Whitewater Falls, a few miles outside of Cashiers, North Carolina, offers the biggest waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The waterfall, at 411 feet tall, taller than Niagara Falls, is comparable to many beautiful waterfalls throughout the world.
If you take Highway 74 and drive for twenty five minutes or so, you’ll get to one of the most popular white water rafting/kayaking locations in the country—The Nantahala River. The Nantahala River gets over 250,000 people annually who have fun paddling through its eight mile stretch of class II and class III rapids.
One of the driving forces in the settlement of this country was the pursuit of wealth. Settlers pushed ever deeper into the unknown wilderness, as rumors of gold and other precious minerals reached civilized lands. Today, gem mining in areas like Franklin offers the public a chance to experience the search that drove their ancestors, as well as the slight possibility of striking it rich.
Flat Rock, North Carolina is the home of America’s poet, Carl Sandburg. An ideal spot for literary and nature fanatics, a trip to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in North Carolina is a chance to sample the peaceful life led by Sandburg himself.
Unto These Hills, an event located in the mountains of Cherokee, NC is the second largest running-outdoor drama in the United States. Work began in 1948 to create the drama, and it is now celebrating its 60-year anniversary of the historical retelling of the life of the Cherokee Indian, then and now.
In 1941, the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) finished construction of the Thorpe Dam just outside of Glenville in southern Jackson County. While the dam was only intended to provide power for ALCOA’s aluminum factory, it had the secondary effect of creating the Thorpe Reservoir, which became commonly known as Lake Glenville.
Anyone who has grown up in this area knows of the Biltmore House. It has long overlooked the mountains of North Carolina. Even so, the estate seems to offer a perpetual wonder to all those who perceive it. Visitors are first left in awe when they step onto the front lawn and view the house from afar.
If you’re tired of sitting around campus because you don’t know what to do with your free time, it’s time to find some friends and take a short trip over to the Blue Ridge Parkway, located between Cullowhee and Waynesville. The Blue Ridge Parkway has many activities as well as some of the most beautiful sites in the United States.
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