Where could this fictional town be located? And a question for readers

[JennifersLost]

Mason's Ridge is a back-woods community of like-minded "eco-do-gooders" all attempting to live lightly on the land in their own individual and somewhat eccentric ways.

 

Cia Mason has inherited Mason's Ridge from her grandmother, and is expected to step into her shoes as landholder, storekeeper, postmistress, arbiter of disputes, matchmaker and major-domo for all the community's celebrations.

 

The series of Mason's Ridge novels will revisit the community (obviously) and cast of characters in each successive novel. It will be lighthearted contemporary fiction with romantic elements.

 

But I need a "real" location to plunk down Mason's Ridge in. In my mind, the community is nestled between a river and a fairly steep hillside, with most of the town on the flat land near the river and some people living on the hill/side. It needs to cover about 4 - 6 square miles. It's a 10 - 15 minute drive from some fairly bustling town - remote-ish but also accessible by tourists who come for the farmers' market.

 

I've been picturing it in upstate New York, New Hampshire or Vermont - there's a character in the series who needs to have ties to NYC. I need to be able to describe it's location with reference to other towns/cities/highways but the community itself will be completely made up.

 

Anyone got any ideas? For some reason, the location has me stymied.

[Rosie_0801]

Sounds a bit like King Island, Bass Strait. Of course you'd need to take a study trip. :D

 

Sounds like it'll be a fun read. :)

 

Rosie

[Scarymelon]

Sounds like Northern California to me.

[Samiam]

Outskirts of Asheville NC? Several art galleries there, so the NYC-ties can be started there, and the person has to fly to NYC often for that?

 

River is the French Broad....hills/Mountains are the Blue Ridge/Appalachian......bustling city is Asheville, with constant tourists, and kick-butt Farmer's Market!

[Momof3littles]

Outskirts of Asheville NC? Several art galleries there, so the NYC-ties can be started there, and the person has to fly to NYC often for that?

Good suggestion.

 

I want to read the book!

[happi duck]

Sounds like northern Washington state

[Veritaserum]

I was going to suggest Pacific Northwest or northern California, but that would be pretty far from NYC....

[anabelneri]

Oregon is a lot like that. Lots of mountains, lots of eco-minded folks, plenty of "nestled in" communities... if you use Google Maps and look up Portland, you can follow the Hood River west away from the city. That area might be similar to what you're looking for.

 

:)

[buddhabelly]

Sounds just like Haines, Alaska. Except that to get to the "bustling town" nearby, you would have to take a small plane.

 

Sounds like a great book!

 

Julie

[Mergath]

Sounds like it could be just about anywhere in Minnesota. Of course, the problem is that here, any bustling town is probably going to already have a couple farmers markets.

[Kathleen in VA]

Sounds like Luray, Virginia or Winchester, Va - remote but close to everything. Near the Shenanadoah River and near the mountains.

 

Or maybe Charlottesville, Va area - this is where Annie Dillard was when she wrote Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

[Alessandra]

Marin County, CA? that would be my gut reaction, even w/ the NYC ties.

[In the Rain]

Oregon is a lot like that. Lots of mountains, lots of eco-minded folks, plenty of "nestled in" communities... if you use Google Maps and look up Portland, you can follow the Hood River west away from the city. That area might be similar to what you're looking for.

 

:)

 

I was thinking of Oregon too.

[Melinda in VT]

Mason's Ridge is a back-woods community of like-minded "eco-do-gooders" all attempting to live lightly on the land in their own individual and somewhat eccentric ways.

 

Cia Mason has inherited Mason's Ridge from her grandmother, and is expected to step into her shoes as landholder, storekeeper, postmistress, arbiter of disputes, matchmaker and major-domo for all the community's celebrations.

 

The series of Mason's Ridge novels will revisit the community (obviously) and cast of characters in each successive novel. It will be lighthearted contemporary fiction with romantic elements.

 

But I need a "real" location to plunk down Mason's Ridge in. In my mind, the community is nestled between a river and a fairly steep hillside, with most of the town on the flat land near the river and some people living on the hill/side. It needs to cover about 4 - 6 square miles. It's a 10 - 15 minute drive from some fairly bustling town - remote-ish but also accessible by tourists who come for the farmers' market.

 

I've been picturing it in upstate New York, New Hampshire or Vermont - there's a character in the series who needs to have ties to NYC. I need to be able to describe it's location with reference to other towns/cities/highways but the community itself will be completely made up.

 

Anyone got any ideas? For some reason, the location has me stymied.

 

How specific do you need to be? And what's your definition of "fairly bustling"? Keep in mind that Vermont is very rural. Our state capital has under 8000 people.

 

My first thought is that making Montpelier the "fairly bustling town" would make your topography believable, as long as people aren't packed too tightly into that 4-6 square miles. You can take a train from Montpelier to NYC (although it takes 9 hours :glare:) or you can drive less than an hour to the airport in Burlington for a quick flight.

 

Of course, "eco-do-gooders" aren't all that rare around here, so if conflict with the surrounding communities is a big part of your books, you might be better off putting it elsewhere.

[Remudamom]

I think it sounds like West Virginia.

