Mark B / Scooter Davenport

Might not hear back from him for awhile- he’s on a 3-hour tour.
 
M

Congrats Skipper!  Its lucky for us that you got off that island and are here to bring some new enthusiasm to the forums!
 
M

I’d like to suggest changing the settings on the FB group to allow more conversation/traffic.  I don’t see visitor posts when I go there and it seems posts have to be approved before they appear?  Maybe Im doing something wrong on my end, but I don’t see any interactivity going on.

I’d like to suggest changing the settings on the FB group to allow more conversation/traffic.  I don’t see visitor posts when I go there and it seems posts have to be approved before they appear?  Maybe Im doing something wrong on my end, but I don’t see any interactivity going on.

That is actually something I considered!  Although if we do that, it will actually be a hole into the neighboring store
 
M  

In Hazzard, the more things change, the more they stay the same.  This is also true at Cooter's Place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  About a year ago, Cooter's in Gatlinburg relocated to nearby Pigeon Forge due to unforseen circumstances.  The new location does not have the 'familily fun center' gocarts and indoor mini golf.  However, the new store brings opportunities to build new fun experiences for Dukes fans to enjoy.  In addition to easier access and expanded room for events and more cool Hazzard merchandise and collectibles, we are now buiding in the famiilar setting of the Hazzard Garage. The General Lee needs a cozy home after all!   This will be just the first of more things to come over the coming months, so stay tuned!      

Here is the current state of things at the end of October- Its really starting to look like the Hazzard garage we know.  Big thanks for my awesome team: My wife Dawn (who it turns out is a great scenic painter), Walter (who it turns out is a great carpenter and electrician!), and Joe, Nelu, and Shannon who keep the store running while we tear it apart, and scare children with the construction noise!  Its a particular challenge working around the General Lee- we have to be very careful swinging ladders, lumber, and paint around it.

 

Congrats Skipper!  Its lucky for us that you got off that island and are here to bring some new enthusiasm to the forums!
 
M

That is actually something I considered!  Although if we do that, it will actually be a hole into the neighboring store
 
M  

October and Fall in general is 'Dukes' season to me for some reason.  I think its because that's typically the time of year we would venture up to the Smokey Mountains area, which means trips to Cooter's and just being in the deep south region ('Hazzard country').  The last few years working for Ben Jones at all the Cooter's stores this time of year has just added to that feeling!
 
M

I'd like to help if I can.  I'd like to see some more lively discussion happening.  With my involvement with Cooter's, I see a lot of stuff actually happening in 'Hazzard Nation', and it would is easier for me to share it on FB.
 
M

That's Stacey Harris (goes by Tracey Duke on Facebook) who has the Boar's Nest: A DOH Museum in Rougemont, NC.

Can anyone identify any of the bows used by Bo and Luke?  I'd really like to match the exact brand and model if possible.  
 

In Hazzard, the more things change, the more they stay the same.  This is also true at Cooter's Place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  About a year ago, Cooter's in Gatlinburg relocated to nearby Pigeon Forge due to unforseen circumstances.  The new location does not have the 'familily fun center' gocarts and indoor mini golf.  However, the new store brings opportunities to build new fun experiences for Dukes fans to enjoy.  In addition to easier access and expanded room for events and more cool Hazzard merchandise and collectibles, we are now buiding in the famiilar setting of the Hazzard Garage. The General Lee needs a cozy home after all!   This will be just the first of more things to come over the coming months, so stay tuned!      

In Hazzard, the more things change, the more they stay the same.  This is also true at Cooter's Place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  About a year ago, Cooter's in Gatlinburg relocated to nearby Pigeon Forge due to unforseen circumstances.  The new location does not have the 'familily fun center' gocarts and indoor mini golf.  However, the new store brings opportunities to build new fun experiences for Dukes fans to enjoy.  In addition to easier access and expanded room for events and more cool Hazzard merchandise and collectibles, we are now buiding in the famiilar setting of the Hazzard Garage. The General Lee needs a cozy home after all!   This will be just the first of more things to come over the coming months, so stay tuned!      

I'm hungry now..

That would actually make a really cool model!  I want to make a 1/25 still anyway.
 
M

At the moment I'm concentrating on finishing the outside of the BN before I 'go back inside' to decorate.  
Wow, this place went through a lot of changes over the years.  In addition to Boss' office switching sides of the building (reflecting a change in the interior sets), all the outside details move constantly.  The outside lights, number of hubcaps, the type and location of the gas pumps, number and location of the planters, and loading zone signs.  And this isn't even counting the differences in the Georgia and Hollywood buildings!
So, instead of trying to match a particular configuration or season, I'm picking my favorite features seen throughout the series.  The funny thing is I don't think anyone else (except maybe HossC!) will know the difference!

Thanks folks- as usual I have to give a shout-out and 'yeehaw' to HossC for his help on this as well.  I'm stealing (with permission I guess!) his sign art.  His take on the building dimensions and details was also very helpful.  Yea, I could do it myself but I certainly couldn't do it better and why reinvent the wheel!  It also adds another level of satisfaction to pull in the help of the HNet community on these projects.
 
