Cherokee, North Carolina

Cherokee, North Carolina

Cherokee, North Carolina, home of the Cherokee Indians, is one of five gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sits up against the southeastern boundary of the Park. Unlike it’s counterpart Tennessee city, Gatlinburg, it is much quieter. Where Gatlinburg TN—at the northern border of the Park—is very fast-paced with lots of lights, with a constant flow of improvements and investment, Cherokee NC is still stuck in the 1950s, because the tribal members own all the land within the Cherokee boundary and have not encouraged outside investment. If you visit both towns, you’ll get a good idea of the contrast that exists between the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the Park. But understand that Cherokee NC has a lot to offer the mountain traveler. The southern approaches to the town (via US 441 through the Park or north from Atlanta) or US Hwy 19 (from Bryson City) will bring you quickly to the downtown area of Cherokee. If you’ve ever visited Cherokee at anytime since the mid 1950s, you’ll quickly recognize the souvenir stands and the stuffed bear shops. You can still locate the “Chiefs” in full colorful regalia as they stand in front of tepees waiting for their pictures to be taken–expect to leave a tip for the privilege. In an area of Cherokee that features the old government buildings from the 1930s and 1940s, you’ll find The Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. The Cherokee craft cooperative, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, and the Cherokee Historical Association’s production of “Unto These Hills”, an outdoor presentation with more than 100...
3 Easy Ways You Can Identify Where Are Smoky Mountains

3 Easy Ways You Can Identify Where Are Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are a majestic subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. Consisting of over 800 square miles, the mountain range is known for it’s majestic views, beautiful foliages, playful wildlife, and abundance of fun things to do. However, with so much land to account for, it may be hard to determine where are Smoky Mountains exactly. For example, where do the Appalachian Mountains stop and the Smokies begin? To help narrow down the location of our beloved mountain range, we have given you several resourced to use to identify where the Smoky Mountains are below. 1. Geography The Great Smoky Mountains cover a wide area. In fact, there is a total of 187,000 acres or land that make up the mountain range. That is quite a chunk of land along the Tennessee–North Carolina border! Along with being part of the Appalachian Mountain range, they also help form a section of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. Meaning, they are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. These mountains release a high amount of an organic compound called isoprene into the air, which is where the fog and blueish tint of the mountains come from. If you are looking at a map, you can easily identify where are Smoky Mountains by circling the range of mountains that stretch from the Pigeon River in the northeast to the Little Tennessee River in the southwest. The Tuckasegee River and both the Soco Creek and Jonathan Creek roughly outline the southern and southeastern borders of the mountains respectively. 2. Elevation Geography is not the only way to identify where are Smoky Mountains. Elevation...
Highlands, North Carolina

Highlands, North Carolina

Highlands is not only a great place to visit–it’s also a great place to retire. In 1879, developers Samuel Kelsey and Clinton Hutchinson thought Highlands NC would be the ideal location for a vacation Time has proven that Kelsey and Hutchinson were right. And all the things that make it a wonderful place to vacation make Highlands, and nearby Cashiers, the perfect place to retire. Highlands NC and sister village Cashiers are located at the southern tip of the Blue Ridge Mountains, at a point where North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia meet. The towns offer a pleasing climate, plenty of clean air, some fantastic shopping and the natural beauty of the mountains and numerous waterfalls. The Highlands Country Club features a world-famous Donald Ross resort golf course, which has been played by many of golf’s big names. The course record is held by Bobby Jones, who maintained a summer home at the club. Highlands NC has a permanent population of approximately 2,000, but in summer that number easily jumps to over 25,000.(For Cashiers NC, these numbers are 1,200 and 9,500, respectively. During summer vacation, travelers can appreciate the cooler temperatures. In July, the average low is about 56 degrees; the high about 76. Residents and vistors who stick around for winter can expect an average low of 25 and an average high of 42 in the month January. Cashiers NC, a one-stoplight town, is home to the High Hampton Inn and Country Club. The rustic retreat also features cabins covered with shaggy chestnut bark,water sports on Lake Hampton, mountain climbing, horseback riding, and gold. The moderate weather found...