Bret and Mary 
For approximately 340 days a year, the tiny town of McAdenville, North Carolina (population 900) is a quiet community with a charming little downtown area. But every year from December 1-26, this quaint Charlotte suburb transforms into “Christmas Town USA,” one of the best Christmas light displays in North Carolina. Ranked among the Top 10 … Read more
Growing up in North Georgia, you couldn’t drive very far into the Blue Ridge Mountains without seeing the famous “SEE ROCK CITY” signs painted on barns, birdhouses, and more. And yet, for some odd reason, my family never visited Rock City Gardens, which has been a popular Chattanooga-area attraction for 90 years now. Located atop … Read more
[Updated November 16, 2023] As a boy growing up in the North Georgia suburbs east of Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park (the state’s most-visited tourist attraction) was a huge part of my childhood. So when I grew up and had a daughter, visiting Stone Mountain for its fun festivals (including the Pumpkin Festival and Stone Mountain Highland … Read more
[Updated December 9, 2022] The Western North Carolina mountains have practically everything you could possibly want if you’re looking for a back-to-nature getaway. Home to the five tallest mountains east of the Mississippi, countless cascading waterfalls, adventurous hiking trails, and bustling mountain towns, the region offers beautiful scenery every which way you turn. After a full day … Read more
[Updated November 16, 2023] Although Mary and I have been working as a travel writer/photographer team for over a decade now, we always make sure we’re home in time to spend Christmas in Georgia. Growing up in Atlanta, with extended family who lived far north of the city, I was blessed with so many … Read more
[Updated on November 20, 2023] Widely regarded as one of the best places in the North Georgia mountains to live, Dahlonega GA is one of those old-timey small towns that visitors often compare to Mayberry. It originally grew out of the gold mining boom of the early 19th century, when the Georgia gold rush brought thousands of … Read more
10 Fun, Festive Ways to Celebrate Christmas in Helen GA, including the Helen Christmas Parade, Lighting of the Village, Santa photos & more.
Asheville NC is one of our favorite Blue Ridge Mountain towns to visit, and it shouldn’t be difficult to understand why. It’s a truly a nature-lover’s playground, surrounded by ecotourism attractions such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Linville Falls, Mount Mitchell, and the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest. Of course the city itself also has a lot … Read more
[Updated January 2, 2024] For a medium-sized North Carolina mountain town with a population of under 100,000, there is a surprising wealth of unique things to do in Asheville NC. Thanks to an infusion of wealth brought in by the Biltmore Estate in the early 20th century, there’s historic art deco-influenced architecture. There are also … Read more
Hiawassee GA is a tiny town of around 1,000 residents that’s located right on the North Carolina border. Pretty much everything in Hiawassee is centered around Lake Chatuge (which it shares with the town of Hayesville NC), which is widely considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the region. The neighboring town of Young … Read more