http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2009, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Sun, 5 Jul 2009 00:16:28 EDT Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/24/weekend_charlotte.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/24/weekend_charlotte.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 29 May 2009 15:06:01 EDT Budget Getting there http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/31/mountain_inns_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/31/mountain_inns_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 29 May 2009 15:03:33 EDT Come spring (or any time of year), heading to the mountains of North Carolina provides a high-elevation getaway from "Flatlanta." The bar is raised even higher when the trip includes a stay at a unique mountain inn. Mountain inns have a long tradition in North Carolina, where hospitality starts at the welcome mat. Old Edwards Inn (Highlands), High Hampton Inn (Cashiers), Balsam Mountain Inn (Balsam) and Bob Timberlake Inn at Chetola Resort all provide elevating experiences. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/31/weekend_nc_outerbanks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/31/weekend_nc_outerbanks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 29 May 2009 14:53:36 EDT BUDGET Getting to Hatteras US Airways serves Greenville, N.C., about 140 miles west of the Outer Banks, starting at $49 each way during sale periods. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/24/wilmington_travel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/05/24/wilmington_travel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 22 May 2009 12:37:12 EDT After swimming in the breakers, digging for periwinkles, watching the kids shovel sand, tossing bread to sea gulls, tanning by the pool and topping the day off with a sumptuous seafood dinner, what's left to do at the beach? Well, plenty, if you spend a weekend on the Cape Fear Peninsula below Wilmington on North Carolina's southeastern coast. For starters: A state park bordering the Cape Fear River; the state's oldest fishing pier; a Civil War fort that was the last major stronghold of the Confederacy; a two-story state aquarium; a $5 boat cruise on the river via a state ferry; and a historic waterfront town with houses past the century mark. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/04/19/flyfishing_asheville_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/04/19/flyfishing_asheville_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:10:48 EDT Asheville, N.C. — The plastic speckled trout dangling from the rearview mirror teased me. But I was intrigued when my fishing guide confessed his love for the sport in the way people often disclose truths along riverbanks. "If you get too stressed out, all you have to do is look around and see you're standing in the middle of a river instead of in a cubicle," Teo Whitlock said. "It's kind of ruined me." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/03/08/ocracoke_island_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/03/08/ocracoke_island_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 6 Mar 2009 11:18:51 EST Accessible only by ferry, North Carolina's Ocracoke Island is a classic island getaway, thanks to the quiet streets, friendly locals, award-winning beaches, one-of-a-kind shopping, varied accommodations and fresh seafood. Any time is a great time to visit Ocracoke, although it can get crowded in midsummer. Spring and fall bring fewer visitors, mild weather and generally lower prices. Best beach Once a fairly well-kept secret outside the Southeast, Ocracoke Island landed on the GPS scene in 2007 when the island's Lifeguard Beach was named Best Beach in America by environmental scientist and coastal expert Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman. He gave Ocracoke's pristine beaches top scores for water and sand quality, facilities and environmental management practices. What more could a man or woman ask of an island or a beach? http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/deals/stories/2009/03/08/ocracoke_beach_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/deals/stories/2009/03/08/ocracoke_beach_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 5 Mar 2009 11:31:34 EST By LYNN and CELE SELDON Accessible only by ferry, North Carolina's Ocracoke Island is a classic island getaway, thanks to the quiet streets, friendly locals, award-winning beaches, one-of-a-kind shopping, varied accommodations and fresh seafood. Any time is a great time to visit Ocracoke, although it can get crowded in midsummer. Spring and fall bring fewer visitors, mild weather and generally lower prices. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/02/15/beech_mountain_Oz.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/02/15/beech_mountain_Oz.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:30:31 EST Once upon a time, a long time ago, Beech Mountain, N.C., was more than a ski resort. It was home to the Land of Oz theme park where Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Lion and the Wicked Witch would mingle with guests as they cruised along a real yellow brick road through enchanted gardens and past landmarks from the movie. After 10 years of operation, it closed in 1980. Now, thanks to Cindy Keller, there's new life in Oz. The park's gardens have been restored and guests can now rent Dorothy's house for nightly stays. The three-bedroom structure, modeled to look like the farmhouse in the 1939 film, is a cozy abode decorated with Oz memorabilia and wonderful attention to detail. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/02/01/Asheville_NC_weekend.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/02/01/Asheville_NC_weekend.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:36:07 EST BUDGET Getting there Hit the road with your own wheels for the trip of 3 1/2 to 4 hours. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/01/18/winston_salem_art.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2009/01/18/winston_salem_art.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:53:15 EST Once regarded as the tobacco capital of the world, Winston-Salem, N.C., today touts itself as the City of the Arts, and for good reason: it has one of the highest per- capita contributions to the arts in the country and offers dozens of arts venues. A five-hour car ride from Atlanta, it's close enough for a weekend visit. Here are some full-time attractions and upcoming exhibits worthy of a trip: • Reynolda House Museum of American Art. The estate of the late R.J. Reynolds, founder of RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co., features a museum, gardens and Reynolda Village, with 17 stores and restaurants. On exhibit through March 16 is "Early American Portraits" featuring works by Thomas Sully and John Singleton Copley, among others. "American Impressions: Selections from the National Academy Museum," featuring paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is on view Feb. 28-June 28. 