Editor’s note: Last week, Star interns Karley Fate and Marly Conder were asked to visit shops in downtown Elizabethton and share their observations in words and photographs. Both girls are from other counties and can offer an outsider’s perspect on our town. Here’s what they had to say:

Observations by Karley Fate, Star intern:
When we first starting exploring all the stores, I honestly was not expecting to like any of them. I knew it would be interesting to see all the different shops, but I was not expecting to learn anything.
The first few places we walked by were old and rundown, there was trash in the window displays and dust everywhere. Eventually we stumbled upon the Lingerfelt Drug Center. Originally, I was confused by the boutique at the entrance, but then I realized the center was connected to multiple shops. Inside there was the bank, the boutique, and the drug center. Everything there was absolutely perfect. It felt like I went back in time and was visiting one of the convenience stores that supplied people with everything. The two ladies at the front of the boutique were wonderful, and made me feel at home. They showed Southern hospitality at its best.
We visited many antique stores, but there was one in particular that stood out to me: The Picket Fence Antique Store. This store had the greatest variety of antique items — any person could go in this store and find something they love. Everywhere I looked I saw the most fascinating items. I saw antique roller blades, cameras, typewriters, and record players. Overall this store was my favorite. The last place we visited was Coffee Company. The atmosphere of this shop was so nice. While there, we ordered a smoothie and a Chai tea, they were very delicious. Once again, the people running the store provided great service, and were very pleasant to be around. I plan on visiting there again in the future. By visiting all these stores I have a better appreciation for the kindhearted people in this town who have the ability to make every person feel welcome.

Observations by Marly Conder, Star intern:
The first thing that popped into my head when asked to look through all the shops downtown and search for whatever is interesting was that it sounded like a fun assignment. I expected to see a few new things there and maybe learn a little from the experience.
After actually being able to go through all the stores and complete the assignment, I found that it came out being quite a bit more than I expected. It was really interesting seeing all the different things Elizabethton had to offer us. Not only do they have some great shops there with some pretty impressive things to see, but there is a remarkable amount of history in the town that is still fully preserved and shows in the town’s stores, architecture and people.
It was nice to be able to experience that history if you’re not already accustomed to it, like myself. One of the things I found interesting about the town was all of the antique stores that were present just in the downtown area. It was nice to see all the different stories the items in each store had and the history that surrounded them.
I’m from a really small town, so it was cool to be able to see so much history all in one little place. It was a whole new experience for me because my town doesn’t really have much to see at all, and what it does have to see I have probably seen already. That might be how most people here feel about Elizabethton, but for me, its a whole new discovery, much like my hometown might be for someone from here.
It’s always nice to hear what people have to say about where they live and what that place has to offer. Some of the stores downtown even had things I had never seen before.
I saw vintage items, handmade things and tons of unique crafts that I had never even thought to do. The things that I got to look at while roaming around were things that make up Elizabethton. By what I’ve seen, it seems like a pretty nice place to be.