The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,190 miles from Georgia to Maine, and the North Carolina portion features the highest peaks — including several above 6,000 feet — and some of the most beautiful views along the entire footpath. We joined super-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis for an AT adventure to find out why knowing the Appalachian Trail is part of knowing North Carolina, and why you shouldn’t be intimidated to pull on your hiking boots — for five months, a few days, or even an hour.
Split-rail fences don’t shout “keep out.” They lean, they shift, they invite. And in western North Carolina, they remind us that some lines are meant to hold, not harden.
Each May, spring climbs nearly 3,000 feet to the seat of Alleghany County. Here, as the rhododendrons blush, a beloved mountain town welcomes visitors with its food, art, and flourish of color and creativity.
Brief but delicious, soft-shell crab season is cherished by diners as well as the folks who work around the clock to put these native pinchers on our plates.
When it comes to poultry, the best is raised close to home.
