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
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
[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
[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
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
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
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
[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
[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
In 2022, my wife Mary decided to make her 80-year-old dad’s longtime dream of spending Christmas in Asheville NC come true. She planned a terrific trip that included two “bucket list” items– the Biltmore Estate Christmas Candlelight Tour and the Polar Express Christmas Train Ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City. … Read more
