Online Publications
Atlas Obscura seeks to entertain its audiences with curious and unusual wonders of the world. Two of my submissions have been just strange enough to be added to their catalog of unique points of interest.
Lake Lure
In the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains rests a 720-acre manmade bit of heaven known as Lake Lure, although film fans may know it better as the lake where Johnny Castle taught Baby to lift.
While it looks like a naturally occurring feature, the body of water now known as Lake Lure didn’t appear until 1927. The area was slowly settled starting in 1902, and by 1925, a power company had come to the area to establish a dam on the Broad River. Once the river was dammed, the lake only took a couple of years to fill up, and a brand new rustic lake town was formed.
While it is beautiful in its own right, the lake and its attendant town are likely more recognizable from films than from family vacations. Most notably, the lake is seen in Dirty Dancing. Scenic areas in and around the lake, as well as the Fairfield Inn, were also used for some of the filming locations. The staff cabins were demolished not long after production, but the steps to the bridge are still there. The town even started an annual Dirty Dancing Festival in 2010, and in 2013, began donating part of the proceeds to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in memory of Patrick Swayze.
Other movies shot in the area include Last of the Mohicans and Firestarter, but it’s the memories of dance and romance that keep the lake alive.
Pecan Legacy Park
The area once known as Gumbo Flats, now referred to as “The Valley” by locals, is home to fine dining, outlet stores, fall pumpkin patches, and a little grove of stalwart pecan trees that has survived the Great Flood and other tests of time. The first tree (the monarch tree) was planted more than a century ago, and the three younger ones around it sprouted from its nuts.
In 1993, when the Midwest was devastated by the Great Flooding of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, Chesterfield’s 100-year levee couldn’t withstand the raging waters. As happened in many rural towns and cities, the backwaters seeped in, filling the valley with as much as 15 feet of floodwater that destroyed the area’s farmland and existing businesses.
The businesses may have fallen, but, miraculously, the pecan grove did not.
While the city was rebuilding the area, these trees became protected by a new 500-year levee, and a monarch tree ordinance was passed, preventing commercial development of the land they occupy.
To further protect and celebrate the longevity of the four trees, a half-acre park was built around them, giving both passersby and nearby retail workers a place to rest. In 2016, when the park was dedicated, a fifth tree was planted. In addition, Julie Sesti, a local artist, was commissioned to sculpt a life-sized bronze tribute to the Bayer and Brasher families who once farmed the area and planted the original tree in the 1890s.
For now, the future looks bright for this sturdy cluster of trees. Missouri pecan trees tend to thrive in the nutrient-rich, bottomland “gumbo” soil that this area provides. The largest tree has a trunk circumference of about 14 feet and stands around 70 feet tall. Healthy pecan trees can grow to 100-150 feet tall and yield nuts for up to 225 years, so this tiny park could be offering a nutty snack and a spot of shade for hundreds of years!
Essays and Research Papers
Flyers & Brochures
Fibromyalgia Flyer
This piece was completed as a part of my Writing for Healthcare course. The design and writing is original and created in Photoshop. Photos were sourced from Pixabay and edited with permission of the copyright holder.
I chose Fibromyalgia for this project because I've specialized in treating this condition in my massage practice. Many clients seek alternative methods of treatment, such as the therapies listed here. If someone is suffering from unexplained pain, my hopes are that they may come across this graphic and spark a conversation with their doctor.
This brochure about Missouri State Basketball was created in my Writing with Technology II class as a final project. I utilized design skills and audience analysis and created it in Adobe InDesign.
InDesign was used in conjunction with Photoshop to edit images and create objects. The graphics were sourced, and even though this wasn't an official document for Missouri State University, I researched their brand and worked to follow the style guide that is available on their website to maintain the integrity of their brand.