Golf Communities
Mountains - North Carolina
Area Info
One of the most popular retirement destinations in the United States today was once the part of the nation that nobody wanted. The Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina—the Blue Ridge, Great Smokies, and Black Mountain ranges—were the county's original high frontier, a forbidding barrier to westward expansion and a sparsely-settled and impoverished region. But that began to change after the midpoint of the 20th century, when highways, leisure time, and disposable income brought visitors to the high country in droves. Many fell in love and stayed...while others vowed to come back.
Whereas Florida's original attraction was its warm, sunny winter weather, the Appalachians offer the opposite: they're cooler in summer by about 15 degrees over the surrounding lowlands. Add in the fact that in winter they're a prime destination for skiers, and the recreational possibilities in the area rival those of any other area in the country. The cultural attractions have recently caught up as well, led by the city of Asheville, which offers a sophisticated arts and restaurant scene as well as serving as the center of traditional mountain culture—bluegrass music, clog dancing, and the unique crafts that thrived in the area's long isolation.
Asheville is also home to the Biltmore Estate, built by George Washington Vanderbilt in 1895. It remains to this day the largest private home ever built in America...and is still owned by Vanderbilt's descendants. Now, however, it is open to the public, and tours of the house and grounds are among the most popular attractions of the area.
Articles
Staying Safe in a Scary World
Many of today's seniors enjoyed an era where they weren't overly concerned about locking their doors and windows. They were even farther away from a time where they had to exercise genuine caution when talking on the phone or reading their email. Even the Read more...
Lifestyle Information from Asheville and Western North Carolina
Warm weather sparks tourism, spending in Asheville area
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
ASHEVILLE -- For Asheville merchants who've struggled with the economy and wicked weather for months on end, spring couldn't come soon enough.
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue inaugurates 5K, pet wellness fair to raise funds
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
ASHEVILLE -- Denise Bitz looks forward to the good days, which can be as simple as handing over a dog or cat to its new parents.
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
MARSHALL -- Chuck Blethen, executive director of the Southern Appalachian Viticulture Institute, has announced upcoming grapevine pruning demonstrations in Buncombe, Madison and Yancey counties. They ...
Today begins Buncombe County's Mountain Mobility Week
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
ASHEVILLE -- The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has designated this week, today-Sunday, as Mountain Mobility Week, kicking off the nonprofit's plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the co...
Tigger wants to bounce right into your heart
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
Tigger is a handsome 6-month-old orange kitten with big, blue eyes and is a bundle of love.
Cantaria performs Broadway favorites on March 28
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
ASHEVILLE -- Cantaria, the gay men's chorus of Asheville, will perform a concert of Broadway favorites at 3 p.m. March 28 at St. Matthias Church, 1 Dundee St.
VISITING OUR PAST: Antebellum diary reveals business-minded Judge Mitchell King
Mar 22, 2010 4:15 am
Judge Mitchell King, Henderson County founder and Flat Rock landholder, wrote about 100 diary pages a year from 1847-51. Whenever a personal note appears, it is a treasure, a gem unearthed from a moun...
Susan Reinhardt: Transylvania County teen survives 2 cancers, 2 heart transplants
Mar 21, 2010 5:49 pm
Cindy and Duane Mullet are the parents of four and one on the way.
Larchmont group rallies against Merrimon Avenue affordable housing project
Mar 21, 2010 5:08 pm
ASHEVILLE -- About 60 North Asheville residents came together Saturday morning on the site of a proposed apartment complex off Merrimon Avenue to rally in opposition to a zoning change that would allo...
Stop and smell the roses? No, thanks -- that's too dangerous
Mar 21, 2010 4:15 am
Beware the first blooms of spring. I have found them to be dangerous on at least one occasion.
