If...
you're looking for white picket fences and
close-knit neighborhoods, we've
collected eight
small towns, though eight more southern cities retain
that small-town flavor and warmth, while offering the benefits of
urban living. Wanting to spend hours swinging a
golf club? Here are seven towns dedicated to the sport, many with
course-side resort living options. Been wanting to brush up on your
comparative literature or anthropology? Pick a college town and be a
student again. This is just a sampling, of course a cross-section of
communities throughout the Blue Ridge region.
Here's an overview:
Georgia
 Retreat to the northernmost corners of Georgia
and find history, mountains and lakes. Here the Appalachian Trail
meanders to its southern end (on the top of Springer Mountain, near
Blue Ridge); here potters and painters live in small towns and find
inspiration in the scenery around them. Appalachian Georgia is another
mountain-and-lake region, with waterways lacing through acres of the
Chattahoochee National Forest and south.
Kentucky
Welcome to the home of Daniel Boonečs
Wilderness Road and today's Country Music Highway not to mention the
oldest continuously-played golf course in the U.S. at the
Middlesborough Country Club. There is Civil War history, art galleries
and opportunities for outdoor recreation and if youčre a music lover,
youčll find it here (not to mention the bluegrass).
Maryland
Find everything from skiing to farmer's markets
in the western corner of Maryland, where Deep Creek Lake sparkles next
to The Wisp Resort; there are thousands of acres of state forest for
exploring, rivers for rafting and waterfalls for just enjoying. Yes,
there are mountains in Maryland Oakland was once called "the
American Switzerland." Railroad history and restored architecture
highlight the historic districts of Cumberland and Frostburg.
North Carolina
 There was a reason George Vanderbilt chose the
mountains of western North Carolina to build his famous Biltmore
Estate. Visitors today can still enjoy the quiet beauty of the
landscape that inspired him. Wander the Blue Ridge Parkway to
Asheville, "Paris of the South," a city of thriving arts. Or
get away to countless small communities like Boone and Blowing Rock,
with quaint shops and bed and breakfasts hidden in the hollows of the
mountains.
South Carolina
Upcountry South Carolina holds many treasures - the lush South Carolina Arboretum, Clemson University (with
attractions including a new continuing education center and its
football team), waterside living on lakes from Jocassee to Hartwell
that stretch across Upcountry's western border. Adults 60 and older
attending state universities are eligible for expense-free paid
tuition. The Savannah River Scenic Highway (SC 24) winds along through
Oconee and Anderson counties.
Tennessee
The homeplace of notables as varied as Davy
Crockett, Alex Haley and Dolly Parton, Tennessee claims part of the
majestic Smoky Mountains (schools like the Great Smoky Mountains
Institute offer year-long programs in history, ecology, wildflowers
and more). An ancient art form thrives in the state's oldest town,
Jonesborough, home to the National Storytelling Association
headquarters and the setting for an annual storytelling festival that
draws thousands.
Virginia
There are a hundred landscapes to choose from in
the mountain region of Virginia, from the sweeping expanse of the
rural Shenandoah Valley around Harrisonburg to the blue water of Smith
Mountain Lake to the rugged slopes of the southwestern highlands.
Three routes make up the backbone of the Virginia Appalachians: the
Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail and old Route 11. Roanoke,
Asheville's sister city on the Parkway, and Abingdon, even further
south, both have thriving arts communities.
West Virginia
 There's barely a part of West Virginia that is
not mountains - autumn drives along its winding roads (made all the more
appealing by an excellent highway system) mean brilliant reds and
oranges. The Shenandoah Valley stretches up into the Eastern Panhandle
and the mountains become more and more rugged in the southern coal
country. Enjoy the architecture of Charleston, along the Kanawha
River, or find a place in the thriving arts and golf communities
elsewhere in the state.
By Cara Ellen
Modisett
|
