I found the Boyd Mountain cabins outside of Maggie Valley (near Waynesville, NC) several years ago, but I only stayed here once. As I recall at the time, I was feeling very burned out and wanted to get away for a few days. I talked the owners into letting me bring Cocoa! They have a [...]
If you go to Oconaluftee, you have to see the Elk. I keep seeing them but don't "see" the herds as much as the people, who live in the area. By that I mean, there's a whole group of people that follow the Elk (and now the eagles) around and report where they are at [...]
I have gotten fairly close to the wonderful people who watch over and run Travelers Rest. Recently, it was open to the public for a small fee, and I can never resist visiting the Inn for a "step-back-in-time." What a blessing it is to know Sandra Fisher and her team of volunteers and to meet [...]
Waterrock Knob holds a special place in my heart. It was my first "real" over 6,000 foot hike after cancer and chemo! Looks like I could have chosen another hike to begin with; but looking back, I feel like this was the place God had for me. Made for the Mountains! . . . as [...]
Sunday afternoon was spent walking along a roadbed on what we call "the South Carolina side of the Tugaloo River." We have often wanted to hike this trail to the dam, but we still did not make it. There was a stream near the end that we could not cross on foot. This is a [...]
Even thought summer is over, it is still all about the views and the hike. It was much colder and the first thing we encountered on our way up to Albert Mountain was a shallow stream crossing. I remember after climbing Fry Pan Mountain and the fire tower there, saying that the next thing I [...]
Obviously, I can't bring myself to say goodbye to the Blue Ridge Parkway this year. I keep returning and that's okay. It seems so odd to think that a roadway as beautiful and well-know as this Parkway will be closed during the winter and inaccessible, but this is what happens. Around Thanksgiving or at the [...]
Highlands is always a peaceful destination for us, and we were sure that it would be a quiet retreat from the hurried pace of Christmas—since it was "Christmas past." We were so wrong. This was once a town that closed during the winter and all "the snow birds" went south to Florida. No more! They [...]
