"Gobsmacked in the Gulfstream" by Arlene Mandell

Some of the South’s prettiest spots and grandest experiences are just a little farther south and not always the easiest to find.

Arlene Mandell is an artist living in Linville, North Carolina. Her engaging portraits can be seen year-round at the Carlton Gallery in Banner Elk. Relocating two years ago from Miami to the Grandfather Mountain community inspired a love of writing. She is a member of the North Carolina Poetry Society and Sue Spirit's Writing Workshop in Vilas. Her essays and poems have appeared in Second Spring and Gateways literary anthologies.