Unique Places and Destinations in the Mountains

Welcome to the Blue Ridge Highlander Library of Unique Places and Destinations in the Mountains. We hope you enjoy the stories we have created for your entertainment. Below is a photo and short description about each story, click the photo or title to go to the full story. New stories will continue to be added, so check back occassionally to enjoy the new additions.

Foxfire Museum, Heritage Center and Literary Organization. The deep lines in their faces tell of hard times, like memories carved into the very fabric of their being. The language of their ancestors, the very accents of their kinsmen sound out like a recording on a vintage Victrola. Their traditions and culture reflect the cycles of the seasons like the circular rings of the internal tree lines. Their personal marks are everywhere, on the lands, in the homes, at the church and in the history laid down for generations to come. They revered the land, their families and their persistent faith. They tamed a wilderness, capturing a land that they dominated for nearly 200 years.

Giants of the Forest.....Scraping the sky beyond the mountains they grace, stand the giants of the old growth forest. Pressing upward, they pursue their life’s goal, to live beyond the common practice of time always reaching towards the sky. Obsessively they chase the cycle of seasons, round and round until their internal structure displays an intricate circle of rings. Rings similar to the working order of a great clock, preserving and telling its story along the way. read on.....

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest - Slickrock Wilderness Area Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest......Located just 15 miles from Robbinsville, in Graham County North Carolina, tucked away deep in the Nantahala National Forest and partly in eastern Tennessee, is a rare living national treasure. An ancient, old growth forest of giant trees, untouched by the logging saw. A sanctuary protected and preserved under the Wilderness Act for the enjoyment and the posterity of a people and a great nation..... read on....

Welcome to Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I'm not sure exactly what was going through George Washington Vanderbilt’s mind when he visited Asheville, North Carolina in 1888. The historical facts state that he fell in love with the mountains while on a visit with his mother Mrs. Maria Louisa Vanderbilt. They were drawn to the breathtaking scenery, hot springs and the mild mountain climate that brought in a steady flow of tourism and summer residents. It was the Gilded Age, a time when wealthy “Victorian Era” Americans were living for social fare, travel and leisure.

Keeping the Art Alive - John Campbell Folk School

John C. Campbell Folk School...Keeping the Art Alive. We are all born with an innate creative instinct. Self expression excels in those who are aware of their creativity. Although there are some who are not aware of this inner resource. They might be afraid to delve into themselves, into the unknown. Worried that they may not have the creativity that they have seen in others, they don't open the door apprehensive over what they may find, wondering if it will be good enough. These people are locking away a treasure, a wealth of growth, accomplishment and self-discovery.

Christmas at the Front
The Christmas program at Fort Loudoun offers us a vintage look at “Christmas Past.” A view of a more simple and humble time for those isolated far from home and country. No light shows, no fancy decorations, no grand hoop-la just the Spirit of a sacred time, a time of giving and reflection.

Living history makes Fort Loudoun not only a unique historical stage but also an educational theater concerning the lifestyles of Early Americans.

Below the Falls ...Dare to dream...A family's journey from West Palm Beach to the southern slopes of North Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by the wonders of waterfalls, mountain vistas and forest covered land, the family decided to stake out 140 acres of mountain forest for a modest vacation getaway. Today they have built what has become a highly renowned resort, that has grown beyond their own expectations. Together, they built a resort the size of a small town specializing in romance, leisure, and corporate gatherings.

Aye'll Take the Highroads a ribbon of asphalt, gently gliding across valleys and over mountain gaps, while occasionally following along the shore of a beautiful lake. We will cross the Appalachian Trail twice, zig-zag over the Eastern Continental Divide, do switch backs up and down mountain slopes, hug the curves of a high mountain gorge and ride the banks of a whitewater river rushing down a steep mountain gorge, all in one trip.

Blue Ridge Georgia and Gateway to the Mountains

Gateway to the Mountains...This story begins hundreds of miles to the north, at the very upper tip of the Blue Ridge Province. A solitary mound of earth rises from the ground to a modest height, its own roots, are bound deep into the earth, reaching back in time to the days of the first turns on the Great Potter's wheel. At the southern most tip of the Province is a valley that extends approximately 25 miles across, point to point crossing, with several small mountain ranges, rivers and a continuous flow of rolling hills. It's from this advantage point, as you enter the valley that the inner corridor gets its name..."Gateway to the Mountains."