 

Like here-http://chickensintheroad.com/dailyfarm/

[MamaT]

Outskirts of Asheville NC? Several art galleries there, so the NYC-ties can be started there, and the person has to fly to NYC often for that?

 

River is the French Broad....hills/Mountains are the Blue Ridge/Appalachian......bustling city is Asheville, with constant tourists, and kick-butt Farmer's Market!

 

Exactly. I just knew you were describing my town right outside Asheville - until you said NYC.

[Plink]

I would pick Colorado. All my eco-loving friends moved there. Kinda' weird now that I think of it.

 

BTW, I live in NH and wouldn't pick it as your setting. We are known for being very concervative and more concerned with personal rights than conservation. VT otoh is much more believeable. Maybe near Mad River Glen. There are lots of summer houses for NY City transplants in that area.

[Cera]

Sounds like Vermont to me.

 

What characteristics do you need for the "fairly bustling" town?

 

Middlebury, VT might work and the topography around that area would fit. There is also Bennington which is another small college town and has a decent amount of activity.

[redsquirrel]

Ithaca NY. No doubt.

 

We have Ecovillage, and are 5 hours from NYC. We even have a green cemetery.

 

The small city itself isn't 'backwoods' but surrounding area is all rural. Drive for 10 mins and you are in farmland and forest.

[The Girls' Mom]

Look into Townsend, TN area.

[MariannNOVA]

Sounds like Luray, Virginia or Winchester, Va - remote but close to everything. Near the Shenanadoah River and near the mountains.

 

Or maybe Charlottesville, Va area - this is where Annie Dillard was when she wrote Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.

 

 

This is what I was thinking.

 

OR: Middleburg, Va or Purcellville, Va

[catz]

Sounds like it could be just about anywhere in Minnesota. Of course, the problem is that here, any bustling town is probably going to already have a couple farmers markets.

 

:iagree: I was thinking northern Minnesota or northern Wisconsin too. Especially if you need some extreme winter weather.

[georgialee]

Look into Townsend, TN area.

 

 

This is a good idea. The only problem is the bustling town would be Knoxville which isn't all that huge, though we love farmers markets here! Townsend is situated on a gorgeous river with the foothills of the Smokies all around... the mountains are about 2-3 miles outside of town. The town is small and quiet but can be quite touristy at certain times of the year or if they have Trout Fest or other outdoors-y type festivals.

 

Another idea would be anywhere in the Finger Lake region of New York state. GORGEOUS area, hills all around, many small towns to choose from. I'm not sure on the bigger cities in that region but I'm sure there are some... (Rochester, Ithaca, maybe?).

[JennifersLost]

Wow - I didn't expect all the replies! Thanks, everyone - I'll get out my maps.

 

I've pictured the community being in the northeast for several reasons. One - I want it to be accessible to a lot of people. It should be it's own place, but not totally separate from the world. Transportation (or lack thereof) figures in the books.

 

There is a character who has had a high-profile life in NYC who is getting away from it - thus the tie-in to NYC.

 

Also, eventually there will be another character (a potential love-interest) who is all about sustainable living in the city and how that's the way to go rather than "country" eco-living. I picture him in one of the beat-up small cities in upstate New York that are really struggling right now.

 

I hadn't considered the Finger-Lakes region, but that might really be the answer. I'll google map all the suggestions, though. Wouldn't it be lovely if I could afford a country-wide tour to check them all out? Sigh.....

 

I'll keep you guys posted on what I figure out.

[Teachin'Mine]

Near Rhinebeck, NY? Or further north, near Binghamton or near Watkins Glens if you want the Finger Lakes area.

[MariannNOVA]

Wow - I didn't expect all the replies! Thanks, everyone - I'll get out my maps.

 

I've pictured the community being in the northeast for several reasons. One - I want it to be accessible to a lot of people. It should be it's own place, but not totally separate from the world. Transportation (or lack thereof) figures in the books.

 

There is a character who has had a high-profile life in NYC who is getting away from it - thus the tie-in to NYC.

 

Also, eventually there will be another character (a potential love-interest) who is all about sustainable living in the city and how that's the way to go rather than "country" eco-living. I picture him in one of the beat-up small cities in upstate New York that are really struggling right now.

 

I hadn't considered the Finger-Lakes region, but that might really be the answer. I'll google map all the suggestions, though. Wouldn't it be lovely if I could afford a country-wide tour to check them all out? Sigh.....

 

I'll keep you guys posted on what I figure out.

 

I am sending you these links b/c I think they are worth looking at area-wise: http://www.lccss.org/ and http://fieldsofathenryfarm.com/

 

Elaine (the owner of FOA) has a fascinating story - our family drives out to her farm a couple of times a year to personally select meats, eggs, broth, etc. The rest of the year, we drive a short distance and pick up a pre-placed order. There are many many merchants and health care providers in Middleburg and in Loudoun County who participate in sustainable Loudoun. The actor, Robert Duvall, and his wife are very active in SL as they reside in Middleburg.

 

Our Christmas Eve tradition is to drive out there with the kids and the dog and walk around, have a hot cocoa, or whatever. Most shop owners allow dogs to be brought into their shops. Middleburg is a great place.

 

HTH.