Destination

Tucked between the railroad tracks that helped modernize Western North Carolina and the 4.5-acre Lake Tomahawk is the charming town of Black Mountain. An ideal place from which to base one’s explorations of the region, Black Mountain offers a diverse selection of shops and restaurants all within easy walking distance from the center of town.

Sylva is Jackson County’s retail and professional center where day-to-day services meet unique history. The town’s development rose with the construction of the Western North Carolina Railroad in the 1880s. Its name came about at the suggestion of Mae Hampton, daughter of E.R. Hampton, who is credited as being the founder of Sylva.

Named for Daniel Boone, the American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman born in 1734, Boone is tucked into a mountain valley in Watagua County, so named for the Watauga River, which takes its name from an Indian word meaning “beautiful water.” For years, the area around Boone was a seasonal hunting spot with few established settlers, but after the Civil War the community began to grow. By 1899, Boone supported 150 residents. This same year saw the Watauga Academy established.

The central square of Tellico Plains is tucked away amid a small gathering of shops and restaurants. Though there’s not much by way of hustle and bustle, one can happily spend an afternoon in town.

Start with a late breakfast or early lunch at Tellico Grains Bakery. Forget eggs and sausage, grab one of the bakery’s bananas foster or blueberry scones, saucer-sized cinnamon buns, ham and cheese croissants, a Benton’s bacon and cheddar biscuit, or fresh quiche.

Greeneville was from 1785 to 1788 the Capital of the state of Franklin, the smallest and most short-lived state in the history of our nation, created when founders including Rev. Samuel Doak and John Sevier seceded from North Carolina.

Bryson City, N.C., is tucked deep within the mountains of Swain County, a county comprised mostly of federal park lands. The large amount of protected land gives the area its rugged beauty and makes Bryson City, the county seat, the perfect jumping off point for explorations of the great outdoors.