Fall Fun at the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk NC

Wooly Worm Festival in Banner Elk NC

Most of us are familiar with Groundhog Day, wherein a large rodent (a.k.a. Woodchuck) checks to see his shadow on February 2 and helps to predict when Winter will end.  But have you ever heard about how one quaint North Carolina mountain town uses a fuzzy caterpillar known as the Woolly Worm to make similar predictions?  Held … Read more

The 10 Best National Parks in North Carolina to Visit

Newfound Gap Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina

With all of its natural beauty and rich (yet sometimes turbulent) history, it’s unsurprising to realize that so much of the state of North Carolina has been protected as U.S. National Parks.    From outstanding swaths of biodiversity to Civil War battlefields and pristine coastlines, there are seemingly endless adventures to be found at the … Read more

Review of Mountain Springs Cabins in Asheville NC

Mountain Springs Cabins in Asheville NC

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

Exploring the Schoolbus Graveyard, North GA’s Painted School Bus Attraction

Schoolbus Graveyard in the North Georgia Mountains

Located about an hour north of Atlanta in Habersham County, the Schoolbus Graveyard is arguably among the most unusual and intriguing roadside attractions in North Georgia. Surrounding Alonzo Wade Used Cars & Auto Parts– a 5-acre junkyard that has been in Walter Wade’s family for 60+ years– the colorful landmark embodies two classic clichés. One … Read more

Unicoi State Park & Lodge: Camping & Hiking Near Helen, GA

Beautiful scenery at Unicoi Lake-Smith Lake in Unicoi State Park, GA

[Updated on 7/20/21] Growing up in Atlanta, the mountain town of Helen GA seemed like another world, with its festive Christmas in Helen celebration and fun Alpine architecture, biergartens, bratwurst, and annual Oktoberfest Fall Festival. But even as a kid I was much more attracted to the natural beauty of Unicoi State Park, which is … Read more