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What's the Prettiest Town in Southern Highlands of N.C. to live in/visit?

What's the Prettiest Town in Southern Highlands of N.C. to live in/visit?

Old Apr 27th, 2000, 12:21 PM
  #1  
Mary
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What's the Prettiest Town in Southern Highlands of N.C. to live in/visit?

I would appreciate any opinions from people who have retired to this area, or have vacationed there extensively (or at all!) Thanks in advance!
 
Old Apr 27th, 2000, 05:01 PM
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Diane
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My mom and a friend spent a month in Blowing Rock, NC one summer. We went to visit over the 4th of July and found it to be a delightful town, and very beautiful.
 
Old Apr 27th, 2000, 06:21 PM
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Bob Brown
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You might check out Brevard, NC.
There is a summer music camp there which gives frequent concerts. It is close to a very nice section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even the Smoky Mountain National Park is within range for a day trip.
 
Old Apr 27th, 2000, 06:39 PM
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Lorrie Hutson
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I live in Asheville,NC and I love it here in the mountains.I love to travel
but there is nothing like that climb back up the mountains to go home.
The parkway is always beautiful!!
 
Old Apr 27th, 2000, 07:19 PM
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Mary
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Thank you, Diane, Bob & Lorrie. I have visited several of the areas over there (but not Brevard) in the fall of the year, and it was just awesome! Am presently living in Raleigh, which is way too hot & humid in the summer so want to go where it's cooler, etc., for our retirement.

We were thinking of the areas north of Asheville, maybe an hour or so, Burnsville, Linville Falls, etc. Or Candler, Weaverville, Mars Hill? Are these good places to live year round? I'd love to have some snow a few times a year, since we want HAVE to drive in it if we don't want to.

Any comments from anyone, pro or con, (and more from the three of you) would be very much appreciated.

Thanks a bunch, Mary

 
Old May 2nd, 2000, 07:28 AM
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Alison
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I live in the southern mountains, in the town of Franklin, and it is a beautiful place. Macon County is a great place to live/visit. (Our population more than doubles in the summer with visitors). We also have a very large population of retirees, and they are an active part of the community. If beauty is what you want, definitely go to Highlands. Full of small inns and hotels, with streets lined with nice, high end shops, it's where I do all of my Christmas shopping. (The Stone Lantern is a personal favorite). There's a lot of hiking trails in the area, Whiteside Mountain is great. In the winter, the area is beautiful, with more snow than the lower elevation Frankin (where I live, also a nice place . Mirror Lake is frozen at times, and the waterfalls on 64 are usually frozen. Very beautiful. (And it does snow, just not too often)
And don't forget on the other side of the county Nantahala, known for it's whitewater rafting. (Eat at Relia's Garden-they grow their own herbs in their gardern, delicious)
No matter where you go in the mountains, it is beautiful, one of the most lovely areas I have ever seen. Good Luck on your search.
 
Old May 2nd, 2000, 07:40 AM
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Mary
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Alison,

Thank you so much for a very informative post. What's your driving time to Asheville?

Here in Raleigh, I've actually had to run an air conditioner from April thru November a couple of years (usually, it's May - October.) Is your weather there a lot different? I really don't like over 85 and humid!

I have heard that Highlands is very beautiful. Sounds very appealing. Noew I'm going to go look up Franklin in Macon County on my map! Thanks again for your help!

Mary
 
Old May 3rd, 2000, 07:13 PM
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Alison
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Franklin (for Highlands, add 30 min to all times) is an hour and half from Asheville, and about 2 and half hours from Atlanta (depends on which side of the city you're going to). I know it takes me 3.5 hours to get from Franklin to Winston-Salem, but to Raleigh, I am not quite sure, I think it is around 5 hours.
It is definitely not humid here, although some days it does get kinda hot. Never over 90 though. I live down in the valley, so it's a little warmer, but if your house(or whatever) is even just a little up a mountain it will be cool enough to just have maybe an attic fan, maybe the a/c once a week. I guess it depends on your comfort level.
My dad (who used to be president of the Smoky Mountain Host) suggested Cashiers as another good place, I don't know much about that area as much. The Smoky Mt.Host website is useful it's, www.visitsmokies.org
In the end, the thing you should do is just spend a weekend(or preferably a week) just driving to all the town you are considering and really looking around. Once you've found a place you like, you will know it.
 
Old May 12th, 2003, 07:14 PM
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I moved from Georgia to the Highlands/Cahsiers area when I was a young girl. We left our A/C behind in the move! We never had A/C in the mountains and never needed it. Even in the warmest months a sweater is needed at night. Franklin is quite a bit warmer, but still cool compared to Raleigh.
I live in Raleigh now, but get back to visit my parents whenever I can. My husband and I will move back to the mountains when we retire. I have yet to visit another place quite as magical.
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Old Jun 9th, 2003, 05:49 PM
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We have dear friends who retired to East Flat Rock (near Hendersonville). There is a nice community theater nearby, as well as Carl Sandburgh's home. They had a beautiful place near a lodge and lake. I loved taking walks in their neighborhood. I live in South Florida, so I think anything 50' above sea level is a mountain...LOL! I am envious of your decision to retire in or near the mountains. I love North Carolina.
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Old Jun 9th, 2003, 05:56 PM
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We also love the Highlands/Cashiers/Brevard areas - especially Lake Toxaway. But the homes are priced too high for us on that lake. Any suggestions for a reasonable lake home in those areas? We visited Lake Fontana but heard they really lower the water levels on that lake and we'd rather have good water to dock a boat on. What lake do you think we should visit as prospective buyers?
Thanks for your input...
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Old Jun 25th, 2003, 07:18 AM
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I lived in Brevard and Hendersonville for 11 years. Their weather is temperate with 4 seasons and the towns are charming. Health care is better in Hendersonville and excellent in Asheville. Highlands, Linville, Burnsville, Cashiers, are all very cold in the winter and experience much worse winters and snow. I have lived many places and this area is my favorite. Also check out Tryon NC, it is located in a temperate zone-one of the few in the US. Saluda NC is also charming. As far as lakes, check out the Lake Keowee area in South Carolina at the foothills leading to Brevard and Hendersonville (off I-26) and Lake Jocassee. Very nice areas but hotter in the summer.
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