From the publisher, December 2020
As you read this issue of Smoky Mountain Living, you’ll find—as in every issue—some fine examples of writing and photography by our talented team of contributors. I’m a publisher who started in this business on the writing and reporting side, so I have a deep appreciation for those with the skill to put together an interesting, entertaining read.
This issue, though, sent me on a bit of philosophical journey about past and present, pondering just what the future holds for this unique part of the world some of us are lucky enough to call home.
Today is typical of early fall in the Smokies: rain outside my window, completely clouded over skies with no hint of sun in the forecast for the next several days. The remnants of Hurricane Zeta are prowling, coming in tonight with precipitation and high winds. At this moment there’s a light drizzle dragging any leaves that still have purchase to the ground. Nights will drop into the 20s over the next week as we get into November, with daytimes temps in the high 60s.
The cloudy, misty days remind me of when I first arrived in the mountains as a young college student. That nostalgia was fueled by Aaron Tanner’s story in this edition about the mountain’s old-time tourist attractions. He mentions Mystery Hill, and I remember going with guys on my freshman dorm hall at Appalachian State University to that attraction, located between Boone and Blowing Rock. As you walk through, they’ve put floors and walls at different angles to disorient you, and it was actually fun. There may have been some pre-visit beer involved on that Saturday afternoon, but that’s what college kids do.
Those were the days when I fell in love with mountains, and that yearning to live and work here hasn’t waned in all these years. So Danita King’s story about climate change prompting people to leave areas along the coast and head for the mountains struck a nerve. With another hurricane just now battering the gulf coast, and this summer and fall being another near-record year for tropical storms and hurricanes, I suspect more folks will be coming our way.
But climate change is just one part of the story, as we all know. The COVID-19 pandemic is also prompting people to make drastic changes in their lives. As so many figured out how to work from home, and with crowded big cities losing their appeal, local real estate professionals tell us there is a migration toward this region like none they’ve ever seen. Houses are staying on the market for mere hours before offers are pouring in, sometimes sight unseen.
Who can blame them? I can walk across my back yard, turn up the mountain and be on a mountain bald with majestic views in about 20 minutes. Or we can hop in the car with our mountain bikes and be on a great trail in about 25 minutes. I sometimes decide to extend my lunch break by getting a takeout sandwich from the local sub shop and hopping on my motorcycle and heading to the Blue Ridge Parkway, pulling over at an overlook with a book and just chilling for 45 minutes.
I won’t say the secret’s out about life in this region, because people who have been visiting here for years know about our great lifestyle. But it seems more and more are heeding the call for a life less hurried in a place where you can walk out your door each morning and gaze around in awe at the landscape.
This magazine tries to capture some of that “awe” in each edition. Holly Kays’ story about cross country skiing down Main Street in Waynesville, N.C., sure sounds awesome. There’s another great piece about winter hiking, and then another by Susanna Shetley about those seeking replenishment and perhaps some solitude at some of the region’s spas and retreats.
As I said at the beginning of this column, I love a great read. Every issue of this magazine is packed with them, so as you read, enjoy your time visiting—even if it’s vicariously—some of the greatest places in the Smokies.
—Scott McLeod