Chris Johnson | Posted on October 9, 2024 |

Mayberry in minutes: A quick visit to Andyland

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — A recent work trip to southwest Virginia took me up Interstate 77 through some beautiful portions of the North Carolina mountains — a couple of weeks before there was such a thing as Hurricane Helene.

One of the places just off of I-77 required a pit stop — Mount Airy, N.C., home of Andy Griffith and the small town upon which the fictional Mayberry was based on “The Andy Griffith Show,” a staple of both my childhood and adult years.

While my heart aches for those who have been impacted by Helene, it was a beautiful day when I visited Mount Airy last month. The only tragedy I witnessed was that much of Mount Airy — especially the western side toward the interstate — was nothing like I had imagined. It had all the chain restaurants and shops you could imagine, and it felt a lot more like Warner Robins, Georgia, than Mayberry.

I would have liked for my first trip to Mayberry to last all day so that I could visit more shops and waste more money. However, I had just enough time to stop in for a quick bite to eat and a few photo ops before getting back to work. And, there was no way I was going to be this close to Andyland without popping in for a moment like Malcom Tucker in Season 3, Episode 6, I was a “Man in a Hurry” (seen by many as the quintessential “Andy Griffith Show” episode).

Like Mr. Tucker, I wound up wanting to stay a little longer.

I had a quick bite to eat at Barney’s Cafe, where the folks are very nice to the many, many Andy Griffith fans who come through the door every day. There was no way I was going to eat at a chain restaurant nearer the interstate.

Then, I took a long walk east through downtown past Mount Airy’s million touristy and antique shops. I have no doubt there was much to see and buy in this area, but, again, I was a man in a hurry.

I walked down to the highlight for tourists — the area around Wally’s Service Station, where you also can find a replica of the courthouse and jail from the show. You get some strange looks from other tourists when you are touring such places alone, but they were kind enough to offer to take my photo at the sheriff’s desk and in Otis’ cell.

It’s all a little kitschy, of course, but so what? It’s touristy because, well, tourists. That area of Mount Airy runs on Andy Griffith.

For a quick pit stop, it was fun. I’m a Jimmy Buffett fan, so I’m used to the kitschy stuff at Margaritaville locations and at tailgates. I’ve certainly bought my share of silly Parrot Head stuff, and I bought a couple of slightly tacky things from Wally’s Service Station to hang in my grillin’ shed at home.

Beyond the fun-yet-purposefully-tacky world of Parrot Heads is what Jimmy Buffett and his music meant to his fans. He fostered a love of escapism and travel while celebrating the sea from the far side of the world to Tahiti to Key West and the Gulf Coast. If all you know is the silly world of Parrot Heads, then you don’t understand Parrot Heads.

Likewise, you don’t get Andy Griffith by sitting at a replica sheriff’s desk in “Mayberry,” taking photos of the Darlings’ pickup truck and Andy’s squad cars or by eating at Barney’s Cafe.

Andy Griffith was an incredible storyteller. It’s what put him on the map. He was able to use the people he knew from growing up in North Carolina as fodder for his humor while celebrating and honoring them at the same time. He didn’t punch down as so many do today. He was self-deprecating as a small-town boy from Appalachia. He loved where he was from — so much so that he spent the final years of his life back in North Carolina.

I also grew up in a small town — Oglethorpe, Georgia. I’m not famous, and there are no murals with my face on it, nor people posing for photos in a kudzu patch where I once played football and baseball. (I’d like to see Patrick Mahommes try to escape the pass rush in kudzu.) It was a lot like Mayberry when I grew up there.

Today, it’s still like Mayberry, much more so than Mount Airy. Maybe I can write some best-sellers and turn it into a tourist mecca. Meanwhile, there’s less in that town than there was 40 years ago.

Still, in Mount Airy, you can walk up the main street past homes that recall an earlier day. There are ferns on front porches, just waiting for a man like Malcolm Tucker to wait for Gomer to come with good news about his car. There are murals, and Andy Griffith’s name adorns several buildings, including the local playhouse.

If you’re not a fan of Andy Griffith, you probably haven’t seen his incredible breakout movie “A Face in the Crowd,” “No Time for Sergeants” or “Angel in my Pocket.” You might not have heard his recitation of “What It Was Was Football.” You might not have seen every episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” (the ones before Barney left anyway) several times as I have. If you haven’t done all that, kitschy Mount Airy won’t be your thing.

But as an Andy fan who wishes he could captivate an audience the way Andy could, this was a mandatory and worthwhile stop for me.