9:30 a.m -4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday. $10 adults; $9 seniors, teachers and AAA members; free for children 18 and younger. 2250 Reynolda Road, 888-663-1149, www.reynoldahouse.org • Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery. Located in the Scales Fine Arts Center at Wake Forest University, the gallery features works by Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Keith Haring. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Free. 1834 Wake Forest Road, 336-758-5585, www.wfu.edu/art http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/12/07/asheville_breweries_.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/12/07/asheville_breweries_.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 5 Dec 2008 16:45:54 EST As a getaway destination, Asheville may be best known for upscale spots such as Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore Estate, where tourists are invited to "vacation like a Vanderbilt." But a growing number of young, adventurous travelers are coming to this picturesque city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a taste of something a little more lively and elemental — namely, beer. Right now, there are at least a half-dozen craft breweries in or near Asheville, and several more scattered across Western North Carolina. And state laws are decidedly more beer business-friendly than in Georgia — which means that at many brewery tasting rooms you can buy a pint at the bar, hang out and listen to some music, and later on, buy kegs or "growlers" (gallon-size glass jugs of draft beer) to take home. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/12/07/one_tank_asheville.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/12/07/one_tank_asheville.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 4 Dec 2008 17:53:58 EST For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving signals it's time for holiday decorating. Some see this seasonal transition as a daunting task — the tangled Christmas lights, the ornaments that spontaneously broke into pieces while stored in the attic. But what if you had to decorate a home with 250 rooms? And what if you were expecting 300,000 holiday visitors to drop by to admire your handiwork? For Cathy Barnhardt, floral design staff supervisor at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., that's just another day at the office. Planning holiday decorations for the palatial French Renaissance chateau that was once home to the wealthy Vanderbilt family is a year-round job, and Barnhardt's been doing it for 31 years. Since she's decking the halls of America's largest privately owned home, now a museum, Barnhardt started preparing for this year's holiday theme, "Christmas Traditions from around the World," in January. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/11/18/christmas_biltmore.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/11/18/christmas_biltmore.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:28:10 EST ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The first Christmas celebration at Biltmore took place in 1895 when George W. Vanderbilt welcomed some 40 guests to his estate in Asheville, N.C. Today, Biltmore — a historic landmark and the largest privately owned home in the U.S., with 250 rooms — welcomes 250,000 visitors to its holiday displays, which can be seen through Jan. 4. The home and estate feature more than 100 decorated trees, 1,000 wreaths and bows, 1,800 poinsettias, miles of evergreen garland, and thousands of ornaments and lights, while individual rooms are decorated according to a theme that changes each year. This year's theme is "Christmas Traditions from Around the World," with traditions from 19 countries represented. For example, the decorating scheme in the Music Room draws on Russian Christmas traditions, with Faberge-style eggs decorating the tree. The tree in the Oak Sitting Room is decorated with little Eiffel Towers, anchors and "bon voyage" plaques, symbolizing the story of George Vanderbilt's proposal to his wife on a ship to France and their subsequent marriage in Paris. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/11/02/high_hampton_cashiers_onetank.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/11/02/high_hampton_cashiers_onetank.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:01:19 EDT Cashiers, N.C. – Sandy Stogner cooked the last Thanksgiving dinner in her Lilburn kitchen eight years ago. After that day of nonstop cooking and cleaning, the Stogners took their holiday weekend to the High Hampton Inn & Country Club, in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, 150 miles northeast of Atlanta. Now in its 36th year, the focus of High Hampton's Thanksgiving House Party is the holiday feast, with turkey and dressing, baked ham, pumpkin and pecan pie, and dozens of supporting players. But the Wednesday-to-Sunday party also includes complimentary golf and tennis, boating, guided hikes, donkey cart rides and other kids' activities, a magic show, square dancing, clogging, Christmas wreath- and ornament-making, and apple cider from an 1860s press. "I don't like to do Thanksgiving at my house," Sandy Stogner said. "The last time, I worked myself to death. All I did was cook and clean the whole day... the week before that, I was in the kitchen while everybody else was watching football on TV, and I decided I wasn't going to do that again. I made reservations at High Hampton for the next year, and we've missed only one year since. Last year, my husband asked if we wanted to go somewhere else next year. We all said no." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/10/26/Rose_Briar_NC_onetank.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/10/26/Rose_Briar_NC_onetank.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:39:09 EDT Following the bends of I-40 through the Cherokee National Forest and then Pisgah National Forest on your way to North Carolina's Briar Rose Farm, worries of the plugged-in world begin to fall away. That's reason enough to visit the working farm, where guests bed down in rustic wood cabins, none of which have cellphone or Internet service. What they do have is peace, privacy and hot tubs on the decks in an environment populated by goats, chickens and cows. Bought 15 years ago by Chicago transplants Tom Hare and Judie Hansen, the farm is located 30 miles northwest of Asheville, N.C., near the town of Hot Springs. The area is home to a mix of mountain people, whose roots go back to the Scotch-Irish and English settlers who came here seeking a new life, and the recent wave of artists and early retirees seeking much the same.