SHORELINES

13 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2015 Vol :1 glasses in the classic metal pantry, the cabin screams "1950s." The two bedrooms each have two twin beds and the living room furniture is straight out of "Green Acres." There are no televisions or Wi- Fi and the old-style radio is there for decoration, not for actual use. A glider swing on the back porch faces the water. The rhythm of the water meeting the land and the bells ringing on a floating buoy break the stillness and it's easy to imagine Williams pulling out his guitar to break the calm. Wanda Coker, facility coordinator at Children's Harbor, said the cabin is rented regularly during the spring and summer months. Sometimes, bridal parties want a place to get ready before a wedding at the nearby chapel, but Hank Williams fans also find their way there. Fans have come from other countries. Some purposefully rent the cabin on Williams' birthday or the anniversary of his death. Others aim for mid-August to mimic the time the man himself stayed there. "One couple came all the way from Holland," Coker said. "They stayed in other landmarks along the way but the Hank Williams cabin was certainly on their 'to do' list." Then there was the time a man who called himself "Hank's biggest fan" rented the cabin. "He wanted to stay specifically on Hank's birthday," Coker said. "The next morning we kept hearing music. We looked over and he was on the beach with a guitar singing one Hank Williams song after another. He had a camera set up on the beach and he was recording himself. The next day after he left, we found that he had left a note under the glass on the kitchen counter addressed to Hank telling him 'Happy Birthday' and how much he enjoyed staying in 'his' cabin." Those wanting the full "Hank experience" should make dinner plans at the nearby Kowaliga Restaurant. Although it carries the tribal name, the wooden Indian and walls filled with Hank Williams memorabilia make it obvious the Kowaliga Restaurant is a tribute to "Kaw-Liga" and the man who sang it. Such is the power of the Hank Williams mythology. For the avid Hank Williams fan, eating at the restaurant and staying at the cabin is likely worth the price of the trip. It also helps to know the $250-per-night cabin stay is going to support a good cause at Children's Harbor. In the age of smartphones, computers and satellite television, it might be hard for many to justify the visit just because a sign out front proclaims the place the "Hank Williams Cabin." Then again, what is a piece of mythology worth? – MIK E TOMBER LIN Hank Williams expert David Mitchell shares more stories about the Hank Williams cabin on apcshorelines.com. Above: Photo by Billy Brown — David Mitchell, a native of the Lake Martin area, has been studying Hank Williams since Mitchell was a teenager. Centerfold: Photo by Billy Brown — A view of the cabin at Lake Martin.

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