Afterword
Rocky Waters Motel was a fixture in Maggie Valley for decades. Between 1948 and around 2006, five generations of my family have stayed there. It was exactly as described in the book. I say was, because it closed for good two or three years ago. For whatever reason, tourists no longer flock to Maggie Valley in the summertime, and the economic impact of that has made itself felt.
Fortunately, a couple of local business people recognized the potential of the property and spent some serious money renovating the property and bringing it up-to-date. It reopened under a different name at the end of 2019.
Similarly, the bakery in downtown Waynesville has changed hands in recent years, and no longer offers the wonderful salt-rising bread they once did. My mother discovered the bakery,
