http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2008, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Tue, 2 Dec 2008 23:01:54 EST 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/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. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/10/19/cataloochee_ski_maggie_valley.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/10/19/cataloochee_ski_maggie_valley.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:07:42 EDT he Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C., loves to quote its superlatives. Earliest to open. Last to close. First ski area south of Virginia. With the original site built in 1961 and the present site in 1969, Southeastern families have learned to ski on Fie Mountain for 50-plus years. Today 80 percent of its visitors rent ski equipment. "That tells you how many beginning and intermediate skiers we get," says Tammy Brown, Cataloochee Ski Area's director of marketing. "We're only a three-hour drive from Atlanta, so people come here to learn to ski and snowboard, or to warm up their skills for a trip out West. We also have guests who ski regularly here for the love of it. Since we're so close to so many cities, it's really convenient for a day trip or a quick getaway." Snow comes in early November, thanks to the snow-making equipment. As long as cold weather holds, the ski area continues to make snow as needed until early April. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/09/28/appalachian_spas_southeast.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/09/28/appalachian_spas_southeast.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:26:53 EDT For centuries, the tranquil foothills and mountains of the southeastern United States have provided the perfect setting for world-class spas. From a soothing view of a soaring vista to the simple sounds of wind chimes blowing in the cool mountain breeze, higher-elevation spas in the region can be pleasingly peaceful. "As many vacationers are planning trips around the spa experience, the mountains of the Southeast make for a tranquil getaway," says Lynne McNees, president of the International SPA Association. "The beautiful scenery allows spa-goers to relax, reflect and revitalize while reducing stress." Whether for a quick weekend away or a weeklong spa vacation designed to take overall well-being to new heights, this overview of options focuses on resorts in the region's mountains and foothills that offer top spas on-property or nearby. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/09/14/blowingrock_north_carolina.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/09/14/blowingrock_north_carolina.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:51:12 EDT Awakened as temperatures cool and leaves change colors, many Georgians head to the mountains, and to this town just a pretty five-hour drive away. Though Blowing Rock is particularly popular in the fall, it's also a year-round destination. At 4,000 feet in North Carolina's "High Country," it sits astride the Eastern Continental Divide, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and from the top of Blowing Rock (yes, there really is one), you'll view gorgeous scenery. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/08/24/Family_Golf_Resorts.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/08/24/Family_Golf_Resorts.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:19:11 EDT Scott Campbell's yearly golf trip started a decade ago as a getaway, a few rounds with an old buddy. Both of them had preteen sons, and Campbell left 10-year-old Joe back home in Lawrenceville with the rest of the family. But as his boy grew up and got interested in golf, Campbell realized how little time he had left with Joe. The same thing was dawning on his old golf buddy regarding his son. But would Joe get bored on the golf trip? Would having two boys along ruin the guy experience? Would it be an expensive bust? http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/08/17/wilmington_nc_travel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/08/17/wilmington_nc_travel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:34:30 EDT Wilmington, N.C. — Don't worry if it has been some time since you've laced up your walking shoes. Outdoor options along North Carolina's southern coast are suited for visitors of all abilities and inclinations. An added bonus for budget-conscious travelers and families is the many free and low-cost activities. Here are some ideas: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/08/10/dupont_forest_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/08/10/dupont_forest_nc.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:45:34 EDT CEDAR MOUNTAIN, N.C. — Off limits to the public until only a few years ago, the waterfalls at DuPont State Forest reveal their hidden splendor for those willing to hike or bike on steep trails and slippery rocks. Six waterfalls, from a skyscraper-high cascade to an enormous rock slab with sheets of water, punctuate this 10,400-acre forest halfway between the mountain resort towns of Brevard and Hendersonville. The granddaddy is High Falls, a thundering 150-foot drop along an inclined rock formation. High Falls spews a chill mist on visitors who, after a 25-minute hike, clamber onto the massive boulders at the base to picnic, sunbathe or chill out. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/08/05/Nantahala_Rafting.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/08/05/Nantahala_Rafting.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:46:17 EDT Bryson City, N.C. — It's often a fine line between high adventure and abject terror. Guys like Robert Brody, Jimmy Lighthouser and Michael Weaver see that you don't cross it. Paddling whitewater — even a river as mild as the Nantahala or the even tamer Tuckaseigee — is risky. Every raft trip orientation speech includes some variation of: "The river isn't Six Flags. There are no rails on this ride." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/07/17/bald_head_island_lighthouse.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/07/17/bald_head_island_lighthouse.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:39:15 EDT BALD HEAD ISLAND, N.C. — Capt. Charles Norton Swan lived his dream life on this island, lighting the lamp to put the new Cape Fear Lighthouse into service in 1903 and then running the Cape Fear Light Station for the next 30 years. Today's Bald Head Island visitors can temporarily live like "Cap'n Charlie," thanks to three renovated lighthouse keeper cottages available for rental. The three wood-frame dwellings overlooking the wide beach were built in the early 1900s, with one housing Cap'n Charlie and his family and the others occupied by his two assistants. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/articles/photoupload_outerbanks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/articles/photoupload_outerbanks.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 8 Jul 2008 17:09:10 EDT http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/articles/photoupload_outerbanks?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/articles/photoupload_outerbanks?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 8 Jul 2008 16:59:12 EDT http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/07/03/highlands_north_carolina_festivals.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/2008/07/03/highlands_north_carolina_festivals.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:47:13 EDT Highlands, N.C. — Drive about 130 miles north of Atlanta, across industrial stretches of north Georgia on U.S. 23 and up a winding road to an elevation of 4,000 feet. Park your car and let it hit you — fresh mountain air, the kind that takes a broom to your lungs and mind, sweeping away city smog and stress. This quaint spot has for years drawn Georgians and Floridians to take their ease in the town's mountain views, waterfalls and myriad golf courses. "Every time we would come up here, we'd see the mountain range and all of our stress would start coming down," says Joyce Franklin of Brookhaven. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/06/12/GA_NC_Small_Town_Travel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/06/12/GA_NC_Small_Town_Travel.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:22:43 EDT Here are three towns, all with something special to offer, for a summer vacation with the family or a weekend getaway. And most are less than 300 miles from Atlanta. Southport, N.C. (population 2,350)