February 2010

Still billed as the "largest private home in America" the Biltmore House is just 2 hours from the lake and a great place to learn about America's Gilded Age . . .

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September 2009

Davy Crockett achieved national fame during his lifetime. He was a U.S. Congressman and one of the heroes who died at the Alamo. But he began life simply near the banks of the Nolichuckey River near the present day Limestone Tennessee . . .

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June 2009

The Appalachian Trail cuts right through Damascus Virginia near the middle of the Trail's route from Maine to Georgia. Each year Damascus celebrates the Appalachian Trail along with other trails in the area at the Appalachian Trail Days festival . . .

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May 2009

The Parson's Table is known throughout the region for its 30 years as a popular restaurant. Its new owners have established a unique catering and banquet business in this historic building much to the delight of former customers . . .

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April 2009

Flours from local grains freshly ground on equipment manufactured before the Civil War. The Trade Tennessee Grist Mill offers a look back to a time where many communities had their own mills and produced their own flours . . .

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November 2008

You will find Damascus, Virginia near where Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia meet. This beautiful area is known by outdoor enthusiasts throughout the region for the Virginia Creeper Trail, the Appalachian Trail, Backbone Rock, great fishing and cozy B&Bs. In short, it is just a great place to spend a day . . .

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July 2008

Roan Mountain is approximately 45 minutes from the Watauga Lake area and well worth the drive. The large park has beautiful views, hiking trails and, in mid-summer, the rhododendron gardens.

Learn more about this special place on the Tennessee/North Carolina border . . .

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March 2008

10 miles east of Elizabethton and just a 20-30 minutes drive from Watauga Lake is a beautiful set of 4 waterfalls known as Blue Hole Falls.

The hike from the parking area is short and beautiful. It's all downhill to the plunge pool . . .

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March 2008

Greeneville is one of the oldest towns in Tennessee. It was named for General Nathanael Greene, was once the capital of the State of Franklin, was home to President Andrew Johnson before and after his Presidency and was the birthplace of Davy Crockett.

Today it remains an active town while preserving its considerable history . . .

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February 2008

"For these reasons, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation organization, today named Jonesborough, Tennessee, to its 2005 list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. It was selected from nearly 80 destinations in 44 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities."
    ~ NationalTrust.org

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January 2008

For a great adventure, visit the Gray Fossil Site and Museum in nearby Gray, Tennessee. This museum is beautifully designed, eye-catching and very active. Learn from guides who are also workers at the site and in the laboratories where fossils are cleaned and evaluated. . .

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               Update: Click here to see photos from the 2007 Shady Valley Cranberry Festival

October 2007

The highest mountain valley town in Tennessee, one of the great motorcycle routes, a truly beautiful setting and a cranberry festival, all in Shady Valley Tennessee. . .

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October 2007

Elizabethton Tennessee is rich in history. Events in the area played pivotal roles in the formation of our democratic country and in the outcome of the Civil War.

Many of the historical sites and buildings have been set aside and preserved and are easily accessible to visitors . . .

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October 2007

John Carter was one of the earliest white settlers in the area. His home is still standing in an Elizabethton, Tennessee neighborhood.

This area marked the beginning of not only Elizabethton and Tennessee history but also the independent spirit which led to the break from Britain a few years later . . .

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October 2007

Carter at Main restaurant combines good food and service, a wonderful setting and a taste of history to create a memorable dining experience in the historic section of Elizabethton Tennessee near Watauga Lake. . .

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"Established near the Shoals in 1772, the Watauga Association was for all practical purposes independent of the British Crown ~ more than 4 years before the Declaration of Independence. When the settlers, who thought they had settled in Virginia, learned they were living under the authority of the royal government of North Carolina and beyond the Indian Treaty Line, they formed their own government. . ."

    ~ State Historic Marker at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area

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