Visiting the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton VA

Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton VA

Located 3 miles from Downtown Staunton VA, the Frontier Culture Museum is the largest living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley and one of the top family-friendly tourist attractions in Virginia. This self-guided walking tour has a wheelchair and stroller-friendly pathway. There’s also a complimentary shuttle available, or you can opt to rent a golf … Read more

The 7 Best Places for Snow Skiing Near Asheville, North Carolina

Snow Skiing near Asheville North Carolina

As a longtime Western North Carolina resident (formerly of Brevard, currently of Elkin NC), I’ve spent a lot of time in Asheville over the years.  From critically acclaimed restaurants and hip breweries to trendy boutiques and swanky museums, there’s an ever-increasing array of fun things to do in Asheville NC.  This burgeoning mountain metropolis is … Read more

The 10 Best Christmas Tree Farms in Tennessee (2023)

Best Tennessee Christmas Tree Farms

Though we live just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Elkin NC, we’ve enjoyed visiting the Tennessee mountains numerous times over the last few years.    In our experience, there’s something undeniably quaint and charming about the Tennessee Mountain Towns, no matter what time of year you visit.    But when we visit Tennessee during … Read more

The 12 Best Boone NC Christmas Tree Farms (2024)

Boone NC Christmas Tree Farms

[Updated on November 10, 2024] The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are known as “the Fraser Fir Capital of the World” and Boone NC Christmas Tree Farms have some of the best trees in the eastern United States. Fraser fir needles are soft, dark green, and have a silvery underside. These trees are native to … Read more

The 10 Best Christmas Parades in North Carolina (2024)

Home For Holidays Christmas Parade in Hendersonville NC

[Updated November 2, 2024]   After living just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Elkin NC for years, I’ve come to realize that there are an endless array of things to do for Christmas in North Carolina.    Whether you’re looking for a choose-and-cut Christmas tree, top-notch Christmas light displays, or shopping in charming Christmas … Read more

The 10 Best Tennessee Mountain Towns to Visit

Small Mountain Towns in Tennessee- Pigeon Forge & Sevierville Tennessee Aerial View

There’s something nostalgic, even romantic about Tennessee mountain towns. For me, they’ve always conjured up images of log cabins, quilts, and sitting by the fire while savoring spectacular scenic vistas.   This has definitely been our personal experience while exploring the mountains in TN, and we’ve visited numerous Tennessee towns that fit the bill.   But … Read more

The 10 Best Breweries in Harrisonburg VA to Visit

The Best Breweries in Harrisonburg VA- Pale Fire Brewing Co.

Despite the fact that we’ve lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for 30+ years now, we still love discovering new hiking trails, roads, mountain towns, and scenic vistas to explore. We recently discovered a different kind of trail– the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail– which connects craft beer enthusiasts with 19 impressive Shenandoah Valley breweries.  This … Read more

15 Best Places to Celebrate Christmas in Tennessee (2023)

Christmas in Tennessee

The Blue Ridge Mountains are generally a wonderful place to spend the holidays, and celebrating Christmas in Tennessee offers myriad ways to get into the spirit. Of course, the stellar hikes and waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park get a lot of press in the summertime, as do the water recreation opportunities in Tennessee’s lakes. … Read more

The 28 Best NC Christmas Tree Farms to Visit (2024)

Best Western NC Christmas Tree Farms

[Updated November 30, 2024] Whether you’re continuing a lifelong Christmas tradition or getting your first ever real tree, picking out a tree from one of the many NC Christmas Tree Farms is truly a magical holiday moment. Especially when you’re doing it among the majestic Blue Ridge mountain overlooks and landscapes of North Carolina. Exploring … Read more

The 15 Best Places to See Christmas Lights in North Carolina (2024-2025)

Quilted Christmas Lights NC Arboretum in Asheville

[Updated on November 3, 2024] While NC is renowned for an incredible array of popular natural attractions, come holiday time, you can also find dazzling Christmas Lights in North Carolina. Ther are a ton of things to do for Winter in North Carolina and it’s a fantastic place for enjoying festive activities. The temperatures are chilly … Read more