom Edry, Regina prayed for guidance to see the way ahead and asked for guidance on how to start over.
Inspired by her father’s real estate endeavors, the nurturing support of her mom, Kathy, and her strong Catholic faith, Regina opened the first of three AirBnb’s in Augusta.
She started with her Bella Grace Cottage and additionally acquired Southern Charm Cottage and Best of Augusta Cottage. Regina says, “I love hosting my guests and they are already booked for Masters. Brides book them for their wedding weekends and photographers love them and they stay booked 75 percent of the year.”
Regina started an interior design and home staging company in March, works as a full- time nanny for a local doctor in the area and has a booth at The Savvy Shopper where she sells vintage furniture and home goods.
Regina recently had an art show opening at Hire Grounds honoring her late beloved friend, Charles Bagby who she thinks of as a “kindred spirit.” Regina’s style is heavily influenced by Howard Finster of “Paradise Gardens” and Sister Mary Corita Kent, an American Roman Catholic religious sister, artist and educator.
Regina honors Charles in her art collection, “Counting Every Blessing” referencing a song Charles listened to every day while taking his daughter to school. Regina says, “Charles taught me to not be afraid to do what I love. He helped me start my staging business. He saw the good in me and gave me a chance.”
Regina enjoyed her 40th birthday this year and her best girlfriends flew in from various spots around the country to celebrate the occasion and make new memories. Finding herself again, Regina says she is putting herself out there and enjoying laughing and loving life with her mom.
Visit Regina Edry Interior Design & Staging on Facebook.
Article appears in the January 2019 issue of Augusta Magazine.
