Just outside Asheville, a last vestige of vintage mountain travel still welcomes hikers and families alike with rustic and retro charm.
Into the Wild
The Hidden Road
A way-off-the-beaten-path route between Maggie Valley and Cherokee takes intrepid travelers to “the back of beyond.”
Survival School
On the river, along the trail, or just off the grid, knowing how to handle an emergency in the wilderness can save a life — these are the lessons taught at Nantahala Outdoor Center.
The Everything Root
A cure-all to many, wild ginseng is still hunted and sold in Blue Ridge counties. Protecting it takes vigilance, know-how, and, sometimes, even a stakeout.
High Country Bounty Hunter
Chef Andy Long puts Appalachia on the table (by way of Louisiana), and everyone — from locals to leaf peepers — is eating it up. But it’s the mountain community he’s found and fostered that makes his farmhouse restaurant feel like home.
Conquering the Midway
It may seem impossible to win that giant Jamaican banana at the hoop toss. But according to the Wake County law enforcement officers (and their kids) who work the game-testing beat, it just takes a little know-how.
Pickle It. Jam It. Win It.
It’s judgment day at the State Fair’s food preservation competitions: Lids pop, judges dig in, and the anticipation is so thick you could spread it on a nice, warm piece of toast.
Ambition Blooms
In flower and gardening categories, State Fair competitors with green thumbs (or not) pin their hopes on plants that often have a mind of their own.
Photo Essay: Banner Elk
High in a northwestern corner of the state, a little town on the Elk River welcomes new friends and temporary neighbors to celebrate mild summers, snowy winters, and — perhaps most spectacularly — bright, beautiful autumns.
