The town of Butler is not a very well known place, but I would not trade anything in the world for it. In this quaint little town one will find a wide variety of year round activities and traditional festivals. I have traveled to many places in our nation and to other nations, but I have yet to find a place that is as dear to me as my hometown. Most of the inhabitants of Butler will tell you the same thing, whether they have traveled or not. Butler has such a picturesque landscape that it is often the subject of many photographers. The history of this town is also one of the qualities that make it such a wonderful and unique place. The friendly people, various activities, such as water sports hiking, and the wonderful landscape in the town of Butler, TN, make it one of the premier vacation spots and home sites in the nation.

Butler is located on the very northeastern tip of Tennessee. Approximately 40 miles from the ETSU campus on Highway 67, one will first cross the Butler Bridge overlooking Watauga Lake. Then about a mile later the road begins to descend into the little town of Butler.

Most of my family has lived in Butler all of their lives, so they know first hand the history of Butler. This town’s history is very unususal; Watauga Lake now covers the previous location of Butler. The TVA project moved this town from what used to be a flood-prone area to a higher elevation. Butler has its own museum devoted to this move. It contains old artifacts, pictures old Butler before and after the lake was drained, and many handmade quilts dating back to the 19^th Century. The Butler Museum is located at Babe Curtis Park at the end of McQueen Street in Butler. Entire books have been written on the subject of old Butler such as Lost Heritage by Russ Calhoun Sr.

Beautiful mountains with small creeks, a pristine lake, and rolling grassy valleys make the landscape of this beautiful place. Regardless of the time of year one will always find breathtaking landscape in the town of Butler, except for the mid winter when all of the leaves are off the trees and they look like skeletons, which can be very depressing.

The natives of Butler are people who love their land and tend to stick with traditions. The population of Butler that experienced the TVA project is quickly diminishing, but this town is still full of people who lived through it and love to tell stories of Old Butler and other childhood memories. Since Butler is becoming a tourist area, it has attracted many "foreigners." People have come from as far as Florida and other extremes of the nation to reside in this beautiful place. So if one is wishing to make a home in Butler he or she will have to pay usually a large price for land, especially if it is lakefront property (as much as 100,000 dollars for one acre) if they are looking to build. Butler is full of wonderful people who are the history of this town and new comers who want to spend their lives just enjoying the scenery.

Butler has a wide variety of activities such as hiking and water sports in the summer, ice sledding and inner tubing in the winter, and horseback riding year round, but this is only a few of the activities one can enjoy in Butler. Summer is definitely the prime season in Butler. The pristine Watauga Lake, the third cleanest lake in the nation, attracts tourists from all around to come and relax on their boats or have a blast with their jet skis. From the Butler Bridge one can easily tell that the lake is a favorite place for people on any given summer day if the weather permits. Lakeshore Marina offers boat rentals for those who just want to spend a day on the lake but do not have their own boat (call 725-2223 for prices).

Horseback riding is also another pastime of the people here in Butler. Several trails are available of different lengths and levels of skill that offer breathtaking views of the area’s mountains and the lake, and unlike water sports horseback riding can be enjoyed year round. Butler’s Wilderness Ranch offers horseback riding to anyone who may not have a mount. Campbell Holler is a favorite trail of mine. Although it is challenging, this trail provides some of the best views in the town of Butler. This trail is approximately an eight-hour ride, and would require a guide if one has never traveled on it before. Another trail that I find enjoyable is the trail to Elk River Falls. Beginning in Butler, the trail crosses over into North Carolina and goes to the falls. I would only recommend this trail for the summer because the trail crosses the river a couple of times and it can get quite chilly. This trail also would require a guide.

Every year the Butler Ruritan (423-768-3330) hosts the Old Butler Days. This festival is filled with arts, crafts, and several types of entertainment. The entertainment includes story telling and local bands performing music such as country, bluegrass, gospel, and others. Door prizes and raffles also take place throughout the day. Old Butler Days take place at Babe Curtis Park (same location of the Butler Museum) and are usually during the second weekend in August. During the winter residents of Butler make the best of a large snowfall, especially when the power goes out. Noticeable trails of sleds are almost on every hillside, and the frozen roads make the perfect trail for ice sleds. Although Butler is not as active in the winter as in the summer, it still has many activities to keep the tourists coming.

Butler has only one bed and breakfast and only a handful of restaurants, but that does not make it any less interesting and fun. Iron Mountain Inn is a quaint and relaxing place where tourists can feel welcome and at home, prices range from $130 to $250 depending on the size of the room and the time of the year (call 423-768-2446 and reservations). Maybe one of Butler’s most famous places is Shirley’s Restaurant. Famous for its fabulous home-style food, Shirley’s draws crowds from miles around (some people travel 50 to 60 miles) just to eat Sunday dinner at this great place. Shirley’s is located on Hwy 321 and is only open on the weekends, and it is closed during the winter months. At Shirley’s the "family style" meal is ten dollars per person, but it is "all you can eat" and the food is brought to the table, so one does not have to deal with the buffet line. My family eats at Shirley’s at least once a weekend. Butler also has the Pizza Place, which serves various pizzas and hot subs, and it is the only restaurant in Butler that delivers. A few other grills that serve hamburgers and other sandwiches are sprinkled throughout Butler.

No one thing characterizes Butler. It is a delicate combination of many things. This quaint little town is exactly what the hectic world needs when it wants to get away. The lovely scenery, hometown people, various activities, and interesting history make this town a place that everyone reserves a spot for in their heart. I have traveled to several places, but I would never consider living somewhere else, even if I do have to drive an hour one-way to school.