Untitled by mommydawn2000, on Flickr

Thanks folks- as usual I have to give a shout-out and 'yeehaw' to HossC for his help on this as well.  I'm stealing (with permission I guess!) his sign art.  His take on the building dimensions and details was also very helpful.  Yea, I could do it myself but I certainly couldn't do it better and why reinvent the wheel!  It also adds another level of satisfaction to pull in the help of the HNet community on these projects.

As many of you know, Ben 'Cooter' Jones owns and operates 3 Dukes of Hazzard attractions in Tennessee and Virginia.  The Virginia location, which was located in Sperryville, has recently moved location a few miles away to neighboring Luray, Virgina.  The new Luray location is the biggest venue he has ever had- when it is finished it will have a retail store, Daisy's Diner, Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia museum, and will house replicas of the General Lee, Boss Hogg's Caddy, Roscoe's Patrol Car, Cooter's tow truck, and others.  The retail store and Daisy's Diner is already open 7 days a week (and you won't find a better grilled cheese sandwich anywhere).  The retail store carries a great line of original Dukes merchandise- everything from lighters to stuffed General Lees, and of course great T-shirts.  Admission is always free, but I challenge any Dukes fan to visit without buying at least a T-Shirt!
In addition, about a quarter of the building is being turned into a replica of Cooter's Garage that visitors can explore!  Construction of the garage 'set' is currently underway and is stating to look very familiar (see pictures below).
I've had the privilege of working with Ben Jones and his wife Alma to bring the garage to life.  Its an amazing and fun project, but the best part has been getting to know Ben and Alma and their extended Hazzard 'family' who work with them to run all the Cooter's locations.  Ben and Alma are two of the most genuine and creative people I've ever met.  
The grand opening of the Luray location will be May 6th of this year when Cooter's hosts the Shenandoah Jamboree music festival.  But the big Dukes blow-out comes on July 29 and 30 with 'Cooter's Last Stand'.  This event will be a 'Dukesfest' style event with vendors, music, Dukes cast members, and a General Lee jump!  (For more information on any of the events, go to Cootersplace.com) 
17632161_10155110478214402_1189871081453011783_o by mommydawn2000, on Flickr
17630014_10155110478164402_2570272487669964811_n by mommydawn2000, on Flickr
17621704_10155110478279402_816360907846242077_o by mommydawn2000, on Flickr
17554252_10155110478169402_5111593084554948228_n by mommydawn2000, on Flickr
17499479_10155110478204402_5484780726857679784_n by mommydawn2000, on Flickr
17458232_10155110478264402_5465857622471407802_n by mommydawn2000, on Flickr

OK, here it is from 'Coltrane Vs. Duke' in season 4 (more info after the picture):
cooter's phone by mommydawn2000, on Flickr
Turns out that particular number has an interesting history. From Wikipedia:
"In the United States, 311 was sometimes used as a fictitious area code in Bell System advertisements depicting telephones; often the phone in the advertisement would bear the specific number "Area Code 311 555-2368." This fictitious phone number was used in the 1979 horror film When a Stranger Calls; in the opening of the television series The Rockford Files; in the 1984 film Ghostbusters; and on two episodes of the second season of the TV series Mission: Impossible: episode 22 titled "The Killing" (on the killer's phone) and, fourth season, episode 12, titled "Time Bomb" (on a phone at a nuclear plant in a fictitious country).
311 555-2368 was also used in numerous episodes of The Bionic Woman as the private phone number of Jaime Sommers in her coach house. At the end of a 1963 episode of Route 66, titled "Kiss the Monster, Make Him Sleep," Linc calls his estranged father at a number having area code 311. The number 311-555-9845 was used for a radio station hotline in episode 1, season 1, of the TV show A.L.F. This area code is also used as the area code for Sunnyvale, California (which is actually 408) in the 1983 movie WarGames during the "war dialing" sequence where the main character is searching for a video game company's modem pool.
"

IMG_0406 by mommydawn2000, on Flickr

Traffic in Tennessee??  Try coming to Orlando!  People from all over the world in rental cars trying to figure out where Disneyworld or the malls are.  And when it rains, they and the locals seem to forget how to drive!
 
Back to Hobie's original question: No, you are not the only one.  Its great that other folks see Hazzard the same way I do.  Beyond the silly antics of Boss, Roscoe, and Cletus and the impossible feats of the General Lee, you really do get a feel for this show's location.  Despite the best efforts of Hollywood to make a caricature of life in the rural South, there is something genuine and attractive that comes through.  I credit the original spirit in which the show was created plus the ongoing efforts of the cast to infuse the show's characters with some integrity.  Its easy to point out the repetitive nature of the scripts, especially as the show reached 5,6, and 7 seasons.  But to me, every time I tune in is like visiting old friends- you would never complain about doing the same old thing with good friends.
 
-Scooter