The Secret Gallery That Sparked a Family’s Annual Pilgrimage to Saluda
Three years ago, on a quiet, sunny afternoon, my family and I stumbled upon what seemed like a secret shop. We were wandering down Main Street in Saluda, NC, enjoying the eclectic mix of old-world charm and small-town simplicity. We thought we had seen the last of the shops when my youngest daughter, Eliza, tugged on my sleeve and pointed to a barn-like building off a dirt road.
“Look, Mama,” she whispered, an excited sparkle in her eyes.
Half-hidden on the backside of a rustic corner building, was a wooden sign that read Earthly Minds Gallery in whimsical, curling script. The storefront itself seemed to breathe with life—through the windows, vines snaked up the walls, and colorful displays hinted at the treasures within. We exchanged curious glances, and walked towards it.
As we pushed open the creaky door, a soft chime sounded, welcoming us into a world that felt like it belonged more to dreams than reality. The air inside was warm, carrying the scent of cedarwood and a hint of jasmine. My four daughters gasped in unison; their eyes wide as they took in the magic around them.
The walls were alive—quite literally. Ferns and other leafy plants seemed to grow from the walls in every direction, weaving between shelves and frames. Here and there, small fantasy creatures welcomed us: tiny raccoons with blue fairy wings, mischievous cows that promised to hold things, fairies frozen in mid-flight, and gnomes with wide, knowing grins.
“Mom, look at this!” called my eldest daughter, Lily. She stood before a painting of a teapot, upon which sat a curious frog watching a caterpillar. His expression was one of kindness and friendship.
“Did you see this?” my husband asked, pointing to another piece of art where a beet vegetable, rendered with fabric and stitching, seemed to grow right out of its frame. The wild threads mimicked roots bursting free, creating a three-dimensional effect that made the vegetable look almost real, as if we could pluck it right from its cloth garden.
The girls wandered from one corner to another, their voices filled with awe. There were mini storybooks tucked into a small shelf, filled with hand-drawn illustrations of fantastical scenes. Each book seemed to promise a new adventure, a different world waiting to be discovered. Nearby, the glimmering depths of a far-off galaxy were trapped in a resin tabletop, its celestial beauty drawing us in deeper. It was as though you could lose yourself in the stars if you stared long enough.
Equally captivating was a display of garments—each piece a kaleidoscope of colors, with patterns as unique as fingerprints. They felt nostalgic yet new, like something you would want to have and keep in your closet your entire life.
My second daughter, Grace, was captivated by beautifully handcrafted dolls and bears, her face alight with joy.
The shop owners, Sabrina and Kristen, watched us with warm smiles. Kristen’s cute little dog, Griff, followed us around for love and snuggles. Right there in front of the counter was one of their paintings in-progress on an easel set up for visitors to experience.
We spent over an hour there that day, each of us finding something that spoke to us. The girls were enchanted by the stories of each artist and the magic behind every piece. Lily found a painting of a fox in the forest watching fireflies that looked every bit as magical as the shop felt. Grace couldn’t resist a small octopus that came with its own name and story. Eliza chose a tiny resin hair clip with a real flower inside, and our fourth daughter, Sophia, fell in love with a necklace shaped like a shooting star.
When we finally left the gallery, we felt lighter, more connected—to each other, to art, and to a newfound sense of wonder. Every summer since, we’ve returned to the gallery, always asking for more works by the artists who captured our hearts. The shop feels like an old friend now, one who has watched our daughters grow, inspired their creativity, and nurtured their dreams.
The bond between my girls and the shop owners has deepened over the years. They bring artwork they created to Kristen and Sabrina, who display them proudly among the other treasures. And Lily, so inspired by her first visit here, has gone off to college to study art. She dreams of opening a gallery of her own one day, just like Earthly Minds.
And so, to anyone who finds themselves in the little town of Saluda, I urge you to wander down East Main Street, and when you think you’ve reached the end, go a little further. When you make it to Earthly Minds Gallery, let yourself be transported into a world where imagination reigns, where teapots become portals to friendship, and every corner holds a story waiting to unfold.