To celebrate the October issue of Our State, we’re taking a road trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway! In our annual Mountain Issue, Our State editor — and resident soundtrack maker — Mark Kemp wrote about an early-1980s trip he took along the famous road, and the mixtape of mountain music he made to accompany him. Now, Kemp is sharing the very playlist featured on that old cassette. The next time you drive the parkway, listen to songs drenched in fiddles and banjos; twangy voices backed by high-lonesome harmonies; and lyrics that complemented the rolling hills, gushing waterfalls, and little farmhouses tucked into the hollows, smoke puffing from their chimneys.
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
