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RVing to Mayberry
Forty minutes from Winston-Salem,
North Carolina, RVers can find the
laid-back lifestyle of Mayberry,
RFD. Located just 10 miles by road
off busy I-74, but worlds away in
time, is Mount Airy, the hometown
of Andy Griffith and the inspiration
for the fictional town of Mayberry.
Stroll down the picturesque Main
Street and go back to a time when
life moved more slowly. Relax in
the rocking chairs on the porch
of the Main Oak Emporium and prepare
yourself for the highly acclaimed
pork chop sandwich at Snappy Lunch,
a Mount Airy tradition for over
50 years. Mentioned on The Andy
Griffith Show, Snappy Lunch is Mount
Airy's oldest eating establishment.
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Floyd’s
City Barber Shop
(2
chairs-no waiting )
has a "Wall of
Fame” with more than
20,000 customers who
have visited over the
years, celebrities and
tourists alike.
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RVers can visit Floyd’s City
Barber Shop and the "Wall of
Fame". Owner Russell Hiatt
has been cutting hair for more than
50 years, and he boasts "2
chairs-no waiting." While
you are visiting Mr. Hiatt, he might
snap a picture of you sitting in
his barber chair. He has a collection
of more than 20,000 pictures, which
make up his "Wall of Fame."
Celebrities, such as "The Incredible
Hulk" Lou Ferrigno and George
Lindsey, better know as Goober,
have showed up for a trim. Their
pictures are among the many of thousands
of tourists that come through the
barbershop each year. Admission
is free, but a hair cut will cost
you.
The Old City Jail at 215 City
Hall St. is a local re-creation
of “The Courthouse” seen in so many
episodes of the popular television
series The Andy Griffith Show. The
Old City Jail was Mount Airy’s real
jail for many years. This site served
as Mount Airy’s Municipal Building,
which housed many city offices and
the Mount Airy Police Department.
Several years ago, city offices
were moved to a new Municipal Building
on South Main Street. Admission
is free.
Fans of Andy Griffith can even
stay in the Mount Airy home where
he lived during his adolescence
until his high school graduation.
The two bedroom, one bath Andy Griffith
Homeplace is located less than one
mile from Downtown Mount Airy. Rates
are $150-$175. Reservations are
recommended. Check-in and reservations
are made through the Mount Airy
Hampton Inn. A continental breakfast
at the Hampton Inn is provided.
The Griffiths bought the house
for $600 in 1935. They sold the
house in 1966, for $6,000. The house
contains antiques and is decorated
1930s-1940s style. Griffith memorabilia
and stories can also be found throughout
the house.
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Andy
Griffith ate at the
Snappy Lunch as a young
boy growing up in Mount
Airy. You can, too!
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Andy Griffith ate at the Snappy
Lunch Andy as a young boy growing
up in Mount Airy. Students went
there for lunch because the local
schools did not have cafeterias.
The restaurant is famous for the
pork chop sandwich, which was created
by restaurant owner, Charles Dowell,
who has been at Snappy Lunch for
more than 50 years.
In an early episode of The Andy
Griffith Show, Andy suggested to
Barney that they go to the Snappy
Lunch to get a bite to eat. Andy
also mentioned the Snappy Lunch
in his version of the song "Silhouettes."
More recently in a television news
interview, Andy talked about getting
a hot dog and a bottle of pop for
15 cents here when he was a boy.
The restaurant is open for breakfast
and lunch Monday through Saturday,
but closed on Sunday.
You won’t forget this one-of-a-kind
North Carolina RVing
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