In the spring of 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt slipped his Secret Service detail to camp out in Yosemite with John Muir, Scottish-American naturalist and preservationist. Camping out a second and third night with Muir resulted in the creation of our national park system: 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, and 159 national forests, conserving more than 230 million acres, larger [...]
From Native Americans to land speculators and conservationists, people have long been drawn to Mount Mitchell, namesake of Elisha Mitchell. A geologist, Presbyterian minister, and educator, he left his mark forever on our mountain skyline by proving Mount Mitchell the highest peak east of the Mississippi. A professor at the University of North Carolina for 32 years, Mitchell was working [...]
There’s something special about North Carolina waterfalls. Our bordering states… South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia… have some great falls, but none reach the pinnacle of North Carolina waterfalls. For one thing, we have so many. Our state has more waterfalls than any of the other border states. And they are so beautiful to view. If you get close enough [...]
If you want to take advantage of all that the Triangle offers and, at the same time, relax on a visit to a small, artsy village, the small town of Hillsborough should be your destination. Just minutes away from Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, Hillsborough is close enough to encourage a stop-by where you can unwind on café-lined streets, listen [...]
Kevin Adams North Carolina Waterfalls (3rd edition)Kevin AdamsJohn F. Blair, PublisherWinston-SalemPaperback $29.95 Kevin Adams, who leads mountain tours to photograph waterfalls, has updated the third edition of his North Carolina Waterfalls with information about 400 new waterfalls in addition to more than 600 previously reviewed. His listings showcase gorgeous color photos of waterfalls with tips on how best to capture [...]
The National Park Service turns 100 years old on August 25 although both national and state parks began celebrating the centennial with special events beginning in January. The distinctive landscape of the North Carolina mountains and foothills, combined with the region’s living traditions of craft, music, agriculture, and the Cherokee heritage, create a wealth of natural and cultural treasures unmatched [...]
Groupon Getaways do not appeal to me. By the time I sort through the restrictions, try to find dates that work for me and realize that if I succeed in both, I’ll still feel like a second class citizen when I hand over my coupon at check-in. It’s just not worth it. That said, I like a good deal as [...]
Speedy New Lift and New Tube ParkElevate NC Winter Sports Season As temperatures drop, the action heats up at winter resorts in the North Carolina mountains. The 2015-16 season opens with a new tubing park at Beech Mountain Resort, a new high-speed, six-seater chairlift at Sugar Mountain Resort and other improvements on and off the slopes. “Every year brings new [...]
Fares on round-trip tickets can depend on where you start which further adds to the confusion over air fares. An example: The average price paid for a Los Angeles-Honolulu round-trip ticket was $614, which is 7.5 percent higher than the $571 average ticket price if purchased in Honolulu. according to a study commissioned by The Wall Street Journal. Between New [...]
The centennial celebrations of the National Park Service and the North Carolina State Park System are featured in the Official 2016 North Carolina Travel Guide, just published by the North Carolina Department of Travel and Tourism. The 176-page guide comes with a choice of covers:one featuring Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Rockies or another of hang gliders [...]
