There are plenty of fun things to do in Cherokee NC, which is located on the Oconaluftee River, just 10 miles from Bryson City and 5 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Located within the Qualla Boundary (a land trust held on behalf of the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee), Downtown Cherokee is … Read more
[Update January 23, 2024] Winnowing down a list of the best mountain towns in NC is a difficult task, and it’s much less rewarding than actually visiting said towns. The North Carolina mountains are renowned for offering up a charming slice of small-town life and local culture, including everything from moonshine and bluegrass music to country cooking … Read more
[Updated April 13, 2023] With a wealth of Asheville breweries earning the mountain town the nickname “beer city,” plus a wealth of breweries in Boone and Brevard, Western North Carolina is known for some of the nation’s best microbrewing. But NC wineries have also been gaining an increasingly high-profile national reputation. Farmers in the area have gradually realized that … Read more
Ancient Indigenous tribes once thrived across the region now known as Georgia, living here for thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived. Many of them were forcibly removed after the Georgia gold rush brought an influx of prospectors to the state in the late 1820s, which led to the Georgia land lotteries. But … Read more
A lot of us have an unhealthy fear of snakes, presuming that they’re all human-killing machines bent on a slithery path of destruction. But that simply isn’t the case, despite what local folklore may have led you to believe. The truth is that most snakes are non-venomous (80%, to be exact). And, of the 20% … Read more
[Updated April 11, 2023] Located at an elevation of 2,388 feet, Lookout Mountain sits on the border between North Georgia and Tennessee. Just a 10-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga (or a 2-hour drive from Atlanta), the mountain is home to some of the most famous tourist attractions in the area. Atop Lookout Mountain you’ll find … Read more
[Updated April 10, 2023] Back in 1828 (21 years before the famed California gold rush), thousands of prospectors descended upon the town of Dahlonega, Georgia in search of their fortune. Located in the heart of North Georgia’s Cherokee Indian territory, Dahlonega grew like wildfire in the wake of this frenzied mining activity. A U.S. Branch … Read more
There’s something about eating a fresh-from-the-plant strawberry that takes me right back to the days of strawberry picking in my grandma’s garden. If you find yourself a little underwhelmed by the mild flavor of store-bought strawberries, local farms are the way to go. Fortunately there are plenty of options for farms that offer opportunities for picking … Read more
We’ve explored nearly 50 different Blue Ridge Mountain towns since we launched this site in 2020. But we’ve probably stayed in less than a dozen hotels during all that time. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with hotels, mind you. Many of them offer budget-friendly prices, proximity to popular activities and attractions, and plenty of … Read more
The State of Virginia has a cool collection of historic and covered bridges, all of which are well worth a visit if you’re traveling in the area. Many of the stunning VA bridges on this list date back to the 1800s, with the oldest bridge in Virginia built in 1857. But no matter how old … Read more
